Titus - Ferrar Fenton Bible Translation page 1232

IO II I2 X3 m=1s·r1.E 0F PAUL THE Ar>0sm.E 1*0

TITUS.

Ul): Greeting. AUL, a servant of God, but an apostle of jesus Christ, for the furtherance of the faith of the e1ect0fGod, and a full knowledge of truth, of that coming from a religion founded upon a hope of eternal liie, which was pro- claimed by God, Who cannot lie, before everlasting times, but manifested in our own days——His Message--—for the preaching of which I have been appointed by a command of God our Saviour; to Titus, a true son in a common faith: Blessing and peace from God. Father, and Christ jesus our Saviour. Wlpxrrb ®¤irmmxznt. I left you in Crete for this purpose,

that you might set affairs right upon a permanent basis; and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you——if any one is blameless, a man of one wife, having believing children, and not under accusation for preiiigacy or vice. For an overseer ought to be irreproachable as a Divine steward; neither brutish, nor passionate, nor a drunlcard, nor a rioter, nor avaricious : but, on the contrary, hospitable, be- neficent, grave, just, godly, temper- ate ; and capable to teach the reason of the faith, so that he may be able both to advise in the healthy doctrine and to convince its opponents. For there are many insubordinate

silly talkers and deceivers, especially from among the circumcision, whom he ought to bridle. Such men overturn whole families, teaching—~for the sake of dirty prof1t—·—what they ought not. Some one of their own poets says of The Cretans always lie, evil This statement is a truth. For this reason reprove them sharply, so that they may-become healthy in the faith ; not following after jewish fictions, and led by human or- dinances to pervert the truth. Everything is pure with the pure;

but with the corrupted and unfaithful nothing is pure; on the contrary, both their mind and conscience are corrupt. They profess to know God ; but they deny Him by their actions, being dis- gusting, and apathetic, and careless about any good work. Gbrisiian Qcpnrimznt. But you must speak what accords

with the healthy teaching; that the elder men should be sober, grave, sensible, sound in faith, love, endur- ance. The elder women·simi1a.rly should be priest-like in deportment; neither slanderous nor addicted to much wine; teachers of good: so that they may sober down the young women to be lovers of their husbands, lovers of children, quiet, pure, housewifely, innocent, obedient to their own hus- bands; so that the message of God may not be blasphemed. In the same way, advise the young men to self-con- trol, making themselves models of a noble life in everything; instructing with pure, grave, healthy, incontest- able reason, so that the opposition may be ashamed when they have nothing viie to say about us. in Slaves should bevobeclientto their 9 own masters, trying to give satisfaction in everything; neither contradicting ' norrobbing; but, on the contrary, showing goodness with fidelity; so that they may adorn the teaching of God our Saviour in everything. For the gift of God revealed salvation

to all men; having disciplined us so that we may reject impiety and the lusts of the world, and that by living soberly, and righteously, and rever- ently in the present age, we must wait patiently the blessed hope and mani- festation of rectification from the great God, and our Saviour jesus 10 Il I2

Christ; Who gave Himself for us, so :4 that He might redeem us from all lawlessness, and purify for Himself a. select people, zealous for beautiful works. Inculcate these matters, and exhort and reprove impartia.lly,letting none treat you with contempt. Remind them to be submissive to 3 governorsand authorities; to be ready 1232