It has been around for thousands of years and is worldwide. It was popular in ancient Egypt over 4,000 years ago and during the Greek and Roman empires. It is still popular in Africa, India, and Japan today.
The actors would put on a mask and play out a particular character, or sometimes they played several characters. The plays or dramas could last from an hour or up to a whole day.
Play acting, hypocrisy, or putting up a fake front goes on in life and even in churches today. If you do not think it is happening today, just watch some politicians for a while.
It is really dishonesty and can even be in the form of flattery. For instance, a woman may tell her friend she thinks her new dress looks so nice, but she really thinks it looks horrible. Or we can act like we care about someone very much, but we really despise them.
The Bible instructs Christians to refrain from it, ( Matthew 23:28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.; Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.).
It can become a way of life and is also contagious to others, ( Luke 12:1 In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.; Galatians 2:13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.).
It can hinder our relationship to God and stunt our spiritual growth, ( 1 Peter 2:1-3 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.).
In the end times, some will be led astray by it, ( 1 Timothy 4:1-3 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.).
Hypocrisy, deception or falsehood does not come from God because God is 100% truthful, ( James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.).
See you in Church next Sunday.