Piety and hypocrisy

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Updated - February 9, 2025

Piety and hypocrisy, two controversies that often merge seamlessly in everyday life. Sometimes the sincere heart prevails, sometimes the manipulative, calculating mind.

What exactly falls under piety, what leads to hypocrisy and what falls under trust in faith?

Piety

denotes a sincere, deeply felt religiosity. It manifests itself in sincere faith, the observance of religious commandments and an ethical and moral lifestyle. Piety can manifest itself in prayer, meditation, attending religious services, charitable acts and a lifestyle in line with one's faith. What is important here is the inner conviction and authenticity, the genuineness of the striving, a consistency that is always reliable, regardless of whether someone is present as a controlling authority or not.

From a biblical perspective:

• Micah 6:8: "You have been told, O man, what is good and what the LORD requires of you: Do nothing but keep the word of God and practice love and be humble before your God."
• Matthew 5:8: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

These verses show that true piety consists of humility, justice and love, not of external rituals or ostentatious acts.

Hypocrisy

on the other hand, is the deliberate pretense of virtue or faith without genuine inner conviction. A hypocritical person pretends to be moral or religious on the outside, but often acts to the contrary on the inside or in secret. Hypocrisy can result from self-interest, social pressure or the pursuit of recognition, social status or power, thus leading to manipulation, and goes hand in hand with self-righteousness, a feeling of superiority, inconsistency, i.e. contradictions in behavior depending on private or public action.

From a biblical perspective:

• Matthew 23:27-28: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs that appear beautiful on the outside but are full of dead men's bones and filth on the inside. So you also appear righteous to men on the outside, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."
• Isaiah 29:13: "This people draw near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me."

Here Jesus criticizes the Pharisees, who outwardly present themselves as pious, but inwardly are determined by sin and self-interest. True piety cannot be replaced by outward actions.

Exemplary comparisons

1st prayer

• Piety: A truly pious person prays from the heart and seeks God's closeness, even if no one can see it.
  • Matthew 6:6: "But when you pray, go into your closet and shut the door and pray to your Father in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
• Hypocrisy: A hypocrite prays loudly and in public in order to be admired.
  • Matthew 6:5: "And when you pray, you should not be like the hypocrites who like to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they can be seen by people."

2. charity

• Piety: A pious person gives alms out of genuine charity, often without much ado.
  • Matthew 6:3-4: "But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may remain hidden."
• Hypocrisy: A hypocrite gives in order to make a name for himself.
  • Matthew 6:2: "When you give alms, you shall not proclaim it before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honored by men."

God looks at the heart, not the outward deed. A gift out of love counts more than a large donation out of vanity.

Moral integrity

Piety: A truly religious person adheres to moral principles, even if it is difficult.

• James 1:22: "But be doers of the word and not hearers only; otherwise you are deceiving yourselves."

Hypocrisy: A hypocrite talks about virtue, but often acts to the contrary.

• Matthew 23:3: "Therefore whatever they say to you, do and keep; but do not do according to their deeds, for they say it but do not do it."

Words alone are not enough - true faith is shown in actions. A hypocrite talks about ethics but does not live them.

Interim conclusion

The Bible makes it clear that God does not look at external rituals, but at the heart of man. True piety is characterized by humility, love and sincerity, while hypocrisy is a masquerade that ultimately leads to disappointment and God's displeasure.

1 Samuel 16:7: "Man sees what is before his eyes, but the Lord looks at the heart."

Trust in faith

is the profound, unshakable confidence in God, His promises and His plan for one's life. It is a conscious decision to rely on God, even when circumstances seem unclear, difficult or challenging, even when they speak against it.

The biblical word for trust (Hebrew: batachGreek: pistis) does not just mean an intellectual belief, but an active leaning on God, a deep inner certainty that He is good and His ways are right.

• Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine understanding: but remember him in all thy ways, and he shall guide thee."
• Psalm 37:5: "Commit your way to the LORD and hope in him; he will do it well."

These verses show that trust means not only believing in God, but actively relying on him in all areas of life.

Trust in faith often stands in contrast to doubt, fear and self-confidence without God. Many biblical stories show that people are torn between trust and doubt.

In Matthew 14:28-31 Peter is to get out of the boat in the storm at Jesus' command and come to Him on the water. There is hardly anyone who would not think ad hoc at the thought, "How can I do that? I'm going to sink!", let alone actually dare to take the step!
It is interesting, however, that Peter did not actually sink when he took the plunge - as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus. Exactly at the moment when he began to doubt, the inevitable happened: he sank into the water. Only by looking at Jesus - in trust - did he arrive at Jesus' side unscathed.

In addition to trust, obedience was a prerequisite for success, even if what Jesus asked of Peter was intellectually impossible. This is also what happened to Abraham in Hebrews 11:8: "By faith Abraham became obedient when he was called to go to a place he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out not knowing where he was going."

Everyone knows situations that are supposedly unavoidable and unsolvable in equal measure. With such worries, healthy, restful sleep is out of the question. You toss and turn from page to page, waking up in the morning truly exhausted, the unpleasant situation clearer than ever before.

But if you remember Philippians 4:6-7where it says "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything let your requests be made known to God in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.", then at least you already have a plan: to throw your worries at God's feet, in the truest sense of the word, as it says in Psalm 55:23 means "Cast your cares on the Lord, and he will deliver you"!

