Do Not Do What They Do: Jesus’ Warning About the Pharisees

This episode starts with a celebration of Dolly Parton’s extraordinary generosity and cultural impact, then moves into a serious theological conversation about hypocrisy, leadership, and what makes a church spiritually healthy or toxic. Mike, Suzie, and Tim connect Jesus’ warnings in Matthew 23 and Luke 12 to modern church culture, power, and the temptation to perform righteousness rather than live it.Why was Dolly Parton so universally loved, from the left to the right? Should Churches have a tax exempt status or does that malform the Church, structuring it like a business? How are we, today, to relate to the Pharisees and Jesus's warnings about their posture?Timestamps00:00 - Dolly Parton as a cultural and moral icon01:00 - Surprising examples of Dolly’s generosity03:00 - Why Dolly is beloved across ideological lines05:25 - The question of doctrinal purity and salvation06:53 - Rob Bell versus Mark Driscoll and the “greater heresy” debate08:08 - Measuring a life by fruit, dignity, and consistency12:05 - Benny Johnson, Rome, and the irony of Christian empire language15:07 - Listener question: can 501(c)(3) status shape toxic church culture?16:40 - Suzie on tax status versus church culture18:28 - When tax structure becomes an opportunity for corruption21:37 - Tim on systemic abuse and why the model feels broken24:41 - Why leadership still matters in the New Testament26:08 - Ephesians 4 and leadership for church flourishing27:33 - Hebrews 13, submission, and the danger of abusive authority31:48 - Spiritual leadership modeled by Jesus, not American hierarchy34:29 - Paul’s refusal to build status around himself35:51 - Teaching through the first woe in Matthew 2339:40 - Hypocrisy as “judging under” and split identity41:30 - The yeast of the Pharisees as corrupting influence43:49 - Fear, sparrows, and what Jesus says to disciples under pressure47:38 - Three ways truth gets exposed: life, persecution, and final judgment51:23 - Gehenna as a kingdom image, not a simplistic hell map54:17 - The God who judges also knows and loves you55:23 - Public confession, denial, and persecution56:17 - Tim on work, power, and the American dream as a church model58:38 - Why the point is not only identifying Pharisees, but avoiding becoming them61:06 - Suzie on famous failures, confession, and being found out in mercy63:35 - How secrecy and lack of truth-telling deepen corruptionAs always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to hello@voxpodcast.com, and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram.We're on YouTube (if you're into that kinda thing): VOXOLOGY TV.Our Merch Store! https://www.etsy.com/shop/VOXOLOGY?ref=shop_sugg_marketLearn more about the Voxology PodcastSubscribe on iTunes or SpotifySupport the Voxology Podcast on PatreonThe Voxology Spotify channel can be found here: Voxology RadioFollow us on Instagram: @voxologypodcast and "like" us on FacebookFollow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerreMusic in this episode by Timothy John StaffordInstagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy