Psa 61:1-2, 62:8, 86:4, 102:1, 119:10, Tit | ESV | STEP | To the choirmaster : with stringed instruments . Of David . Hear my cry , O God , listen to my prayer ;

1 Hear my cry, O God,
^blisten to my prayer;
2 from the end of the earth I call to you
when my heart is ^cfaint.
Lead me to ^dthe rock
that is higher than I,

Psalms 62:8

8 ^eTrust in him at all times, O people;
^fpour out your heart before him;
God is ^ga refuge for us. Selah

Psalms 86:4

4 Gladden the soul of your servant,
for ^hto you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

Psalms 102:1

Do Not Hide Your Face from Me

A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is ⁱfaint and ^jpours out his complaint before the Lord.

1 ^kHear my prayer, O Lord;
let my cry ^lcome to you!

Psalms 119:10

10 ^mWith my whole heart I seek you;
let me not ⁿwander from your commandments!

This pastoral letter from Paul to Titus was intended to offer encouragement and wisdom as Titus endured ongoing opposition from the ungodly and from legalists within his congregations. Paul instructed Titus to complete his assigned job of establishing overseers (elders) for the churches under his care. He described what sort of people these leaders should be, and how all believers should live in relation to each other as well as in their interactions with nonbelievers. Proper Christian behavior is based on the fact that “the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,” and therefore those who believe in Christ are to “live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives” as they await his return (2:11-13). Paul probably wrote this letter in the 60s a.d.

Titus 1

Greeting

1 Paul, a servant ^{▼▼Or slave (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface)} of God and ^pan apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and ^qtheir knowledge of the truth, ^rwhich accords with godliness, 2 ^sin hope of eternal life, which God, ^twho never lies, ^upromised ^vbefore the ages began ^{▼▼Greek before times eternal} 3 and ^xat the proper time manifested in his word ^ythrough the preaching ^zwith which I have been entrusted ^aaby the command of God our Savior;

4 To Titus, ^abmy true child in ^aca common faith:

^adGrace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

Qualifications for Elders

5 ^aeThis is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and ^afappoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6 ^agif anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, ^{▼▼Or a man of one woman} and his children are believers ^{▼▼Or are faithful} and not open to the charge of ^ajdebauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer, ^{▼▼Or bishop; Greek episkopos} ^alas God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not ^ambe arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent ^anor greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, ^aoand disciplined. 9 He must ^aphold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in ^aqsound ^{▼▼Or healthy; also verse 13} doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

10 For there are many who are insubordinate, ^asempty talkers and deceivers, especially those of ^atthe circumcision party. ^{▼▼Or especially those of the circumcision} 11 They must be silenced, since ^avthey are upsetting whole families by teaching ^awfor shameful gain what they ought not to teach. 12 ^axOne of the Cretans, ^{▼▼Greek One of them} a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” ^{▼▼Probably from Epimenides of Crete} 13 This testimony is true. Therefore ^barebuke them ^bbsharply, that they ^bcmay be sound in the faith, 14 ^bdnot devoting themselves to Jewish myths and ^bethe commands of people ^bfwho turn away from the truth. 15 ^bgTo the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and ^bhunbelieving, nothing is pure; but both ^bitheir minds and their consciences are defiled. 16 ^bjThey profess to know God, but they ^bkdeny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, ^blunfit for any good work.

Titus 2

Teach Sound Doctrine

1 But as for you, teach what accords with ^bmsound ^{▼▼Or healthy; also verses 2, 8} doctrine. 2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, ^bosound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 ^bpOlder women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, ^bqnot slanderers ^bror slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, ^bspure, ^btworking at home, kind, and ^busubmissive to their own husbands, ^bvthat the word of God may not be reviled. 6 Likewise, urge ^bwthe younger men to be self-controlled. 7 Show yourself in all respects to be ^bxa model of good works, and in your teaching ^byshow integrity, ^bzdignity, 8 and ^casound speech that cannot be condemned, ^cbso that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. 9 ^ccBondservants ^{▼▼Or Slaves (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface)} are to be submissive to their own masters ^cein everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, ^cfbut showing all good faith, ^cgso that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

11 For ^chthe grace of God ^cihas appeared, bringing salvation ^cjfor all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and ^ckworldly passions, and ^clto live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in ^cmthe present age, 13 ^cnwaiting for our blessed ^cohope, the ^cpappearing of the glory of our great ^cqGod and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 ^crwho gave himself for us to ^csredeem us from all lawlessness and ^ctto purify for himself ^cua people for his own possession who are ^cvzealous for good works.

15 Declare these things; exhort and ^cwrebuke with all authority. ^cxLet no one disregard you.

Titus 3

Be Ready for Every Good Work

1 Remind them ^cyto be submissive to rulers and authorities, ^czto be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 ^dato speak evil of no one, ^dbto avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and ^dcto show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For ^ddwe ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when ^dethe goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, ^dfnot because of works done by us in righteousness, but ^dgaccording to his own mercy, by ^dhthe washing of regeneration and ^direnewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he ^djpoured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that ^dkbeing justified by his grace we might become ^dlheirs ^dmaccording to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is ^dntrustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful ^doto devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. 9 But ^dpavoid foolish ^dqcontroversies, ^drgenealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for ^dsthey are unprofitable and worthless. 10 As for a person who stirs up division, ^dtafter warning him once and then twice, ^duhave nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

Final Instructions and Greetings

12 When I send Artemas or ^dvTychicus to you, do your best to come to me ^dwat Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13 Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and ^dxApollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. 14 And let our people learn ^dyto devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not ^dzbe unfruitful.

15 All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith.

^eaGrace be with you all.

Psalms 61:1-2

Lead Me to the Rock

To the choirmaster: with astringed instruments. Of David.