Titus 1

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[a] 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[b] 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.

Footnotes:

a. Titus 1:4: NU-Text reads and Christ Jesus.
b. Titus 1:7: Literally overseer