Titus 1:16 (DBY)

Passage

They profess to know God, but in works deny [him], being abominable, and disobedient, and found worthless as to every good work.

Nearby Context

Titus 1:14 not turning [their] minds to Jewish fables and commandments of men turning away from the truth.

Titus 1:15 All things [are] pure to the pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving nothing [is] pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.

Titus 1:16 They profess to know God, but in works deny [him], being abominable, and disobedient, and found worthless as to every good work.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "profess", "works", "deny", "abominable", "disobedient", "found", "worthless", and "good". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "profess" and "works", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "All things are pure to the pure...", giving immediate footing for "profess" and "works". In Titus context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

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