Titus 1
English Standard Version
Greeting
1 Paul, a servant[a] of God and (A)an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and (B)their knowledge of the truth, (C)which accords with godliness, 2 (D)in hope of eternal life, which God, (E)who never lies, (F)promised (G)before the ages began[b] 3 and (H)at the proper time manifested in his word[c] (I)through the preaching (J)with which I have been entrusted (K)by the command of God our Savior;
4 To Titus, (L)my true child in (M)a common faith:
(N)Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
Qualifications for Elders
5 (O)This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and (P)appoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6 (Q)if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife,[d] and his children are believers[e] and not open to the charge of (R)debauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer,[f] (S)as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not (T)be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent (U)or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, (V)and disciplined. 9 He must (W)hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in (X)sound[g] doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
10 For there are many who are insubordinate, (Y)empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of (Z)the circumcision party.[h] 11 They must be silenced, since (AA)they are upsetting whole families by teaching (AB)for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. 12 (AC)One of the Cretans,[i] a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”[j] 13 This testimony is true. Therefore (AD)rebuke them (AE)sharply, that they (AF)may be sound in the faith, 14 (AG)not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and (AH)the commands of people (AI)who turn away from the truth. 15 (AJ)To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and (AK)unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both (AL)their minds and their consciences are defiled. 16 (AM)They profess to know God, but they (AN)deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, (AO)unfit for any good work.
Footnotes
- Titus 1:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface
- Titus 1:2 Greek before times eternal
- Titus 1:3 Or manifested his word
- Titus 1:6 Or a man of one woman
- Titus 1:6 Or are faithful
- Titus 1:7 Or bishop; Greek episkopos
- Titus 1:9 Or healthy; also verse 13
- Titus 1:10 Or especially those of the circumcision
- Titus 1:12 Greek One of them
- Titus 1:12 Probably from Epimenides of Crete
Titus 1
New Matthew Bible
Paul exhorts Titus to ordain priests or bishops in every city, declares what manner of men they ought to be that are chosen to that office, and charges Titus to rebuke such persons as withstand the gospel.
1 Paul the servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ to preach the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth, which leads to godliness 2 in the hope of eternal life. Which life God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began, 3 but has declared his word openly at the time appointed through preaching, which preaching is committed to me by the commandment of God our Saviour.
4 To Titus, his true-born son in the common faith.
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
5 The reason I left you in Crete was in order that you should complete that which was lacking, and should ordain elders in every city as I directed you – 6 if any be faultless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not known for running wild or disobedience. 7 For a bishop must be faultless, as it becomes the minister of God: not stubborn, not angry, no drunkard, no fighter; not given to the love of money, 8 but welcoming toward people and willing to take them in; one who loves goodness, sober-minded, righteous, holy, temperate; 9 and such as cleaves to the true word of doctrine, so that he may be able to exhort with wholesome teaching, and to refute those who speak against it.
10 For there are many contrary, who speak vanity and beguile minds, namely they of the circumcision, 11 whose mouths must be stopped. They pervert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for easy money. 12 One of them, who was an author of their own, said, The Cretans are always liars, evil creatures and lazy gluttons. 13 This witness is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they may be sound in the faith, 14 and not paying heed to Jewish fables, and to commandments of men that turn from the truth.
15 To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but even their very minds and consciences are defiled. 16 They confess that they know God, but with their deeds they deny him, and are abominable and obstinately self-willed, not to be trusted for any good works.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.