Titus Chapter 1 — Appointing Elders and Defending the Faith
Paul outlines the qualifications for church elders and instructs Titus to address false teachers and cultural challenges in Crete.
1Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ,*“Christ” means “Anointed One”. according to the faith of God’s chosen ones and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,
2in hope of eternal life, which God, who can’t lie, promised before time began;
3but in his own time revealed his word in the message with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior,
4to Titus, my true child according to a common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.
5I 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—
6if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, who are not accused of loose or unruly behavior.
7For 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;
8but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober minded, fair, holy, self-controlled,
9holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict those who contradict him.
10For there are also many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,
11whose mouths must be stopped: men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain’s sake.
12One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and idle gluttons.”
13This testimony is true. For this cause, reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,
14not paying attention to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.
15To 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.
16They profess that they know God, but by their deeds they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Titus 1:5
“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—”
This verse establishes the primary purpose of Titus's mission and the organizational structure of the early church in Crete.
Titus 1:15
“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.”
This verse highlights the internal nature of spiritual purity versus external or ritualistic observances.
Chapter Summary
In the opening of this letter, the Apostle Paul greets Titus, describing himself as a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. Paul explains that he left Titus in Crete to organize the local church and appoint elders in every city. He lists specific qualifications for these overseers, including being blameless, hospitable, and able to teach sound doctrine. The chapter then shifts to the necessity of confronting unruly men and false teachers, particularly those of the circumcision group, who disrupt families for dishonest gain. Paul references a Cretan prophet's harsh assessment of the local culture and urges Titus to rebuke those who follow human commandments instead of the truth. The chapter concludes by contrasting the perspectives of the pure and the defiled, noting that those with corrupted minds may claim to know God while their actions prove otherwise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Paul left Titus in Crete to organize the emerging church and appoint elders in every city to provide leadership and order.
Elders must be blameless, the husband of one wife, and have faithful children. They should be hospitable, self-controlled, and able to teach sound doctrine while refuting those who oppose it.
Paul specifically identifies those 'of the circumcision' who were teaching false doctrines for dishonest gain and disrupting entire households.
Study Note
The quotation in verse 12 is attributed to Epimenides, a 6th-century BC Cretan philosopher, and is a famous example of the liar's paradox.
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