The Meaning of External Piety: Beyond the Surface

What is external piety?

External piety refers to outward religious practices performed primarily to create an appearance of righteousness, a concept Jesus directly critiques in Matthew 23:5.

In this passage, Jesus condemns the Pharisees for their meticulous observance of rituals like wearing phylacteries and tassels 'to be seen by others,' highlighting how such acts prioritize human approval over authentic relationship with God. This contrasts sharply with genuine piety, which flows from transformed hearts rather than calculated performances. Scripture consistently emphasizes that God sees beyond external gestures to the condition of the soul (cf. 1 Samuel 16:7).

Understanding external piety helps clarify Jesus' broader warning against hypocrisy - not moral failure, but the danger of reducing faith to a social performance. This sets the stage for exploring how true spirituality integrates outward actions with inward transformation, a theme central to the Sermon on the Mount.

External Piety vs. True Piety

Jesus’ sharp critique of Pharisaic external piety in Matthew 23:5 exposes the danger of conflating religious performance with genuine devotion.

In Matthew 23:5, Jesus condemns the Pharisees for performing acts of piety - like enlarging their phylacteries and lengthening their tassels - not to honor God, but 'to be seen by men.' This highlights how external piety prioritizes human approval over divine relationship. By meticulously tithing mint, dill, and cumin while neglecting justice, mercy, and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23), the Pharisees demonstrated a distorted spirituality that reduced faith to ritualistic calculation. True piety, by contrast, flows from a heart transformed by God’s grace, integrating outward actions with inward alignment to His will. Jesus’ rebuke thus challenges believers to examine whether their religious practices serve self-image or seek God’s kingdom.

Jesus’ words reveal that God’s priorities transcend external displays. He seeks worshippers who worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24). This section now turns to how inner transformation reshapes outward devotion.

Historical and Cultural Context of External Piety

In first-century Judaism, external piety was deeply embedded in religious customs, yet Jesus exposed its limitations as a substitute for heartfelt devotion.

Pharisaic traditions emphasized meticulous observance of ceremonial laws, such as tithing mint, dill, and cumin (Matthew 23:23) and exaggerating the size of phylacteries and tassels (Matthew 23:5). These practices, while outwardly lawful, became tools for social status rather than spiritual growth. Jesus’ critique highlights how such external displays risked replacing genuine righteousness with performative religiosity.

Matthew 23:5 explicitly condemns the Pharisees for wearing phylacteries and tassels 'to be seen by men,' revealing their primary motivation as human approval rather than divine obedience. Though these items originated as Torah-mandated symbols of devotion (Deuteronomy 6:8 and Numbers 15:38), their exaggerated use became a mask for self-righteousness. Jesus’ rebuke underscores that religious rituals lose their transformative power when disconnected from inner renewal. This critique invites believers to pursue piety that aligns outward actions with a heart committed to God’s kingdom, not cultural performance.

Why External Piety Matters Today

Modern expressions of external piety, such as performative faith on social media, echo Jesus’ warnings against hypocrisy in Matthew 23:5.

Today’s 'likes' and curated spiritual posts can mirror the Pharisees’ exaggerated tassels, prioritizing visibility over genuine devotion. Jesus’ rebuke of their actions - 'they do all their deeds to be seen by others' (Matthew 23:5) - challenges believers to examine motives behind public piety. When faith becomes a performance, it risks reducing spirituality to a transactional pursuit of human validation.

Believers are called to let outward practices flow from a transformed heart, reflecting Jesus’ teaching to 'do all your deeds in secret' (Matthew 6:4). This balance ensures that religious acts honor God rather than serve self-image, aligning external actions with the righteousness of the kingdom.

Going Deeper

To fully grasp the biblical critique of external piety, we must turn to Jesus' teachings on the heart's role in true righteousness.

Matthew 6:1-4 warns against performing acts of charity 'to be seen by others,' echoing Jesus' rebuke of Pharisaic hypocrisy, while Matthew 5:6 calls for a hunger for authentic, kingdom-oriented righteousness. Exploring Pharisaic traditions in the Gospels reveals how cultural practices can both reflect and distort spiritual priorities when disconnected from inner transformation.