Who Really Is Irreprehensible?
1 When writing approvingly of those brothers who ‘reach out for an office of overseer,’ the apostle Paul reminded Timothy: ‘The overseer should be irreprehensible.’ (1 Tim. 3:1, 2) But it is not only of overseers that this is expected. In the same book of the Bible, other members of the congregation are also urged to be irreprehensible. (1 Tim. 5:7) Just what does being irreprehensible mean?
2 The point is that all of us need to appreciate that our conduct is not merely a personal matter. What we do reflects on our family, the congregation, and the name of God. We ought to conduct ourselves in a way that brings credit to Jehovah and to his people. Not only should we speak about right conduct, but each individual should be “an example of fine works.” (Titus 2:6, 7) In spite of one’s doing that, some people may misconstrue what one does and find fault, as members of the Jewish congregation did with Jesus. (Luke 7:34, 35) But the idea in Paul’s admonition is that no valid accusation can be made against the person.
3 Of course, none of us are sinless. Under examination we can all be proved to have flaws; we all miss the mark. (1 John 1:8) But we should not be failing in any serious way to conform to the requirements of God’s Word, so that we would need to be reproved. (See Galatians 5:19-21.) We ought to endeavor sincerely to apply Bible principles in all matters of life. Is that true of you? Is it true at home and with your relatives? Is it true at work, also in your recreation? Is your way of life such that others appreciate that you are an imitator of Christ?—Compare 1 Corinthians 11:1.
4 In imitating Christ, attention needs to be given, not only to the activities in which we engage, but also to the spirit that we show. Thus, when writing to the congregation at Philippi, including the overseers and ministerial servants, the apostle Paul emphasized the need for them to be imitators of Christ in this respect—“doing nothing out of contentiousness or out of egotism, but with lowliness of mind considering that the others are superior to you.”—Phil. 1:1; 2:1-8.
5 But what if a person does not do this? There are people who are so strong-minded that others frequently cannot reason with them. When such a person shares in a discussion he is contentious, giving others the clear impression that he is verbally fighting against his brothers. Because he thinks too highly of himself, he is inclined to hold the views of others in contempt. As a result, his remarks easily cause sharp divisions over the issues at hand instead of contributing to a meeting of minds. Of course, not everyone expresses himself in the same manner. Some are more forceful than others. But contentions and divisions are classed by God’s Word as “works of the flesh.” (Gal. 5:19, 20) Anyone who makes a practice of such things is not irreprehensible.
6 In what is recorded at 1 Timothy 5:7, referred to earlier, Paul was saying that real Christians ought to be irreprehensible in the way they care for widows who are closely related to them. But, of course, the same high standard applies to every aspect of our lives, does it not? Despite what the world around us does, all of us should be blameless. How? By “keeping a tight grip on the word of life,” always advocating it by both our speech and our conduct.—Phil. 2:14-16.