1:1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness–
1:2 a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,
1:3 and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,
1:4 To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
1:5 The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.
1:6 An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.
1:7 Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless–not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.
1:8 Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.
1:9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
1:10 For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group.
1:11 They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach–and that for the sake of dishonest gain.
1:12 Even one of their own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.”
1:13 This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith
1:14 and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth.
1:15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.
1:16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.
1:1 Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the faith of God’s chosen ones and the full knowledge of the truth, which is according to godliness,
1:2 In the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the times of the ages,
1:3 But in its own times He manifested it as His word in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the command of our Savior God;
1:4 To Titus, genuine child according to the common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
1:5 For this cause I left you in Crete, that you might set in order the things which I have begun that remain and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you:
1:6 If anyone is unreprovable, the husband of one wife, having believing children not accused of dissoluteness or unruly.
1:7 For the overseer must be unreprovable as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick tempered, not an excessive drinker, not a striker, not greedy for base gain;
1:8 But hospitable, a lover of good, of a sober mind, righteous, holy, self-controlled;
1:9 Holding to the faithful word, which is according to the teaching of the apostles, that he may be able both to exhort by the healthy teaching and to convict those who oppose.
1:10 For there are many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,
1:11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who overthrow whole households, teaching things for the sake of base gain, which they ought not to do.
1:12 One from among themselves, a prophet of their own, said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons.
1:13 This testimony is true; for which cause reprove them severely that they may be healthy in the faith,
1:14 Not paying attention to Jewish myths and the commandments of men who turn away from the truth.
1:15 All things are pure to the pure; yet to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.
1:16 They profess to know God, but by their works they deny Him, being abominable and disobedient and, as to every good work, disapproved.