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.

Bible Bridges: Part 14 "What's in a Word?"

Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.

John Adams

The same thing may be said of words—they are stubborn things. There is great power in the pen and in the tongue. John Adams was certainly not the wordsmith of the calibre of Thomas Jefferson. Nevertheless, he understood that words can wield tremendous influence, particularly in tumultuous times. As Winston Churchill demonstrated, the right words spoken authentically at the right time could move people beyond their self-imposed limitations. Is it any wonder, then, that the Almighty Maker of heaven chose to use the written word to reveal Himself to His creation? 

In Part 13 of this series, the value of comparing English Bible translations was introduced. I argued that the benefit of such a study technique was to stimulate reflection. Our familiarity with a favorite translation sometimes inhibits our curiosity. Seeing a different word choice in a text can promote a deeper understanding, with the caution that studying words is something best done with care.

In this installment, I want to help frame the need for balance on using secondary resources with your own work in the biblical text. Returning to 1 Peter, let us again take a look at the biblical text and see how this works:

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

   To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia... 1 (Peter 1:1 ESV)

The two words underlined are not exactly common in our day-to-day usage. The word "elect" has some significant biblical weight to it, so let us set that aside for now and look at "exiles". Using the process of version comparison, we find NASB says "those who reside as aliens" and KJV says "strangers scattered throughout." How do we come to know which is best?

We could rely on someone like Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, who writes about this word:

The English word “strangers” refers to anyone with whom we are not acquainted. But the Greek word means far more than that. It is parepidemois (παρεπιδεμοις), made up of para (παρα), “alongside of,” epi (ἐπι), “upon,” and demos (δεμος), used in Biblical Greek of the people of a heathen city. The word here describes the recipients of this letter as Christians who have settled down alongside of the unsaved. Peter uses the same word in 2:11. He will not let us forget that we are living among the unsaved who are always carefully observing us.

Now, honestly...would you have discovered this on your own? I am not sure that I would have. My main point in bringing this out is that we really can benefit from secondary resources to help us, but how do we know we can trust what they say? Wuest has done all the work for us, so we are simply given the choice to agree or not (note that I'm not saying he's incorrect). 

Returning to John Adams' quote above, "the state of facts and evidence" is essential. If our only available evidence at hand is an English Bible translation (as trustworthy as it is), we might get intimidated when we see that behind the curtain is an inaccessible ancient biblical language. Frankly, this is why I see great value in digital tools, because it lowers the barrier to such study.

But for the majority of us who do not have access to such resources, I will once again affirm the great value in comparing translations. I submit that you indeed could have taken the various English translations and come to see what Wuest amplified for us in his Greek word study. So, don't let some learned pastor blow you away with an irrefutable Bible word study that supposedly gives you the real meaning of the word. With the aide of the Holy Spirit and with ample time invested, you are quite capable of coming to a solid grasp of much of what is written in Scripture (I'll remain cautious and not say all that is written, as the Bible is inexhaustible). Moreover, with respect, that pastor may be wrong! Don't get me started on such bad statements like Dunamai = dynamite (see http://scribblepreach.com/2013/02/18/7-ways-to-do-a-bad-word-study for helpful tips on what to avoid in doing word studies).

O how I love your law!
All day long I meditate on it. 

Psalm 119:97 (NET)

This is really the key. Using the available translations should give you much to think about, and that's what the word meditate in the Bible means—think, ponder, prayerfully reflect. It's not some Eastern, mystical experience. Why don't you spend tomorrow thinking about how as a Christian you are an alien or a foreigner or a stranger journeying this land?