Titus
Chapter 1
Overview
Paul writes to Titus, his trusted coworker, about unfinished work among the communities on Crete. After grounding their shared mission in God’s promise of eternal life, Paul turns quickly to practical leadership: each town needs dependable elders whose homes and habits match what they teach. The urgency comes from disruptive teachers, especially some linked to Jewish circumcision, who are confusing families for profit. Paul’s language becomes sharp, even quoting a harsh Cretan saying, because he sees character and teaching as intertwined: a healthy community needs leaders whose lives do not argue against their words.
1I, Paul, am a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus the Messiah. I serve to strengthen the faith of those God has chosen and to help them know the truth that leads to a life devoted to God.
2This faith and knowledge rest on the hope of eternal life. God, who never lies, promised this life before time began.
3Then, at the proper time, God made his message known through the proclamation entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior.
4To Titus, my true child in the faith we share: Grace and peace to you from God the Father and from the Messiah Jesus, our Savior.
5I left you in Crete so that you could put in order what remained unfinished and appoint community elders in every town, just as I instructed you.
6An elder must be someone no one can reasonably accuse of wrongdoing. He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be trustworthy—not accused of wild living or rebellion.
7An overseer of the community manages God’s household, so he must be beyond reasonable accusation. He must not be arrogant, quick-tempered, given to drunkenness, violent, or greedy for shameful profit.
8Instead, he must welcome guests, love what is good, think clearly, act justly, be devoted to God, and control himself.
9He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message just as it was taught. Then he will be able both to encourage others with sound teaching and to correct those who oppose it.
10There are many rebellious people who talk nonsense and deceive others, especially those from the Jewish group identified by circumcision.
11They must be silenced because they are ruining whole households. They teach things they should not teach, all to make money dishonestly.
12One of their own people, a prophet they recognize, said, “Cretans are always liars, vicious animals, and lazy gluttons.”
13That description is true. For this reason, correct them sharply so that their faith may become healthy.
14They must stop paying attention to Jewish myths and to commands made by people who turn away from the truth.
15Everything is clean for those who are clean. But for people who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is clean. Both their minds and their consciences have been polluted.
16They claim to know God, but their actions deny him. They are detestable and disobedient, unfit to do anything good.