Titus 1
Paul writes to Titus, a fellow believer, and instructs him to correct the things that are lacking in the churches in Crete and to ordain priests who are of good character. A bishop must be blameless, hospitable, kind, and just, and able to teach sound doctrine and refute those who contradict it. Paul warns Titus about the many disobedient people, especially those of the circumcision, who speak empty words and deceive others for shameful gain. He instructs Titus to rebuke them sharply so that they may be sound in the faith and not pay attention to Jewish fables or the rules of men who have turned away from the truth.
1Paul, a servant of God and an Apostle of Jesus Christ, in accord with the faith of God’s elect and in acknowledgment of the truth which is accompanied by piety2in the hope of the eternal life that God, who does not lie, promised before the ages of time3which, at the proper time, he has manifested by his Word, in the preaching that has been entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior4to Titus, beloved son according to the common faith. Grace and peace, from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Savior5For this reason, I left you behind in Crete: so that those things which are lacking, you would correct, and so that you would ordain, throughout the communities, priests, (just as I also ordained you6if such a man is without offense, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of self-indulgence, nor of insubordination7And a bishop, as a steward of God, must be without offense: not arrogant, not short-tempered, not a drunkard, not violent, not desiring tainted profit8but instead: hospitable, kind, sober, just, holy, chaste9embracing faithful speech which is in agreement with doctrine, so that he may be able to exhort in sound doctrine and to argue against those who contradict10For there are, indeed, many who are disobedient, who speak empty words, and who deceive, especially those who are of the circumcision11These must be reproved, for they subvert entire houses, teaching things which should not be taught, for the favor of shameful gain12A certain one of these, a prophet of their own kind, said: "The Cretans are ever liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.13This testimony is true. Because of this, rebuke them sharply, so that they may be sound in the faith14not paying attention to Jewish fables, nor to the rules of men who have turned themselves away from the truth15All things are clean to those who are clean. But to those who are defiled, and to unbelievers, nothing is clean; for both their mind and their conscience have been polluted16They claim that they know God. But, by their own works, they deny him, since they are abominable, and unbelieving, and reprobate, toward every good work
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