hypocrites

In the sixth chapter in the Gospel According to Matthew (NABRE), we encounter the word “hypocrite” several times. This word comes up a fair amount in the Gospels, usually in reference to the Jewish leaders. What exactly is Jesus accusing these leaders of doing wrong when he calls them hypocrites?

The Greek root ὑπόκρισις (hypocrisis) literally means “an answer.” In a slightly different form, ὑποκριτής (hyocrites), the word means “the one who answers,” or “an interpreter or expounder.” Over time, this word also took on a technical definition of “one who plays a part, an actor.” One of the meanings of hypocrisis—and the one relevant to our modern concept of hypocrisy—is that of acting or playing a part on the stage.

What is Jesus talking about when he accuses the Jewish leaders of hypocrisy? He’s not simply suggesting that they say one thing and do another, though that’s a part of it. Rather, Jesus is accusing them of playing a part when they interact with him. Frequently when the scribes and Pharisees seek to entrap Jesus, they disavow any opinion of their own on matters of the law in order to trick Jesus by asking questions with no good answer. The call to examine whether we are hypocrites, then, is the call to evaluate where we act like someone other than ourselves for the sake of achieving some goal.

For the sake of this translation, I suggest using the word “pretender” to translate this Greek concept because I think it’s easier to understand what’s meant. A pretender, like an actor, is one who is faking it or doing something disingenuous. Why do you think Jesus is so offended by hypocrisy?

related topics: anathema; blasphemy; sin

you also may like our study of the Gospel According to John
The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth, a 25-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, examines the Fourth Gospel’s view of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, with special emphasis on the institution of the sacraments of the Church as the means by which Christians are purified and made holy. This recently revised study includes maps and additional commentary, and takes a closer look at the way in which Jesus relates to individual men and women. Click on the book’s cover to view a sample lesson.

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