1 Paul, a servant of God^(A) and an apostle^(B) of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth^(C) that leads to godliness^(D)— ² in the hope of eternal life,^(E) which God, who does not lie,^(F) promised before the beginning of time,^{(G) 3} and which now at his appointed season^(H) he has brought to light^(I) through the preaching entrusted to me^(J) by the command of God^(K) our Savior,^(L)

⁴ To Titus,^(M) my true son^(N) in our common faith:

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.^(O)

Appointing Elders Who Love What Is Good^(P)

⁵ The reason I left you in Crete^(Q) was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint^[a] elders^(R) in every town, as I directed you. ⁶ An elder must be blameless,^(S) faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe^[b] and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. ⁷ Since an overseer^(T) manages God’s household,^(U) he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.^{(V) 8} Rather, he must be hospitable,^(W) one who loves what is good,^(X) who is self-controlled,^(Y) upright, holy and disciplined. ⁹ He must hold firmly^(Z) to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine^(AA) and refute those who oppose it.

Rebuking Those Who Fail to Do Good

¹⁰ For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk^(AB) and deception, especially those of the circumcision group.^{(AC) 11} They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households^(AD) by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. ¹² One of Crete’s own prophets^(AE) has said it: “Cretans^(AF) are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.”^{[c] 13} This saying is true. Therefore rebuke^(AG) them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith^{(AH) 14} and will pay no attention to Jewish myths^(AI) or to the merely human commands^(AJ) of those who reject the truth.^{(AK) 15} To the pure, all things are pure,^(AL) but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure.^(AM) In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.^{(AN) 16} They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him.^(AO) They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.^(AP)