Bible Verses About Hypocrisy
Jesus reserved his gentlest words for sinners and his harshest words for religious hypocrites. These verses come largely from Matthew 23 — a sustained confrontation with those who perform their faith publicly while failing privately. These are not comfortable passages. They were not meant to be.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Beautiful on the outside, corrupt within. Jesus is describing the performance of righteousness without its substance.
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
Public acts of faith performed to be seen by others — Jesus says plainly, that is your only reward.
All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
They say, and do not. Jesus identifies the gap between proclamation and practice as the defining mark of hypocrisy.
Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me.
Words of faith without a changed heart. This was not a new problem in Jesus's time. It is not new now.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Saying the right things is not enough. Doeth — action, not declaration — is the measure.
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