Titus 1:1-16 (NLT)
1 This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I have been sent to proclaim faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives.
2 This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began.
3 And now at just the right time he has revealed this message, which we announce to everyone. It is by the command of God our Savior that I have been entrusted with this work for him.
4 I am writing to Titus, my true son in the faith that we share. May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior give you grace and peace.
5 I left you on the island of Crete so you could complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you.
6 An elder must live a blameless life. He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be believers who don’t have a reputation for being wild or rebellious.
7 A church leader is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money.
8 Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life.
9 He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong.
10 For there are many rebellious people who engage in useless talk and deceive others. This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation.
11 They must be silenced, because they are turning whole families away from the truth by their false teaching. And they do it only for money.
12 Even one of their own men, a prophet from Crete, has said about them, “The people of Crete are all liars, cruel animals, and lazy gluttons.”
13 This is true. So reprimand them sternly to make them strong in the faith.
14 They must stop listening to Jewish myths and the commands of people who have turned away from the truth.
15 Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted.
16 Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.
Paul’s mission from God was not merely to teach faith, but to teach the way of life that flows from faith. Knowing the truth of faith without living in a manner that reflects its promise of life leaves little basis for confidence in its reality. This life is not merely evidenced by prosperity or health, but by the attitudes of the heart expressed through our conduct, relationships, and interactions with our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ.
Teaching the truth that leads to godly living therefore requires the development of leadership. The truth of how we are to live in Christ must be instructed, demonstrated, reinforced, and carefully overseen. Without strong and faithful examples, people are left vulnerable to wandering after every ungodly notion and perspective that comes along, causing their profession of faith to become ineffective and disconnected from the life it promises.
Truly knowing God requires that such a claim be validated through the attitudes and behaviors of one’s life. This transformation is not merely a random effect of exposure to truth. It is cultivated through intentional instruction, correction, accountability, and willing submission to the discipline that truth provides. Apart from godly authority and leadership, there can be no consistent development and maturation of faith, regardless of how sound the teaching may be or how devoted people may be to those who proclaim it.
The truth must ultimately produce a transformed way of life. Only when eternal life becomes evident in the character and conduct of those who profess faith can that life and its blessings be authentically demonstrated and shared with others.