Irreproachable: a Bible word study

Certainly there are others out there like me that can get stuck over-analyzing things. Too often my mind goes round and round, debating my own perspective on a topic. It usually doesn't produce a helpful outcome, since who ultimately decides the matter? Protestants generally hold to the doctrine of sola Scriptura, which was a response to Roman Catholic dogma that the Pope is the ultimate authority on matters of faith and practice. Protestants hold that the Bible is the final authority. I agree with that, but it does present a problem: how do we avoid the nearly endless variety of interpretations?

Well, I digress. This is not a post about hermeneutics (Bible interpretation theory) or ecclesiology (theology of the church). As I continue to reflect on the idea of a personal syllabus for growth, I naturally turn to Scripture. It is in Paul's writings that the doctrines of grace are arguably most clearly attested, but also much of practical exhortation.

In Paul's first letter to Timothy (so-called Pastoral epistle) we find clear guidance for church leaders. As a former associate pastor, I have spent quite a bit of time thinking about 1 Timothy 3:1ff. In reviewing that text once again, I came across a word with which I have sometimes fallen into that analysis paralysis: “Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,” (1 Timothy 3:2, ESV).

Yes, each of those words could be examined in detail. Yet "above reproach/irreproachable" struck me as a profoundly difficult concept. Thus, I decided to see if that word appeared anywhere else in the New Testament:

It turns out this a rare term, only occurring in this letter. Its three occurrences are used in conjunction with expected behaviors of a believer, first in the leadership role of overseer/elder, and then as a mark of every believer as they live as pilgrims in this world. The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) renders it as "above reproach" in 3:2, but "so they won't be blamed" in 5:7, and "keep the command without fault or failure" in 6:14. The English Standard Version renders that last one as: “to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,” (1 Timothy 6:14, ESV).

The first two instances seem to function in the realm of one's earthly journey. Our comportment is to be free from blame as people observe our lives. My analysis can get stuck here: who is ever completely free of blame? The picture of "above reproach" suggests a line is drawn, where anything below is reproachable, meaning it can be scrutinized and shown a certain behavior fails to meet the biblical standard. Perhaps our English word is out of alignment from the author's intended meaning:

irreproachable■ adjective beyond criticism.
—derivatives irreproachability noun irreproachably adverb

Soanes, Catherine, and Angus Stevenson, eds. Concise Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.

Well, that doesn't help! People seem to criticize others all the time. Even the most faithful of believers are subject to some sort of criticism. It would seem reasonable to take it that it is not the arbitrary complaints from people that is in view. It is more probable to see this as a significant misalignment from the integrity one should demonstrate with what is actually witnessed by others. Too often celebrity pastors have fallen in plain view of a watching world.

Returning to 1 Timothy 3:2 and the surrounding context, it seems clear now that the self-control and faithfulness of the prospective overseer and believer contributes to the public reputation of one who is indeed above reproach. It is best to think in terms of public and private integrity in lock-step with the Bible's call to holy living. The prospective elder should have been demonstrating such integrity for a long time (cf. 1 Timothy 3:6). And as echoed in Titus 1, the overall character of the elder demonstrates godly integrity and is in a position to defend doctrine:

“This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— if anyone is above reproach [a different Greek word: ἀνέγκλητος], the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.” (Titus 1:5–9, ESV)

Irreproachable is thus an important concept in the New Testament. How desperately we need to see Christians pursuing this in an day filled with despair and empty living.