Of obedience to persons in authority. Of gentleness to all people. He warns Titus to beware of foolish and unprofitable questions.

3 Warn the people to submit themselves to rule and authority, to obey the officials, to be ready for all good works, ² to speak evil of no one, and not to be fighters, but soft, showing all gentleness to all people. ³ For we ourselves also were in times past unwise: disobedient, deceived; captive to desires, lusts, and diverse kinds of sensuality; living in maliciousness and envy, full of hate, hating one another.

⁴ But after the kindness and love of our Saviour God toward man appeared, ⁵ he saved us – not for the deeds of righteousness that we have done, but of his mercy, by the fountain of the new birth, and with the renewing of the Holy Spirit, ⁶ which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, ⁷ so that we, once justified by his grace, should be heirs of eternal life through hope.  ⁸ This is a true saying.

These things I want you to affirm constantly, so that those who believe God may be diligent to go forward in good works. These things are good and profitable to people. ⁹ Foolish questions and genealogies, and brawling and strife about the law, avoid. For they are unprofitable and superfluous.

¹⁰ A person who is given to heresy, after the first and the second admonition, avoid, ¹¹ remembering that such a one has been perverted, and sins, even condemned by his own judgment.

¹² When I send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, try your best to come to me to Nicopolis. For I have determined to winter there. ¹³ Set Zenas the lawyer and Apollos well on their journey, so that nothing is lacking to them. ¹⁴ And let our people also learn to excel in good works, as much as need requires, so that they are not unfruitful.

¹⁵ Everyone who is with me sends greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.

Written from Nicopolis,
a city of Macedonia.