1 From Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ.
I was chosen and sent to help the faith of God's chosen people and to lead them to the truth taught by our religion, 2 which is based on the hope for eternal life. God, who does not lie, promised us this life before the beginning of time, 3 and at the right time he revealed it in his message. This was entrusted to me, and I proclaim it by order of God our Savior.
4 I write to Titus, my true son in the faith that we have in common.
May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior give you grace and peace.
Titus' Work in Crete
5 I left you in Crete, so that you could put in order the things that still needed doing and appoint church elders in every town. Remember my instructions: 6 an elder must be without fault; he must have only one wife, and his children must be believers and not have the reputation of being wild or disobedient. 7 For since a church leader is in charge of God's work, he should be without fault. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered, or a drunkard or violent or greedy for money. 8 He must be hospitable and love what is good. He must be self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firmly to the message which can be trusted and which agrees with the doctrine. In this way he will be able to encourage others with the true teaching and also to show the error of those who are opposed to it.
10 For there are many, especially the converts from Judaism, who rebel and deceive others with their nonsense. 11 It is necessary to stop their talk, because they are upsetting whole families by teaching what they should not, and all for the shameful purpose of making money. 12-13 It was a Cretan himself, one of their own prophets, who spoke the truth when he said, “Cretans are always liars, wicked beasts, and lazy gluttons.” For this reason you must rebuke them sharply, so that they may have a healthy faith 14 and no longer hold on to Jewish legends and to human commandments which come from people who have rejected the truth. 15 Everything is pure to those who are themselves pure; but nothing is pure to those who are defiled and unbelieving, for their minds and consciences have been defiled. 16 They claim that they know God, but their actions deny it. They are hateful and disobedient, not fit to do anything good.
Saludo
1 Yo, Pablo, siervo de Dios y apóstol de Jesucristo, según la fe de los escogidos de Dios y el conocimiento de la verdad que corresponde a la piedad,
2 en la esperanza de la vida eterna, la cual Dios, que no miente, prometió desde antes del principio de los siglos,
3 y a su debido tiempo manifestó su palabra por medio de la predicación que me fue encomendada por mandato de Dios nuestro Salvador,
4 a Tito, verdadero hijo en nuestra fe común: Recibe gracia, misericordia y paz, de Dios el Padre y del Señor Jesucristo, nuestro Salvador.
Requisitos de ancianos y obispos
5 Por esto te dejé en Creta, para que corrigieras lo deficiente y establecieras ancianos en cada ciudad, tal y como yo te mandé:
6 ancianos irreprensibles, maridos de una sola mujer y con hijos creyentes, que no estén acusados de disolución ni de rebeldía.
7 Porque es necesario que el obispo, como administrador de Dios, sea irreprensible, no soberbio ni iracundo, ni afecto al vino, ni pendenciero, ni codicioso de ganancias deshonestas,
8 sino hospitalario, amante de lo bueno, sobrio, justo, santo, dueño de sí mismo,
9 apegado a la palabra fiel, tal y como ha sido enseñada, para que también pueda exhortar con sana enseñanza y convencer a los que contradicen.
10 Porque aún hay muchos rebeldes, que hablan de vanidades y de engaños, especialmente los de la circuncisión,
11 a los cuales es preciso tapar la boca. Estos trastornan casas enteras, y a cambio de ganancias deshonestas enseñan lo que no conviene.
12 Uno de ellos, que es su propio profeta, dijo: «Los cretenses son siempre mentirosos, malas bestias y glotones ociosos.»
13 Este es un testimonio verdadero; así que repréndelos duramente, para que sean sanos en la fe
14 y no atiendan a fábulas judaicas, ni a mandamientos de hombres que se apartan de la verdad.
15 Para los puros, todas las cosas son puras; pero para los corruptos e incrédulos nada es puro, pues hasta su mente y su conciencia están corrompidas;
16 dicen conocer a Dios, pero con los hechos lo niegan, pues son odiosos y rebeldes, reprobables en cuanto a toda buena obra.