Titus 1

1Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, ²in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before times eternal; ³but in his own seasons manifested his word in the message, wherewith I was intrusted according to the commandment of God our Saviour; ⁴to Titus, my true child after a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour.

⁵For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that were wanting, and appoint elders in every city, as I gave thee charge; ⁶if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children that believe, who are not accused of riot or unruly. ⁷For the bishop must be blameless, as God’s steward; not self-willed, not soon angry, no brawler, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; ⁸but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled; ⁹holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict the gainsayers.

¹⁰For there are many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision, ¹¹whose mouths must be stopped; men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake. ¹²One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons. ¹³This testimony is true. For which cause reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, ¹⁴not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. ¹⁵To the pure all things are pure: but to them that are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. ¹⁶They profess that they know God; but by their works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.