Titus 1:12 (DRB)

Passage

One of them a prophet of their own, said: The Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, slothful bellies.

Nearby Context

Titus 1:10 For there are also many disobedient, vain talkers and seducers: especially they who are of the circumcision.

Titus 1:11 Who must be reproved, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.

Titus 1:12 One of them a prophet of their own, said: The Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, slothful bellies.

Titus 1:13 This testimony is true. Wherefore, rebuke 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 themselves away from the truth.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "Who must be reproved who subvert whole..." into verse 13's "This testimony is true Wherefore rebuke them...", so "prophet" and "said" 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 "prophet" and "said" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.