Paul’s Greeting to Titus
1Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness,+ 2in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.+ 3In His own time He has made His word evident in the proclamation entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior.+ 4To Titus, my true child in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.+Appointing Elders on Crete
1 Timothy 3:1–7; 1 Peter 5:1–4
5The reason I left you in Crete was that you would set in order what was unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.+ 6An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, having children who are believers and who are not open to accusation of indiscretion or insubordination.+ 7As God’s steward, an overseer must be above reproach — not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not greedy for money.+ 8Instead, he must be hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.+ 9He must hold firmly to the faithful word as it was taught, so that he can encourage others by sound teaching and refute those who contradict it.+