Titus 1

Titus · Chapter 1

Titus 1:8

1Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;2In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;3But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;4To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.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.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
8But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;Instead, he must be hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled;

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

After the faults to avoid, Paul lists what an elder must be. He loves strangers and loves what is good. He is sober-minded, just, holy and self-controlled. Titus 1:7Titus 1:8

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 men who might be appointed as elders in Crete, and the believers and strangers they would serve. Titus 1:5Titus 1:8

Verse 7 says what an elder must not be; verse 8 says what he must be. Paul's list to Timothy also asks that a bishop be "given to hospitality" (1 Timothy 3:2). Titus 1:7Titus 1:81 Timothy 3:2

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 eventsThese rules were for the elders Titus would appoint in Crete. The verse gives no date. Titus 1:5

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

HerePaul balances the warnings of verse 7 with positive goodness. A leader must not only avoid evil but show love, justice and self-control. Titus 1:7Titus 1:8

In the whole of ScripturePaul asks the same of himself and of Titus. He reminds the Thessalonians how "holily and justly and unblameably" he lived among them (1 Thessalonians 2:10), and tells Titus to be "a pattern of good works" (2:7). 1 Thessalonians 2:10Titus 2:7

For readersThe qualities asked of elders are good for every believer: open homes, a love of goodness, fairness, holiness and self-control. Titus 1:8Titus 2:7

  • a lover of hospitalityφιλόξενος
    Greek · philoxenos · G5382

    The word means loving strangers, hospitable. It appears also in 1 Timothy 3:2 and 1 Peter 4:9. Strong's G53821 Timothy 3:2

  • a lover of good menφιλάγαθος
    Greek · philagathos · G5358

    The word means loving that which is good. The lexicon lists this verse as its only New Testament use. Strong's G5358

  • soberσώφρων
    Greek · sōphrōn · G4998

    The word means of sound mind, self-controlled. The lexicon lists it again in Titus 2:2 and 2:5. Strong's G4998

  • temperateἐγκρατής
    Greek · egkratēs · G1468

    The word means master of oneself, self-controlled. Strong's G1468

Takeaway

An elder must love strangers and goodness, and be sober, just, holy and self-controlled. Leaders should model what every believer is called to be. Titus 1:81 Thessalonians 2:10Titus 2:7

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

EnglishGreekSay itStrong'sMeaning
butἀλλὰallaG0235
but

ἀλλά (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); …

hospitable,φιλόξενον,philoxenonG5382
hospitable

φιλόξενος (philoxenos) φιλό-ξενος, -ον loving strangers, hospitable: 1Ti.3:2, Tit.1:8, 1Pe.4:9.† (AS)

a lover of good,φιλάγαθον,philagathonG5358
lover of good

φιλάγαθος (philagathos) φιλ-άγαθος, -ον [in LXX: Wis.7:22 * ;] loving that which is good, loving goodness: Tit.1:8 (Arist., Polyb., a l.).† (AS)

self-controlled,σώφρονα,sōphronaG4998
self-controlled

σώφρων (sōphrōn) σώφρων, -ον [in LXX: 4Ma.9:1-32 * ;] (a) of sound mind, sane, sensible; (b) self-controlled, sober-minded: 1Ti.3:2, Tit.1:8 2:2, 5 (Arist.).† (AS)

upright,δίκαιον,dikaionG1342
just

δίκαιος (dikaios) δίκαιος, -α, -ον (δίκη), [in LXX chiefly for צַדִּיק (for rendering of צַדִּיק in sense of correct, see Deiss., BS, 115 f.); sometimes for נָקִי as Pro.1:11, al. ;] in early Gk. writers (a) of persons, observant of δίκη, custom, rule, right, righteous in performing duties to gods and men ; (b) of things, righteous, in accordance with right. In NT 1. righteous, chiefly in the broad sense, as above, of the person or thing corresponding to the Divine standard of right …

holy,ὅσιον,hosionG3741
sacred

ὅσιος (hosios) ὅσιος, -ον (so sometimes in cl., but most frequently -α, -ον), [in LXX chiefly for חָסִיד, also for טָהוֹר, יָשָׁר, תָּמִים ;] religiously right, right­eous, pious, Holy: of men, Tit.1:8. Heb.7:26; by meton., ὁ. χεῖρας, 1Ti.2:8 (cf. Deu.32:4); of God, Rev.15:4 16:5; as subst., ὁ ὅ., of the Messiah, Act.2:27 13:35" (LXX) ; τὰ ὅ. Δανεὶδ τ. πιστά (Field, Notes, 121), Act.13:34 (LXX).† SYN.: see: ἅγιος (cf. also DB, ii, 399.b; iv, 352.b, and ref. see word -ίως) (AS)

[and] disciplined,ἐγκρατῆ,egkratēG1468
self-controlled

ἐγκρατής (egkratēs) ἐγκρατής, -ές (κράτος), [in LXX: Wis.8:20, Sir.6:27 15:1 26:15 27:30, al. ;] 1. strong, powerful. 2. C. genitive of thing(s), master of, hence, 3. (sc. ἑαυτοῦ), self -controlled, exercising self-control: Tit.1:8. † SYN.: σώφρων (see reff. s. ἐγκράτεια). (AS)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.