The Reputation of an Elder

And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he may not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. 1 Tim 3:7

Of these verses, this is the more complex to understand. In the church, we tend to overlook some faults and (hopefully) not listen to negative words concerning the reputation of others however; we are instructed here to consider how those outside the church perceive the prospective elder.

In meditating on this verse, I thought of two Believers with whom I was acquainted. Both were businessmen. They had a reputation for shoddy workmanship, poor follow through and shady business practices. In another case, I also know a so called Christian who attends church weekly, talks like a Believer in Christian circles, but has a reputation outside the church for being involved in the occult.  I wonder why, as a church, we are unable or unwilling to see and address these character and moral issues?  Perhaps it is that we don’t want to be accused of being judgmental or once we identify the problem, we don’t know how to provide a solution. No matter, the world is both willing and able to see and voice the faults of those in the church. And, we should consider what they say in regards to the prospective elder.

If we select such a person as elder, he may fall into reproach (shame, disgrace) and a snare (trap with bait).