Chapter 1

Paul, a servant of God and apostle of Jesus Christ, in accordance with the faith of God's elect and the full knowledge of the truth which is according to piety,

in the hope of life everlasting which God, who does not lie, promised before the ages began---

he has in due times manifested his word through the preaching committed to my trust by the command of God our Savior---

to Titus, my beloved son in the common faith: grace and peace from God the Father, and from Christ Jesus our Savior. Titus' Mission

For this reason I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldst set right anything that is defective and shouldst appoint presbyters in every city, as I myself directed thee to do.

They must be blameless, married but once, having believing children who are not accused of impurity or disobedience.

For a bishop must be blameless as being the steward of God, not proud, or ill-tempered, or a drinker, or a brawler, or greedy for base gain;

but hospitable, gentle, reserved, just, holy, continent;

holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to confute opponents. Special Needs in Crete

For there are also many disobedient, vain babblers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision.

These must be rebuked, for they upset whole households, teaching things that they ought not, for the sake of base gain.

One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans, always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons."

This statement is true. Hence rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in faith,

and may not listen to Jewish fables and the commandments of men who turn away from the truth.

For the clean all things are clean, but for the defiled and unbelieving nothing is clean; for both their mind and their conscience are defiled.

They profess to know God, but by their works they disown him, being abominable and unbelieving and worthless for any good work.