The Epistle of Paul to

Titus

1 *Paul, aa servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of aaGod’s elect, and bthe acknowledging of the truth cwhich is after dgodliness; 2 ||In ehope of eternal life, which God, fthat cannot lie, gpromised hbefore the world began; 3 But hath iin due times kmanifested his word lthrough preaching, mwhich is committed unto me naccording to the commandment of oGod our Saviour; 4 To pTitus, mine qown son after rthe common faith: qGrace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.

5 sFor this cause left I thee in tCrete, that uthou shouldest set in order the things that are ||vwanting, and wordain xelders in every city, as I had yappointed thee: 6 zIf any be ablameless, the husband of one wife, bhaving faithful children not accused of criot or dunruly. 7 For ea bishop must be ablameless, as fthe steward of God; not gselfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; 8 But a lover of hospitality, ha lover of ||good men, isober, just, holy, temperate; 9 kHolding fast lthe faithful word ||mas he hath been taught, nthat he may be able by osound doctrine both to exhort and to pconvince the gainsayers. 10 For there are many dunruly and qvain talkers and rdeceivers, specially sthey of the circumcision: 11 Whose mouths must be stopped, twho subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, ufor filthy lucre’s sake. 12 vOne of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The wCretians are alway liars, evil beasts, xslow bellies. 13 This witness is true. Wherefore yrebuke them zsharply, that they amay be sound in the faith; 14 bNot giving heed cto Jewish fables, and cccommandments of men, that turn from dthe truth. 15 eUnto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and funbelieving is nothing pure; but even their gmind and conscience is defiled. 16 They profess that they hknow God; but iin works they jdeny him, being abominable, and kdisobedient, and lunto every good work ||reprobate.

2 But speak thou the things which become asound doctrine: 2 That bthe aged men be ||csober, dgrave, etemperate, afsound in gfaith, in gcharity, in gpatience. 3 hThe aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh ||holiness, not ||ifalse accusers, knot given to much wine, teachers of good things; 4 That they may teach the young women to be ||lsober, to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 To be lediscreet, chaste, mkeepers at home, good, nobedient to their own husbands, that othe word of God be not blasphemed. 6 ooYoung men likewise exhort lpto be ||sober minded. 7 qIn all things shewing thyself ra pattern of good works: in sdoctrine shewing uncorruptness, dgravity, tsincerity, 8 uSound speech, that cannot be condemned; vthat he that is of the contrary part wmay be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. 9 Exhort xservants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not ||answering again; 10 Not ypurloining, but shewing all good fidelity; zthat they may adorn athe doctrine of bGod our Saviour in all things. 11 For cthe grace of God ||that dbringeth salvation ehath appeared fto all men, 12 Teaching us that, gdenying ungodliness and hworldly lusts, we should live isoberly, righteously, and godly, in kthis present world; 13 lLooking for that blessed mhope, and nthe glorious nnappearing of othe great ooGod and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 pWho gave himself for us, qthat he might redeem us from all iniquity, and rpurify unto himself sa peculiar people, tzealous of good works. 15 These things speak, and uexhort, and xrebuke with all authority. yLet no man despise thee.

3 aPut them in mind bto be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready cto every good work, 2 dTo speak evil of no man, to be eno brawlers, but fgentle, shewing all gmeekness unto all men. 3 For hwe ourselves also were isometimes kfoolish, ldisobedient, mdeceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in nomalice and nenvy, hateful, and hating one another. 4 But after that pthe kindness and ||love of qGod our Saviour toward man rappeared, 5 sNot by works of righteousness which we have done, but taccording to his mercy he saved us, by uvthe washing of wregeneration, and xrenewing of vthe Holy Ghost; 6 Which he yshed on us †abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That zbeing justified by his grace, awe should be made heirs baccording cto the hope of eternal life. 8 dThis is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou eaffirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful fto maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. 9 But gavoid foolish hquestions, and hgenealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for ithey are unprofitable and vain. 10 A man that is an kheretick lafter the first and second admonition mnreject; 11 Knowing that he that is such iis subverted, and sinneth, obeing condemned of himself.

12 When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or pTychicus, qbe diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis: rfor I have determined there to winter. 13 sBring Zenas tthe lawyer and uApollos on their journey vdiligently, that nothing wbe wanting unto them. 14 And let ours also learn fto ||maintain good works xfor necessary uses, that they be ynot unfruitful. 15 All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. zGrace be with you all. Amen.

It was written to Titus, ordained the first bishop of the church of the Cretians, from aNicopolis of Macedonia.