My purpose in leaving you in Crete was that you might accomplish what had been left undone, especially the appointment of presbyters in every town. As I instructed you, a presbyter must be irreproachable, married only once, the father of children who are believers and are known not to be wild and insubordinate. The bishop as God's steward must be blameless. He may not be self-willed or arrogant, a drunkard, a violent or greedy man. He should, on the contrary, be hospitable and a lover of goodness; steady, just, holy, and self-controlled. In his teaching he must hold fast to the authentic message, so that he will be able both to encourage men to follow sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict it. There are many irresponsible teachers, especially from among the Jewish converts—men who are empty talkers and deceivers. These must be silenced. They are upsetting whole families by teaching things they have no right to teach—and all for sordid gain! A man of Crete, one of their own prophets, has testified,
"Cretans have ever been liars, beasts, and lazy gluttons,"and that is the simple truth!
Admonish them sharply, in an attempt to keep them close to sound faith, and unaffected by Jewish myths or rules invented by men who have swerved from the truth. To the clean all things are clean, but to those defiled unbleievers nothing is clean. Their very minds and consciences are tainted. They claim to "know God," but by their actions they deny that he exists. They are disgusting—intractable and thoroughly incapable of any decent action.
As for yourself, let your speech be consistent with sound doctrine.