 What does it mean to be above reproach? And who should be above reproach? This comes up from time to time, especially when we're talking about pastors or leaders. And so I wanna go and look at this word that's used for above reproach. And then what does it mean? And then how should be applied? Who is it for? So let's go to where we commonly hear brought up it, which is in 1st Timothy 3, also in Titus, but let's go with 1st Timothy 3 in chapter 3, verse two, and overseer must then be above reproach. There's two words that's used to deal with this word, but we're gonna deal with the 1st word. This 1st Greek word that you see here highlighted is on epilame tome, which is made up of three words. The 1st was I, it has the movable new in it to kind of make it easier to speak of, but it's the next two words that kind of gives us a good understanding. It's epi, which is on the different nuances to it, but then there's the next Greek word that's added to it is lambano, which is to take. And so this word means to be blameless, not taking blame. And because the construction of the word, it tells you kind of gives you an understanding that this is kind of a right now thing. It doesn't mean that the person has never had anything to be blamed for, but it really means that they're blameless at this moment and they're living this way. Could that be that the person had something in the past that they are blameless, they're blameful for? Sure, that's everybody. When the Bible speaks of a person being blameless, he does not mean that the person has never had anything to be blamed for, that they've ever had any sin, any fallenness, anything like that. It is at this moment. And so for here, he's saying that a pastor, an elder, an overseer, that that person must be above reproach that no one can come to him and say, this is what you're doing. This is what you're involved in. This is your sin. This is your current sin. And does it mean that the person doesn't sin at all? No, but this is your pattern of sin. This is what you're known by. Not past, not future, but right now. And should this come up again? Or should any other sin come up? Well, then that person may not be, may be above reproach at this moment, but then maybe a year from now, maybe a week from now, maybe a month from now, maybe an hour. That person would not be able to say that I'm above reproach because this is what I'm doing. And so the person must be at the moment, blameless, and that's how a person is above reproach. But now, I wanna go to the second word that's also used, and this kind of helps also to understand, let's go to Philippians 2.15, notice what it says. So that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you appear as light in the world. And that should kind of give an indication also. Now, even though it's a different word, it is still saying the same thing. This is the word, the Greek word from momos, which is, and then there's a before, so it's amomos. It means to be blameless, to be spotless. As a matter of fact, the word is actually used twice in this very passage. Here we see it as amemtoi, which is those who are blameless. So prove yourself to be those who are blameless and innocent. Not that you have no sin or never sin, that you're innocent. There is no such thing as a person who is innocent. However, this is speaking of how God looks at you and you are not in sin. You are not a person, maybe in the past, but not right now. And so this word that's used here, even though it's a different Greek word, it still refers to the same thing, being blameless or spotless, above reproach, above that. That is not who you are. Now, the question is, who does it supply to? Is it just for certain people? Well, just reading this other passage, even though it was another word, clearly applies to all of us. We are to be that way amongst all of the people. As a matter of fact, going back to 1 Timothy to use the other word that was used above reproach, if we go to 1 Timothy 5, verse seven, he says, prescribe these things as well so that they, that is the people, may be above reproach. And there's that word again that we saw in 1 Timothy 3, 2. And so this being above reproach is not just for the pastor, it's for everybody. All of us are to be above reproach. Now, obviously even more so for the person that's leading, but everyone is called to be above reproach. The leader more so because he's leading people so there might be people in the midst that he is leading that is not above reproach and they're struggling, but that's the point of him being above reproach at that time because that's a current qualification. So just to kinda help folks out who are kinda wondering, what does it mean to be above reproach? It just simply means to not be in sin, to be blameless, not being blameful at the time of a particular sin. And there is no distinction between what the sin is. There are no degrees of who's more above reproach than the other person. Here's a person who has done this sin, versus a person who's done that sin and because we might ascribe more severity to this sin as we do to this sin, the people are in different levels, different categories as we might think that's not how God looks at it. Doesn't matter what the sin is, if you are involved in let's say you killed someone or you are a liar. Same thing and neither of those people are above reproach at the time of this, they are blameful of a particular sin regardless of the severity of it. So I hope this helps out with this understanding. We all strive to be blameless. Amen.