Titus 1:15
King James Version (1769)
Other translations
| Verse | KJV | BSB | ASV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Unto 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. | To the pure, all things are pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. Indeed, both their minds and their consciences are defiled. | To the pure all things are pure: but to them that are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. |
In context
AI-assisted, sourcedPaul answers the false teachers' rules about clean and unclean things. To the pure, all things are pure. To the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, because their own mind and conscience are defiled. Titus 1:14Titus 1:15
Commonly taken out of context
How it’s often used"Unto the pure all things are pure" is quoted to mean that anything at all, including sinful entertainment or behaviour, is fine for a person who thinks of himself as pure.
In contextPaul is answering teachers who forbade God's good gifts by "commandments of men" (1:14). Things God made, like foods, are clean for those who believe (Romans 14:14; 1 Timothy 4:3-4). The verse does not make sin pure; in the next verse Paul condemns those who deny God "in works" (1:16). Titus 1:14Titus 1:16Romans 14:141 Timothy 4:31 Timothy 4:4
SpeakingPaul, who calls himself "a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ." Titus 1:1Titus overview
ToTitus, Paul's "own son after the common faith," whom Paul had left in Crete to set the churches in order. Titus 1:4Titus 1:5Titus overview
Also involvedThe false teachers and their followers, whom Paul calls "defiled and unbelieving." Titus 1:10Titus 1:15
Paul turns from the "commandments of men" (1:14) to their root problem. Purity is not gained by avoiding things; impurity comes from a defiled heart. Jesus taught that what defiles comes "from the heart" (Matthew 15:18). Titus 1:14Titus 1:15Matthew 15:18
Titus was in Crete, a large Mediterranean island with churches "in every city." The letter does not say where Paul was, but he planned to winter at Nicopolis. Titus overviewTitus 1:5
The eventsThis was the teaching Titus faced in Crete. The verse gives no date. Titus 1:5Titus 1:15
WrittenTraditional: about AD 63-65, after Paul's release from his first Roman imprisonment. Scholarly: many hold that a follower wrote the letter in Paul's name about AD 80-100; others accept that Paul wrote it. Titus overview
HereThe false teachers made rules about purity while their own minds were defiled. Paul exposes that contradiction before stating plainly that they deny God by their works (1:16). Titus 1:15Titus 1:16
In the whole of ScripturePaul teaches the same in Romans 14:14, "there is nothing unclean of itself," and in 1 Timothy 4:4, "every creature of God is good." Peter was told, "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common" (Acts 10:15). Romans 14:141 Timothy 4:4Acts 10:15
For readersHoliness begins in the heart, not in avoiding foods or objects. A defiled mind can make anything impure, while a heart cleansed by faith receives God's gifts with thanks. Titus 1:151 Timothy 4:31 Timothy 4:4
- pureκαθαρός
The word means clean or pure, in a physical sense and a moral one. Strong's G2513
- defiledμιαίνω
The word means to stain or soil, and here in a moral sense. The lexicon lists this verse among those uses. Strong's G3392
- conscienceσυνείδησις
The word means consciousness, and so the conscience. Paul says that for the unbelieving, both mind and conscience are defiled. Strong's G4893Titus 1:15
Takeaway
Purity is a matter of the heart. Those cleansed by faith can receive God's good gifts freely, but no rule can make a defiled mind clean. Titus 1:15Matthew 15:181 Timothy 4:4
Drafted by AI from the Scripture and data shown under “Show sources,” then checked automatically and by a second AI pass. Updated 2026-10-28.
