Titus 1:13
“This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Paul affirms the saying as accurate and tells Titus to rebuke the people firmly, so that they may become healthy in the faith.
What Does Titus 1:13 Mean?
Paul agrees that the poet's verdict rings true to what he has seen. Far from writing the Cretans off, however, his aim is their restoration. He instructs Titus to rebuke them sharply, with directness that matches the seriousness of the problem, precisely so that they may become sound in the faith.
The goal of the sharp word is healing, not humiliation. Paul rebukes because he hopes, longing for these believers to be made whole and strong. Correction in love is one of the gospel's tools, never an end in itself but a means to soundness. For the reader, this models faithful care. Sometimes love must speak plainly about sin, but always with the prayer that the one corrected will be restored and grow firm in their trust in Christ.
In the Original Language
hygiaino (ὑγιαίνω), "sound" — to be healthy or whole, the root of our word hygiene, applied here to faith.