Hypocrisy (5272) (hupokrisis/hypokrisis from hupo = under + krino =to judge; See also word study on Hypocrite = hupokrites) refers literally to delivery of a speech, along with interpretive gestures and imitation. The word hypocrisy comes from the Greek theater and referred to the practice of putting on a mask and playing a part on stage. It originally conveyed the idea of playing the playing a part on the stage and described the actor's art. The NT gives hupokrisis only a negative connotation referring to hypocrisy, duplicity (the quality of being double - belying of one’s true intentions by deceptive words or action), insincerity, dissimulation (hiding under a false appearance; hiding or disguising one's thoughts or feelings - don't we all do this from time to time?!). The idea is to pretend, to act as something one is not and so to act deceitfully, pretending to manifest traits like piety and love. It means to create a public impression that is at odds with one’s real purposes or motivations, and thus is characterized by play-acting, pretense or outward show. It means to give an impression of having certain purposes or motivations, while in reality having quite different ones. Vincent commenting on related word hypocrite (Greek noun = hypokrites - one who acts pretentiously, a counterfeit, a man who assumes and speaks or acts under a feigned character) writes that it is derived from... hupokrino, to separate gradually; so of separating the truth from a mass of falsehood, and thence to subject to inquiry, and, as a result of this, to expound or interpret what is elicited. Then, to reply to inquiry, and so to answer on the stage, to speak in dialogue, to act. From this the transition is easy to assuming, feigning, playing a part. The hypocrite is, therefore, etymologically, an actor. Webster defines hypocrisy as "a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not; especially the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion" Hypocrisy is the practice of claiming to have higher standards or more laudable beliefs than is the case. Hiebert... "Hypocrisy" (hupokriseis) is a plural noun and depicts the various forms of pretense (counterfeit acts) to which deceit resorts in its endeavor to throw the intended victim off guard. The term readily developed an evil connotation to denote the hypocrite, "a man who all the time is concealing his real motives, a man who meets you with a face which is very different from his heart, and with words which are very different from his real feelings." Such religious impersonation is seen in the case of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-10), who cloaked evil desires behind pious appearances. The unfeigned love called for in 1:22 must be without that terrible quality. (Ibid) There are only 6 uses of hupokrisis in the NT... Matthew 23:28 "Even so you too outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Mark 12:15 "Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?" But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at." Luke 12:1 Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of the multitude had gathered together that they were stepping on one another, He began saying to His disciples first of all, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy." Galatians 2:13 And the rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. 1Timothy 4:2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, 1Peter 2:1 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, Thayer summarizes hupokrisis writing that it is... 1. an answering; an answer (Herodotus). 2. the acting of a stage-player (Aristotle, Polybius, Dionysius Halicarnassus, Plutarch, Lucian, Artemidorus Daldianus, others). 3. dissimulation, hypocrisy: Wuest adds that this Greek word is made up of hupo “under,” and krinō “to judge” and referred originally to “one who judged from under the cover of a mask,” thus, assuming an identity and a character which he was not. This person was the actor on the Greek stage, one who took the part of another. The Pharisees were religious actors, so to speak, in that they pretended to be on the outside, what they were not on the inside...Our word hypocrite (See word study on hupokrites = hypocrit) comes from this Greek word. It usually referred to the act of concealing wrong feelings or character under the pretence of better ones." (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans or Logos or Wordsearch) In another note Wuest explains that "The Greek word for “hypocrite” was used of an actor on the Greek stage, one who played the part of another. The word means literally, “to judge under,” and was used of someone giving off his judgment from behind a screen or mask.... The true identity of the person is covered up. It refers to acts of impersonation or deception. It was used of an actor on the Greek stage. Taken over into the New Testament, it referred to a person we call a hypocrite, one who assumes the mannerisms, speech, and character of someone else, thus hiding his true identity. Christianity requires that believers should be open and above-board. They should be themselves. Their lives should be like an open book, easily read." (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans or Logos or Wordsearch) Hupokrisis describes a kind of deceit in which persons pretend to be different from what they really are, and esp that they are acting from good motives when in reality they are motivated by selfish desire. Jesus warns hypocrites, severely warns them. Believers must, therefore, strip off any semblance of hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is one of the sins that God hates above all others. Hypocrites shall receive the greater damnation (Mt23:14ff). A hypocrite has God on his tongue and the world in his heart. William Barclay writes that the related word Hupokrites (hypocrite) is a word with a curious history. It is the noun from the verb hupokrinesthai which means to answer; a hupokritēs begins by being an answerer. Then it it goes on to mean one who answers in a set dialogue or a set conversation, that is to say an actor, the man who takes part in the question and answer of the stage... It then came to mean an actor in the worse sense of the term, a pretender, one who acts a part, one who wears a mask to cover his true feelings, one who puts on an external show while inwardly his thoughts and feelings are very different....it comes to mean a hypocrite, a man who all the time is acting a part and concealing his real motives...one whose whole life is a piece of acting without any sincerity behind it at all. Anyone to whom religion is a legal thing, anyone to whom religion means carrying out certain external rules and regulations, anyone to whom religion is entirely connected with the observation of a certain ritual and the keeping of a certain number of taboos is in the end bound to be, in this sense, a hypocrite. The reason is this—he believes that he is a good man if he carries out the correct acts and practices, no matter what his heart and his thoughts are like. To take the case of the legalistic Jew in the time of Jesus, he might hate his fellow man with all his heart, he might be full of envy and jealousy and concealed bitterness and pride; that did not matter so long as he carried out the correct handwashings and observed the correct laws about cleanness and uncleanness. Legalism takes account of a man’s outward actions; but it takes no account at all of his inward feelings. He may well be meticulously serving God in outward things, and bluntly disobeying God in inward things—and that is hypocrisy....There is no greater religious peril than that of identifying religion with outward observance. There is no commoner religious mistake than to identify goodness with certain so-called religious acts. Church-going, bible-reading, careful financial giving, even time-tabled prayer do not make a man a good man. The fundamental question is, how is a man’s heart towards God and towards his fellow-men? And if in his heart there are enmity, bitterness, grudges, pride, not all the outward religious observances in the world will make him anything other than a hypocrite... The hypocrite is the man whose alleged Christian profession is for his own profit and prestige and not for the service and glory of Christ." (Barclay, W: The Daily Study Bible Series. The Westminster Press) MacDonald... Hypocrisy—insincerity, pretense, sham. The hypocrite is a play-actor, pretending to be someone he is not. He pretends to be happily married when his home is actually a battlefield. He pretends to be spiritual on Sundays but he is as carnal as a goat on weekdays. He pretends interest in others but his motives are selfish. (MacDonald, W & Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson or Logos) Beloved, how does your behavior on Sunday compare with your behavior Monday through Saturday? if you are inconsistent between how you behave at church and how you behave at home, work, school, etc, you are guilty of hypocrisies. AND ENVY: kai phthonous: (1Sa 18:8,9; Ps 37:1; 73:3; Pr 3:31; 14:30; 24:1,19, Ro 1:29-note; Ro 1:3:13-note; 1Cor 3:2,3; 2Cor 12:20, Gal 5:21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26-note; Js 3:14,16; 4:5) Spurgeon... “And envies.” We must lay them all aside, all envies of men because they are richer, or more gifted, or more highly esteemed than we are. Let us not envy anybody, for envy eats a man’s own heart out and slays him, as Eliphaz said to Job “Envy slayeth the silly one.”... All hatred of those who are either better or better off than you are. (1Peter 2 Commentary )