Titus 1:5–16

Qualified Elders

⁵For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should ^eset in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—⁶if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, ^fhaving faithful children not accused of ²dissipation or insubordination. ⁷For a ³bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, ^gnot given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, ⁸but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, ⁹holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.

The Elders’ Task

¹⁰For there are many insubordinate, both idle ^htalkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, ¹¹whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, ⁱfor the sake of dishonest gain. ^12jOne of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” ¹³This testimony is true. ^kTherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, ¹⁴not giving heed to Jewish fables and ^lcommandments of men who turn from the truth. ^15mTo the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. ¹⁶They profess to ⁿknow God, but ^oin works they deny Him, being ⁴abominable, disobedient, ^pand disqualified for every good work.