< Titus 1 >
1 PAUL, a servant of God, and a legate of Jesus the Messiah; according to the faith of the elect of God, and the knowledge of the truth which is in the fear of God,
2 concerning the hope of eternal life, which the veracious God promised before the times of the world; (aiōnios )
3 and in due time he hath manifested his word, by means of our announcement, which was confided to me by the command of God our Life-giver;
4 to Titus, a real son after the common faith: Grace and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus the Messiah, our Life-giver.
5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou mightest regulate the things deficient, and establish elders in every city, as I directed thee:
6 him who is blameless, who is the husband of one wife, and hath believing children, who are no revellers, nor ungovernable in sensuality.
7 For an elder ought to be blameless, as the steward of God; and not be self-willed, nor irascible, nor excessive in wine, nor with hands swift to strike, nor a lover of base gains.
8 But he should be a lover of strangers, and a lover of good deeds, and be sober, upright, kind-hearted, and restraining himself from evil passions;
9 and studious of the doctrine of the word of faith, that he may be able by his wholesome teaching both to console, and to rebuke them that are contentious.
10 For many are unsubmissive, and their discourses vain; and they mislead the minds of people, especially such as are of the circumcision.
11 The mouth of these ought to be stopped: they corrupt many families; and they teach what they ought not, for the sake of base gains.
12 One of them, a prophet of their own, said, The Cretans are always mendacious, evil beasts, idle bellies.
13 And this testimony is true. Therefore chide them sharply; that they may be sound in the faith,
14 and may not throw themselves into Jewish fables, and into the precepts of men who hate the truth.
15 For to the pure, every thing is pure; but to them who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but their understanding is defiled, and their conscience.
16 And they profess that they know God, but in their works they deny him; and they are odious, and disobedient, and to every good work reprobates.