In the knowledge that God now bears the burden and takes care of the seemingly unsolvable problem, we find peace and serenity again, because HE will do it!

The most blatant example I know is the Bible passage from Job 13:15: "Behold, he will kill me; yet I will hope in him." proves in my view that God keeps his word, because he does not let Job perish. Also Jeremiah 17:7-8 confirms "Gblessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose confidence is in the LORD. He is like a tree planted by the water that stretches out its roots to the stream and is not afraid when the heat comes, but its leaves remain green."

Trust in faith is more than just knowing about God. It means placing your whole life in His hands. It means holding on to God's goodness even when circumstances are difficult, and knowing(!) that His plan is ultimately for the best, as well as Romans 8:28 confirms: "But we know that all things work together for good to them that love God."

From my own experience, I can confirm without exception: as soon as you take God at His word and cast your worries on Him out of obedience to Him, you experience His peace and serenity, confidence and strength.

Have the courage!

Excursus - ... in community life

An active member of her congregation for many years. She was involved in church leadership, led the women's circle and was known for her inspiring prayers. Her words were always well thought out, her Bible quotations precise and her demeanor exemplary. Many admired her for her apparent devotion to God and her impeccable Christian lifestyle.

One day, a young woman came to the church for the first time. She had been through a difficult time, was looking for support and wanted to draw closer to God again. After the service, she talked to her about her difficulties and hopes. She listened patiently, but as soon as "the new girl" had said goodbye, she turned to another woman from the congregation and said quietly:

"Did you see how she was dressed? And then there's her life story... I wonder if she's really seriously interested in God or just looking for pity."

"Sarah "The new girl "knew nothing about this conversation, but over time she sensed a distance in the community. The people were friendly, but superficial. She heard pious words, but hardly felt any real acceptance. Finally, she decided to stop coming, not because she didn't believe in God, but because she felt condemned.

The behavior of the church member, who had been involved in many areas for many years, is a classic example of hypocrisy. She presented herself outwardly as deeply religious and pious, but in her heart she lacked the true love and humility that God demands of us, his followers. The Bible warns us urgently against such an attitude, as Matthew tells us (Matthew 23:27-28) "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness! So you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."

Genuine piety, on the other hand, does not manifest itself in fine words or pious gestures, but in a heart that truly loves God and neighbor, as James puts it (James 1:27) "Pure and undefiled piety before God the Father is to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unspotted from the world."

Another member of the congregation showed a completely different kind of piety. She didn't talk much about her faith, but lived it. When she saw that "the new girl" was withdrawing, she approached her, listened to her and invited her for a coffee. She did not judge, but showed compassion. This encounter became the reason to give the church another chance.

The example shows: True piety is characterized by sincerity, love and humility, not by the outward display of a perfect life of faith. Hypocrisy, on the other hand, is a pious façade that often conceals pride, judgment and coldness.

Excursus - ... in professional life

Not only in church life, but also in everyday professional life, piety and hypocrisy manifest themselves in different ways. Especially in a society in which ethical principles and Christian values are often emphasized, there are people who live their faith authentically at work - but also those who only carry it outwardly, while their behavior shows the opposite.

The hypocritical boss

Managing director of a medium-sized company. He often talked about how important Christian values were to him and started every team meeting with a short quote from the Bible. His emails often contained greetings such as "God bless you", and in job interviews he emphasized that honesty and integrity were the core values of his company.

But in everyday life, another side of Mr. Weber became apparent. He treated his employees from the top down, rarely praised them and was quick to punish them for small mistakes. He expected overtime without compensating for it and scolded "the lazy ones" when an employee fell ill. He justified his own pay rise with "divine blessing" while skimping on his employees' wages.

His behavior was exactly what Jesus warns against, as Matthew aptly writes (Matthew 7:21) "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven." Isaiah shows that even in earlier times lip service drowned out the heart, as in Isaiah 29:13 to read: "The Lord says further: "Because this people draw near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while they keep their hearts far from me and their fear of me is only the commandment of men.."

Mr. CEO used his faith as a façade to present himself as a moral authority, while his actual behavior was characterized by selfishness and injustice. His hypocrisy led to many of his employees not only perceiving him as dishonest, but also beginning to view Christians skeptically.

The colleague of integrity

The department manager in the same company. She rarely spoke about her faith, she simply lived it. She treated her employees with respect, stood up for fair working conditions and was prepared to take responsibility even in difficult situations.

She once noticed that a colleague was threatened by a mistake that could have cost him his job. Instead of exposing him or exploiting the mistake to make herself look better, she discreetly helped him find a solution. When her boss later praised her because her department had been particularly successful, she said modestly: "I had a great team, success is always a team effort."

She lived according to the principle of Colossians 3:23 is recommended "And whatever you do, do it from the heart, as for the Lord and not for men, ..." and gave an example of how it is done in Matthew 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven".

She did not seek recognition, but acted out of deep conviction. Her behavior was a testimony to her faith without her having to constantly emphasize it.

Conclusion

In professional life, the difference between piety and hypocrisy is often particularly clear. Hypocrisy means presenting Christian values to the outside world, while one's own actions prove the opposite. True piety, on the other hand, is shown in integrity, honesty and respectful treatment of others - regardless of whether anyone is watching or not.

Living Christian values in professional life does not mean constantly talking about God, but setting an example through honesty, justice and compassion.