Titus 1:7

1:7 For the overseer ¹  must be blameless as one entrusted with God’s work, ²  not arrogant, not prone to anger, not a drunkard, not violent, not greedy for gain.

Titus 2:3

2:3 Older women likewise are to exhibit behavior fitting for those who are holy, not slandering, not slaves to excessive drinking, but teaching what is good.

Titus 2:9

2:9 Slaves ³  are to be subject to their own masters in everything, ⁴  to do what is wanted and not talk back,

Titus 1:6

1:6 An elder must be blameless, ⁵  the husband of one wife, ⁶  with faithful children ⁷  who cannot be charged with dissipation or rebellion.

Titus 3:14

3:14 Here is another way that our people ⁸  can learn ⁹  to engage in good works to meet pressing needs and so not be unfruitful.

Titus 1:11

1:11 who must be silenced because they mislead whole families by teaching for dishonest gain what ought not to be taught.

Titus 2:10

2:10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, ¹⁰  in order to bring credit to ¹¹  the teaching of God our Savior in everything.

Titus 2:5

2:5 to be self-controlled, ¹²  pure, fulfilling their duties at home, ¹³  kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the message ¹⁴  of God may not be discredited. ¹⁵ 

Titus 1:14

1:14 and not pay attention to Jewish myths ¹⁶  and commands of people who reject the truth.

Titus 3:5

3:5 he saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit,

Titus 3:2

3:2 They must not slander ¹⁷  anyone, but be peaceable, gentle, showing complete courtesy to all people.

Titus 1:2

1:2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the ages began. ¹⁸ 

Titus 1:10

1:10 For there are many ¹⁹  rebellious people, idle talkers, and deceivers, especially those with Jewish connections, ²⁰ 

Titus 2:15

2:15 So communicate these things with the sort of exhortation or rebuke ²¹  that carries full authority. ²²  Don’t let anyone look down ²³  on you.

Titus 3:7

3:7 And so, ²⁴  since we have been justified by his grace, we become heirs with the confident expectation of eternal life.” ²⁵ 

Titus 3:9-10

3:9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, ²⁶  quarrels, and fights about the law, ²⁷  because they are useless and empty. 3:10 Reject a divisive person after one or two warnings.

Titus 1:15

1:15 All is pure to those who are pure. But to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their minds and consciences are corrupted.

Titus 2:8

2:8 and a sound message that cannot be criticized, so that any opponent will be at a loss, ²⁸  because he has nothing evil to say about us.

Titus 1:5

Titus’ Task on Crete

1:5 The reason I left you in Crete was to set in order the remaining matters and to appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.

Titus 3:8

Summary of the Letter

3:8 This saying ²⁹  is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on such truths, ³⁰  so that those who have placed their faith in God may be intent on engaging in good works. These things are good and beneficial for all people.

¹ sn The overseer is another term for the same official position of leadership as the “elder.” This is seen in the interchange of the two terms in this passage and in Acts 20:17, 28, as well as in the parallels between these verses and 1 Tim 3:1-7.

² tn Grk “as God’s steward.”

³ tn See the note on the word “slave” in 1:1.

⁴ tn Or “to be subject to their own masters, to do what is wanted in everything.”

⁵ tn Grk “if anyone is blameless…” as a continuation of v. 5b, beginning to describe the elder’s character.

⁶ tn Or “married only once,” “devoted solely to his wife.” See the note on “wife” in 1 Tim 3:2; also 1 Tim 3:12; 5:9.

⁷ tn Or “believing children.” The phrase could be translated “believing children,” but the parallel with 1 Tim 3:4 (“keeping his children in control”) argues for the sense given in the translation.

⁷ tn Grk “that those who are ours” (referring to the Christians).

⁸ tn Grk “and also let our people learn.”

⁹ tn Or “showing that genuine faith is productive.” At issue between these two translations is the force of ἀγαθήν (agaqhn): Is it attributive (as the text has it) or predicate (as in this note)? A number of considerations point in the direction of a predicate ἀγαθήν (e.g., separation from the noun πίστιν (pistin) by the verb, the possibility that the construction is an object-complement, etc.), though is not usually seen as an option in either translations or commentaries. Cf. ExSyn 188-89, 312-13, for a discussion. Contextually, it makes an intriguing statement, for it suggests a synthetic or synonymous parallel: “‘Slaves should be wholly subject to their masters…demonstrating that all [genuine] faith is productive, with the result [ecbatic ἵνα] that they will completely adorn the doctrine of God.’ The point of the text, then, if this understanding is correct, is an exhortation to slaves to demonstrate that their faith is sincere and results in holy behavior. If taken this way, the text seems to support the idea that saving faith does not fail, but even results in good works” (ExSyn 312-13). The translation of ἀγαθήν as an attributive adjective, however, also makes good sense.

¹⁰ tn Or “adorn,” “show the beauty of.”

¹¹ tn Or “sensible.”

¹² tn Grk “domestic,” “keeping house.”

¹³ tn Or “word.”

¹⁴ tn Or “slandered.”

¹³ sn Jewish myths were legendary tales characteristic of the false teachers in Ephesus and Crete. See parallels in 1 Tim 1:4; 4:7; and 2 Tim 4:4.

¹⁵ tn Or “discredit,” “damage the reputation of.”

¹⁷ tn Grk “before eternal ages.”

¹⁹ tc ‡ The earliest and best mss lack καί (kai) after πολλοί (polloi; so א A C P 088 81 104 365 614 629 630 al sy co), though the conjunction is found in several significant witnesses, chiefly of the Western and Byzantine texts (D F G I Ψ 33 1739 1881 Ï lat). Although it is possible that some scribes omitted the word, thinking it was superfluous, it is also possible that others added the conjunction for clarification. Judging by the pedigree of the witnesses and the inconclusiveness of the internal evidence, the shorter reading is considered to be most likely original. NA²⁷ puts the conjunction in brackets, indicating some doubts as to its authenticity.

²⁰ tn Grk “those of the circumcision.” Some translations take this to refer to Jewish converts to Christianity (cf. NAB “Jewish Christians”; TEV “converts from Judaism”; CEV “Jewish followers”) while others are less clear (cf. NLT “those who insist on circumcision for salvation”).

²¹ tn Or “reproof,” “censure.” The Greek word ἐλέγχω (elencw) implies exposing someone’s sin in order to bring correction.

²² tn Grk “speak these things and exhort and rebuke with all authority.”

²³ tn Or “let anyone despise you”; or “let anyone disregard you.”

²³ tn This is the conclusion of a single, skillfully composed sentence in Greek encompassing Titus 3:4-7. Showing the goal of God’s merciful salvation, v. 7 begins literally, “in order that, being justified…we might become heirs…”

²⁴ tn Grk “heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

²⁵ tn Cf. 1 Tim 1:4.

²⁶ sn Fights about the law were characteristic of the false teachers in Ephesus as well as in Crete (cf. 1 Tim 1:3-7; Titus 1:10, 14).

²⁷ tn Or “put to shame.”

²⁹ sn This saying (Grk “the saying”) refers to the preceding citation (Titus 3:4-7). See 1 Tim 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; 2 Tim 2:11 for other occurrences of this phrase.

³⁰ tn Grk “concerning these things.”