Titus 1–3

GREETING

1Paul,^a a servant of God^b and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for^A the faith of God’s elect^c and their knowledge of the truth^d that leads^B to godliness,^{e 2}in the hope of eternal life^f that God, who cannot lie,^g promised before time began.^{h 3}In his own time he has revealedⁱ his word^j in the preaching with which I was entrusted^k by the command^l of God our Savior:^m

⁴To Titus,ⁿ my true son^o in our common faith.

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.^p

TITUS’S MINISTRY IN CRETE

⁵The reason I left you in Crete^q was to set right what was left undone and, as I directed you, to appoint elders^r in every town. ⁶An elder^s must be blameless,^t the husband of one wife, with faithful^C children who are not accused of wildness or rebellion. ⁷As an overseer^u of God’s household, he must be blameless, not arrogant, not hot-tempered, not an excessive drinker, not a bully, not greedy for money, ⁸but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, righteous, holy, self-controlled, ⁹holding to the faithful message as taught,^v so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching^w and to refute those who contradict it.

¹⁰For there are many rebellious people, full of empty talk and deception, especially those from the circumcision party. ¹¹It is necessary to silence them; they are ruining entire households by teaching what they shouldn’t in order to get money dishonestly. ¹²One of their very own prophets said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” ¹³This testimony is true.^x For this reason, rebuke them sharply,^y so that they may be sound in the faith ¹⁴and may not pay attention to Jewish myths^z and the commands of people who reject the truth.^aa

¹⁵To the pure, everything is pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; in fact, both their mind and conscience^ab are defiled. ¹⁶They claim to know God,^ac but they deny him by their works.^ad They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.^ae

SOUND TEACHING AND CHRISTIAN LIVING

2But you are to proclaim things consistent with sound teaching.^{af 2}Older men^ag are to be self-controlled, worthy of respect, sensible, and sound in faith, love,^ah and endurance. ³In the same way, older women^ai are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not slaves to excessive drinking. They are to teach what is good, ⁴so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children, ⁵to be self-controlled, pure, workers at home, kind, and in submission^aj to their husbands, so that God’s word^ak will not be slandered.

⁶In the same way, encourage the young men^al to be self-controlled ⁷in everything. Make yourself an example of good works with integrity and dignity^A in your teaching. ⁸Your message is to be sound beyond reproach,^am so that any opponent will be ashamed, because he doesn’t have anything bad to say about us.

⁹Slaves are to submit to their masters^an in everything, and to be well-pleasing,^ao not talking back ¹⁰or stealing, but demonstrating utter faithfulness, so that they may adorn the teaching of God our Savior^ap in everything.

¹¹For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation^B for all people,^{aq 12}instructing us to deny godlessness^ar and worldly lusts^as and to live in a sensible, righteous,^at and godly^au way in the present age, ¹³while we wait for the blessed hope,^av the appearing of the glory^aw of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. ¹⁴He gave himself for us^ax to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people for his own possession,^ay eager to do good works.

¹⁵Proclaim these things; encourage and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard^C you.

CHRISTIAN LIVING AMONG OUTSIDERS

3Remind them to submit^a to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, ²to slander no one, to avoid fighting, and to be kind, always showing gentleness^b to all people. ³For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various passions^c and pleasures,^d living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another.

⁴But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared,^{e 5}he saved us^f—not by works of righteousness that we had done,^g but according to his mercy^h—through the washing of regenerationⁱ and renewal by the Holy Spirit.^{j 6}He poured out his Spirit on us abundantly^k through Jesus Christ our Savior ⁷so that, having been justified by his grace,^l we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.^{m 8}This saying is trustworthy.ⁿ I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed God might be careful to devote themselves to good works. These are good and profitable for everyone. ⁹But avoid foolish debates,^o genealogies,^p quarrels,^q and disputes about the law, because they are unprofitable and worthless. ¹⁰Reject a divisive^r person after a first and second warning.^{s 11}For you know that such a person has gone astray and is sinning; he is self-condemned.

FINAL INSTRUCTIONS AND CLOSING

¹²When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you,^t make every effort to come to me^u in Nicopolis, because I have decided to spend the winter there. ¹³Diligently help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos^v on their journey, so that they will lack^w nothing.

¹⁴Let our people learn to devote themselves to good works for pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.^{x 15}All those who are with me send you greetings. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with all of you.^y