1 Paul, a slave of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness,2 in the hope of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,3 and has in His own time revealed His message in the proclamation that I was entrusted with by the command of God our Savior:4 To Titus, my true child in our common faith. Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.5 The reason I left you in Crete was to set right what was left undone and, as I directed you, to appoint elders in every town:6 someone who is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of wildness or rebellion.7 For an overseer, as God's manager, must be blameless, not arrogant, not quick tempered, not addicted to wine, not a bully, not greedy for money,8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, righteous, holy, self-controlled,9 holding to the faithful message as taught, so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it.10 For there are also many rebellious people, idle talkers and deceivers, especially those from Judaism.11 It is necessary to silence them; they overthrow whole households by teaching for dishonest gain what they should not.12 One of their very own prophets said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.13 This testimony is true. So, rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith14 and may not pay attention to Jewish myths and the commandments of men who reject the truth.15 To the pure, everything is pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; in fact, both their mind and conscience are defiled.16 They profess to know God, but they deny Him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, and disqualified for any good work.