Titus 1–3

CHAPTER 1

Greetings and Grace

¹Paul, ^aa slave of God and an ^bapostle of Jesus Christ, ¹for the faith of God’s ^celect and ^dthe full knowledge of the truth which is ^eaccording to godliness,

²in ^athe hope of eternal life, which the God ^bwho cannot lie ^cpromised ^1dfrom all eternity,

³but ^aat the proper time manifested His word in ^bpreaching, ^cwith which I was entrusted ^daccording to the commandment of ^eGod our Savior,

⁴To ^aTitus, ^bmy genuine child according to our ^ccommon faith: ^dGrace and peace from God the Father and ^eChrist Jesus our Savior.

Qualifications of Elders

⁵For this reason I left you in ^aCrete, that you would set in order what remains and ^bappoint ^celders in every city as I directed you,

⁶namely, ^aif any man is beyond reproach, the ^bhusband of one wife, having faithful children, who are not accused of ^cdissipation, or ^drebellious.

⁷For the ^1aoverseer must be beyond reproach as ^bGod’s steward, not ^cself-willed, not quick-tempered, not ^daddicted to wine, not pugnacious, ^enot fond of dishonest gain,

⁸but ^ahospitable, ^bloving what is good, sensible, righteous, holy, self-controlled,

^9aholding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in ^bsound doctrine and to reprove those who contradict.

^10aFor there are many ^brebellious men, ^cempty talkers and deceivers, especially ^dthose of the circumcision,

¹¹who must be silenced because they are upsetting ^awhole families, teaching ^bthings they should not teach ^cfor the sake of dishonest gain.

¹²One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “^aCretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”

¹³This testimony is true. For this reason ^areprove them ^bseverely so that they may be ^csound in the faith,

¹⁴not paying attention to Jewish ^amyths and ^bcommandments of men who ^cturn away from the truth.

^15aTo the pure, all things are pure, but ^bto those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their ^cmind and their conscience are defiled.

^16aThey profess to know God, but by their works they ^bdeny Him, being ^cdetestable and ^ddisobedient and ^eunfit ^ffor any good work.

CHAPTER 2

Instructions for the Older and Younger

¹But as for you, speak the things which are proper for ^asound doctrine.

^2aOlder men are to be ^btemperate, dignified, sensible, ^csound ^din faith, in love, in ¹perseverance.

³Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, ^anot malicious gossips nor ^benslaved to much wine, teaching what is good,

⁴so that they may instruct the young women in sensibility: to love their husbands, to love their children,

⁵to be sensible, pure, ^aworkers at home, kind, being ^bsubject to their own husbands, ^cso that the word of God will not be slandered.

⁶Likewise urge ^athe younger men to be ¹sensible;

⁷in all things show yourself to be ^aa model of good works, with ¹purity in doctrine, dignified,

⁸sound in word which is irreproachable, so ^athat the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.

⁹Urge ^aslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be pleasing, not contradicting,

¹⁰not pilfering, but demonstrating all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of ^aGod our Savior in everything.

¹¹For the grace of God has ^aappeared, ^1bbringing salvation to all men,

¹²¹instructing us that, denying ungodliness and ^aworldly desires, we should ^blive sensibly, righteously, and godly ^cin the present age,

¹³looking for the blessed hope and the ^aappearing of the glory of ^1bour great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,

¹⁴who ^agave Himself for us ^bthat He might redeem us from all lawlessness, and ^cpurify for Himself a ^dpeople for His own possession, ^ezealous for good works.

¹⁵These things speak and ^aexhort and ^breprove with all ¹authority. ^cLet no one disregard you.

CHAPTER 3

Be Ready for Every Good Work

^1aRemind them ^bto be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ^cready for every good work,

²to slander no one, ^ato be peaceable, ^bconsiderate, ^cdemonstrating all gentleness to all men.

^3aFor we ourselves also once were foolish, ^bdisobedient, ^cdeceived, ^denslaved to ^evarious lusts and pleasures, spending our life in ^fmalice and ^genvy, despicable, hating one another.

⁴But when the ^akindness and affection of ^bGod our Savior ^cappeared,

^5aHe saved us, ^bnot by works which we did in righteousness, but ^caccording to His mercy, through the ^dwashing of regeneration and ^erenewing by the Holy Spirit,

^6awhom He poured out upon us ^brichly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

⁷so that having been justified by His grace, we would become ^aheirs ¹according to the hope of eternal life.

^8aThis is a trustworthy saying. And concerning these things I ^bwant you to speak confidently, so that those who have ^cbelieved God will be intent to ^dlead in good works. These things are good and profitable for men.

⁹But ^aavoid ^bfoolish controversies and ^cgenealogies and strife and ^dconflicts about the Law, for they are ^eunprofitable and worthless.

^10aReject a ^bfactious man ^cafter a first and second warning,

¹¹knowing that such a man is ^aperverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.

Personal Instructions and Greetings

¹²When I send Artemas or ^aTychicus to you, ^bbe diligent to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to ^cspend the winter there.

¹³Diligently help send Zenas the ^alawyer and ^bApollos on their way so that nothing is lacking for them.

^14aAnd our people must also learn to ^blead in good ¹works to meet ^cpressing needs, so that they will not be ^dunfruitful.

^15aAll who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us ^bin the faith.

^cGrace be with you all.