1Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I was sent for the sake of the faith of those whom God has chosen, and for the knowledge of the truth that leads to godly living.
2This rests on the hope of eternal life. God, who cannot lie, promised it before the world began.
3At the right time he made his word known through preaching. That preaching was trusted to me by the command of God our Saviour.
4To Titus, my own son in the faith we share: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
5This is why I left you in Crete: so that you might put right the things that were still unfinished, and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you.
6An elder must be free from blame, the husband of one wife, with children who are faithful and are not charged with wild living or with being out of control.
7For an overseer must be free from blame, since he is God's steward. He must not be stubborn in his own way, or quick to get angry, or given to wine, or violent, or greedy for dishonest money.
8Instead he must love to welcome strangers, and love what is good. He must be clear-headed, fair, holy, and self-controlled.
9He must hold firmly to the trustworthy word as he was taught it. Then he will be able, by sound teaching, both to encourage others and to answer those who argue against it.
10For there are many who will not be controlled, who talk emptily and lead others astray, especially those of the circumcision.
11Their mouths must be shut. They upset whole households, teaching things they should not teach, for the sake of dishonest money.
12One of their own people, a prophet of theirs, said, "The Cretians are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons."
13This statement is true. So correct them sharply, so that they may be sound in the faith.
14They must not pay attention to Jewish fables, or to the commands of men who turn away from the truth.
15To those who are pure, all things are pure. But to those who are defiled and do not believe, nothing is pure. Even their mind and their conscience are defiled.
16They say that they know God, but by what they do they deny him. They are disgusting, and disobedient, and unfit for any good work.