1 | Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is according to godliness; |
2 | In hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began; |
3 | But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior; |
4 | To Titus, my own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. |
5 | For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldst set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: |
6 | If any is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of riot, or disorderly. |
7 | For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; |
8 | But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; |
9 | Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. |
10 | For there are many disorderly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: |
11 | Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of sordid gain. |
12 | One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are always liars, evil beasts, slow 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 that turn from the truth. |
15 | To the pure all things are pure: but to them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. |
16 | They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and to every good work reprobate. |