Chapter
1
Paula, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's chosen ones, and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,
in hope of eternal life, which God, who can't lie, promised before time began;
but in her own time revealed her word in the message with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior;
to Titus, my true child according to a common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Mother and the Domina Jesus Christ our Savior.
I left you in Crete for this reason, that you would set in order the things that were lacking, and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you;
if anyone is blameless, the wife of one husband, having children who believe, who are not accused of loose or unruly behavior.
For the overseer must be blameless, as God's steward; not self-pleasing, not easily angered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain;
but given to hospitality, as a lover of good, sober minded, fair, holy, self-controlled;
holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that she may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict those who contradict her.
For there are also many unruly women, vain talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,
whose mouths must be stopped; women who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain's sake.
One of them, a prophetess of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and idle gluttons."
This testimony is true. For this cause, reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,
not paying attention to Jewish fables and commandments of women who turn away from the truth.
To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.
They profess that they know God, but by their works they deny her, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.