Titus 1:12 (ASV)

Passage

One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons.

Nearby Context

Titus 1:10 For there are many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision,

Titus 1:11 whose mouths must be stopped; men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre`s sake.

Titus 1:12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons.

Titus 1:13 This testimony is true. For which cause reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,

Titus 1:14 not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "themselves", "prophet", "said", "cretans", "always", "liars", "evil", and "beasts". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "themselves" and "prophet", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "whose mouths must be stopped men who..." into verse 13's "This testimony is true For which cause...", so "themselves" and "prophet" belong inside that flow. In Titus context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "themselves" and "prophet" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.