In Titus chapter 2, Paul writes to his protege Titus who has been sent to oversee multiple churches on the island of Crete. Paul’s concern is clear – false teachers are spreading unsound doctrine, and he wants to ensure Titus establishes healthy, thriving churches.
Paul uses the word “sound” repeatedly in this passage – a term that comes from the Greek word from which we derive “hygiene.” He’s not concerned about physical cleanliness but spiritual health and order. A sound church is one that is healthy, strong, and secure in its faith and practice.
What Makes a Church Spiritually Healthy?
Paul outlines six essential elements that create a sound, healthy church:
1. Sound Pastors Who Teach Sound Doctrine
“But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.” (Titus 2:1)
Interestingly, the word “teach” here doesn’t primarily refer to formal preaching but to having regular, ordinary conversations about living the Christian life. Paul is encouraging churches to have ongoing, practical discussions about applying sound doctrine to everyday life.
A healthy church is one where members regularly talk about what it means to follow Jesus Christ. The focus isn’t just on theological knowledge but on practical instruction for godly living. Healthy doctrine produces healthy spiritual living – the Bible never divorces doctrine from duty or truth from behavior.
Sound pastors must also model what they teach. Verse 7 instructs Titus to “show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works.” Pastors must practice what they preach, demonstrating integrity and dignity in both their teaching and their lives.
2. Sound Older Men
“Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.” (Titus 2:2)
While Paul doesn’t specify an age, he’s referring to men with life experience who should demonstrate maturity and wisdom. These men should be:
- Sober-minded: alert, not controlled by external influences
- Dignified: showing reverence for God and respect for others
- Self-controlled: temperate in their behaviorSound in faith: secure in their beliefs
- Sound in love: healthy in their relationships
- Sound in steadfastness: reliable, trustworthy, and dependable
These qualities don’t come automatically with age – they must be taught and cultivated through persistence and consistency. Older men must learn from their mistakes and grow in maturity.
3. Sound Older Women
“Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good.” (Titus 2:3)
Older women are called to be:
- Reverent in behavior: including how they dress and carry themselves
- Not slanderers: avoiding gossip (the same word used for the devil’s work)
- Not slaves to wine: maintaining self-control with alcoholTeachers of good things: mentoring younger women
Paul addresses specific cultural challenges in Crete, where older women were known to gather, drink wine, and gossip. Instead, he calls them to use their wisdom and experience to guide younger women in godly living.
4. Sound Younger Women
“So train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.” (Titus 2:4-5)
Young women are instructed to:
- Love their husbands and children
- Be self-controlled and pure
- Work diligently at home
- Be kind and respectful in their marriages
This doesn’t mean women should only stay home and raise children. In that culture, women worked alongside their husbands while managing households – a full-time job. The emphasis is on prioritizing family relationships and creating loving homes.
5. Sound Young Men
“Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.” (Titus 2:6)
Though this verse seems brief, the word “likewise” indicates that young men should follow all the previous instructions plus emphasize self-control. Young men are called to:
- Love their wives and children
- Provide nurturing, safe environments for their families
- Resist cultural pressures that devalue family relationships
- Exercise self-control in all areas of life
This was revolutionary in a culture where wives and children were often treated as property. Christian young men were called to be different, loving their families sacrificially.
6. Sound Workers
“Slaves are to be submissive to their own masters in everything. They are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.” (Titus 2:9-10)
In a society where approximately 50% of people were slaves, Christianity introduced radical equality within the church. However, this created challenges when slaves returned to their masters. Paul instructs workers to:
- Be submissive to authority
- Be well-pleasing (excellent workers)
- Not be argumentative
- Not steal from employers
- Show good faith in all things
The application for today is that Christians should be exemplary workers, submitting to supervisors and being the best employees possible. This serves as a powerful witness in the community.
The Power Behind a Sound Church: God’s Grace
What makes all this possible? Paul reveals the source in verses 11-14:
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us…”
The transformative power behind a sound church is God’s grace through Jesus Christ. When we recognize our need for grace and receive it, change begins to happen naturally. God’s grace trains us to renounce ungodliness and develop self-control.
Our ultimate hope isn’t in our own efforts but in Jesus Christ – “our blessed hope” – whose return we await. A sound church keeps Jesus preeminent, recognizes the free gift of grace, and allows the Holy Spirit to transform lives.
Life Application
Building a sound, healthy church isn’t just the pastor’s responsibility – it’s a community effort that requires each member to embrace their role:
- Engage in spiritual conversations: How often do you have meaningful discussions about following Christ with other believers? Make it a point to move beyond surface-level interactions.
- Embrace your life stage: Whether you’re an older or younger believer, are you fulfilling the responsibilities Paul outlines for your demographic? What specific area needs growth?
- Model Christian character: How does your behavior at work, home, and in the community reflect on Christ and His church? Are you an excellent representative of the gospel?
- Mentor others: If you’re an older believer, who are you intentionally pouring wisdom into? If you’re younger, who are you learning from?
- Rely on grace: Are you trying to become “sound” through your own efforts, or are you allowing God’s grace to transform you from the inside out?
This week, identify which of these six areas needs the most attention in your life. Ask God to help you grow in soundness, not through your own strength, but through the power of His grace working in you.
Loved this teaching.