Table of Contents

 

 Chapter 173.

Hypocrisy

1. OF what sin were the Pharisees guilty?

"Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy." Luke 12:1.

NOTE.-Hypocrisy is a feigning to be what one is not; dissimulation; a concealment of one's real character or motives; especially, the assuming of a false appearance of virtue or religion.

2. How did the Pharisees show themselves to be hypocrites?

"Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoreth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me." Matt. 15:7,8.

3. How did they make void one of God's commandments?

"For God commanded, saying, Honor thy father and mother. . . . But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition." Verses 4-6.

4. How did Christ say hypocrites pray?

"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward." Matt. 6:5.

5. What does Christ call one who readily sees the faults of others, but does not see nor correct his own?

"Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." Matt. 7:5.

6. How does a hypocrite treat his neighbor?

"An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbor." "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee." Prov. 11:9; 23:7.

7. Which of the apostles was once guilty of dissimulation?

"And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him [Peter]; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation." Gal. 2:13.

8. Why did Paul say he opposed Peter in this matter?

"But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed." Verse 11.

9. What did David say he would not do?

"I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers." Ps. 26:4.

10. How pure should be our love?

"Let love be without dissimulation." Rom. 12:9.

11. What will become of the hypocrite's hope?

"So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish." Job 8:13.

12. What is to be the fate of that servant who, while professing to love the Lord, shows by his actions that he is worldly, and is not looking nor longing for His coming?

"The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for Him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matt. 24:50,51. "The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites." Isa. 33:14.

13. What is characteristic of heavenly wisdom?

"The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." James 3:17.

 

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