Titus 1:1-9 ▼

1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of God’s elect and their 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 In his own time he has revealed his word in the preaching with which I was entrusted by the command of God our Savior:

4 To Titus, my true son 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 An elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife, with faithful children who are not accused of wildness or rebellion.

7 As an overseer of God’s household, he must be blameless, not arrogant, not hot-tempered, not an excessive drinker, 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.