Greeting

1Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the faith of God's elect and a real knowledge of the Truth that accords with godliness,

2in hope of eternal life ⁰—which life God, who cannot lie, ¹promised before the ages of time ²

3but has manifested by a proclamation of His Word at chosen times, which word was entrusted to me by the command of our Savior God; ³

4to Titus, a true son in a common faith: Grace, mercy, ⁴peace, from Father God and Sovereign Jesus Christ, ⁵our Savior.

5I left you in Crete ⁶for this reason, that you should set in order the things that were lacking and appoint elders in every town as I directed you

6—if a man is blameless, a one-woman man, ⁷having children ⁸who believe and who are not open to the charge of being wild or disobedient.

7Because as an administrator under God the overseer ⁹must be blameless; not self-willed, not hotheaded, not given to wine, not a bully, not avaricious;

8but rather hospitable, a lover of what is good, prudent, just, holy, disciplined;

9holding fast the trustworthy Word as taught, so that he may be competent ¹⁰both to exhort with the sound doctrine and to correct those who oppose it.

They must face opposition

10Because there really are lots of rebels, loudmouths and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group,

11who must be silenced—they are ruining whole households, teaching things that they ought not, and for dishonest gain! ¹¹

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

13This testimony is true. ¹²Therefore correct them rigorously, ¹³that they may be sound in the faith,

14not paying attention to Jewish fables or to commands of men who are rejecting the truth. ¹⁴

15To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; in fact, both their minds and their consciences are defiled. ¹⁵

16They profess to know God, but by their actions they deny Him, being detestable, disobedient and disqualified for any good work.