40 Important Bible Verses About Hypocrisy

The act of pretending and telling people you possess certain qualities that you do not actually have is called hypocrisy, it can be regarded as living a double life. Hypocrisy is one habit the Bible condemns totally, it is very detestable to God. It is easy to say one thing and do another, but Christ has instructed us to live a sincere life that is worthy of imitation. For us to live an authentic and principled life, we have to remain consistent and develop self awareness. We must make sure that our words corresponds with our actions at all times. In this article, we will be taking you through some important Bible verses about hypocrisy that reveals God’s mind towards it.

Aside condemning the act of hypocrisy, the Bible also teaches not to respond to hypocrites with hatred, but with love, kindness, patience and prayers. The target is for us to maintain our own integrity and kindness as believers. Dealing with hypocrites is one thing every believer will have to face at some point in their Christian life and journey, but the Bible have provided us with teachings on how to handle them.

SEE ALSO: 40 Important Bible Verses About Toxic People

What Does the Bible say about Hypocrisy?

In the Book of Matthew 23:27-28, Jesus said “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanliness. Even so ye outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity’. Jesus out rightly cursed hypocrites in this passage of the Bible, noting how good and righteous they make themselves appear before people, but deep down they are not. Jesus criticizes hypocrisy to the core.

Now let us take a look at some important scriptures that talk about hypocrisy;

Bible Verses About Hypocrisy

1. You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. – Matthew 7:5
2. How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. – Luke 6:42
3. Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. – James 1:26
4. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. – Matthew 23:27-28
5. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good. – Titus 1:16
6. The Lord says: These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught. – Isaiah 29:13
7. Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. – Matthew 6:1
8. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her. – John 8:7
9. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. – 1 John 1:6
10. But to the wicked person, God says: What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips? You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you. – Psalm 50:16-17
11. And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. – Matthew 6:5
12. The godless in heart harbor resentment; even when he fetters them, they do not cry for help. – Job 36:13
13. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. – 1 Timothy 4:2
14. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. – Galatians 6:3
15. Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit. – Proverbs 26:24
16. Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. – 1 Peter 2:1
17. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. – Matthew 15:7-8
18. You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. – Romans 2:1
19. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. – Matthew 23:25
20. He replied, ‘Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules. You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions. – Mark 7:6-8
21. Both prophet and priest are godless; even in my temple I find their wickedness, declares the Lord. – Jeremiah 23:11
22. For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. – 2 Corinthians 11:13-15
23. A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me? says the Lord Almighty. It is you priests who show contempt for my name. But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name? – Malachi 1:6
24. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. – James 3:17
25. Elijah went before the people and said, ‘How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.’ But the people said nothing. – 1 Kings 18:21
26. He replied, ‘Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules. You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions. – Mark 7:6-8
27. You hypocrites! You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and the sky, but why do you not analyze this present time? – Luke 12:56
28. Under these circumstances, after so many thousands of people 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. – Luke 12:1
29. But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites, does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the stall and lead him away to water him? – Luke 13:15
30. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. – Matthew 23:23
31. 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 6:2
32. I do not sit with deceitful men, Nor will I go with pretenders. – Psalm 26:4
33. Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and many will join with them in hypocrisy. – Daniel 11:34
34. and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. – Matthew 24:51
35. But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. – Matthew 23:13
36. 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.” – Mark 12:15
37. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. – Romans 12:9
38. So that godless men would not rule Nor be snares of the people. – Job 34:30
39. With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered. – Proverbs 11:9
40. The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. – Galatians 2:13