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Titus

1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, ²in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before times eternal; ³but in his own seasons manifested his word in the message, wherewith I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior; ⁴to Titus, my true child after a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

⁵For this cause I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that were wanting, and to appoint elders in every city, as I gave you charge;

⁶if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children that believe, who are not accused of riot or being unruly. ⁷For the bishop must be blameless, as God’s steward; not self-willed, not quick to anger, no brawler, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; ⁸but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled; ⁹holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict the gainsayers. ¹⁰For there are many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, especially they of the circumcision, ¹¹whose mouths must be stopped; men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake. ¹²One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons. ¹³This testimony is true. For which cause reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, ¹⁴not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. ¹⁵To the pure all things are pure: but to them that are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. ¹⁶They profess that they know God; but by their works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and a reprobate unto every good work.

2 But you, speak the things which suit the sound doctrine: ²that aged men be temperate, grave, sober-minded, sound in faith, in love, in patience: ³that aged women likewise be reverent in demeanor, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good; ⁴that they may train the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, ⁵to be sober-minded, chaste, workers at home, kind, being in subjection to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed: ⁶the younger men likewise exhort to be sober-minded: ⁷in all things showing yourself an example of good works; in your doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, ⁸sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of us. ⁹Exhort servants to be in subjection to their own masters, and to be well-pleasing to them in all things; not gainsaying; ¹⁰not purloining, but showing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.

¹¹For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, ¹²instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world; ¹³looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; ¹⁴who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works.

¹⁵These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no man despise you.

3 Put them in mind to be in subjection to rulers and to authorities; to be obedient, to be ready unto every good work, ²to speak evil of no man, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing all meekness toward all men. ³For we also once were foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. ⁴But when the kindness of God our Savior, and his love toward man, appeared, ⁵not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, ⁶which he poured out upon us richly, through Jesus Christ our Savior; ⁷that, being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. ⁸Faithful is the saying, and concerning these things I desire that you affirm confidently, to the end that they who have believed God may be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men: