Greeting
Titus 1Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s chosen ones and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness, in the hope of eternal life, which the unlying God promised before time eternal, but in ʜɪꜱ own time revealed ʜɪꜱ word in the preaching I was entrusted with according to the command of God our Savior.
To Titus, my true child according to a common faith:
Grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.
Appointing Elders
The reason I left you in Crete was to set the remaining things in order and appoint elders in every city as I directed you: if anyone is blameless, a one-woman-man, having faithful children who are not accused of being wild or rebellious. As a household manager for God, the overseer must be unaccusable, not arrogant, not quick-tempered, not always around wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, clear-minded, just, devout, self-disciplined, holding firmly to the faithful word as it was taught, in order to be able to encourage with sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict it.
On Refuting Error
For there are many rebellious people, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those in the circumcision group. It is necessary to shut their mouths because they are disrupting entire households by teaching things they shouldn’t for dishonest gain. One of their very own prophets said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons.” That account is true. For this reason, you must rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith, not paying attention to Jewish myths and human commandments from those who turn away from the truth. To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and faithless, nothing is pure. In fact, both their mind and their conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny ʜɪᴍ. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.
From Doctrine to Practice