Above Reproach Not Above Life

So here is what I have been thinking about. Above reproach. I think this term is used improperly and lived out to a point that it is detrimental to the Kingdom in many circles. However, I could be wrong...that is not unusual

Paul used this referring to overseers or elders in the church. He said they have to above reproach, but it goes on to say what that looks like. He says, „ the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money‰

I realized in my own life that I used the excuse of being above reproach to not hang out with people who live wrongly, or not to go certain places where people would see me or do things that had the appearance of sin. That meant don‚t let anyone see me smoke my pipe, or don‚t go to bars b/c someone just might see you in there drinking milk and think that you are sinning, thus I would not be living above reproach.

I don‚t think Paul was saying this b/c that would mean that Jesus did not live above reproach. I wonder what Christian conservatives would think today if they saw a young woman caressing Jesus' feet with her hair and Jesus accepting this behavior. I wonder what they would think when they would be rebuked by Jesus for confronting an adulterous woman. They would say he is not living above reproach by hanging out with these people, and developing deep relationships with them.

I discovered that living above reproach according to Paul is exactly what Jesus did, and the opposite of my life. He said they are to be self controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, faithful to his wife, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. he did not say anything about hanging out with people who did not follow this life style. If no one spent time with them how would they know about the freedom that comes from following Jesus.

Peace my brothers and sisters