1Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, chosen to help God's elect believe and to know the truth that leads to a godly life,
2with the hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before time began;
3But at the proper time, he revealed his word through the message that was entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior.
4To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Savior.
5I left you in Crete so you could finish organizing things and appoint elders in every town, as I instructed you.
6An elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife, with children who are believers and are not accused of being wild or disobedient.
7Because an overseer is God’s manager, he must be blameless—not arrogant, not quick-tempered, not a heavy drinker, not violent, and not greedy for money.
8Instead, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, self-controlled, fair, holy, and disciplined.
9He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it was taught, so that he can encourage others with sound teaching and correct those who oppose it.
10For there are many rebellious people, who engage in useless talk and deception, especially those who insist on circumcision.
11They must be silenced, because they are turning whole families upside down by teaching things they shouldn’t, and they do it for dishonest gain.
12One of their own prophets said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons.”
13This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply so that they may be sound in the faith,
14and not pay attention to Jewish myths or the commands of people who reject the truth.
15To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.
16They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.