Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 Timothy 3:7

"Moreover he must have good testimony from them that are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil." — 1 Timothy 3:7 (ASV)

The fifteenth and last qualification of an overseer is that he must “have a good reputation with outsiders.” When a leader in the church has a bad reputation in the community, it often brings irreparable damage to the local congregation and indeed to the entire cause of Christ. Moreover, a church leader must have a good reputation “so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.” Most commentators feel that this phrase means the trap that the devil lays for unsuspecting Christians (cf. a similar expression in 2 Timothy 2:26).

Paul’s careful concern for the right choice of leaders in the church and the extensive qualifications listed here should serve as guidelines for those who are charged with the responsibility of such selection today.