Why “They’re a Bunch of Hypocrites!” is a Poor Excuse for Not Attending a Church
“They’re just a bunch of hypocrites!” Yes, I have heard it said. Yes, I have read it (many times). I’ve heard it said in jest, but–tragically–I have also heard it said with all sincerity.
When asked why someone won’t attend a church, that hurtful answer is regularly given.
Often, when those words are spoken, it is done to virtually halt the conversation. It is a default answer, meant to cause the person doing the inviting to just go along his merry way and stop bothering the other person. At other times, though, the person is serious. They have seen “so-and-so” who goes to church “over there” do something wrong, so why should I go to church? After all, I’m just as good as “so-and-so.”
Here is why that is a poor excuse for not attending a church: it is a misunderstanding of what the word “hypocrite” means.
The word “hypocrite” does not merely mean that someone makes mistakes, or stumbles in his/her moral decisions at times. We all do that, more often than we would like (Romans 3:10; 3:23).
Our word “hypocrite” originally came from the Greek culture; specifically, from their theaters. An actor would put on a mask to play the part, maybe of a very happy character in the play. Then the very same actor would change masks, either to display a different mood (e.g., sadness) or to play a completely different character. So, the idea behind the word became that of changing masks…
….intentionally.
And there is the key. A hypocrite is not someone who just makes mistakes. It is not one who “walks in the light” (1 John 1:7), but who stumbles at times.
Instead, a hypocrite is an actor. In fact, the word, literally defined, means, “a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc. that he or she does not actually possess” (emphasis added).
Do you see it? It is someone who knows that he or she is putting on a front, and is not ashamed to do so. It is not just someone who makes mistakes, or even someone who struggles mightily with their spiritual lives.
Is it possible there are true hypocrites in a congregation? Of course, it is possible. Sadly, there are some individuals who “play” church, and are not ashamed to live however they want to live, but who also intentionally put on a religious mask on Sundays.
Any honest person, though, would have to admit that those people are few and far in-between. If nothing else, after awhile, who would want to sit through worship–where God is praised and His commands are taught regularly–when they aren’t following Him the other 167 hours during the week? Wouldn’t that get old…and pretty fast?
God’s people are not perfect. I’ll grant you that. We struggle. We sin. We face temptations. We are burdened.
But we are not hypocrites, because we are trying.
We are trying to do what is right. We pray for forgiveness. We make fervent effort to be submissive to the will of God. When we struggle, we rally around each other and pull each other closer to the Lord’s example.
And that’s what we want to do for you. We want to help you in your struggle, and we desire for you to help us when we struggle.
So drop the excuse of “they are a bunch of hypocrites” and just see if God’s people aren’t the most tender-hearted, kindest, most humble, and most caring people you’ll ever meet…if you’ll just give them a chance.
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AUTHOR: Adam Faughn
