Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for building up the trust of God’s chosen ones and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness,
in hope of life in the age to come, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began,
but now at the proper time he has revealed his word through the preaching that I was entrusted with by the command of God our Savior.
To Titus, my true child with respect to our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
Qualifications for Elders
For this reason I left you in Crete, so that you would set in order the things that were lacking and appoint elders in every city as I directed you—
if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children who believe and who are not accused of reckless actions or rebelliousness.
For the overseer, as a manager of God’s household, must be blameless, not arrogant, not quick-tempered, not an excessive drinker, not violent, not eager for dishonorable gain,
but given to hospitality, loving what is good, sensible, righteous, pure, self-controlled,
holding firmly to the faithful word as he has been taught, so that he will be able both to encourage others by his sound doctrine and to refute those who oppose it.
For there are many who are rebellious, who are empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,
whose mouths must be stopped, who are overthrowing whole houses by teaching things that they should not teach for the sake of dishonorable gain.
One of them, one of their own prophets, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”
This testimony is true. For this reason, reprove them sharply so that they come to be sound in the faith
instead of paying attention to Jewish myths or the commandments of people who turn away from the truth.
To 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.
They claim to know God, but by their works they deny him, being detestable and disobedient and unfit for every good work.