Titus 1:16 (WEB)

Passage

They profess that they know God, but by their deeds they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.

Nearby Context

Titus 1:14 not paying attention to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.

Titus 1:15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.

Titus 1:16 They profess that they know God, but by their deeds they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.

Study Lenses

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

The prior verse says "To the pure all things are pure...", giving immediate footing for "profess" and "deeds". 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 "deeds" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.