Beginning

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.

He tells Titus how he should teach all degrees of persons to conduct themselves.

2 But you, teach the things that are appropriate to wholesome doctrine: ² that the elder men should be sober, grave, discreet; sound in the faith, in love and in patience. ³ And the elder women likewise: that they should be attired as becomes holiness, and not be false accusers, not given to much drinking, but teachers of good things, ⁴ to make the young women sober-minded, to love their husbands, to love their children, ⁵ to be discreet, chaste, housewifely, good, and obedient to their own husbands, so that the word of God is not ill-spoken of. ⁶ Young men likewise exhort to be sober-minded.

⁷ Above all things, show yourself an example of good works, with uncorrupt doctrine, with gravity, ⁸ and with the wholesome word that cannot be rebuked, so that he who opposes you may be ashamed, having nothing in you that he may fault.

⁹ Exhort the servants to be obedient to their own masters, and to please in all things – not answering back, ¹⁰ not stealing, but showing all good faithfulness, so that they do honour to the doctrine of our Saviour God in all things. ¹¹ For the grace of God that brings salvation to all men has appeared, ¹² and teaches us that we should deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and that we should live sober-minded, righteously, and godly in this present world, ¹³ looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the mighty God and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us, to redeem us from all unrighteousness, and to make clean for himself an special people, fervently given to good works.

¹⁵ These things speak and exhort. And rebuke with all authority. See that no one disrespects you.

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.

He rejoices to hear of the faith and love of Philemon, whom he asks to forgive his servant Onesimus, and lovingly to receive him back.

¹ Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ, and brother Timothy.

To Philemon the beloved and our helper, ² and to the beloved Apphia, and to Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the congregation of your house.

³ Grace be with you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴ I thank my God, making mention always of you in my prayers, ⁵ when I hear of the love and faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all the saints, ⁶ so that the fellowship that you have in the faith is fruitful through the knowledge of all good things, which are in you by Jesus Christ. ⁷ And we have great joy and consolation over your love. For by you, brother, the saints’ hearts are comforted.

⁸ Therefore, though I might be bold in Christ to enjoin that which behoves you, ⁹ yet for love’s sake I rather beseech you, though I be as I am, even Paul aged, and now in bonds for Jesus Christ’s sake. ¹⁰ I beseech you for my son Onesimus, whom I begat in my bonds – ¹¹ who in time past was unprofitable to you, but is now able to profit both you and also me, ¹² whom I have sent home again. Therefore receive him; that is to say, my own offspring, ¹³ whom I would gladly have retained with me so that on your behalf he could have ministered to me in the bonds of the gospel. ¹⁴ Nevertheless, without your consent I would do nothing, because the good that comes of you should not be, as it were, usurped through circumstance, but willing.

¹⁵ Perhaps he therefore departed for a season so that you would receive him forever, ¹⁶ not now as a servant, but above a servant; I mean a brother beloved, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and also in the Lord. ¹⁷ If you count me a fellow, receive him as myself. ¹⁸ If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, lay it to my charge. ¹⁹ I, Paul, have written it with my own hand. I will recompense it.

So I do not say to you that you owe to me even your own self. ²⁰ Even so, brother, let me enjoy this fruit from you in the Lord. Comfort my heart in the Lord.

²¹ Trusting in your willingness, I have written to you, knowing that you will do more than I say. ²² Moreover, prepare a room for me. For I trust that through the help of your prayers, I shall be given to you.

²³ Epaphras, my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, ²⁴ as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my helpers.

²⁵ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirits. Amen.

Sent from Rome by the hands
of Onesimus,
a servant.