Don’t go for the “Oscar” in life, leave that to the movies!

Scripture Read: 1 Timothy 4:1-3 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, ² by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, ³ men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.

Application: This scripture gives us a good insight into how false teachers become false teachers. When you allow hypocrisy to abide in your conscience, you will leave your conscience numb to the voice of God. This is a responsibility we need to take on for our selves, if we are going to be honest. Jesus denounced this character flaw more than any other issue. Pretending is great in theater, but it is deadly in life. In the NT this word was used consistently in the most negative way:

Hypocrisy ὑπόκρισις hupókrisis; to pretend. Hypocrisy, dissimulation

 (Matt. 23:28; Mark 12:15; Luke 12:1; Gal. 2:13; 1 Tim. 4:2; 1 Pet. 2:1).

(I) The noun hupókrisis was generally used for flattery or evil deception. Hypocrisy is a thing God cannot tolerate (Job 22:16), and which He is continually exposing (Job 5:13).

 *Idolatry is a form of hypocrisy which keeps a man from being perfect,

 i.e., wholehearted, with the Lord his God (Deut. 18:13).

* Isaiah’s prophecies contain humiliating exposés and scathing denunciations of the religious hypocrisy which was so rampant in his day.

* Malachi expounds on it extensively as well. All false prophecy was hypocrisy–the saying of the thing that pleased, and not the thing that was true. The person most deceived was the hypocrite himself (Is. 33:14; Job 27:8), but he was also a danger to the society in which he lived (Job 15:34). (II) In the NT and especially in the synoptics, few sins are so directly denounced as hypocrisy.

* In John’s Gospel it is equated with pseúdos, falsehood, lying, which is equally condemned. Our Lord presents this evil as something hidden that one day will be made manifest, a sin which glories in misleading another by smooth flatteries (Matt. 22:16).

 The religious hypocrites of Jesus’ day went about in long robes seeking to be reverenced by public salutations, taking honor for granted and cloaking oppressive avarice with long prayers (Mark 12:38–40).

* Hypocrisy cleanses the outside of the cup and platter while leaving them full of extortion and wickedness. It makes men as hidden tombs, white and shining without but foul within (Luke 11:44).^[1]

To be sure all of us can play the hypocrite at times, we all are sinners, but if we live that way we place our conscience in a real danger. The term here is very descriptive: 

Kaustēriázomai;

This rare term, which means “to burn with glowing iron,” occurs figuratively

in 1 Tim. 4:2, where false teachers are said to have “branded” consciences.

The thought seems to be that they are the slaves of demonic forces.

~ Runaway slaves and criminals were branded in antiquity; also sometimes prisoners of war, workers in the mines and munitions, and army recruits.

* This practice underlies the metaphor.^[2] Καυστηριάζω-  active brand with a red-hot iron; of a slave mark with a brand; figuratively, of destroying the function of conscience cause to be insensitive, make unfeeling, harden; passive and idiomatically καυστηριάζεσθαι τὴν συνείδησιν literally be seared in respect to the conscience, i.e. refuse to listen to one’s conscience (1T 4.2)^[3]

The key for all of us is “honesty” ~ with our life. We need to be able recognize any hypocrisy ~ taking place in our life ~ as soon as possible, so we can stop it from taking root. This is where accountability to others is essential. There is no way we can see this for ourselves, because we are too close. We need a pair of eyes that see us from afar, yet know us well. This is exactly what real discipleship accomplishes. As we spend time with those we disciple or those that are mentoring us, they can see our patterns and behaviors, and help us discover those blind spots we all have. We need to be brave enough to open ourselves up for this. With Your help Lord we will see the benefits far outweigh the fears!

Meditation Questions: How well do you think you know yourself? Have you ever asked someone else close to you how they see you? What does your answer show you? How real do you think you are? Why do you think that about yourself? Does there need to be a change? How could that change take place?  Do you have someone in your life that can tell you the truth about yourself? What does your answer show? Would you be willing to ask God for that person? Are you willing to be that person for someone else?

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^[1] Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word study dictionary : New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.

^[2] Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1995). Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (423). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans.

^[3] Friberg, T., Friberg, B., & Miller, N. F. (2000). Vol. 4: Analytical lexicon of the Greek New Testament. Baker's Greek New Testament library (226). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.