“Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil” (1Tim 3:7).
Let’s cut to the chase. You can’t be a jerk at work, a bully at home, or the neighbor everyone hates and still have a shred of credibility as a spiritual leader. The folks at church may think you’re the greatest thing since Billy Graham but if your rep around town couldn’t get you elected dog catcher, Houston, we have a problem.
Paul tells Timothy that when we’re looking for leaders inside the local church, we need to check on how candidates are seen by folks outside the church. “Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he might not fall into disgrace, into the snare of the devil” (v7). We need to remember that one of Satan’s favorite pastimes is taking down those in positions of spiritual influence. He especially loves it when leaders live schizophrenic lives. You see, how we live when we’re not at church matters. It matters a LOT! An overseer can’t be Dr. Jekyll on Sunday and go all Mr. Hyde the other six days of the week. The world is watching.
In his letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul gives his protege important instructions on getting the Ephesian church out of the ditch and back on the road. A posse of false teachers hijacked the church for a period of time. Paul has already given the right foot of fellowship to Hymenaeus and Alexander out the front door (1Tim 1:20). Now that the apostle is on divine assignment in Macedonia, it’s up to Tim to finish cleaning up the mess these knuckleheads have left behind (1Tim 1:3-7).
With the false teachers history, there’s a desperate need for new leaders. Paul gives Pastor Tim the qualifications for the new overseers (1Tim 3:1-7). Keep your eyes peeled for men of integrity. Guys who aren’t just scandal-free but scandal-proof. At home. At work. With clear eyes and a clear mind. Not addicted to any substance or activity. Not consumed by cash. And by no means, not a rookie believer.
The apostle ends the list of qualifications with a potential leader’s image in the community. “He must be well thought of by outsiders” (v7). The Greek phrase is a little wonky when you try to translate it literally. You could say, “It is necessary also to have a good witness with those on the outside” (v7). The key term here in the original language is “witness (Gr. marturios)”. It comes from a verb that means to speak well of a person on the basis of personal experience. Think of a somebody you would use for a reference when looking for a job. Are they going to say nice things about you?
Paul tells Tim to specifically check with “outsiders” (Gr. exothen). This is an adverb that describes a place or location that’s not here. In this case, the apostle is talking about someone or on the outside looking in. Folks who aren’t part of the church family. People who aren’t followers of Jesus. When we’re looking for leaders for our spiritual family, we need to talk to more than just the people who attend. What’s the word on the street about person we’re considering for leadership of God’s people?
This doesn’t mean we go to unbelievers first. But once we have a candidate, a key part of the vetting process should include his rep around town. What’s the scouting report from his supervisors, coworkers, clients, customers, and vendors? Are they a hard worker? Are they fair? Honest? What’s the word in the ‘hood? Or more likely, what’s the buzz in the ‘burbs? Are they a good neighbor who’s having a positive impact on the folks around the cul-de-sac? And what do they do for fun? Are they “that guy” you hate to see coming on the softball diamond or soccer pitch? Is their foot wedge the best club in their bag when playing golf?
An elder or overseer needs to have rock solid street cred. A spiritual leader needs to be a man of integrity both inside AND outside the church. You’ll blow it all if you don’t have integrity. A pastor is never off duty. He’s never out of his jurisdiction. His rep is on the line 24/7/365. Just to be clear, no follower of Jesus ever is. We HAVE to live what we believe! If not, I’ll not just DQ myself from any shot at being an elder but kiss goodbye any chance at sharing the story of my Savior with unbelievers. If the people who don’t know Christ think I’m a dirtbag, there’s zero chance they’ll be swinging by at Christmas or Easter if they know I’m there. We can’t be Dr. Jekyll on Sunday and go Mr. Hyde the other six days of the week.
Once again, Jesus gives us the perfect picture of integrity and great public reputation. As a matter of fact, His rep was particularly high among religious outsiders. The crowds loved Him. He welcomed sinners, tax collectors, hookers, and the disenfranchised into His audiences. Don’t miss the fact that the Rabbi/Carpenter had His biggest issues with the religious professionals. He continually called them on the carpet for their Dr. Jekyll image while being Mr. Hyde on the inside. Let’s just say the Pharisees and Sadducees wouldn’t make the cut according to what Paul has to say here in his letter to Timothy.
The apostle writes that these schizophrenic leadership candidates will eventually “fall into disgrace, into the snare of the devil” (v7). We just read how a rookie believer thrown into leadership too early will ready his own press clippings and end up like Satan after his unsuccessful overthrow of God (1Tim 3:6). The devil fell out of heaven when God threw him out! Here Paul says someone with a bad public reputation will face plant into shame.
“Disgrace” is the Greek word oneidismos, which actually means verbal abuse and insults. The writer of Hebrews uses this term when tells us how Moses considered the trash talk he got for believing God would send Messiah better than the treasures of Egypt (Heb 11:26). In other words, you don’t want an overseer who’s seen as a spiritual superstar inside the church but slander as a sleaze bag by the public.
This is exactly what Satan has planned. That’s why Paul calls it “the snare of the devil” (v7). The term “snare” (Gr. pagis) describes a trap or concealed danger. Ancient writers used it to describe the great sting of the Trojan Horse. Just like Admiral Akbar didn’t realize the Empire had set up the Rebel Alliance, we don’t see ambush coming either. And the original word carries the idea of being permanently entangled in a net. Once we tarnish our public reputation, there’s no going back. You can’t un-break the light bulb. There’s no putting the toothpaste back in the tube.
We need to be well aware that Satan uses the suspicion of unbelievers to keep a jaundiced eye on church leaders. He must be up to something. He must be working some sort of angle. What’s he hiding? An elder or pastor must be an open book. The world is watching and waiting for you to fall on your face. Many don’t trust you. And why would they? We don’t have the space to list all of the very public scandals involving big name pastors. If one doesn’t come to mind, you can probably check your favorite news source in the morning. If an overseer has any hint of unconfessed and unrepented sin, our enemy will bait the hook with it. It will only be a matter of time.
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