1 From Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ.
I encourage God's own people to have more faith and to understand the truth about religion. 2 Then they will have the hope of eternal life God promised long ago. And God never tells a lie! 3 So, at the proper time, God our Savior gave this message and told me to announce what he had said.
4 Titus, because of our faith, you are like a son to me. I pray that God our Father and Christ Jesus our Savior will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!
What Titus Was To Do in Crete
5 I left you in Crete to do what had been left undone and to appoint leaders for the churches in each town. As I told you, 6 they must have a good reputation and be faithful in marriage. Their children must be followers of the Lord and not have a reputation for being wild and disobedient.
7 Church officials are in charge of God's work, and so they must also have a good reputation. They must not be bossy, quick-tempered, heavy drinkers, bullies, or dishonest in business. 8 Instead, they must be friendly to strangers and enjoy doing good things. They must also be sensible, fair, pure, and self-controlled. 9 They must stick to the true message they were taught, so their good teaching can help others and correct everyone who opposes it.
10 There are many who don't respect authority, and they fool others by talking nonsense. This is especially true of some Jewish followers. 11 But you must make them be quiet. They are after money, and they upset whole families by teaching what they should not. 12 It is like one of their own prophets once said,
“The people of Crete
always tell lies.
They are greedy and lazy
like wild animals.”
13 This surely is a true saying. And you should be hard on such people, so you can help them grow stronger in their faith. 14 Don't pay any attention to any of those senseless Jewish stories and human commands. These are made up by people who won't obey the truth.
15 Everything is pure for someone whose heart is pure. But nothing is pure for an unbeliever with a dirty mind. That person's mind and conscience are destroyed. 16 Such people claim to know God, but their actions prove they really don't. They are disgusting. They won't obey God, and they are too worthless to do anything good.
1 Paul a seruaunt of God, and an Apostle of Iesus Christ, according to the faith of Gods elect, and the acknowledging of the trueth, which is according vnto godlines, 2 Vnto the hope of eternall life, which God that cannot lie, hath promised before the world began: 3 But hath made his worde manifest in due time through the preaching, which is committed vnto me, according to the commandement of God our Sauiour: 4 To Titus my naturall sonne according to the common faith, Grace, mercie and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord Iesus Christ our Sauiour. 5 For this cause left I thee in Creta, that thou shouldest continue to redresse the thinges that remaine, and shouldest ordeine Elders in euery citie, as I appointed thee, 6 If any be vnreproueable, the husband of one wife, hauing faithfull children, which are not slandered of riot, neither are disobedient. 7 For a Bishop must bee vnreproueable, as Gods steward, not froward, not angrie, not giuen to wine, no striker, not giuen to filthie lucre, 8 But harberous, one that loueth goodnesse, wise, righteous, holy, temperate, 9 Holding fast that faithfull worde according to doctrine, that he also may bee able to exhort with wholesome doctrine, and conuince them that say against it. 10 For there are many disobedient and vaine talkers and deceiuers of mindes, chiefly they of the Circumcision, 11 Whose mouthes must bee stopped, which subuert whole houses, teaching things, which they ought not, for filthie lucres sake. 12 One of themselues, euen one of their owne prophets said, The Cretians are alwaies liars, euill beastes, slowe bellies. 13 This witnesse is true: wherefore conuince them sharply, that they may be sound in ye faith, 14 And not taking heede to Iewish fables and commandements of men, that turne away from the trueth. 15 Vnto the pure are all things pure, but vnto them that are defiled, and vnbeleeuing, is nothing pure, but euen their mindes and consciences are defiled. 16 They professe that they know God, but by works they deny him, and are abominable and disobedient, and vnto euery good worke reprobate.