1 Timothy 3:7

3:1-7 If a man desired the pastoral office, and from love to Christ, and the souls of men, was ready to deny himself, and undergo hardships by devoting himself to that service, he sought to be employed in a good work, and his desire should be approved, provided he was qualified for the office. A minister must give as little occasion for blame as can be, lest he bring reproach upon his office. He must be sober, temperate, moderate in all his actions, and in the use of all creature-comforts. Sobriety and watchfulness are put together in Scripture, they assist one the other. The families of ministers ought to be examples of good to all other families. We should take heed of pride; it is a sin that turned angels into devils. He must be of good repute among his neighbours, and under no reproach from his former life. To encourage all faithful ministers, we have Christ's gracious word of promise, Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world, Mt 28:20. And he will fit his ministers for their work, and carry them through difficulties with comfort, and reward their faithfulness.

1 Timothy 3:7 . Moreover, he must have a good report — That is, a fair or good character, or good testimony, namely, as to the time past; of them that are without — That are not Christians; lest he fall into reproach — By their rehearsing his former life; and the snare of the devil — Which Satan might make a snare of to discourage and cast him down, or in some other way entangle him in unbelief and sin. Here Macknight remarks, “It is intimated, that the sins which a person has formerly committed, when cast in his teeth after he becomes a minister, may be the means of tempting him to repeat these sins, by the devil’s suggesting to him that he has little reputation to lose. Nor is this the only evil. The people, knowing his former miscarriages, will be less affected with what he says to them. All who are candidates for the ministry ought to consider these things seriously.”

Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without: the apostle would have ministers men of good reputation amongst such as were without the pale of the church, for that is the meaning of that term, which are without; see 1 Corinthians 5:12 1 Thessalonians 4:12 : others might be admitted as members of the church, but not as rulers in it, because the glory of God was much concerned in the reputation of such persons, they were as lights set upon a hill. Lest he fall into reproach; lest men reproach such persons for their former infamous life, and so prejudice others against the doctrine they bring. And the snare of the devil; and the snare, either of some accuser, or of the devil, who hath this name from his accusing of the brethren; or lest he fall into some temptation to revenge, hatred, undue anger, or to be cowardly in the discharge of his duty, lest he should by faithfulness provoke others to reproach him for his former course of life.

1 Timothy 3:7 . Καὶ μαρτυρίαν , also a good report ) Not even former life should be open to any reproach. Mere report is not sufficient; but there ought to be a good report along with the practice of the virtues, nay, a good testimony. Paul wishes that the character of Christians should be in high esteem; comp. ch. 1 Timothy 5:14 , note.— ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξωθεν , from those that are without ) that they may be more easily gained over, and the glory of God be promoted.— ὀνειδισμὸν , reproach ) Comp. ch. 1 Timothy 5:14 . The devil may occasion the greatest trouble to the minister who is subjected to bad reports, by himself (the devil), and by means of the calumnies of men.— καὶ παγίδα , and a snare ) Comp. Matthew 22:15 .

A good report (μαρτυριαν καλὴν) Comp. Acts 6:3. Not only does καλός occur in the Pastorals nearly twice as many times as in Paul, but the usage is different. Out of 16 instances in Paul, there is but one in which καλός is not used substantively (Romans 7:16), while in the Pastorals it is, almost without exception, used adjectively. Μαρτυρίαν, better testimony. Comp. Titus 1:13. Not in Paul, who uses μαρτύριον. Of them which are without (ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξωθεν) Ἔξωθεν only once in Paul (2 Corinthians 7:6), and οἱ ἔξωθεν nowhere in Paul, and only here in Pastorals. Paul's phrase is ὁ ἔξω: see 1 Corinthians 5:12, 1 Corinthians 5:13; 2 Corinthians 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 4:12. Reproach (ὀνειδισμὸν) By Paul in Romans 15:3 : only here in Pastorals: three times in Hebrews. Snare (παγίδα) Comp. 1 Timothy 6:9; 2 Timothy 2:26. In Paul, Romans 11:9, see note. Both reproach and snare govern διαβόλου.

7. a good report—Greek, "testimony." So Paul was influenced by the good report given of Timothy to choose him as his companion (Ac 16:2). of them which are without—from the as yet unconverted Gentiles around (1Co 5:12; Col 4:5; 1Th 4:12), that they may be the more readily won to the Gospel (1Pe 2:12), and that the name of Christ may be glorified. Not even the former life of a bishop should be open to reproach [Bengel]. reproach and the snare of the devil—reproach of men (1Ti 5:14) proving the occasion of his falling into the snare of the devil (1Ti 6:9; Mt 22:15; 2Ti 2:26). The reproach continually surrounding him for former sins might lead him into the snare of becoming as bad as his reputation. Despair of recovering reputation might, in a weak moment, lead some into recklessness of living (Jer 18:12). The reason why only moral qualities of a general kind are specified is, he presupposes in candidates for a bishopric the special gifts of the Spirit (1Ti 4:14) and true faith, which he desires to be evidenced outwardly; also he requires qualifications in a bishop not so indispensable in others.

