1 P aul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of the choice ones of God, and an acknowledging of truth that according to piety,

This letter is from Paul, a servant owned by God, and a missionary of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to those God has chosen for Himself. I am to teach them the truth that leads to God-like living.

2 u pon hope of life age-during, which God, who doth not lie, did promise before times of ages,

This truth also gives hope of life that lasts forever. God promised this before the world began. He cannot lie.

3 ( and He manifested in proper times His word,) in preaching, which I was entrusted with, according to a charge of God our Saviour,

He made this known at the right time through His Word. God, the One Who saves, told me I should preach it.

4 t o Titus -- true child according to a common faith: Grace, kindness, peace, from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour!

I am writing to you, Titus. You are my true son in the faith which we both have. May you have loving-favor and peace from God the Father and Jesus Christ, the One Who saves. What a Church Leader Must Be Like

5 F or this cause left I thee in Crete, that the things lacking thou mayest arrange, and mayest set down in every city elders, as I did appoint to thee;

I left you on the island of Crete so you could do some things that needed to be done. I asked you to choose church leaders in every city.

6 i f any one is blameless, of one wife a husband, having children stedfast, not under accusation of riotous living or insubordinate --

Their lives must be so that no one can talk against them. They must have only one wife. Their children must be Christians and known to be good. They must obey their parents. They must not be wild.

7 f or it behoveth the overseer to be blameless, as God's steward, not self-pleased, nor irascible, not given to wine, not a striker, not given to filthy lucre;

A church leader is God’s servant. His life must be so that no one can say anything against him. He should not try to please himself and not be quick to get angry over little things. He must not get drunk or want to fight. He must not always want more money for himself.

8 b ut a lover of strangers, a lover of good men, sober-minded, righteous, kind, self-controlled,

He must like to take people into his home. He must love what is good. He must be able to think well and do all things in the right way. He must live a holy life and be the boss over his own desires.

9 h olding -- according to the teaching -- to the stedfast word, that he may be able also to exhort in the sound teaching, and the gainsayers to convict;

He must hold to the words of truth which he was taught. He must be able to teach the truth and show those who are against the truth that they are wrong. False Teachers

10 f or there are many both insubordinate, vain-talkers, and mind-deceivers -- especially they of the circumcision --

There are many men who will not listen or will not obey the truth. Their teaching is foolish and they lead people to believe a lie. Some Jews believe their lies.

11 w hose mouth it behoveth to stop, who whole households do overturn, teaching what things it behoveth not, for filthy lucre's sake.

This must be stopped. It turns whole families from the truth. They teach these things to make money.

12 A certain one of them, a prophet of their own, said -- `Cretans! always liars, evil beasts, lazy bellies!'

One of their own teachers said, “People of the island of Crete always lie. They are like wild animals. They are lazy. All they want to do is eat.”

13 t his testimony is true; for which cause convict them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,

This is true of them. Speak sharp words to them because it is true. Lead them in the right way so they will have strong faith.

14 n ot giving heed to Jewish fables and commands of men, turning themselves away from the truth;

Do not let them listen to Jewish stories made up by men. Do not let them listen to man-made rules which lead them away from the truth.

15 a ll things, indeed, pure to the pure, and to the defiled and unstedfast nothing pure, but of them defiled even the mind and the conscience;

All things are pure to the man with a pure heart. But to sinful people nothing is pure. Both their minds and their hearts are bad.

16 G od they profess to know, and in the works they deny, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work disapproved.

They say they know God, but by the way they act, they show that they do not. They are sinful people. They will not obey and are of no use for any good work.