PAUL’S LETTER TO
TITUS

From Paul, a slave of God and also an emissary of Jesus the Anointed One, according to the faith of the chosen people of God and according to the knowledge of the truth, which is according to godliness, in the hope of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised before eternity. Now in His appointed time, He revealed His word in the proclamation of the good news with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior,

To Titus, my true son in the common faith:

Grace and peace from God the Father and Jesus the Anointed One, our Savior.

The reason why I left you in Crete was that you might correct the things that are lacking and appoint elders in every town the way I instructed you to do, namely, one that is blameless, married to one wife, has faithful children, and has no accusations of being depraved or insubordinate. Since the overseer is God’s administrator, he must be blameless, not arrogant, not inclined to anger, not addicted to wine, not a bully, not greedy for dishonest money. Instead, he must be hospitable, loving what is good, self-controlled, righteous, devout and disciplined, holding to the faithful message according to the teaching, so he may be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to correct those who contradict it.

For there are also many rebellious people who say meaningless things and deceive, especially those from the Circumcision group. It is necessary to silence them. They destroy entire families teaching them what they shouldn’t in order to get money in a shameful way.

One of their own very prophets said: “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. For this reason, rebuke them severely, so that they may be healthy in the faith and not pay attention to Jewish myths and human commandments, turning away from the truth.

All things are pure to the pure, but to those who are undefiled and are unbelievers, nothing is pure. Instead, both their minds and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in practice, they deny Him, being abhorrent, disobedient and unfit for any good work.

You, however, speak the things that are consistent with sound teaching.

The older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, love and endurance.

Likewise, the older women are to be reverent in behavior. They must not be slanderers and not addicted to much wine. They must be teachers of what is good, so that they may train the young women to love their husbands and their children, to be self-controlled, pure, good housekeepers, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God should not be defamed.

Likewise, exhort the younger men to be self-controlled, making yourself an example of good works. When you teach, display integrity and dignity. Your speech must be healthy, beyond reproach, so any opponent may be ashamed, with nothing bad to say about us.

Slaves are to be subject to their masters, to try to please them in everything, not talking back nor pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, so that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in everything.

For the grace of God has appeared, salvation to everyone, instructing us that, having denied ungodliness and worldly passions, we should live moderately, righteously and piously in the present age, waiting for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus the Anointed One, who gave Himself for us, so that He could redeem us from all lawlessness and purify to Himself a people as His own treasured possession, eager for good works.

Tell them these things, exhort and rebuke with all authority. Don’t let no one look down on you. Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to not blaspheme anyone, to be peaceable and gentle and to show all humility to everyone. Because we ourselves also once were foolish, disobedient, being deceived, being slaves to various desires and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful - hating one another.

But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,
He saved us,
not by righteous works that we had done,
but according to His mercy,
through the washing of redemption
and renewing of Holy Spirit,
whom He poured out on us richly
through our Savior Jesus the Anointed One,
so that, having been justified by that grace,
we should become heirs
according to hope of eternal life.

The saying is trustworthy

Footnotes

a. Paul (Latin: Paulus) is the Roman name of Saul (Hebrew: Shaul) and the name which he chose to use during his ministry, similar to a missionary from a country where English is not the native language choosing an English name or vice-versa. Paul means “little”.

b. Or “apostle”.

c. Or “Jesus Christ”, “Jesus the Messiah”.

d. His name is of Latin origin and is also a praenomen (which was a name that came before one’s name and surname), but whose meaning is uncertain - possibly related to Latin titulus "title of honour". Not the same Titus found in Acts 18.

e. Κρήτη, Κρήτης, ἡ, Crete, the largest and most fertile island of the Mediterranean archipelago or Aegean Sea, now called Candia. (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)

f. Or “presbyters”.

g. Or “poets”.

h. “This proverbial saying, attributed to Epimenides, [...] seems to be alluded to by Aratus, Phaen. 30 ei eteon dê. The explanation given by Athenodorus of Eretria ap. Ptolem. Hephaest. In Photii Bibl. p. 150 Bekk. Is that Thetis and Medea, having a dispute as to which of them was the fairer, entrusted the decision to Idomeneus of Crete. He decided in favour of Thetis, whereon Medea said, “Cretans are always liars” and cursed them that they should never speak the truth. The schol. On the present passage says that Idomeneus divided the spoils of Troy unfairly.” (CALLIMACHUS, HYMNS 1-3 - Theoi Classical Texts Library, n.d.-b)

i. One Greek word: kalodidaskalos.

j. Other alternatives include: managers of their households (BSB, NRSV, OJB), workers at home (ASV, COMM, CSB, DLNT, EXB, LSB, NASB, MNT, NCV, NLV, WEB, Y’ALL), keepers at home (KJV, BRG), homemakers (AMPC, GW, HCSB, MEV, NABRE, NCB, NKJV, RGT), domestically inclined etc.

k. A shame that is effective for self-analysis and correction and that leads to the right way.

l. Or “to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them”.

m. Gk. philanthropia, which is the origin of the word “philanthropy”.