Topical Bible: Love to Man: Hypocrites, Devoid of

◄ Love to Man: Hypocrites, Devoid of ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

In the Scriptures, the concept of love is central to the teachings of both the Old and New Testaments. Love for one's fellow man is a commandment that is emphasized repeatedly. However, the Bible also warns against the dangers of hypocrisy, particularly in the context of love. Hypocrites, as described in the Bible, are those who outwardly display love but are inwardly devoid of genuine affection and compassion for others.

The prophet Isaiah addresses the issue of hypocrisy among the people of Israel, highlighting their insincere worship and lack of true love for others. Isaiah 29:13 states, "Therefore the Lord said: 'These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men.'" This passage underscores the disconnect between outward expressions and inward reality, a hallmark of hypocrisy.

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ frequently confronted the Pharisees and religious leaders for their hypocritical behavior. In Matthew 23:27-28 , Jesus declares, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity. In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness." Here, Jesus criticizes the religious leaders for their lack of genuine love and righteousness, despite their outward appearance of piety.

The Apostle Paul also addresses the issue of hypocrisy in love in his epistles. In Romans 12:9 , Paul exhorts believers, "Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good." This verse emphasizes the importance of genuine love, free from hypocrisy, as a fundamental aspect of Christian conduct.

Furthermore, the Apostle John provides a clear distinction between true love and hypocrisy in 1 John 3:17-18 : "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth." John challenges believers to demonstrate their love through tangible actions, rather than mere words, highlighting the emptiness of hypocritical love.

The Bible consistently calls for a love that is authentic and selfless, reflecting the love of God. Hypocrites, who are devoid of such love, are warned of the spiritual dangers of their insincerity. True love, as taught in Scripture, is characterized by genuine care, compassion, and a commitment to the well-being of others, aligning one's actions with the teachings of Christ.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 John 2:9,11
He that said he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness even until now.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 John 4:20
If a man say, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar: for he that loves not his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Second Sunday after Trinity Exhortation to Brotherly Love.
... The Scriptures repeatedly denounce such faithless hypocrites as bloodthirsty ... While
Cain was a man most magnificent, intelligent ... Hereby know we love, because he ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol iii/second sunday after trinity exhortation.htm

Sunday Before Lent
... be either extremely profligate and shameless, characters like harlots and knaves;
or else they must be hypocrites, who do ... Love rejects no man; it despairs ...
//christianbookshelf.org/luther/epistle sermons vol ii/sunday before lent.htm

Its Evidence
... Christians are all (though many probably are) conscious hypocrites, rather are they ...
dead." It is "alone," that is, divorced from love to God ... "Yea, a man may say ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the doctrine of justification/9 its evidence.htm

Men are Possessed of Free Will, and Endowed with the Faculty of ...
... and appoint his portion with the hypocrites." [4401] All ... God, we may continue in
His perfect love: for God ... long-suffering in the case of man's apostasy; while ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xxxvii men are possessed of.htm

A Compendious view of the Christian Life.
... things"the avaricious, the liars, the hypocrites, those who ... Woman and man are to
go to church ... step, embracing silence, possessing unfeigned love, pure in body ...
/.../clement/the instructor paedagogus/chapter xi a compendious view of.htm

Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
... Hypocrites may thus find something to censure, something whereat to be ... for it is
not within man's power to ... with cheerfulness and prompted by love; not extorted ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol ii/fifth sunday after epiphany.htm

Lii. Concerning Hypocrisy, Worldly Anxiety, Watchfulness, and his ...
... His covetous love of possessions is shown by the word "my ... an hour that ye think not
the Son of man cometh ... and were distressingly hot.] 56 Ye hypocrites, ye know ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/lii concerning hypocrisy worldly anxiety.htm

Necessity of Contemplating the Judgment-Seat of God, in Order to ...
... Bernard's purpose was to alarm hypocrites, who turned the grace ... look into ourselves
without flattery or blind self-love. ... in all: "Every way of a man is right ...
/.../chapter 12 necessity of contemplating.htm

The Beginning of Justification. In what Sense Progressive.
... fain know, from those who pretend that man meets God ... is not influenced by works if
his love turns to ... all the wicked, and especially by hypocrites, that however ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 14 the beginning of.htm

Period iii. The Critical Period: AD 140 to AD 200
... they say, 'is a sinner, whoever is devoid of understanding ... For next to God we worship
and love the Logos ... and ineffable God, since also He became man for our sakes ...
/.../a source book for ancient church history/period iii the critical period .htm