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in the hope of eternal life that God, who never lies, promised before the ages began—
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in due time he revealed his word through the proclamation with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior,
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To Titus, my loyal child in the faith we share: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
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I left you behind in Crete for this reason, so that you should put in order what remained to be done, and should appoint elders in every town, as I directed you:
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someone who is blameless, married only once, whose children are believers, not accused of debauchery and not rebellious.
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For a bishop, as God's steward, must be blameless; he must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or addicted to wine or violent or greedy for gain;
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but he must be hospitable, a lover of goodness, prudent, upright, devout, and self-controlled.
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He must have a firm grasp of the word that is trustworthy in accordance with the teaching, so that he may be able both to preach with sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict it.
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There are also many rebellious people, idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision;
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they must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for sordid gain what it is not right to teach.
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It was one of them, their very own prophet, who said, "Cretans are always liars, vicious brutes, lazy gluttons."