Chapter I

A CHARGE TO TITUS IN RESPECT TO HIS MINISTRY.

1 [1:1]PAUL, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the knowledge of the truth which is according to piety, [1:2]for the hope of eternal life, which God who cannot lie announced before eternal ages, [1:3]but manifested his word in the times which were suitable for it by the preaching with which I was intrusted, according to the command of our Saviour God, [1:4]to Titus my faithful son in the common faith; grace and peace from God the Father, and Christ Jesus our Saviour.

2 [1:5]For this cause I left you in Crete, that you might regulate things which are deficient, and appoint elders in every city, as I charged you, [1:6]if any one is blameless, a husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of intemperance or of insubordination. [1:7]For a bishop must be blameless as a steward of God, not self-indulgent, not soon angry, not given to wine, not contentious, not devoted to base gain, [1:8]but a lover of hospitality, kind, sober, just, holy, self-denying, [1:9]holding firmly the faithful word taught, that he may be able both to exhort with sound instruction and to convince those who contradict. [1:10]For there are many disorderly wranglers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, [1:11]whom it is necessary to silence, who mislead whole families, teaching for base gain what they ought not.

3 [1:12]A certain one of them, their own poet, said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gormandizers. [1:13]This testimony is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, [1:14]not attending to Jewish myths, and commandments of men who subvert the truth. [1:15]To the pure all things are pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but their mind and conscience are defiled. [1:16]They profess to know God, but by works deny him, being abominable and disobedient, and as to every good work reprobate.

4 [2:1]Speak things which become sound teaching. [2:2]That the aged men be sober, grave, of sound mind, sound in faith, in love, in patience; [2:3]that the aged women, in like manner, be of behavior becoming holiness, not slanderers, not enslaved to much wine, teachers of what is good, [2:4]that they may instruct the young women to be lovers of their husbands, lovers of their children, [2:5]sober, pure, fond of home, kind, subject to their husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

5 [2:6]In like manner exhort the younger to be of a sound mind, [2:7] presenting yourself as an example of good works in all things, in teaching [exhibiting] integrity, gravity, [2:8]sound argument not to be condemned, that the adversary may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of us. [2:9]Let servants be subject to their masters, please them in all things, not contradicting, [2:10]not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of our Saviour God in all things.

6 [2:11]For the grace of God that pertains to salvation appeared to all men, [2:12]teaching us, that denying impiety and worldly desires we should live soberly, and righteously, and piously in the present life, [2:13]looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, [2:14]who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all wickedness, and purify for himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

7 [2:15]These things speak, and exhort, and reprove with all authority; let no man despise you. [3:1]Admonish them to be subject to principalities, to powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready for every good work, [3:2]to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all meekness to all men. [3:3]For we formerly were foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various desires and pleasures, living in malice and envy, detestable, and hating one another; [3:4] but when the goodness and philanthropy of the Saviour our God appeared, [3:5] not by works of righteousness which we did but according to his mercy he saved us through the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, [3:6]which he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; [3:7] that having been justified by his grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. [3:8]The word is true, and I wish you to insist strongly concerning these things, that those who have believed in God may be careful to maintain good works. For these things are honorable and useful to men. [3:9]But foolish questions, and genealogies, and strifes and contentions about the law, avoid; for they are unprofitable and vain. [3:10]A man that is a heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject, [3:11]knowing that such a one is subverted, and sins, being self-condemned.

8 [3:12]When I send you Artemas, or Tychicus, make haste to come to me at Nicopolis; for there I have determined to spend the winter. [3:13]Send forward Zenas the lawyer and Apollos with diligence, and let nothing be wanting to them; [3:14]and let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary purposes, that they may not be unfruitful. [3:15]All who are with me salute you. Salute those who love us in the faith. The grace be with you all.

FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY.

PHILIPPI, A.D. 65.