Titus 1–3

Salutation

¹Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that is in accordance with godliness, ²in the hope of eternal life that God, who never lies, promised before the ages began^*—³in due time he revealed his word through the proclamation with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior,^*

⁴To Titus, my true child^a in the faith we share:

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

Titus in Crete

⁵I left you behind in Crete for this reason, so that you should put in order what remained to be done and should appoint elders in every town, as I directed you:^{* 6}someone who is blameless, married only once,^c whose children are believers, not accused of debauchery and not rebellious.^{* 7}For a bishop,^d as God’s steward, must be blameless; he must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or addicted to wine or violent or greedy for gain,^{* 8}but he must be hospitable,^e a lover of goodness, self-controlled, upright, devout, and restrained, ⁹holding tightly to the trustworthy word of the teaching, so that he may be able both to exhort with sound instruction and to refute those who contradict it.

¹⁰There are also many rebellious people, idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision;^{* 11}they must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for sordid gain what it is not right to teach.^{* 12}It was one of them, their very own prophet, who said,

“Cretans are always liars, vicious brutes, lazy gluttons.”

¹³That testimony is true. For this reason rebuke them sharply, so that they may become sound in the faith,^{* 14}not paying attention to Jewish myths or to commandments of those who reject the truth.^{* 15}To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure; their very minds and consciences are corrupted.^{* 16}They profess to know God, but they deny him by their actions; they are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.^*

Teach Sound Doctrine

²But as for you, teach what is consistent with sound instruction. ²Tell the older men to be temperate, serious, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love, and in endurance.

³Likewise, tell the older women to be reverent in behavior, not to be slanderers or enslaved to much wine; they are to teach what is good,^{* 4}so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, ⁵to be self-controlled, chaste, good managers of the household, kind, submissive to their husbands, so that the word of God may not be discredited.^*

⁶Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled ⁷in all things, offering yourself as a model of good works and in your teaching offering integrity, gravity, ⁸and sound speech that cannot be censured; then any opponent will be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of us.^*

⁹Urge slaves to be submissive to their masters in everything, to be pleasing, not talking back,^{* 10}not stealing, but showing complete and perfect fidelity, so that in everything they may be an ornament to the teaching of God our Savior.

¹¹For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all,^{f* 12}training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly,^{* 13}while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior,^g Jesus Christ.^{* 14}He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.^*

¹⁵Declare these things; exhort and reprove with all authority.^h Let no one look down on you.

Maintain Good Deeds

³Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,^{* 2}to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show every courtesy to everyone.^{* 3}For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, despicable, hating one another.^{* 4}But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,^{* 5}he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the waterⁱ of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.^{* 6}This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.^{* 8}The saying is sure.

I desire that you insist on these things, so that those who have come to believe in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works; these things are excellent and profitable to everyone.^{* 9}But avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.^{* 10}After a first and second admonition, have nothing more to do with anyone who causes divisions,^{* 11}since you know that such a person is perverted and sinful, being self-condemned.

Final Messages and Benediction

¹²When I send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.^{* 13}Make every effort to send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way, and see that they lack nothing. ¹⁴And let people learn to devote themselves to good works in order to meet urgent needs, so that they may not be unproductive.

¹⁵All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith.

Grace be with all of you.^j