GETTING TO THE ROOT

Two-Faced Hypocrites in (Matthew 6:2, 5, and 16) 

Matthew 6:2

(2) "So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward in full.

Matthew 6:5

(5) "When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward in full.

Matthew 6:16

(16) "Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward in full.

The gospel writer recorded Jesus’ use of the Greek term (hupokritai), from which English derives its word “hypocrites.” Although the term was used in the biblical era and beyond in a strictly negative sense, early Greeks used the term more positively. The term (hupokritai) was first used to describe actors and the craft of acting. In particular, the term was used concerning the effective means of communication that is essential for actors to play their parts well. 

Ancient orators like Aristotle and Demosthenes used the term in this context to describe the specialized skill of speaking well before a crowd. Over time, as people began using the term outside its original acting context, (hupokritai) took on a more negative connotation. When everyday people spoke with the skill of professional actors, they were seen to be “playing a part,” presenting a face other than their own. 

This divide between the outward portrayal of one character and the inward reality of another helps us understand Jesus’ use of the term about those who act in ways inconsistent with their fundamentally prideful nature. It is unsurprising, then, that the term has come to indicate those we call “two-faced.”

 Grove Oak Church