Titus 1

¹ Paul, a servant of God and an Apostle of Jesus Christ, in accord with the faith of God’s elect and in acknowledgment of the truth which is accompanied by piety,

² in the hope of the eternal life that God, who does not lie, promised before the ages of time,

³ which, at the proper time, he has manifested by his Word, in the preaching that has been entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior;

⁴ to Titus, beloved son according to the common faith. Grace and peace, from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Savior.

⁵ For this reason, I left you behind in Crete: so that those things which are lacking, you would correct, and so that you would ordain, throughout the communities, priests, (just as I also ordained you)

⁶ if such a man is without offense, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of self-indulgence, nor of insubordination.

⁷ And a bishop, as a steward of God, must be without offense: not arrogant, not short-tempered, not a drunkard, not violent, not desiring tainted profit,

⁸ but instead: hospitable, kind, sober, just, holy, chaste,

⁹ embracing faithful speech which is in agreement with doctrine, so that he may be able to exhort in sound doctrine and to argue against those who contradict.

¹⁰ For there are, indeed, many who are disobedient, who speak empty words, and who deceive, especially those who are of the circumcision.

¹¹ These must be reproved, for they subvert entire houses, teaching things which should not be taught, for the favor of shameful gain.

¹² A certain one of these, a prophet of their own kind, said: “The Cretans are ever liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”

¹³ This testimony is true. Because of this, rebuke them sharply, so that they may be sound in the faith,

¹⁴ not paying attention to Jewish fables, nor to the rules of men who have turned themselves away from the truth.

¹⁵ All things are clean to those who are clean. But to those who are defiled, and to unbelievers, nothing is clean; for both their mind and their conscience have been polluted.

¹⁶ They claim that they know God. But, by their own works, they deny him, since they are abominable, and unbelieving, and reprobate, toward every good work.