[1] Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth which leads to godliness, [2] in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began, [3] and has in due time revealed His word through preaching, with which I was entrusted according to the command of God our Savior, [4] To Titus, my own son in the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. [5] For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city, as I commanded you: [6] any man who is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children who are not accused of being wild or unruly. [7] For an overseer must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not easily angered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain, [8] but hospitable, a lover of what is good, self-controlled, just, holy, temperate, [9] holding firmly the trustworthy word that is in accordance with the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort with sound doctrine and to convince those who oppose it. [10] For there are many unruly men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, [11] who must be silenced, who subvert whole houses by teaching for dishonest gain things they ought not teach. [12] One of them, a prophet of their own, said, "The Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and idle gluttons!" [13] This witness is true. So rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith, [14] not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who reject the truth. [15] To the pure, all things are pure. But to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. Even their minds and consciences are defiled. [16] They profess that they know God, but in their deeds they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and worthless for every good work.
