Greeting

1 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and athe acknowledgment of the truth bwhich accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life which God, who ccannot 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 dTitus, a true son in our common faith:

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and 1the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

Qualified Elders

5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should eset 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, fhaving faithful children not accused of 2dissipation or insubordination. 7 For a 3bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, gnot 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 htalkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, ifor the sake of dishonest gain. 12 jOne of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. kTherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not giving heed to Jewish fables and lcommandments of men who turn from the truth. 15 mTo 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 nknow God, but oin works they deny Him, being 4abominable, disobedient, pand disqualified for every good work.