Titus 1

1Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus the Messiah, for the faith of God’s chosen ones and the knowledge of the truth that accords with godliness,

2in the hope of eternal life, which the God who does not lie promised before the ages began

3but in his own times he revealed his word through the proclamation with which I was entrusted, according to the command of God our Savior,

4To Titus, my true child according to our common faith: grace and peace from God the Father and Messiah Jesus our Savior.

5For this reason I left you in Crete, so that you might set in order what remained and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you.

6if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not under accusation of debauchery or insubordinate.

7For an overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for shameful gain,

8but hospitable, loving what is good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined,

9holding firmly to the trustworthy word in accordance with the teaching, so that he may be able both to exhort by sound teaching and to rebuke those who contradict it.

10For there are many rebellious people, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,

11They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole households by teaching what they ought not for the sake of shameful gain.

12One of them, their own prophet, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”

13This testimony is true. For this reason, rebuke them sharply, so that they may be sound in the faith,

14not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of people who turn away from the truth.

15All things are pure to the pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. Instead, both their mind and their conscience are defiled.

16They profess to know God, but by their works they deny him, being detestable and disobedient and unfit for every good work.