They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's easy to miss is that the word for "abominable" here is unique in the New Testament. It signifies that their lifestyle was so revolting to God that it was actively hated by Him, a stark contrast to their outward claims of knowing Him. This wasn't just a casual disconnect; their lives were so corrupted that they were proven useless and unfit for any genuinely good deed.
They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is addressing the Cretan believers and the false teachers among them, whom he described in the preceding verses as unruly, deceitful, and motivated by greed. He's urging Titus to rebuke them sharply because their actions contradict their outward claims of knowing God, highlighting a deep hypocrisy within the church that needs urgent correction.
Ever heard someone say one thing but live another? The Apostle Paul addresses this critical issue head-on, revealing a dangerous gap between profession and practice.
Paul confronts a group who claim to know God but live in a way that completely contradicts their words.
A Stated Faith
They 'profess to know God.' This isn't just a casual acquaintance; it's a public declaration, a claim to a relationship and understanding. Think of it like someone saying, 'I'm a devoted fan of this team!'
A Denied Reality
But then comes the stark contrast: 'they deny him by their works.' Their actions, their daily lives, their choices – these are the true indicators. Their deeds scream a different message, one of ignorance or rebellion against the very God they claim to know. It's like that 'fan' who never actually watches the games or supports the team.
The Consequence
This disconnect isn't just a minor hypocrisy; it leads to a state of being 'detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.' Their very lives become offensive, rebellious, and useless for anything truly beneficial in God's kingdom.
Paul uses incredibly strong language to describe the state of those who live this disconnect. What does it truly mean to be 'detestable' and 'unfit for any good work' in God's eyes?
The terms Paul employs here are not casual criticisms; they carry immense theological weight and reveal the severity of a life lived in opposition to God, even with a professed faith.
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Abominable (Detestable)
The word for 'detestable' (Greek: bdelyktos) is rare and powerful. It signifies something utterly loathsome, disgusting, and worthy of abhorrence. It's not just a minor offense; it's something that deeply offends and repulses.
Disobedient
This flows directly from their denial of God. Their actions demonstrate a fundamental rebellion against God's authority and commands. They are unwilling to submit to His ways.
Unfit for Any Good Work (Reprobate)
This is a crucial point. 'Reprobate' (Greek: adokimos) means that which has been tested and found to be substandard, rejected, or worthless. When it comes to 'any good work' – actions that are pleasing to God and beneficial to His kingdom – these individuals are utterly useless. They haven't just failed to do good; they are fundamentally incapable of producing it in a way that God approves of, because their hearts and motives are corrupted.
Understand the original words
homologeō · Greek Verb
In a biblical context, to acknowledge, claim, or declare one's allegiance or belief. It carries the weight of a public statement of one's relationship with God.
ginōskō · Greek Verb
A relational knowledge that involves intimacy, experience, and obedience, rather than just intellectual awareness. It signifies a covenantal relationship with the Creator.
theos · Greek Noun
The supreme, personal, and triune Creator and Sovereign of the universe, who reveals Himself to humanity.
arneomai · Greek Verb
To act in a way that contradicts one’s stated beliefs or claims. It signifies a refusal to acknowledge authority or truth through one's conduct.
ergon · Greek Noun
The external manifestation of one's internal faith or character. In Scripture, works are the necessary fruit and evidence of true regeneration and faith.
bdeluktos · Greek Adjective
That which is repulsive, loathsome, or spiritually abominable, particularly in the sight of God. It often refers to conduct that violates God's holiness.
apeithēs · Greek Adjective
The quality of lacking submission or obedience to God or His revealed word. It is a fundamental character flaw characterized by an unyielding spirit toward divine authority.
adokimos · Greek Adjective
Lacking the ability or validity to meet a requirement or standard; disapproved or disqualified. It suggests a lack of spiritual substance to perform what God values.
ergon agathos · Greek Noun Phrase
Activities or deeds that align with God’s will, purpose, and moral standard. Such actions are motivated by faith and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
The verse directly addresses the hypocrisy of certain individuals in Crete who claimed to know God but lived immoral lives, a problem amplified by the island's already poor reputation for deceit and vice.
c. 5th Century BC
Crete's Reputation for Vice
Ancient writers, including the Greek poet Epimenides (whom Paul quotes in Titus 1:12), widely regarded the inhabitants of Crete as notorious liars, gluttons, and generally immoral. This reputation was so strong that the verb 'to Cretanize' meant to lie.
c. AD 40-50
Early Spread of Christianity
The Gospel begins to spread to Crete, likely through travelers and traders. However, with the Gospel comes false teachers who distort the message.
c. AD 60-65— this verse
Paul's Letter to Titus
The Apostle Paul writes to Titus, whom he left in Crete to organize the churches. Paul instructs Titus to appoint qualified elders and to correct false teachers who are corrupting the faith with their actions and teachings.
c. AD 65
Titus's Ministry in Crete
Titus actively works to establish sound doctrine and godly living in the Cretan churches, confronting the deceitful teachers and their ungodly influence.
This passage directly echoes Titus 1:16, stating that claiming to know God while not keeping His commands reveals a lie about one's spiritual condition.
Matthew 7:21-23Jesus' warning that not everyone who calls out 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom, but only those who do God's will, highlights the disconnect between outward profession and inward reality that Titus addresses.
James 2:17-18James forcefully argues that faith without works is dead, a concept that directly illustrates how a professed knowledge of God is rendered meaningless if not demonstrated through actions.
Romans 2:21-24Paul chastises the Jews for their hypocrisy, pointing out how their outward observance of the law was undermined by their actual deeds, thus causing God's name to be blasphemed—a parallel to the denial of God by works mentioned in Titus.
pooleTitus 1:16: "They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."
They profess that they know God; he is speaking of the Jews, who (all of them) professed to know and to believe one living and true God. But in works they deny him; but they lived like atheists, as if there were no God in the world, Romans 2:17-24 . Being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate; they are persons justly to be ab…
ellicottTitus 1:16: "They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."
(16) They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him. —These bitter foes to the truth, Titus must remember, will present themselves under the guise of friends. They will rank themselves in the Christian company openly, with their lips confessing God, but in their way of life, in their acts, practically denying the very things they were so…
What's easy to miss is that the word for "abominable" here is unique in the New Testament. It signifies that their lifestyle was so revolting to God that it was actively hated by Him, a stark contrast to their outward claims of knowing Him. This wasn't just a casual disconnect; their lives were so corrupted that they were proven useless and unfit for any genuinely good deed.
Paul is addressing the Cretan believers and the false teachers among them, whom he described in the preceding verses as unruly, deceitful, and motivated by greed. He's urging Titus to rebuke them sharply because their actions contradict their outward claims of knowing God, highlighting a deep hypocrisy within the church that needs urgent correction.
Paul is addressing the Cretan believers and the false teachers among them, whom he described in the preceding verses as unruly, deceitful, and motivated by greed. He's urging Titus to rebuke them sharply because their actions contradict their outward claims of knowing God, highlighting a deep hypocrisy within the church that needs urgent correction.
"They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work." — What's easy to miss is that the word for "abominable" here is unique in the New Testament. It signifies that their lifestyle was so revolting to God that it was actively hated by Him, a stark contras…
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Last reviewed October 2026