Titus 2:1 1You must speak what is fitting with sound doctrine.
In this section, Paul gives practical instruction for living in community and ends with the reason for this behavior. His guidelines are similar to the best conservative ethical norms for ancient Greek households (oikos), with the primary difference being the motivation, given in detail in 3:4-7. The household was the basic unit of society, with expectations and responsibilities for each person. If these were not followed, shame and internal problems could result. Most churches at that time met in houses.
Paul’s strategy was for these believers to go beyond accepted cultural norms and live at a higher level. Jesus Christ made a fundamental change in their lives that should have been seen in how they lived in the church and in their culture. Paul addresses common Cretan problems and urges the believers not to let culture determine how they ought to live.
He begins with a simple but clear statement to Titus about what he must do as part of building up the church in Crete. Chapter 2 sets up a major contrast between what the opponents were doing, described in chapter 1, and what Titus needed to do. Titus needed to do just the opposite of the false teachers and teach sound doctrine. Sound (hygiainousē) means “healthy” and in this context, means correct or “orthodox teaching.” From correct teaching will come correct living. Christian ethics should always come in reflection of theology. Paul will express this theology in verses 11-14 after giving the ethics. What Titus teaches would bring spiritual health to the believers in Crete. In contrast, the false teachings of the opponents would only lead to spiritual illness. How Christians behave ought to agree with what they believe. The opponents failed to make this connection and focused only on outward activity, not the inward change that motivates the outward behavior.
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