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Titus 1
New International Version

1 Paul, a servant of God(A) and an apostle(B) of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth(C) that leads to godliness(D)— 2 in the hope of eternal life,(E) which God, who does not lie,(F) promised before the beginning of time,(G) 3 and which now at his appointed season(H) he has brought to light(I) through the preaching entrusted to me(J) by the command of God(K) our Savior,(L)

4 To Titus,(M) my true son(N) in our common faith:

Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.(O)

### Appointing Elders Who Love What Is Good(P)

5 The reason I left you in Crete(Q) was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint[a] elders(R) in every town, as I directed you. 6 An elder must be blameless,(S) faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe[b] and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7 Since an overseer(T) manages God’s household,(U) he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.(V) 8 Rather, he must be hospitable,(W) one who loves what is good,(X) who is self-controlled,(Y) upright, holy and disciplined. 9 He must hold firmly(Z) to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine(AA) and refute those who oppose it.

### Rebuking Those Who Fail to Do Good

10 For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk(AB) and deception, especially those of the circumcision group.(AC) 11 They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households(AD) by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. 12 One of Crete’s own prophets(AE) has said it: “Cretans(AF) are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.”[c] 13 This saying is true. Therefore rebuke(AG) them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith(AH) 14 and will pay no attention to Jewish myths(AI) or to the merely human commands(AJ) of those who reject the truth.(AK) 15 To the pure, all things are pure,(AL) but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure.(AM) In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.(AN) 16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him.(AO) They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.(AP)

#### Footnotes

1. Titus 1:5 Or ordain
2. Titus 1:6 Or children are trustworthy
3. Titus 1:12 From the Cretan philosopher Epimenides

#### Cross references

1. Titus 1:1 : Ro 1:1; Jas 1:1
2. Titus 1:1 : S 1Co 1:1
3. Titus 1:1 : S 1Ti 2:4
4. Titus 1:1 : S 1Ti 2:2
5. Titus 1:2 : Tit 3:7; 2Ti 1:1
6. Titus 1:2 : Nu 23:19; Heb 6:18
7. Titus 1:2 : 2Ti 1:9
8. Titus 1:3 : 1Ti 2:6; 6:15
9. Titus 1:3 : 2Ti 1:10
10. Titus 1:3 : S 1Ti 1:11
11. Titus 1:3 : S 2Co 1:1; 1Ti 1:1
12. Titus 1:3 : S Lk 1:47
13. Titus 1:4 : S 2Co 2:13
14. Titus 1:4 : S 1Ti 1:2
15. Titus 1:4 : S Ro 1:7
16. Titus 1:5 : 1:6-8Ref — 1Ti 3:2-4
17. Titus 1:5 : Ac 27:7
18. Titus 1:5 : S Ac 11:30
19. Titus 1:6 : S 1Th 3:13; 1Ti 3:2
20. Titus 1:7 : S 1Ti 3:1
21. Titus 1:7 : 1Co 4:1
22. Titus 1:7 : S 1Ti 3:3, 8
23. Titus 1:8 : S Ro 12:13
24. Titus 1:8 : 2Ti 3:3
25. Titus 1:8 : Tit 2:2, 5, 6, 12
26. Titus 1:9 : S 1Co 16:13; 1Ti 1:19; 2Ti 1:13; 3:14
27. Titus 1:9 : S 1Ti 1:10
28. Titus 1:10 : 1Ti 1:6
29. Titus 1:10 : Ac 10:45; 11:2
30. Titus 1:11 : 1Ti 5:13
31. Titus 1:12 : Ac 17:28
32. Titus 1:12 : Ac 2:11
33. Titus 1:13 : S 1Ti 5:20
34. Titus 1:13 : Tit 2:2
35. Titus 1:14 : S 1Ti 1:4
36. Titus 1:14 : S Col 2:22
37. Titus 1:14 : 2Ti 4:4
38. Titus 1:15 : Ps 18:26; Mt 15:10, 11; Mk 7:14-19; Ac 10:9-16, 28; Col 2:20-22
39. Titus 1:15 : Ro 14:14, 23
40. Titus 1:15 : 1Ti 6:5
41. Titus 1:16 : Jer 5:2; 12:2; 1Jn 2:4
42. Titus 1:16 : Hos 8:2, 3

New International Version (NIV)

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