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Hypocrites and Cognitive Dissonance

By Phillip Ross

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Published: 31Jul2009
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Paul went on to specify one special kind or group of sinners that are particularly harmful to the body of Christ, and whom Christians should avoid. "But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler -- not even to eat with such a one" (1 Corinthians 5:11). The problem is not unconverted sinners, not those who are merely unsaved. It is not a problem to associate or fellowship with heathens. Rather, Paul tells us that the real danger is associating or fellowshipping with people who identify themselves as Christian, but who continue sinning -- hypocrites. Those who say they believe one thing but live as if they believe another.

The real danger to Christianity is not sinners, but hypocrites, people who identify themselves as Christian but who disregard the practice or essence of Christianity, which is submission to Jesus Christ and the avoidance of sin as it is described in the Bible. Again, we must note that no one is ever completely free from sin in this life. The difference between a Christian and a hypocrite is that a Christian repents of his sin -- daily, whereas the hypocrite does not repent. He wallows or stagnates in sin. He makes no effort to resist or avoid it.

Christians struggle against sin. Christians make a serious effort to avoid sin. They don't wallow in it. They don't excuse themselves from the difficulties of sanctification or spiritual growth, which necessarily involves ongoing moral improvement. They understand that Christ has called His people away from sin and into perfect righteousness. Christians are engaged in the struggle to avoid or resist sin.

The Corinthian leaders were hypocrites. They were proud of themselves, proud that they had been able to lead such a large, dynamic and powerful church -- even while engaging in the sexual shenanigans that Paul had previously mentioned. What did it matter? The church grew anyway. The success of the church made them think that their own sin was irrelevant.

To the contrary, Paul suggested that if the Corinthians continued to fellowship with proud and sinful leaders, they would become increasingly infected with pride and sin themselves. This is an absolutely crucial verse for understanding how Christians are to relate to each other and to the wider culture, to any culture that is not Christian, not biblical. It means that we are to avoid sin, to avoid those elements of culture that promote or celebrate sin.

That does not mean avoiding all people who are sinners, but it means avoiding people who disregard the subtly and seriousness of sin. We are to avoid those who don't use sin as an opportunity to personally repent and turn to Christ for forgiveness, to avoid those who are not thrown to their knees when they find themselves (again or still) entangled in sin. Christians cannot be hypocritical with regard to sin because people cannot disregard or celebrate sin and be genuinely Christian. A hypocrite is someone who professes beliefs and opinions that he or she does not hold in order to conceal his or her real feelings or motives.

Think of cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance involves believing two or more completely incompatible things to be true at the same time. Believing that one can freely engage in known sin and still be a Christian is an example of cognitive dissonance or hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is going to church, but not being faithful, not practicing the discipline of the faith, not doing all you can to avoid sin. Hypocrites wink at sin. They don't take it seriously. Paul said in verse 11 that we are not to fellowship -- or even to eat -- with such a person.

We cannot avoid all hypocrites because we cannot avoid ourselves. Yes, we are all hypocrites to some extent because no Christian can be fully Christian apart from living in a Christian culture, and there is no such thing at this time. The critical issue seems to revolve around pride. Are we haughty hypocrites who make light of our lapses into sin? Or are we humble hypocrites who repent and turn away from sin by turning to the gospel of grace and freely -- even enthusiastically -- embrace the burden of Christ's discipline? Do we turn away from sin wherever we encounter it? Do we actively expose it as sin in order to warn our brothers and sisters of the danger?

Paul goes on to say that Christians are to judge one another, and that we are not to judge those outside of the church. "God judges those outside" (1 Corinthians 5:13). Don't miss the caustic damnation that is in Paul's voice and in his meaning here. He means that those outside of the church are subject to the judgment and damnation of God apart from Christ. God's mercy is directed to those who are covered by the blood of Christ, those who are in the church -- Christians. All others are subject to God's judgment without regard to the propitiation of Jesus Christ. He means that God's grace comes only through Jesus Christ and His church.

Those in the church are to submit themselves to Jesus Christ and to His representatives -- to the judgments of the leaders of the church, of whom Paul is included. However, Christians understand submission to the authority of the church to be a good thing because Christians have the well-being of other Christians as a top priority. It is by submitting to Jesus Christ through the church that Christians are spared exposure to the judgment and damnation of God. In the effort to help one another avoid sin Christians enjoy the benefits of spiritual growth and sanctification. Subjection to Christ is the only alternative to subjection to the Old Testament judgment of God, the judgment that destroyed Israel in A.D. 70.

Paul concludes by citing the command given many times in Deuteronomy to "Purge the evil person from among you" (v. 13). Paul says here that the heart or intent of the Deuteronomic law still applies to the church. Jesus said,

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:17-20).

This is the good news of the gospel of grace because it has already been accomplished, and yet is still to be fully accomplished by Jesus Christ in the future.

For over 25 years Phillip A. Ross has been leading churches and writing many Christian books. He founded http://www.Pilgrim-Platform.org in 1998, which is loaded with information about historic Christianity. His exposition of First Corinthians in 2008 demonstrates the Apostle Paul's fierce opposition to worldly Christianity. Ross's book, Arsy Varsy -- Reclaiming the Gospel in First Corinthians, shows how Paul turned the world upside down.

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