Titus 1:5–16

Qualifications for Elders

^5oThis is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and ^pappoint elders in every town as I directed you— ^6qif anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife,⁴ and his children are believers⁵ and not open to the charge of ^rdebauchery or insubordination. ⁷For an overseer,^{6 s}as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not ^tbe arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent ^uor greedy for gain, ⁸but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, ^vand disciplined. ⁹He must ^whold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in ^xsound⁷ doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

¹⁰For there are many who are insubordinate, ^yempty talkers and deceivers, especially those of ^zthe circumcision party.^{8 11}They must be silenced, since ^athey are upsetting whole families by teaching ^bfor shameful gain what they ought not to teach. ^12cOne of the Cretans,⁹ a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”^{10 13}This testimony is true. Therefore ^drebuke them ^esharply, that they ^fmay be sound in the faith, ^14gnot devoting themselves to Jewish myths and ^hthe commands of people ⁱwho turn away from the truth. ^15jTo the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and ^kunbelieving, nothing is pure; but both ^ltheir minds and their consciences are defiled. ^16mThey profess to know God, but they ⁿdeny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, ^ounfit for any good work.