also deon deh-on' · verb — present active indicative, 3rd person singular
have
ἔχεινechein
G2192
to hold (used in very various applications · verb — present active infinitive
good
καλὴνkalēn
G2570
X better · adjective — accusative singular feminine
report
μαρτυρίανmarturian
G3141
evidence given (judicially or genitive case) · noun — accusative singular feminine
of
ἀπὸapo
G575
"off · preposition
without
ἔξωθεν,exōthen
G1855
external(-ly) · preposition
lest
μὴmē
G3361
(adverb) not · particle — negative
fall
ἐμπέσῃempesē
G1706
to fall on · verb — second aorist active subjunctive, 3rd person singular
into
εἰςeis
G1519
to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
reproach
ὀνειδισμὸνoneidismon
G3680
contumely · noun — accusative singular masculine
and
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
snare
παγίδαpagida
G3803
a trap (as fastened by a noose or notch) · noun — accusative singular feminine
devil
διαβόλου.¶diabolou
G1228
a traducer · adjective — genitive singular masculine
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
2 Corinthians 8:21 Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
2 Timothy 2:26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
Acts 6:3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this busi…
1 Corinthians 10:32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:
2 Corinthians 6:3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:
1 Thessalonians 4:12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.
1 Timothy 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and per…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on 1 Timothy 3:1-7
The two epistles to Timothy, and that to Titus, contain a scripture-plan of church-government, or a direction to ministers. Timothy, we suppose, was an evangelist who was left at Ephesus, to take care of those whom the Holy Ghost had made bishops there, that is, the presbyters, as appears by Act 20:28, where the care of the church was committed to the presbyters, and they were called bishops. It seems they were very loth to part with Paul, especially because he told them they should see his face no more (Act 20:38); for their church was but newly planted, they were afraid of undertaking the care of it, and therefore Paul left Timothy with them to set them in order. And here we have the chara…
a good report--Greek, "testimony." So Paul was influenced by the good report given of Timothy to choose him as his companion (Act 16:2).
of them which are without--from the as yet unconverted Gentiles around (Co1 5:12; Col 4:5; Th1 4:12), that they may be the more readily won to the Gospel (Pe1 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 (Ti1 5:14) proving the occasion of his falling into the snare of the devil (Ti1 6:9; Mat 22:15; Ti2 2:26). The reproach continually surrounding him for former sins might lead him into the snare of becoming as bad as his…
The sixteenth requisite is, that he should have a good report of them which are without - That he should be one who had not been previously a profligate, or scandalous in his life. Such a person, when converted, may be a worthy private member of religious society; but I believe God rarely calls such to the work of the ministry, and never to the episcopate. Them that are without are the Jews, Gentiles, and the unconverted of all kinds. For the meaning of this term see the note on Col 4:5.
Lest he fall into reproach - For his former scandalous life.
And the snare of the devil - Snares and temptations, such as he fell in and fell by before. This is called the snare of the devil; for, as he well…
The Church Fathers
For when St. Paul said, "Moreover he must have good testimony from them that are without," he does not do away with careful and exact scrutiny, nor does he set up this testimony as a chief sign of assurance about such men. But having listed many requirements already, he added this one afterwards, to show that we must not be content with it alone for this kind of election but only take it into account along with other considerations. For it often happens that popular report is false.
This reason is foremost, and in no way weaker than the ones already mentioned, that it is not prudent to entrust the care of others to such a one and to offer such great power so quickly. Why? Because he has not yet given proof of his life and manners, and it is not yet certain as to whether anything is left of his former life, since the devil has many devices to use against him. These are such that he may fall back into old sins. Indeed, because it seems that he has moved away from his former and worse state, he cannot be corrected in the direction of better things, for he is now seen to have had the nurture of others entrusted to him instead.
At least the wishes of the citizens should have been waited for, and the testimony of the people: the opinion of those held in honour should have been asked, and the choice of the clergy—things which those who know the rules of the fathers are wont to observe in the ordination of priests: that the rule of the Apostle's authority might in all things be kept, which enjoins that one who is to be the priest of a church should be fortified, not only by the attestation of the faithful but also by the testimony of "those who are without," and that no occasion for offence be left, when, in peace and in God-pleasing harmony with the full approval of all, one who will be a teacher of peace is ordained.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Bishop — An overseer. In apostolic times, it is quite manifest that there was no difference as to order between bishops and elders or presbyters (Acts 20:17-28; 1 Pet. 5:1, 2; Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3). The term…
Deacon — Anglicized form of the Greek word diaconos, meaning a “runner,” “messenger,” “servant.” For a long period a feeling of mutual jealousy had existed between the “Hebrews,” or Jews proper, who spoke the…
Bishop · (An overseer, a supervi — (An overseer, a supervi
Bondage, Spiritual · Is to the devil — Is to the devil
Commandments · PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES — PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES
Devil, The · The wicked: Ensnared by — The wicked: Ensnared by
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
Moreover, he must have a good report of them which are without, That is, "without the church", as the Arabic version reads; for wicked men, though they dislike the principles and profession of godly ministers, and despise their office, yet cannot but speak well of their becoming life and conversation. And this part of their character is necessary to invite persons to hear them, and to recommend their ministry to them, as well as for the reasons that follow:
lest he fall into reproach; into the reproach of men; not only of the world, but of professors of religion; who may be apt to upbraid him with his past sins; especially such that may fall under his censures, admonitions, and reproofs, w…
1. This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
1. Certus sermo, si quis episcopatum appetit, praeclarum opus desiderat.
2. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
2. Oportet ergo Episcopum irreprehensibilem esse, unius uxoris maritum, sobrium, temperantem, compositum, (vel, honestum,) hospitalem, aptum ad docendum.
3. Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
3. Non vinolentum, (vel, ferocem,) non percussorem, non turpiter lucri cupidum, sed aequum, alienum a pugnis, alienum ab avaritia.
4. One t…
Paul expected Christians to live in a way that could be respected by people outside the church (see also 6:1; Titus 2:5-10). • The trap might pertain to the false teachers (see 1 Tim 1:20; 5:14-15; 6:9; 2 Tim 2:26).
