What other scriptures warn against leaders exploiting their followers? Ezekiel 22:27 — A Wolfish Leadership “Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and destroy lives for dishonest gain.” Old-Testament Echoes of the Same Warning • Jeremiah 23:1-2 — “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture… I will punish you for the evil you have done.” • Ezekiel 34:2-3 — “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves. Should not the shepherds feed their sheep… but you do not feed the flock.” • Micah 3:1-3 — Leaders “hate good and love evil; they tear the skin from My people… chop them like meat for the cooking pot.” • Isaiah 56:11 — “They are dogs with mighty appetites… each one seeks his own gain.” • Zechariah 11:4-5 — Buyers slaughter the flock, sellers praise the LORD for their profit, “and their own shepherds have no compassion on them.” New-Testament Voices Calling Out Abusive Leadership • Matthew 23:4 — Religious leaders “tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger.” • Mark 12:38-40 — Scribes love honor yet “defraud widows of their houses… These men will receive greater condemnation.” • Acts 20:29-30 — Paul foresees “savage wolves” and men who “distort the truth to draw away disciples after them.” • 1 Peter 5:2-3 — Elders must serve “not out of greed” and “not lording it over those entrusted” to them. • 2 Peter 2:1-3 — False teachers “will exploit you with deceptive words; their destruction does not sleep.” • Jude 12 — “Shepherds who feed only themselves” are hidden reefs that wreck the fellowship. • 3 John 9-10 — Diotrephes loves preeminence, refuses the brethren, and expels the faithful. • James 5:1-6 — Rich oppressors hoard wealth and “have condemned and murdered the righteous one.” Patterns the Passages Share • Self-indulgence: leaders consume the resources meant for those they serve. • Violence or coercion: whether literal or spiritual, the flock is wounded. • Greed: dishonest gain sits at the root of the exploitation. • Religious veneer: many cloak their actions in piety, intensifying the offense. • Certain judgment: God consistently promises accountability and recompense. Stewardship of Influence Today • Leadership is a trust granted by God, never a license for personal enrichment. • Scripture sets the plumb line: shepherds feed and protect, they do not devour. • Every believer benefits when authority mirrors the Servant-King who “came not to be served, but to serve.” |
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