1 PAUL, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to promote the faith of God's chosen and their knowledge of the truths of religion,

2 in hope of life eternal, which the God who never lies promised ages ago

3 but in due time made known as his message through the proclamation with which I was entrusted by the commission of God our Savior,

4 to Titus my true child in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father, and from Christ Jesus, our Savior.

5 For this reason I left you in Crete: to arrange the things that are lacking and appoint elders in every city as I directed you,

6 wherever there is a man of irreproachable character, true to one woman, with believing children who are not charged with dissolute conduct and not unruly.

7 For a bishop, as God's steward, must be above reproach, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not given to blows, not eager for base gain,

8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, just, holy, temperate,

9 holding to the trustworthy message which is according to the teaching, so that he may be able also to encourage others by wholesome teaching and to refute opposers.

10 For there are many insubordinate persons, foolish talkers and deceivers, especially those who are of the circumcision,

11 who ought to be silenced, for they are upsetting whole house-holds, teaching what they should not, merely for the sake of base gain.

12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, base brutes, lazy gluttons."

13 This testimony is true. For this reason rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,

14 not giving attention to Jewish myths and rules laid down by men who are turning away from the truth.

15 To the pure all things are pure; but to the polluted and unbelieving nothing is pure. Even their minds and consciences are polluted.

16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they disown him. They are detestable, disobedient, and worthless for any good work.