ALETHEIA: HYPOKRITE

Did you know that the Greek word "hypokrite" is where we got the English word "hypocrite"? The Greeks used this term to describe an actor or someone who wears a mask. It's a compound word: hypo + krino, which means to interpret/judge or perform from underneath. It makes more sense when you realize that stage actors in Rome wore large masks to assume the persona of the character or role they were playing.

Jesus uses the word hypocrite in the Bible often to describe those whose outward confessions didn't match their inward sentiments. His rebuke of the religious leaders of His day was prominent & necessary because of the tremendous deception that was taking place under their leadership. The leaders twisted the Word of God so much so that it sat in complete opposition to it. Not only were the religious leaders causing God's people to stumble, but they were keeping them away from God. These religious leaders turned God into a religious structure, one that was based solely on what man said & decided rather than the Word of God.

Ultimately, only God knows the heart & is not fooled by outward appearances. If people profess to know God but deny Him in the way they live their life by not keeping His commandments, then that person is a liar, & the truth is not in him (1 John 2:4). Hypocrisy has always run rampant in society, but it has grown increasingly prevalent as time has gone on. It's in our churches & our government; it's on our TVs and in our schools, families, & social circles. The evil one's go-to weapons are lies & deception; the Lord's is truth. We will be lied to and deceived by words, signs, & wonders that serve the lie and suppress the truth. Those who will perish are those who refuse to love the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10). Today we love feelings more than truth, status more than truth, reputation more than truth. But we are called to rebuke others in love, which always starts with us looking in the mirror to see if our neighbor's error applies to us beforehand (Matthew 7:5). Unconditional love & truth are inseparable, just as it is with self-love & deception.