How many times have you heard someone exclaim: “I don’t go to church because of all the hypocrites!” Recently I read the following statement while blog surfing: “I can only hope that there's a special place in the Hell for hypocrites. It'd be the biggest section in the whole realm.”That got me wondering about exactly which subdivision hypocrites do occupy in Hell. I went for an answer to Dante's Inferno, and with the help of fellow blogger, Michael Gilleland, found what I was looking for in Canto 23, lines 58 ff. (tr. Charles S. Singleton):
The hypocrites live in the eighth circle of Hell, known as Malebolge, in ditch number six. apparently it's not "the biggest section in the whole realm," since Dante's Hell is funnel-shaped, and the eighth (or next to last) circle is therefore narrower than the ones above it. It may notThere below we found a painted people who were going round with very slow steps, weeping and looking weary and overcome. They had cloaks with cowls down over their eyes, of the cut that is made for the monks of Cluny, so gilded outside that they were dazzling, but within all lead and so heavy that those Frederick imposed were of straw. O toilsome mantle of eternity!
be a large area but it’s terribly deep down in hell!
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness” (Matthew 23.27).
See biblical references to hypocrite from the ESV Bible online here.
3 comments:
Good morning! I just finished reading an article about the group that
>travels around and stages protests a the funerals of fallen soldiers.
>The group is led by Fred Phelps, the pastor of a Baptist church in
>Topeka. He says "you can't preach the Bible without preaching the hatred
>of God" and that his groups funeral protests are justified because these
>fallen men died fighting in an army the represents a country that
>accepts homosexuality. You may remember the local news reports about
>this group protesting a MN funeral and threatening to protest at last
>year's Eden Prairie High School's graduation.
>
>
>What are your thoughts on this group? Do you think their actions are
>justified? (From what I know, none of the soldiers, whose funerals have
>been the place of protest, have been homosexuals.) Understanding the
>message this group wants to send, do you think they are choosing the
>best vehicle to do so?
>
>P.S. Pastor Ron-I liked your blog on Hypocrites in Hell. I have always
>heard people say that churches are full of hypocrites and, growing up, I
>was witness to a lot of the hypocrisy. I think I will read Dante's
>Inferno
if your gonna be a hypocrite be a good hypocrite.if im'a sing my blues, let me sing the blues, if i'ma sing my gospel, let me sing my gospel. but don't go trying to please god and the devil.-Al Green
Greetings young master B,
Thanks for asking… Of course my definition for hypocrite here is different than there! Here I mean to say that even Dante, although grizzly fun, missed the point! There I mean look at the biblical passages and the Holy Spirit will be your teacher.
You see it is not about you! Nor me! It’s all about Jesus who calls us unto Himself!
…his blood is bibline, ron
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