Verse 7. - Good testimony from for a good report of , A.V.; that for which , A.V. Good testimony ( μαρτυρίαν καλήν ; see 1 Timothy 5:10 ). So it is said of Timothy himself that ἐμαρτυρεῖτο , "he was well reported of by the brethren" ( Acts 16:2 ). In accordance with this rule, letters testimonial are required of all persons to be ordained, to the importance of character in a clergyman (comp. 2 Corinthians 6:3 ). Them that are without ( τῶν ἔξωθεν ); used in Matthew 23:27 ; Luke 11:39 ; 1 Peter 3:3 ; Revelation 11:2 , etc., of that; which is outside or external literally, as the outside of the cup, the outer ornament of the body, the outside of the sepulcher, the outer court of the temple. It is synonymous with the more common form, ἔξω . (For the phrase, "they that are without" ( οἱ ἔξω ), as applied to those who are not members of the Church, see Mark 4:11 ; John 9:34, 35 ; 1 Corinthians 5:12, 13 ; Colossians 4:5 ; 1 Thessalonians 4:12 .) The opposite is ἔσω ἔσωθεν ( 1 Corinthians 5:12 ; Matthew 23:25 , etc.). So exoteric and esoteric , of doctrines intended respectively for the outside world or the inner circle of disciples. Reproach ( ὀνειδισμόν ); the reproaches and revilings cast upon him by unbelievers ( Romans 15:3 ; Hebrews 10:33 ; Hebrews 11:26 ; Hebrews 13:13 ). The verb ὀνειδίζειν has the same sense ( 1 Timothy 4:10 ; Matthew 5:11 ; Mark 15:32 ; Luke 6:22 ; 1 Peter 4:14 ), and so in classical Greek.

This reproach is further described as the snare of the devil (comp. 1 Timothy 6:9 ; 2 Timothy 2:26 ), because it is through these revilings that the devil seeks to impair the power of his ministry and frighten him from the exercise of it. The genitive τοῦ διαβόλου depends only upon πασίδα , not upon ὀνειδισμόν . The καὶ does not indicate that there are two separate things into which he falls, but adds, as a description of the ὀνειδισμός , that it is "a snare of the devil." The idea in 1 Peter 5:8 is analogous. There it is by afflictions that the devil seeks to devour the disciple who is weak in faith. Those afflictions might well be described as παγίδα τοῦ διαβόλου ," a snare of the devil," set for weak souls. 1 Timothy 3:7

7 . them which are without ] Outside the circle of believers, the Christian Church: the same phrase is used by St Paul, 1 Thessalonians 4:12 , ‘walk honestly toward them that are without’; cf. 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 . the snare of the devil ] Probably we should take this as a separate phrase apart from ‘reproach,’ considering the use in 2 Timothy 2:26 , ‘recover themselves out of the snare of the devil.’ The genitive here must be subjective, ‘the snare laid by the devil.’ So Huther, ‘It is a figurative name for the lying in wait of the devil, who is represented as a hunter.’ See Appendix, K. The devil entraps a man, that is, into ‘proud despair’ by the temptation arising out of the ‘reproach’ for the past thrown in his teeth; ‘You can never be of use or in repute; these old sins will dog and clog you; you may as well return to your “wallowing in the mire” ’; cf. 2 Samuel 12:14 , By this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme.’ We know the terrible struggle David’s life was to him afterwards, through the weakening of his authority, in consequence of the old, well-known fall; how for example he was drawn again into deeds of violence and injustice by the sons of Zeruiah, who, as he bitterly complained, were ‘too hard’ for him.

1 Timothy 3:7 . τῶν ἔξωθεν : οἱ ἔξω in Mark 4:11 ( ἔξωθεν , W.H. m.) means those who came into contact—more or less close—with Jesus, but who were not His disciples. In the Pauline use (see reff.) it means the non-Christian Society in which the Church lives. St. Paul’s attitude towards them that are without is one of the many proofs of his sanity of judgment. On the one hand, they are emphatically outside the Church; they have no locus standi in it, no right to interfere. On the other hand, they have the law of God written in their hearts; and, up to a certain point, their moral instincts are sound and their moral judgments worthy of respect. In the passage before us, indeed, St. Paul may be understood to imply that the opinion of “those without” might usefully balance or correct that of the Church. There is something blameworthy in a man’s character if the consensus of outside opinion be unfavourable to him; no matter how much he may be admired and respected by his own party. The vox populi , then, is in some sort a vox Dei : and one cannot safely assume, when we are in antagonism to it, that, because we are Christians, we are absolutely in the right and the world wholly in the wrong.

Thus to defy public opinion in a superior spirit may not only bring discredit , ὀνειδισμός , on oneself and on the Church, but also catch us in the devil’s snare, viz. , a supposition that because the world condemns a certain course of action, the action is therefore right and the world’s verdict may be safely set aside. We cannot infer with Alford and von Soden, from the absence of another preposition before παγίδα , that ὀνειδισμόν also depends on τοῦ διαβόλου . It would not be easy to explain satisfactorily ὀνειδ . τ . διαβόλου .