Instead of helping people into the kingdom these leaders were preventing them from doing so.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.” (Matthew 23 v 13)
They create a false understanding of God and His kingdom, one that is based on performance. If you do more, work harder or please me then you will please God. “I am your gatekeeper”. If you come to Jesus through my ministry then you will have a good life.
They involve themselves with branding, marketing, image-based advertisements. They create a self-righteous kingdom based around their ministry.
Their understanding is to create more disciples of their own instead of Disciples of Christ.
Woe to them!
Missions Paul 