Quote:
Originally Posted by coksiw
Actually, I found out that polygamy was "prohibited" according to the legislation of Justinian however the punishment was "infamia", which basically prohibits the person from political and public rights.
If that's the case, maybe Paul's words are literal, and that's it: a bishop can't be someone that is in the current status of "infamia" in the society for reasons like polygamy. Another reason for being in "infamia" was prostitution, and stuff of that nature.
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Yes, the "above reproach" would include not being in "infamia", or even an illegal bigamist, or one of the Jewish sectarians who practiced polygamy. All of those would bring reproach to the overseer and by extension to the church.