A frequent misinterpretation twists this verse into a blanket endorsement of obeying religious leaders uncritically regardless of hypocrisy or error, overlooking Jesus' sharp rebuke of the Pharisees' inconsistency; alternatively, some use it to foster cynicism toward all authority, dismissing valid teachings altogether, which ignores the distinction between sound doctrine from Moses' seat and personal corruption.
Matthew 23:3
King James Version (1769)
3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
Jesus teaches that while the scribes and Pharisees hold the seat of Moses and thus their authoritative exposition of the Law should be followed, their lives contradict their words, so believers must practice what they teach without imitating the leaders' hypocrisy, highlighting the priority of obedience to God's truth over flawed human examples.