Titus 1 / 3
- 1
(Greeting)
Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness,
- 2
in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began
- 3
and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior;
- 4
To Titus, my true child in a common faith:
Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
- 5(Qualifications for Elders)
This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you--
- 6
if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.
- 7
For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain,
- 8
but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.
- 9
He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
- 10
For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party.
- 11
They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.
- 12
One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons."Probably from Epimenides of Crete
- 13
This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,
- 14
not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth.
- 15
To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.
- 16
They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.