< Titus 1 >
1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledgement of the truth, which is according to godliness;
2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who can not lie, promised be fore the times of the ages, (aiōnios )
3 but he has in his own times manifested his word by preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior;
4 to Titus, my true son, according to the common faith: grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.
5 I left you in Crete for this purpose, that you might set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I commanded you:
6 if any one is blameless, the husband of one wife, if he has faithful children that are not accused of riotous living, or disobedient.
7 For the bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not passionate, not fond of wine, not quarrelsome, not one who makes money by base means;
8 but hospitable, a lover of goodness, sober-minded, just, holy, temperate,
9 holding fast the sure word as it is taught, that he may be able, by sound teaching, both to exhort and to convince the opposers.
10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,
11 whose mouths must be stopped: these subvert whole houses by teaching, for the sake of base gain, things which they ought not to teach.
12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, has said: The Cretans are always liars, evil wild beasts, lazy gluttons.
13 This testimony is true; wherefore rebuke them severely, that they may be sound in the faith,
14 and not give heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men that turn away from the truth.
15 To the pure, all things are pure: but to the denied and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but their mind and their conscience are denied.
16 They profess that they know God, but in their works they deny him, being detestable and disobedient, and, as it respects every good work, rejected.
