Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

1 Paul, servant of God and emissary^[a] of Jesus, the Anointed One, on behalf of the faith that is accepted by God’s chosen people and the knowledge of the undeniable truth that leads to godliness.

² We rest in this hope we’ve been given—the hope that we will live forever with our God—the hope that He proclaimed ages and ages ago (even before time began). And our God is no liar; He is not even capable of uttering lies. ³ So we can be sure that it is in His exact right time that He released His word into the world—through the preaching that God our Savior has commanded into my care.

⁴ To you, Titus, my dear son birthed through our shared faith: may grace and peace rest upon you from God the Father and Jesus the Anointed, our Savior.

⁵ I left you on Crete so you could sort out the chaos and the unfinished business and appoint elders over communities in each and every city according to my earlier orders. ⁶ Here’s what you should look for in an elder: he should be above suspicion; if he is married, he should be the husband of one wife, raise children who believe, and be a person who can’t be accused of rough and raucous living. ⁷ It is necessary that any overseer you appoint be blameless, as he is entrusted with God’s mission. Look for someone who isn’t pompous or quick to anger, who is not a drunkard, violent, or chasing after seedy gain or worldly fame. ⁸ Find a person who lovingly opens his home to others; who honors goodness; who is thoughtful, fair, devout, self-controlled; and ⁹ who clings to the faithful word that was taught because he must be able, not only to encourage people with sound teaching, but also to challenge those who are against it.

¹⁰ You see antagonists everywhere; they are rebellious, loose-lipped, and deceitful (especially those who are from the circumcised lot). ¹¹ Their talk must be quashed—their mouths sealed up because impure teaching is flying out of their lips and overturning entire families for the sake of their own squalid gain. ¹² I’ll tell you, even their own prophet was heard saying, “Chronic liars, foul beasts, and lazy gluttons—that’s who you’ll meet in Crete.” ¹³ And he’s right! This is why we have to scold them, sometimes severely, so they will be sound in the faith ¹⁴ and be able to ignore Jewish myths as well as any commandments given by those who turn away from the truth.

¹⁵ Listen: to those who are pure, all things are pure. But to those who are tainted, stained, and unbelieving, nothing is pure because their minds and their consciences are polluted. ¹⁶ They claim, “I know God,” but their actions are a slap to His face. They are wretched, disobedient, and useless to any worthwhile cause.

2 As to you, Titus: talk to them; give them a good, healthy diet of solid teaching so they will know the right way to live.

² Here’s what I want you to teach the older men: enjoy everything in moderation, respect yourselves and others, be sensible, and dedicate yourselves to living an unbroken faith demonstrated by your love and perseverance.

³ And here’s what I want you to teach the older women: Be respectful. Steer clear of gossip or drinking too much so that you can teach what is good ⁴ to young women. Be a positive example, showing them what it is to love their husbands and children, and teaching them to ⁵ control themselves in every way and to be pure. Train them to manage the household, to be kind, and to be submissive to their husbands, all of which honor the word of God.

⁶ Encourage the young men in the same way: in every situation, they should learn to control themselves.

^7-8 Titus, you have to set a good example for everyone. Go out of your way to do what is right, speak the truth with the weight and authority that come from an honest and pure life. No one can argue with that. Then your enemies will cower in shame because they have nothing bad to say against us.

⁹ Advise all the servants: Work hard for your masters, and be loyal to them. Strive to please. Don’t be rude or sarcastic. ¹⁰ Don’t steal or embezzle your masters’ property. Show them you are trustworthy, and all the credit will go to the teaching of God our Savior.

¹¹ We have cause to celebrate because the grace of God has appeared, offering the gift of salvation to all people. ¹² Grace arrives with its own instruction: run away from anything that leads us away from God; abandon the lusts and passions of this world; live life now in this age with awareness and self-control, doing the right thing and keeping yourselves holy. ¹³ Watch for His return; expect the blessed hope we all will share when our great God and Savior, Jesus the Anointed, appears again. ¹⁴ He gave His body for our sakes and will not only break us free from the chains of wickedness, but He will also prepare a community uncorrupted by the world that He would call His own—people who are passionate about doing the right thing.

¹⁵ So, Titus, tell them all these things. Encourage and teach them with all authority—and rebuke them with the same. You are a man called to serve, so don’t let anyone belittle you.

3 And remind them of this: respect the rulers and the courts. Obey them. Be ready to do what is good and honorable. ² Don’t tear down another person with your words. Instead, keep the peace, and be considerate. Be truly humble toward everyone ³ because there was a time when we, too, were foolish, rebellious, and deceived—we were slaves to sensual cravings and pleasures; and we spent our lives being spiteful, envious, hated by many, and hating one another. ⁴ But then something happened: God our Savior and His overpowering love and kindness for humankind entered our world; ⁵ He came to save us. It’s not that we earned it by doing good works or righteous deeds; He came because He is merciful. He brought us out of our old ways of living to a new beginning through the washing of regeneration; and He made us completely new through the Holy Spirit, ⁶ who was poured out in abundance through Jesus the Anointed, our Savior. ⁷ All of this happened so that through His grace we would be accepted into God’s covenant family and appointed to be His heirs, full of the hope that comes from knowing you have eternal life. ⁸ This is a faithful statement of what we believe.

Concerning this, I want you to put it out there boldly so that those who believe in God will be constant in doing the right things, which will benefit all of us. ⁹ Listen, don’t get trapped in brainless debates; avoid competition over family trees or pedigrees; stay away from fights and disagreements over the law. They are a waste of your time. ¹⁰ If a person is causing divisions in the community, warn him once; and if necessary, warn him twice. After that, avoid him completely ¹¹ because by then you are sure that you are dealing with a corrupt, sinful person. He is determined to condemn himself.

¹² I am sending either Artemas or Tychicus to you. When one of them arrives, try your best to make your way to me at Nicopolis (I plan to spend the winter there). ¹³ Do what you can to get Zenas (the lawyer) and Apollos on their way; make sure they have everything they need. ¹⁴ Our people must learn to get involved when a need arises, particularly when the need is urgent. Teach them to do what is good so they won’t become unproductive members of the community.

¹⁵ Everyone with me sends his greetings. Greet all our friends in the faith. May grace be with all of you. [Amen.]^[b]