Pastoral Epistles: 1 Timothy 3:2-3 - Moral Requirements of Overseers

In this passage, Paul listed requirement of God’s overseers in the local church. He began, in verses 2 and 3 with the moral necessities of a Godly pastor. What we learn in this passage is that the most important of leadership qualities are moral. Pastoring God’s people requires not just capable leadership, but also moral and spiritual example. In the words of Paul, the overseer must be “above reproach.” The fact that he “must” be above reproach denotes the absolute necessity of this factor. A life without blame is the overarching requirement for leadership in the church. In other words, if the overseer’s conduct isn’t consistent with his teaching, it would be better that he not taught at all.