American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
{Some connect the words Faithful is the saying with the preceding paragraph.}Faithful is the saying, If a man seeketh the office of a {Or, overseer}bishop, he desireth a good work.
The {Or, overseer}bishop therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, orderly, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
{Or, not quarrelsome over wine}no brawler, no striker; but gentle, not contentious, no lover of money;
one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
(but if a man knoweth not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
not a novice, lest being puffed up he fall into the {Greek: judgment.}condemnation of the devil.
Moreover he must have good testimony from them that are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
Deacons in like manner must be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
And let these also first be proved; then let them serve as deacons, if they be blameless.
Women in like manner must be grave, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.
Let deacons be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
For they that have served well as deacons gain to themselves a good standing, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly;
but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know {Or, how thou oughtest to behave thyself}how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and {Or, stay}ground of the truth.
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; {The word God, in place of He who, rests on no sufficient ancient evidence. Some ancient authorities read which.}He who was manifested in the flesh,Justified in the spirit,Seen of angels,Preached among the {Or, Gentiles}nations,Believed on in the world,Received up in glory.
Paul, a {Greek: bondservant.}servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,
in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised {Or, long ages ago}before times eternal;
but in {Or, its}his own seasons manifested his word in the {Or, proclamation}message, wherewith I was intrusted according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
to Titus, my true child after a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour.
For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that were wanting, and appoint elders in every city, as I gave thee charge;
if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children that believe, who are not accused of riot or unruly.
For the {Or, overseer}bishop must be blameless, as God's steward; not self-willed, not soon angry, {Or, not quarrelsome over wine.}no brawler, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre;
but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled;
holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in the {Greek: healthful.}sound {Or, teaching}doctrine, and to convict the gainsayers.
For there are many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision,
whose mouths must be stopped; men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said,Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, idle {Greek: bellies.}gluttons.
This testimony is true. For which cause reprove them sharply, that they may be {Greek: healthy.}sound in the faith,
not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.
To the pure all things are pure: but to them that are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.
They profess that they know God; but by their works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
The elders therefore among you I exhort, who am a fellow-elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, who am also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
Tend the flock of God which is among you, {Some ancient authorities omit exercising the oversight.}exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, {Some ancient authorities omit according to the will of God.}according to the will of God; nor yet for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you, but making yourselves ensamples to the flock.
And when the chief Shepherd shall be manifested, ye shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away.
{Or, Likewise...elder; yea, all of you one to another. Gird yourselves with humility}Likewise, ye younger, be subject unto the elder. Yea, all of you gird yourselves with humility, to serve one another: for God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time;
casting all your anxiety upon him, because he careth for you.
Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour,
whom withstand stedfast in {Or, the}your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are {Greek: being accomplished.}accomplished in your {Greek: brotherhood.}brethren who are in the world.
And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal glory in Christ, after that ye have suffered a little while, shall himself {Or, restore}perfect, establish, strengthen {Many ancient authorities add settle.} you.
To him be the dominion {Greek: unto the ages of the ages.}for ever and ever. Amen.
By Silvanus, {Greek: the.}our faithful brother, as I account him, I have written unto you briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God: stand ye fast therein.
{That is, The church, or, The sister.}She that is in Babylon, elect together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Mark my son.
Salute one another with a kiss of love.Peace be unto you all that are in Christ.