From Paul, a servant of God, and an Apostle of Jesus Christ, charged to strengthen the faith of God's Chosen People, and their knowledge of that Truth which makes for godliness, .

My reason for leaving you in Crete was that you might put in order what had been left unsettled, and appoint Officers of the Church in the various towns, as I myself directed you.

who holds doctrine that can be relied on as being in accordance with the accepted Teaching; so that he may be able to encourage others by sound teaching, as well as to refute our opponents.

Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they may be sound in the Faith,

Teach that the older men should be temperate, serious, and discreet; strong in faith, love, and endurance.

So, too, that the older women should be reverent in their demeanor, and that they should avoid scandal, and beware of becoming slaves to drink;

that they should teach what is right, so as to train the younger women to love their husbands and children,

and to be discreet, pure-minded, domesticated, good women, ready to submit to their husbands, in order that God's Message may not be maligned.

let the instruction that you give be sound and above reproach, so that the enemy may be ashamed when he fails to find anything bad to say about us.

Teach them not to contradict or to pilfer, but to show such praiseworthy fidelity in everything, as to recommend the teaching about God our Savior by all that they do.

Remind your hearers to respect and obey the Powers that be, to be ready for every kind of good work, to speak ill of no one, to avoid quarreling,

not as the result of any righteous actions that we had done, but in fulfillment of his merciful purposes. He saved us by that Washing which was a New Birth to us, and by the renewing power of the Holy Spirit,

that, having been pronounced righteous through his loving-kindness, we might enter on our inheritance with the hope of Immortal Life.

How true that saying is! And it is on these subjects that I desire you to lay especial stress, so that those who have learned to trust in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing good. Such subjects are excellent in themselves, and of real use to mankind.

You may be sure that such a man has forsaken the Truth and is in the wrong; he stands self-condemned.

Do your best to help Zenas, the Teacher of the Law, and Apollos, on their way, and see that they want for nothing.

Let all our People learn to devote themselves to doing good, so as to meet the most pressing needs, and that their lives may not be unfruitful.