From: Paul, a servant of God, and also an apostle of Jesus the Messiah, to bring the faith to those chosen by God, along with full knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness,

At the right time he revealed his message through the proclamation that was entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior.

To: Titus, a genuine child in the faith that we share. May grace and peace from God the Father and the Messiah, Jesus our Savior, be yours!

The reason I left you in Crete was to complete what still needed to be done and to appoint elders in every city, as I myself commanded you.

An elder must be blameless. He must be the husband of one wife and have children who are believers and who are not accused of having wild lifestyles or of being rebellious.

Because an overseer is God's servant manager, he must be blameless. He must not be arrogant or irritable. He must not drink too much, be a violent person, or make money in shameful ways.

Instead, he must be hospitable to strangers, must appreciate what is good, and be sensible, honest, moral, and self-controlled.

He must be devoted to the trustworthy message that agrees with what we teach, so that he may be able to encourage others with healthy doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

They must be silenced, because they are the kind of people who ruin whole families by teaching what they should not teach in order to make money in a shameful way.

and not pay attention to Jewish myths or commands given by people who reject the truth.

They claim to know God, but they deny him by their actions. They are detestable, disobedient, and disqualified to do anything good.

Older men are to be sober, serious, sensible, and sound in faith, love, and endurance.

Likewise, older women are to show their reverence for God by their behavior. They are not to be gossips or addicted to alcohol, but to be examples of goodness.

to be sensible and pure, to manage their households, to be kind, and to submit themselves to their husbands. Otherwise, the word of God may be discredited.

Likewise, encourage the younger men to be sensible.

Always set an example for others by doing good actions. Teach with integrity and dignity.

Use wholesome speech that cannot be condemned. Then any opponent will be ashamed because he cannot say anything bad about us.

He gave himself for us to set us free from every wrong and to cleanse us so that we could be his special people who are enthusiastic about doing good deeds.

Remind believers to submit to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, and to be ready to do any honorable kind of work.

They are not to insult anyone or be argumentative. Instead, they are to be gentle and perfectly courteous to everyone.

"Twas not for deeds that we had done, but by his steadfast love alone, he saved us through a second birth, renewed us by the Spirit's work,

And so, made heirs by his own grace, eternal life we now embrace.

Our own people should also learn to make good deeds a priority when urgent needs arise, so they won't be unproductive.

All who are with me send you greetings. Greet our fellow believers who love us. May grace be with all of you! Amen.