1 | Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of the elect of God and the acknowledging of the truth, which is according to godliness: |
2 | Unto the hope of life everlasting, which God, who lieth not, hath promised before the times of the world: |
3 | But hath in due times manifested his word in preaching, which is committed to me according to the commandment of God our Saviour: |
4 | To Titus my beloved son, according to the common faith, grace and peace from God the Father, and from Christ Jesus our Saviour. |
5 | For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and shouldest ordain priests in every city, as I also appointed thee: |
6 | If any be without crime, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of riot, or unruly. |
7 | For a bishop must be without crime, as the steward of God: not proud, not subject to anger, not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre: |
8 | But given to hospitality, gentle, sober, just, holy, continent: |
9 | Embracing that faithful word which is according to doctrine, that he may be able to exhort in sound doctrine, and to convince the gainsayers. |
10 | For there are also many disobedient, vain talkers, and seducers: especially they who are of the circumcision: |
11 | Who must be reproved, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. |
12 | One of them a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are always liars, evil beasts, slothful bellies. |
13 | This testimony is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; |
14 | Not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men, who turn themselves away from the truth. |
15 | All things are clean to the clean: but to them that are defiled, and to unbelievers, nothing is clean: but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. |
16 | They profess that they know God: but in their works they deny him; being abominable, and incredulous, and to every good work reprobate. |