You hear nonbelievers accuse Christians of being hypocrites. And sometimes Christians themselves “confess” that, yes, we Christians are all hypocrites. When Christians say that, they’re likely just humbly indicating that we Christians make mistakes/slip up/aren’t perfect.
But let’s consider being more precise about definitions. The word hypocrite CAN mean “a person whose actions contradict their stated beliefs”—which could fit the idea of slipping up. But the first definition (per Webster’s) indicates “pretend.” And that’s how we typically see a hypocrite: a pretender, fake, phony, deceiver. So it’s clearer to confess that Christians, like all people, are imperfect; but equating that with hypocrite is a pretty sharp accusation.
This very short piece from J. Warner Wallace elaborates, as well as touching on a point I’d not thought of before. Nonbelievers all know what a Christian’s standard is supposed to be: don’t steal, don’t lie… That makes it easy to spot/accuse a Christian who violates that standard. Whereas, a Christian doesn’t know what standard(s) those around him are following. So Christians aren’t likely to be yelling at nonbelievers, “You’re a hypocrite!”
Of course, all Christians can make a stronger effort to better represent the Lord—which should include not just the “don’t lie, don’t steal” stuff but also, for example, not being guided by anger, selfishness, impatience; not wishing defeat/failure on rivals; not panicked about money, illness, etc. (Hmm. Note to self.)
Here’s a look at a real-life hypocrisy scenario, from Wallace’s son Jimmy (who’s a detective like his dad). It emphasizes that personal failure doesn’t equal the standard itself being wrong. So just as a bad employee doesn’t equal that the company is bad, a flawed (or even hypocritical) Christian doesn’t equal that the Lord’s way is bad. It’s faulty logic to say, “I know Christians who don’t measure up; therefore, the Bible isn’t true.”
Please take a quick look at both of those links. Then you’ll have objective, detective-level evidence for future chats about hypocrisy.
