Chapter 1

  Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is according to godliness;  

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  In hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began;  

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  But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior;  

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  To Titus, my own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.  

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  For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldst set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:  

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  If any is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of riot, or disorderly.  

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  For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;  

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  But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;  

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  Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.  

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  For there are many disorderly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:  

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  Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of sordid gain.  

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  One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.  

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  This testimony is true: wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;  

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  Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men that turn from the truth.  

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  To the pure all things are pure: but to them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.  

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  They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and to every good work reprobate.  

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