I left you on the island of Crete because I wanted you to take care of some unfinished business. I wanted you to appoint elders in every town, and I told you how to do that.
Paul and Barnabas appointed people who’d trusted in the Lord to be elders in each church. They prayed and fasted and committed the elders to the Lord’s care.
As I told you when I went into Macedonia, I want you to stay there in Ephesus. I need you to command certain people not to teach things that aren’t true and not to spend their time on made-up stories
Anyone who’s hungry should eat something at home first. That way, when you meet together, you won’t be judged. When I come, I’ll give you more directions.
By then the men hadn’t eaten for a long time. Paul stood up in front of them and said, “Men, you should have taken my advice and not sailed from Crete. Then you would have avoided this harm and loss.
That harbor wasn’t a good place for ships to stay through the winter, so most of the people wanted to sail on. They hoped we could reach Phoenix and spend the winter there. That was a harbor in Crete that faced both southwest and northwest.
We didn’t make much progress for many days, and we had trouble getting to Cnidus. The wind wasn’t letting us stay on course, so we went along the calmer side of Crete, opposite Salmone.
Even though I’m away from you in body, I’m with you in spirit, and I am glad to see that you’re well-disciplined and that your faith in Christ is so strong.
Some of us were Jewish by birth, while others have converted to the Jewish faith. There are even Cretans and Arabs here. We all hear these people speaking about God’s wonders in our own languages!”
A gentle south wind began to blow, and the ship’s crew thought that gave them a chance to leave safely. So they pulled up the anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete.
That’s the reason why I’ve sent Timothy to you. He’s like a son to me, and I love him. He’s faithful in serving the Lord. He’ll remind you of the way I live as a servant of Christ Jesus. I myself follow what I teach everywhere in all the churches.