Titus 1

Greeting

1Paul, a servant
Or slave (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface)
of God and ban apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and ctheir knowledge of the truth, dwhich accords with godliness,
2 ein hope of eternal life, which God, fwho never lies, gpromised hbefore the ages began
Greek before times eternal
3and jat the proper time manifested in his word kthrough the preaching lwith which I have been entrusted mby the command of God our Savior;

4To Titus, nmy true child in oa common faith:

pGrace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

Qualifications for Elders

5 qThis is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and rappoint elders in every town as I directed you 6 sif 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 vdebauchery or insubordination.
7For an overseer,
Or bishop; Greek episkopos
xas God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not ybe arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent zor greedy for gain,
8but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, aaand disciplined. 9He must abhold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in acsound
Or healthy; also verse 13
doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

10For there are many who are insubordinate, aeempty talkers and deceivers, especially those of afthe circumcision party.
Or  especially those of the circumcision
11They must be silenced, since ahthey are upsetting whole families by teaching aifor shameful gain what they ought not to teach. 12 ajOne 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
13This testimony is true. Therefore amrebuke them ansharply, that they aomay be sound in the faith, 14 apnot devoting themselves to Jewish myths and aqthe commands of people arwho turn away from the truth. 15 asTo the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and atunbelieving, nothing is pure; but both autheir minds and their consciences are defiled. 16 avThey profess to know God, but they awdeny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, axunfit for any good work.

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