Titus

¹Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ [appointed] to bring God’s elect to faith and to the knowledge of the truth which leads to godliness, ²and also to the hope of eternal life, which God (who cannot lie) promised before the age began. ³In his own time, he revealed his word in the message I was entrusted with according to the commandment of God our Savior. ⁴To Titus, my true child according to the faith which we share: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

Titus’ commission in Crete—Requirement for Church offices

⁵I left you in Crete for this reason: that you would set in order the things that were amiss²⁰⁹⁹ and appoint presbyters²¹⁰⁰ in every city, as I directed you: ⁶someone who is blameless, the husband of one wife, whose children believe and are not accused of loose or unruly behavior. ⁷Indeed, the overseer must be beyond reproach, as God’s steward; not self-pleasing, not easily angered, not someone who abuses wine, not violent and not greedy for dishonest gain. ⁸Instead, he should be hospitable, a lover of what is good, sensible, just, holy and self-controlled; ⁹holding fast to the sure word which is in harmony with what has been taught, so that he may be able both to exhort in the sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

¹⁰There are also many who are rebellious,²¹⁰¹ vain talkers, and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, ¹¹whose mouths must be stopped. These men upset entire families, teaching things they should not [teach], doing it for sordid gain. ¹²One of them, one of their own prophets, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons.” ¹³This testimony is true! For this reason, rebuke them sharply, so that they may be sound in the faith, ¹⁴not paying attention to Jewish fables and human commandments which distract²¹⁰² from the truth. ¹⁵To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. ¹⁶They profess to know God, but by their works they deny him, being detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.

What Titus should teach

2099. Or “lacking/defective”
2100. See Appendix A
2101. Or “unruly/disobedient men”
2102. Or “turn away”