Titus 1:12 (KJV)

Passage

One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.

Nearby Context

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

Titus 1:11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.

Titus 1:12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.

Titus 1:13 This witness 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, that turn from the truth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "themselves", "even", "prophet", "said", "cretians", "alway", "liars", and "evil". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "themselves" and "even", 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 who subvert..." into verse 13's "This witness is true Wherefore rebuke them...", so "themselves" and "even" 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 "even" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.