Original Greek words
| English | Greek | Say it | Strong's | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All things [are] | Πάντα | Panta | G3956 | allπᾶς (pas) πᾶς, πᾶσα, πᾶν, genitive, παντός, πάσης, παντός, [in LXX chiefly for כֹּל ;] all, every. I. As adj., 1. with subst. anarth., all, every, of every kind: Mat.3:10 4:23, Mrk.9:49, Luk.4:37, Jhn.2:1o, Act.27:20, Rom.7:8, Rev.18:17, al. mult.; pl., all, Act.22:15, Rom.5:12, Heb.1:6, al.; of the highest degree, π. ἐξουσία (προθυμία, χαρά), Mat.28:18, Act.17:11, Phi 2:29, al.; also the whole (though in this sense more frequently with art.), Mat.2:3, Act.2:36, Rom.11:26. … |
| indeed | μὲν | men | G3303 | on the other handμέν (men) μέν, conjunctive particle (originally a form of μήν), usually related to a following δέ or other adversative conjunction, and distinguishing the word or clause with which it stands from that which follows. It is generally untranslatable and is not nearly so frequent in NT as in cl. Like δέ, it never stands first in a clause. … |
| pure | καθαρὰ | kathara | G2513 | cleanκαθαρός (katharos) καθαρός, -ά, -όν [in LXX chiefly for טָהוֹר ;] pure, clean. 1. Physically: Mat.23:26 27:59, Jhn.13:10-11 (fig.), Jhn.15:3 (figuratively, as of a vine cleansed by pruning), Heb.10:22, Rev.15:6 19:8, 14 21:18, 21. 2. Ceremonially: Luk.11:41, Rom.14:20, Tit.1:15. 3. Ethically; (a) of persons: Jhn.13:16, Act.18:6, Tit.1:15; ό κ. τῇ καρδίᾳ (καθαρὸς χεῖρας, Hdt., i, 35), Mat.5:8; before ἀπό (cl. with genitive simp.; ΒΙ., § 36, 11; Deiss., BS, 196; MM, Exp., xv), Act.20:26; (b) of things: καρδία, 1Ti.1:6, 2Ti.2:22; συνείδησις, 1Ti.3:9, 2Ti.1:3; θρησκεία, Jas.1:27.† SYN.: see: ἁγνός. (AS) |
| pure; | καθαροῖς· | katharois | G2513 | cleanκαθαρός (katharos) καθαρός, -ά, -όν [in LXX chiefly for טָהוֹר ;] pure, clean. 1. Physically: Mat.23:26 27:59, Jhn.13:10-11 (fig.), Jhn.15:3 (figuratively, as of a vine cleansed by pruning), Heb.10:22, Rev.15:6 19:8, 14 21:18, 21. 2. Ceremonially: Luk.11:41, Rom.14:20, Tit.1:15. 3. Ethically; (a) of persons: Jhn.13:16, Act.18:6, Tit.1:15; ό κ. τῇ καρδίᾳ (καθαρὸς χεῖρας, Hdt., i, 35), Mat.5:8; before ἀπό (cl. with genitive simp.; ΒΙ., § 36, 11; Deiss., BS, 196; MM, Exp., xv), Act.20:26; (b) of things: καρδία, 1Ti.1:6, 2Ti.2:22; συνείδησις, 1Ti.3:9, 2Ti.1:3; θρησκεία, Jas.1:27.† SYN.: see: ἁγνός. (AS) |
| however | δὲ | de | G1161 | thenδέ (de) δέ (before vowels δ᾽; on the general neglect of the elision in NT, see WH, App., 146; Tdf., Pr., 96), post-positive conjunctive particle; 1. copulative, but, in the next place, and, now (Abbott, JG, 104): Mat.1:2ff., 2Co.6:15, 16, 2Pe.1:5-7; in repetition for emphasis, Rom.3:21, 22, 9:30, 1Co.2:6, Gal.2:2, Php.2:8; in transition to something new, Mat.1:18, 2:19, Luk.13:1, Jhn.7:14, Act.6:1, Rom.8:28, 1Co.7:1 8:1, al.; in explanatory parenthesis or addition, Jhn.3:19, Rom.5:8, 1Co.1:12, Eph.2:4, 5:32, al.; ὡς δέ, Jhn.2:9; καὶ . . . δέ, but also, Mat.10:18, Luk.1:76, Jhn.6:51, Rom.11:23, al.; … |
| defiled | μεμιαμμένοις | memiammenois | G3392 | to stainμιαίνω (miainō) μιαίνω [in LXX chiefly for טָמֵא ;] 1. to dye or stain. 2. to stain, defile, soil; (a) in physical sense; (b) in moral sense : Tit.1:15, Heb.12:15, Ju 8; (with) in ritual sense (cf. Lev.22:5, al.): Jhn.18:28.† SYN.: μολύνω, to besmear, which also differs from μ. in that it is never used, as μ. in its primary meaning, in an honourable sense (cf. Tr., Syn., § xxxi) (AS) |
| and | καὶ | kai | G2532 | andκαί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. … |
| unbelieving | ἀπίστοις | apistois | G0571 | unbelievingἄπιστος (apistos) ἄ-πιστος, -ον (ἀ- neg., πιστός) [in LXX: Pro.17:6 28:25, Isa.17:10 * ;] (a) of things, incredible: Act.26:8; (b) of persons, without faith or trust, unbelieving: Mat.17:17, Mrk.9:19, Luk.9:41 12:46, Jhn.20:27, Tit.1:15, Rev.21:8; specif., of unbelievers as opposite to Christians: 1Co.6:6 7:12-15 10:27 14:22-24, 2Co.4:4 6:14-15, 1Ti.5:8 (cf. Lft., Notes, 265; Cremer, 491).† (AS) |
