Bible verses about "bad leadership" | Twentieth_Century

⁴² But Jesus called the ten to him, and said: "Those who are regarded as ruling among the Gentiles lord it over them, as you know, and their great men oppress them. ⁴³ But among you it is not so. No, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴ And whoever wants to take the first place among you must be the servant of all; ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man came, not be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

¹ Then Jesus speaking to the crowds and to his disciples, said: ² "The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees now occupy the chair of Moses. ³ Therefore practice and lay to heart everything that they tell preach but do not practice. ⁴ While they make up heavy loads and pile them on other men's shoulder's they decline, themselves, to lift a finger to move them. ⁵ All their actions are done to attract attention. They widen their phylacteries, and increase the size of their tassels, ⁶ and like to have the place of honor at dinner, and the best seats in the Synagogues, ⁷ and to be greeted in the markets with respect, and to be called 'Rabbi' for everybody. ⁸ But do not allow yourselves to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Father, the heavenly Father. ⁹ And do not call any one Father, the heavenly Father. ¹⁰ Nor must you allow yourselves to be called 'Leaders,' for you have only one Leader, the Christ. ¹¹ The man who would be the greatest among you must be your servant. ¹² Whoever shall exalt himself will be humbled, and whoever shall humble himself will be exalted. ¹³ But alas for you, Teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You turn the key of the Kingdom of Heaven in men's faces. For you do not go in yourselves, nor yet allow those who try to go in to do so. ¹⁴ Alas for you, Teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You destroy widow's houses, even while pretending to make long prayers; therefore you shall receive greater condemnation. ¹⁵ Alas for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You scour land and sea to make a single convert, and, when he is gained, you make him twice as deserving of the Pit as you are yourselves. ¹⁶ Alas for you, you blind guides! You say 'if any answer by the Temple, his oath counts for nothing; but, if any one swears by the gold of the Temple, his oath is binding him'! ¹⁷ Fools that you are and blind! Which is the more important? The gold? Or the Temple which has given sacredness to the gold? ¹⁸ You say, too, 'If any one swears by the altar, his oath counts for nothing, but, if any one swears by the offering placed on it, his oath is binding on him'! ¹⁹ Blind indeed! Which is the more important? The offering? or the altar which gives sacredness to the offering? ²⁰ Therefore a man, swearing by the altar, swears by it and by all that is on it, ²¹ and a man, swearing by the Temple, swears by it and by him who dwells in it, ²² while a man, swearing by Heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits upon it. ²³ Alas for you, Teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You pay tithes on mint, fennel, and caraway seed, and have neglected the weightier matters of the Law--justice, mercy, and good faith. These last you ought to have put into practice, without neglecting the first. ²⁴ You blind guides, to strain out a gnat and to swallow a camel! ²⁵ Alas for you, Teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are filled with the results of greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶ You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the dish, so that the outside may become clean as well. ²⁷ Alas for you, Teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed look fair outside, while inside they are filled with dead men's bones and all kinds of filth. ²⁸ It is the same with you. Outwardly, and to others, you have the look of religious men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and sin. ²⁹ Alas for you, Teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You build the tombs of the Prophets, and decorate the monuments of religious men, ³⁰ and say 'Had we been living in the days of our ancestors, we should have taken part in their murder of the Prophets! ³¹ By doing this you are furnishing evidence against yourselves that you are true children of the men who murdered the Prophets. ³² Fill up the measure of your ancestor's guilt. ³³ You serpents and brood of vipers! How can you escape being sentenced to the Pit? ³⁴ That is why I send you Prophets, wise men, and Teachers of the Law, some of whom you will crucify and kill, and some of whom you will scourge in your Synagogues, and persecute from town to town; ³⁵ in order that upon your heads may fall every drop of innocent 'blood split on earth,' from the blood of innocent Abel down to that of Zechariah, Barachiah's son, whom you murdered between the Temple and the altar. ³⁶ All this, I tell you, will come home to the present generation. ³⁷ Jerusalem! Jerusalem! She who slays the Prophets and stones the messengers sent to her--Oh, how often have I wished to gather your children round me, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not came! ³⁸ Verily, your house is left to you desolate! ³⁹ For nevermore, I tell you, shall you see me, until you say-- 'Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!'"

¹² Do not let any one look down on you because you are young, but, by your conversation, your conduct, your love, your faith, and your purity, be an example to those who hold the Faith.

²⁸ Be watchful over yourselves, and over the whole flock, of which the Holy Spirit has placed you in charge, to shepherd the Church of God, which he won for himself at the cost of his life.

²⁴ and a Servant of the Lord should never quarrel. He ought, on the contrary, to be courteous to every one, a skillful teacher, and forbearing.

²³ Whatever you do, do it with all your heart, as if working for the Master and not for men, ²⁴ Since you know that it is from the Master that you will receive the inheritance which will be your recompense. You are serving Christ, the Master. ²⁵ Those who do wrong will reap the wrong they have done; and there will be no partiality.

¹⁷ Obey your Leaders, and submit to their control, for they are watching over your souls, as men who will have to render an account, so that they may do it with joy, and not in sorrow. That would not be to your advantage.

¹ How true is that saying! When a man aspires to be a Presiding-Officer in the Church, he is ambitious for a noble task. ² The Presiding-Officer should be a man of blameless character; a faithful husband; living a temperate, discreet, and well-ordered life; hospitable, and a skillful teacher, ³ not addicted to drink or brawling, but of a forbearing and peaceable disposition, and not a lover of money; ⁴ he should be a man who rules his own household well, and whose children are kept under control and are well-behaved. ⁵ If a man does not know how to rule his own household, how can he take charge of the Church of God?