New Testament
Titus 1
Overview
Paul opens with an unusually weighty greeting, grounding his apostleship in "the hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began" (1:2), and then states his purpose for leaving Titus on Crete: to set in order what was left unfinished and to appoint elders in every town. He lays out the qualifications for these elders/overseers — they must be above reproach, faithful husbands, men whose children are believers, and good stewards of God's household, holding firmly to sound doctrine so they can both encourage with it and refute those who contradict it. The chapter then turns sharply to the reason such qualified leaders are urgently needed: many rebellious, empty talkers and deceivers, especially of "the circumcision party," are upsetting whole households for shameful gain. Paul quotes a Cretan poet — "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons" — and bluntly affirms the testimony, charging Titus to rebuke them sharply so they may be sound in the faith. He closes by exposing the false teachers' hypocrisy: they profess to know God but deny Him by their works, being defiled, unbelieving, and unfit for any good work.
1Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;
2In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
3But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
4To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
5For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
6If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
7For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
8But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
9Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
10For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
11Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
12One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
13This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
14Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
15Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
16They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him , being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.