Hebrews 13:7
Hebrews 13:77Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
"Remember those who are taking the lead among you, who have spoken the word of God to you." The Watchtower reads this as a command to submit to elders, Circuit Overseers, and ultimately the Governing Body. The "leaders" are expanded in JW teaching beyond the local elders to include the entire organisational hierarchy. is paired with 13:17 to ground a general duty of deference.
The verse's two conditions tether the honour given. Leaders are remembered because they spoke the word of God to you — not because they occupy organisational office. Verse 7's context makes the standard explicit: "consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith." follows immediately with "do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings" — the writer expects readers to discern true leaders from false ones by the content of their teaching. Applied to the Watchtower's rule- expansion (the beard ban, the birthday prohibition, 1914, 1925, 1975), supplies the test: did these leaders speak the word of God to you, or did they speak varied and strange teachings God did not give? The honour is conditional on the content. Pair with (the Bereans examining even Paul's teaching against Scripture) and (religious authorities who "bind heavy loads" are not to be imitated).