1 Paul a servant of God and apostle of Jesus Christ in agreement with the faith of God's chosen and full knowledge of that truth which is according to godliness,
2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began.
3 At the right time he made his word unmistakably clear through preaching which was entrusted to me according to the commandment of God our Savior.
4 To Titus, my true son in the common faith, may grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior.
Ordain Elders in Every City
5 I left you in Crete for this reason, that you should finish organizing what is left to do and appoint elders in every city as I directed you--
6 so if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of a riotous or unruly life.
7 For an overseer must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not easily angered, not given to wine, not violent, not consumed by money.
8 Instead, [he needs to be] a lover of hospitality, of what is good, sober, just, holy, having self-control,
9 being committed to the faithful word just as he has been taught, that he may be able with sound doctrine to plead and convince those who actively disagree with [the truth],
10 for there are many unruly, mouthy talkers and deceivers especially those of the circumcision,
11 whose mouths must be stopped, who sabotage whole families teaching things which they should not for the sake of shameful personal profit.
12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own said, "Cretians are always liars, wicked beasts, and lazy bellies."
13 This witness is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply so that they may be sound in the faith,
14 not paying attention to Jewish fables and laws from men that turn [people] from the truth.
15 To the pure everything is pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure, and even their mind and conscience is defiled.
16 They profess that they know God, but in actions they deny him being repulsive, disobedient, and useless for any good work.