| no [thing] | οὐδὲν | ouden | G3762 | noneοὐδείς (oudeis) οὐδείς, -δεμία, -δέν (also in WH, txt., the Hellenistic forms -θείς, -θέν, Luk.22:35 23:14, Act.15:9 19:27 26:26, 1Co.13:2, 2Co.11:8; cf. BL, §6, 7; M, Pr., 56n, Thackeray, Gr., 58), related to μηδείς as οὐ to μή, … |
| [is] pure, | καθαρόν, | katharon | G2513 | cleanκαθαρός (katharos) καθαρός, -ά, -όν [in LXX chiefly for טָהוֹר ;] pure, clean. 1. Physically: Mat.23:26 27:59, Jhn.13:10-11 (fig.), Jhn.15:3 (figuratively, as of a vine cleansed by pruning), Heb.10:22, Rev.15:6 19:8, 14 21:18, 21. 2. Ceremonially: Luk.11:41, Rom.14:20, Tit.1:15. 3. Ethically; (a) of persons: Jhn.13:16, Act.18:6, Tit.1:15; ό κ. τῇ καρδίᾳ (καθαρὸς χεῖρας, Hdt., i, 35), Mat.5:8; before ἀπό (cl. with genitive simp.; ΒΙ., § 36, 11; Deiss., BS, 196; MM, Exp., xv), Act.20:26; (b) of things: καρδία, 1Ti.1:6, 2Ti.2:22; συνείδησις, 1Ti.3:9, 2Ti.1:3; θρησκεία, Jas.1:27.† SYN.: see: ἁγνός. (AS) |
| Instead | ἀλλὰ | alla | G0235 | butἀλλά (alla) ἀλλά (ἀλλ᾽ usually bef. α and υ, often bef. ε and η, rarely bef. ο and ω, never bef. ι; Tdf., Pr., 93 f.; WH, App., 146), adversative particle, stronger than δέ; prop. neuter pl. of ἄλλος, used adverbially, with changed accent; hence prop. otherwise, on the other hand (cf. Rom.3:31); … |
| have been defiled | μεμίανται | memiantai | G3392 | to stainμιαίνω (miainō) μιαίνω [in LXX chiefly for טָמֵא ;] 1. to dye or stain. 2. to stain, defile, soil; (a) in physical sense; (b) in moral sense : Tit.1:15, Heb.12:15, Ju 8; (with) in ritual sense (cf. Lev.22:5, al.): Jhn.18:28.† SYN.: μολύνω, to besmear, which also differs from μ. in that it is never used, as μ. in its primary meaning, in an honourable sense (cf. Tr., Syn., § xxxi) (AS) |
| of them | αὐτῶν | autōn | G0846 | it/s/heαὐτός (autos) αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). 1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); (1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; … |
| both | καὶ | kai | G2532 | andκαί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. … |
| mind | νοῦς | nous | G3563 | mindνοῦς (nous) νοῦς (contr. from νόος), ὁ, genitive, dative, νοός, νοΐ (late forms, = cl., νοῦ, νῷ; Bl., § 9, 3), accusative, νοῦν, [in LXX chiefly for לֵב, לֵבָב ;] 1. prop., of the ruling faculty, mind, understanding, reason (see Lft., Notes, 88 f.; Vaughan on Rom.7:23): Luk.24:45, Rom.1:28 7:23 12:2 14:5, Eph.4:17, 23 Php.4:7, 2Th.2:2, 1Ti.6:5, 2Ti.3:8, Tit.1:15, Rev.13:18 17:9; ν. τ. σαρκός (ICC, in l), Col.2:18; opposite to σάρξ, Rom.7:25; to πνεῦμα, 1Co.14:14-15; to γλῶσσα, 1Co.14:19 2. By meton., of an act of mind, a mind, thought, purpose: Rom.11:34 = 1Co.2:16" (LXX), 1Co.1:10.† νόος, see: νοῦς … |
| and | καὶ | kai | G2532 | andκαί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. … |
| conscience. | συνείδησις. | suneidēsis | G4893 | conscienceσυνείδησις (suneidēsis) συν-είδησις, -εως, ἡ (συνεῖδον), [in LXX: Ecc.10:20 (מַדָּע), Wis.17:11, Sir.42:18 א * ;] 1. consciousness: with genitive obj., Heb.10:2, 1Pe.2:19. 2. In ethical sense, innate discernment, self-judging consciousness, conscience (Stoics and late writers): Rom.2:15 9:1, 1Co.10:29, 2Co.1:12 4:2 5:11, 1Ti.4:2, Heb.9:14; σ. ἀγαθή, Act.23:1, 1Ti.1:5 1:19, 1Pe.3:16 3:21; ἀσθενής, 1Co.8:7 8:10; ἀσθενοῦσα, 1Co.8:12; ἀπρόσκοπος, Act.24:16; καθαρά, 1Ti.3:9, 2Ti.1:3; καλή, Heb.13:18; πονηρά, Heb.10:22; ὁ νοῦς καὶ ἡ σ., Tit.1:15; διὰ τὴν σ., Rom.13:5, 1Co.10:25 10:27-28; κατὰ σ., Heb.9:9; ὑπὸ (τῆς) σ., J … |
Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.