Greeting
1 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and 2 Tim. 2:25the acknowledgment of the truth (1 Tim. 3:16)which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life which God, who Num. 23:19cannot lie, promised before time began, 3 but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior;
4 To 2 Cor. 2:13; 8:23; Gal. 2:3; 2 Tim. 4:10Titus, a true son in our common faith:
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.
Qualified Elders
5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should 1 Cor. 11:34set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you— 6 if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, 1 Tim. 3:2–4; Titus 1:6–8having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. 7 For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, Lev. 10:9not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, 8 but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, 9 holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.
The Elders’ Task
10 For there are many insubordinate, both idle James 1:26talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, 1 Tim. 6:5for the sake of dishonest gain. 12 Acts 17:28One of them, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." 13 This testimony is true. 2 Cor. 13:10; 2 Tim. 4:2Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not giving heed to Jewish fables and Is. 29:13commandments of men who turn from the truth. 15 Luke 11:41; Rom. 14:14, 20; 1 Cor. 6:12To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. 16 They profess to Matt. 7:20–23; 25:12; 1 John 2:4know God, but (2 Tim. 3:5, 7)in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, Rom. 1:28and disqualified for every good work.