Scripture Reading

⁵For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

⁶If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.

⁷For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;

⁸But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;

⁹Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

¹⁰For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:

¹¹Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.

¹²One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.

¹³This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;

¹⁴Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

¹⁵Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

¹⁶They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

¹But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

³¹Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.

³²For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:

³³And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.

³⁴And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.