• Greeting

  • 1 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness,
  • 2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,
  • 3 but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior;
  • 4 To Titus, a true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

  • Qualified Elders

  • 5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—
  • 6 if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination.
  • 7 For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money,
  • 8 but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled,
  • 9 holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.

  • The Elders’ Task

  • 10 For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,
  • 11 whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain.
  • 12 One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”
  • 13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,
  • 14 not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth.
  • 15 To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.
  • 16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.