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Is the Church Full of Hypocrites? - 10/14/2009 4:03:24 PM
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Fritzpw_Admin
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quote:
Is the Church Full of Hypocrites?
R.C. Sproul - Renewing Your Mind
About thirty years ago, my close friend and colleague, Archie Parrish, who at that time led the Evangelism Explosion (EE) program in Fort Lauderdale, came to me with a request. He indicated that on the thousands of evangelistic visits the EE teams made, they kept a record of responses people made to discussions of the gospel. They collated the most frequent questions and objections people raised about the Christian faith and grouped these inquiries or objections into the ten most frequently encountered. Dr. Parrish asked if I would write a book answering those objections for evangelists to use in their outreach. That effort resulted in my book Objections Answered, now called Reason to Believe. Among the top ten objections raised was the objection that the church is filled with hypocrites. At that point in time, Dr. D. James Kennedy responded to this objection by replying, "Well, there's always room for one more." He cautioned people that if they found a perfect church, they ought not to join it, since that would ruin it.
The term hypocrite came from the world of Greek drama. It was used to describe the masks that the players used to dramatize certain roles. Even today, the theatre is symbolized by the twin masks of comedy and tragedy. In antiquity, certain players played more than one role, and they indicated their role by holding a mask in front of their face. That's the origin of the concept of hypocrisy.
But the charge that the church is full of hypocrites is manifestly false. Though no Christian achieves the full measure of sanctification in this life, that we all struggle with ongoing sin does not justly yield the verdict of hypocrisy. A hypocrite is someone who does things he claims he does not do. Outside observers of the Christian church see people who profess to be Christians and observe that they sin. Since they see sin in the lives of Christians, they rush to the judgment that therefore these people are hypocrites. If a person claims to be without sin and then demonstrates sin, surely that person is a hypocrite. But for a Christian simply to demonstrate that he is a sinner does not convict him of hypocrisy.
Read the rest of Is the Church Full of Hypocrites?
We hear this accusation all the time... the church is full of hypocrites.
What do you think of the explanation in the article? Is it just splitting hairs?
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RE: Is the Church Full of Hypocrites? - 10/14/2009 4:21:33 PM
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sirwintery
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The author sees hypocrisy as a pretense in the face of falling short of high standards of behavior. He concludes the churches are not full of hypocrites, but this may not be the only definition.
Sometimes it's hard to go into a building expecting to find Jesus--his "body" doing as he would--and then not finding kindness or finding believers to be self-absorbed. While it may be too much to expect that sitting in a church service would meet any emotional need, it is too easy to forget that someone may come there needy---and giving them a listen may not be on the program.
Or in shorter words, hypocrisy or its perception may come from a sin of omission rather than commission.
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RE: Is the Church Full of Hypocrites? - 10/14/2009 4:56:20 PM
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WhiteRoseBlessings
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Wow! Very well-said, Wintery.
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RE: Is the Church Full of Hypocrites? - 10/15/2009 4:01:34 AM
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agapist
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The church is full of hypocrits is like saying hospitals are full of sick people.
Some are growing and for others it is just show; in any group it is the same.
Despite the state we are in, we may be moved by spirit to attend a service; from all appearances, this looks hypocritical.
I had stated earlier that I feel most Christians come to Christ initially for the wrong reasons. They have no spiritual discernment yet. Their concerns are to get out of the dumpster, financial troubles, a bad marriage, loneliness, ad infinitum. True love of God...that may come. Are they hypocrits?
The true hypocrit to me is the person concerned with their self-image; this is a mask we wear to replace the image of God in which we were created, which also can be healed by the power of grace and the Holy Spirit.
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RE: Is the Church Full of Hypocrites? - 10/15/2009 7:37:37 AM
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John_O
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Fritzpw_Admin
Is the Church Full of Hypocrites?
Yes. Can you think of a better place for them to be?
Every last man woman and child on the face of the earth is a hypocrite. We all say one thing and do another sometimes. It will be that way until Jesus comes back.
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Psalms 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
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RE: Is the Church Full of Hypocrites? - 10/15/2009 7:59:42 AM
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DaveW
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quote:
ORIGINAL: agapist
The church is full of hypocrits is like saying hospitals are full of sick people. Exactly. So the fact that there are sick people there is a reason to not seek medical care?
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RE: Is the Church Full of Hypocrites? - 10/15/2009 9:51:26 AM
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Little_1
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quote:
A hypocrite is someone who does things he claims he does not do.
When you think about it, The Psalmist David was a liar, cheat and murderer! I wonder what the church (and non churched) would think of David today? Would they see him as a hypocrite? God didn't - He called David 'a man after His own heart!' I believe this shows that although he sinned greatly during his life, David none the less had a heart which was tender and repentant towards God. Hyprocrites are hard hearted and yes - the church is full of people whose hearts are hardened towards God just as outside the church is also...
