Titus 1

Greetings from Paul

1This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to#1:1 Or to strengthen the faith of. those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives. 2This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began. 3And now at just the right time he has revealed this message, which we announce to everyone. It is by the command of God our Savior that I have been entrusted with this work for him.

4I am writing to Titus, my true son in the faith that we share.

May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior give you grace and peace.

Titus’s Work in Crete

5I left you on the island of Crete so you could complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you. 6An elder must live a blameless life. He must be faithful to his wife,#1:6 Or must have only one wife, or must be married only once; Greek reads must be the husband of one wife. and his children must be believers who don’t have a reputation for being wild or rebellious. 7A church leader#1:7a Or An overseer, or A bishop. is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker,#1:7b Greek must not drink too much wine. violent, or dishonest with money.

8Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life. 9He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong.

10For there are many rebellious people who engage in useless talk and deceive others. This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation. 11They must be silenced, because they are turning whole families away from the truth by their false teaching. And they do it only for money. 12Even one of their own men, a prophet from Crete, has said about them, “The people of Crete are all liars, cruel animals, and lazy gluttons.”#1:12 This quotation is from Epimenides of Knossos. 13This is true. So reprimand them sternly to make them strong in the faith. 14They must stop listening to Jewish myths and the commands of people who have turned away from the truth.

15Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted. 16Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.

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Titus 1

Greeting

1Paul, a servant#1:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface of God and #See 2 Cor. 1:1an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and #See 1 Tim. 2:4their knowledge of the truth, #1 Tim. 6:3which accords with godliness, 2#2 Tim. 1:1; Heb. 9:15; [ch. 2:13; 3:7] in hope of eternal life, which God, #Num. 23:19; 2 Tim. 2:13; Heb. 6:18who never lies, #Rom. 1:2promised #See 2 Tim. 1:9before the ages began#1:2 Greek before times eternal 3and #See 1 Tim. 2:6at the proper time manifested in his word#1:3 Or manifested his word #[Rom. 10:14] through the preaching #See 1 Tim. 1:11with which I have been entrusted #1 Tim. 1:1by the command of God our Savior;

4To Titus, #See 3 John 4my true child in #Jude 3; See 2 Pet. 1:1a common faith:

# See 1 Tim. 1:2 Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

Qualifications for Elders

5 # [ 1 Tim. 1:3 ] This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and #[Acts 14:23; 2 Tim. 2:2]appoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6#For ver. 6-8, see 1 Tim. 3:2-4if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife,#1:6 Or a man of one woman and his children are believers#1:6 Or are faithful and not open to the charge of #See Eph. 5:18debauchery or insubordination. 7For an overseer,#1:7 Or bishop; Greek episkopos #Luke 12:42; 1 Cor. 4:1; 1 Pet. 4:10as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not #2 Pet. 2:10be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent #1 Tim. 3:8; 1 Pet. 5:2or greedy for gain, 8but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, #[1 Cor. 9:25]and disciplined. 9He must #[2 Thess. 2:13, 15]; See 1 Tim. 1:15; 2 Tim. 1:13hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in #See 1 Tim. 1:10sound#1:9 Or healthy; also verse 13 doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

10For there are many who are insubordinate, #1 Tim. 1:6empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of #See Acts 11:2the circumcision party.#1:10 Or especially those of the circumcision 11They must be silenced, since #[2 Tim. 3:6] they are upsetting whole families by teaching #1 Tim. 6:5; 2 Pet. 2:3for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. 12#[Acts 17:28]One of the Cretans,#1:12 Greek One of them a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”#1:12 Probably from Epimenides of Crete 13This testimony is true. Therefore #ch. 2:15; 1 Tim. 5:20rebuke them #2 Cor. 13:10sharply, that they #ch. 2:1, 2may be sound in the faith, 14#See 1 Tim. 1:4not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and #See Col. 2:22the commands of people #See 1 Tim. 6:20who turn away from the truth. 15#[Luke 11:41; 1 Tim. 4:3]; See Acts 10:15To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and #[Rom. 14:23] unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both #See 1 Tim. 6:5their minds and their consciences are defiled. 16#[1 John 2:4] They profess to know God, but they #See 1 Tim. 5:8deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, #2 Tim. 3:8unfit for any good work.

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