The Four Forms of Pharisaism and Hypocrisy

Protopresbyter Dimitrios Athanasiou | January 31, 2026

 

 

The parable of the Publican and the Pharisee teaches us that hypocrisy and Pharisaism are deceitful sins that can taint even the holiest moments of our lives. Their essence lies in self-justification, in the contempt for others, and in false pride: “God, I thank Thee that I am not as the rest of men.”

1. Pharisaism of Self-Justification

It is the attitude of lukewarm Christians who believe they are better than others. They say: “I am not like the Pharisees; I am honest and love people.” Yet in essence, they repeat the behavior of the Pharisee, considering themselves superior and distancing themselves from true repentance.

2. Pharisaism of Division and Factions

This concerns those who form groups, brotherhoods, or religious factions and show contempt for those who do not belong to them. Such a practice leads to division, personality cults, and slander of others. The Apostle Paul condemns it: “I am of Apollos, I of Cephas... Is Christ divided?”

3. Pharisaism of Ostentatious Piety

It is found among devout individuals who attend church, pray, and receive Communion, yet consider themselves superior to others. They display their spiritual deeds and judge others, turning faith into a means of self-promotion instead of a humble relationship with God.

4. The Publican Pharisee, or otherwise the Combined Pharisee, is a particularly dangerous form of hypocrisy and spiritual corruption. In this case, the negative traits of the Publican—namely, grave and evident sins—coexist with the characteristics of the Pharisee, such as self-justification and hypocrisy. The paradox of this condition is that the person commits serious sins but does not repent of them; on the contrary, he boasts of his actions while at the same time condemning those who strive to live according to God's commandments and the Christian virtues. The danger of such behavior is immense: it causes utter moral perversion, poisons both the individual and those around him, and defiles the community with hypocrisy, arrogance, and spiritual downfall.

 

Greek source: https://fdathanasiou-parakatathiki.blogspot.com/2026/01/blog-post_31.html