Titus 1:5-16 ▼

5 For the sake of this I left you in Crete, that you might set in order the things lacking and might appoint elders in every city, as I directed you,

6 if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having believing children, not under accusation of debauchery, or insubordinate.

7 For it is necessary for the overseer to be blameless, as God’s steward—not self-pleasing, not prone to anger, not given to wine, not a striker, not greedy for shameful gain,

8 but hospitable, a lover of good, sound-minded, righteous, holy, and self-controlled,

9 holding to the faithful word according to the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in sound teaching and to convict those contradicting it.

10 For there are also many insubordinate ones, empty talkers, and mind-deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,

11 whom it is necessary to silence, who overturn whole households, teaching things that it is necessary not to teach, for the sake of shameful gain.

12 One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”

13 This testimony is true, through which cause you are to rebuke them severely, so that they may be sound in the faith,

14 not giving heed to Jewish myths and commandments of men turning away from the truth.

15 All things are pure to the pure; but to those being defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. But both their mind and conscience are defiled.

16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable and disobedient and unfit for any good work.