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RE: Is the Church Full of Hypocrites? - 10/15/2009 9:55:47 AM
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heremainsfaithful
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I have heard this too. Of course, if they are ever confronted with their own sin, then the response is usually "Nobody's perfect." I have never met a Christian who claimed to be perfect, but that is what the world - or some of it - holds us to. Honestly, for some, I think it is a way around having to face the truth.
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RE: Is the Church Full of Hypocrites? - 10/15/2009 10:15:33 AM
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RichLP
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Of course it's realistic to state that many local congregations have hypocrites. Then again, can't it be argued that to varying extents, true believers are hypocrites?
The issue becomes more pressing when a professing believer - nay, a genuine believer - refuses to be changed by the Word of God. He/she remains mired in sinful habits or attitudes which are clearly anti-Christian, yet he/she doesn't care, and openly engages in them outside of church, damaging his/her testimony and that of his/her local congregation. This can include but is not limited to rampant drunkenness, sexual immorality, dishonesty, etc.
Hey, I'm no better. I did things this year, even in the middle of a spiritually upward curve, that I'm not proud of. But for the past few months I've been holding steady and am getting more sensitive to sin and I am growing in Christ.
This all leads me to wonder. Is church discipline really enforceable? Do believers accept disciplining? And that leads me to another question. Are believers taught that there may be times when they must face correction from church leaders?
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RE: Is the Church Full of Hypocrites? - 10/15/2009 10:18:12 AM
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nealmorsefan
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duh...of course
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RE: Is the Church Full of Hypocrites? - 10/15/2009 10:27:01 AM
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heremainsfaithful
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Regarding church discipline, I am not all that sure that many churches are open to it, though it is completely Biblical. I have been in churches where it had been exercised, in one case it was a completely unrepentant church minister who had been having an affair with his secretary. This is obvious sin, and yet a large group of the church left because he was disciplined rather than "loved." It has been my experience that being confronted with sin does not sit well with some, especially if they are so caught up in their sin that they don't want to give it up. There are churches out there now that cater to the "feel good" idea that we all just kinda hold hands and love each other and everything will be fine. Those are the churches - ironically - that the world is usually talking about. I have had an agnostic tell me before that she had no problem with those "hard line" churches that expect people to follow the whole Bible. It's those pseudo-churches (her words) that just want to make each other feel good that drive her crazy.
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RE: Is the Church Full of Hypocrites? - 10/15/2009 10:41:34 AM
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mrtigger
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quote:
ORIGINAL: heremainsfaithful
I have heard this too. Of course, if they are ever confronted with their own sin, then the response is usually "Nobody's perfect." I have never met a Christian who claimed to be perfect, but that is what the world - or some of it - holds us to. Honestly, for some, I think it is a way around having to face the truth.
I have never met a Christian who claims to be "perfect" but they often do make some dramatic claims about themselves that they don't measure up to. And that is where the appearance of hypocrisy originates....
They claim to have "the truth". Yet, other than a few core doctrines, they can't agree amoungst themselves what it is (just read these forums for evidence of that).
They claim to have a higher standard of morality than non-Christians. My own experience is that Christians do not behave much better than non_Christians. Christians seem to behave a little better on some issues but worse on others. Overall, not much different than non-Christians. So, on moral issues also, Christians do not measure up to the claims they often make about themselves.
And there are a few other places where Christians are not consistent with the claims they make about themselves....
No one can be perfect but a person can always be real about what they are and what they have to offer. Being real does not require anything other than subduing your own ego so that you can better see yourself as you really are.
If Christians were really real, they would say something about themselves like "I was screwed up before I was a Christian and I'm still screwed up now. I don't have all the answers and I sometimes don't even clearly understand what the problem even is. I'm trying to get better and maybe I have in some areas but I will always be imperfect and fall short of what I should be."
A statement like that would an accurate description of how Christians really are. I do not find many Christians who would sincerely say that about themselves or their fellow church members. As long as Christians do not measure up to what they say about themselves, they will be labeled as hypocrites.
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RE: Is the Church Full of Hypocrites? - 10/15/2009 2:35:59 PM
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heremainsfaithful
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I tend to agree. As terrible as this may sound to some, I can get along better than a consistent atheist than I can a compromising, fake, judgemental Christian. At least the former is honest, whereas the latter is a disgrace.
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RE: Is the Church Full of Hypocrites? - 10/18/2009 8:56:04 PM
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manda59
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None of us as Christians are as we should be. Surely that then makes us *all* hypocrites?
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RE: Is the Church Full of Hypocrites? - 11/15/2009 4:41:03 PM
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humbleinspirit
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Walker311
My definition is much harsher than most because I have always imagined sitting in a church service when the rapture takes place and only a few rise out of the pews... along with me. 
It is a shame that most hypocrites are unaware that they are indeed hypocrits but it is comforting to know that there are enough hypocrits who will point this out to the ignorant ones so I want have to.
Darryl, do you believe that those who are in compromise will not be raptured? Just wondering.
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