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BerianAardvark -> RE: Hypocrites vs Sinners (7/18/2008 2:12:41 AM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: prophet
6:2
Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6:3
But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
6:4
That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly *.
6:5
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you *, They have their reward.
Who are hypocrites? Who are sinners?
Define.
A hypocrite is someone pretending to be something he isn't it comes from the Greek word ὑποκριτής hupokritēs which means an actor, stage player by extension a dissembler, pretender.
A sinner is one who acts in a manner inconsistent with God's will. In the New Testament the word translated as sinner is ἁμαρτωλός hamartōlos which means devoted to sin, a sinner, pre-eminently sinful, especially wicked, specifically of men stained with certain definite vices or crimes
In the verses you cited the person who was giving alms was doing so, not out of concern for the poor, but to make themselves look pious and generous.
The one praying wasn't talking to God, but putting on a performance for the people around him.
"Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 6:1)
"Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. "The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 'I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.' "But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!' "I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 18:10-14)
In this parable the Pharisee here was both a sinner and a hypocrite, the tax collector was a sinner, but not a hypocrite.
Tim
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