When not to follow the example of your spiritual leaders …

There must be an error in the headline of this blog post, right?

I mean, doesn’t the Bible teach us to “obey” our spiritual leaders?

Yep.

For example:

“Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit,” Hebrews 3:17.

It doesn’t get any clearer than that, does it?

So why would I say there’s a time when we shouldn’t follow the example of our spiritual leaders?

Because Jesus gave us an example when we should listen to our spiritual leaders, but not follow their example. Read it for yourself:

“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ‘The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach,” Matthew 23:1-3.

When spiritual leaders teach what is biblically accurate, but don’t practice what they teach, is when we need to listen to what they teach, but not follow their example.

Of course, that shouldn’t happen. Spiritual leaders have a responsibility to obey the Word of God like all the rest of us do, but some don’t always do that. In that case, it’s important that we not follow their poor example.

When the way a leader lives departs from his right teaching of the Word, remain faithful and obedient to the Word of God rather than wandering off to follow the example of not practicing what your preacher preaches.

Wise instruction from our Lord Himself.

Scotty