Tap any verse number for what that verse means.
1But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:
2That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
3The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
4That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
5To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
6Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.
7In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
8Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
9Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;
10Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
11For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
15These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
Understand This
Titus 2, explained
What Titus 2 is saying
Paul instructs Titus to teach what accords with sound doctrine across every demographic: older men are to be sober, dignified, and sound in faith; older women are to be reverent, not slanderers or enslaved to wine, training younger women in domestic virtues and love for husbands and children; younger men are to be self-controlled, with Titus himself as their model; slaves are to be faithful and not pilfering, adorning the doctrine of God in everything. The theological foundation for all this ethical instruction is the epiphany of grace: ‘The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, awaiting the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works.’
The background behind it
The Cretan social context, with its reputation for moral laxity, gives urgency to Paul’s ethical instructions. The grandiose christological statement in verses 11–14 contains one of the strongest affirmations of Christ’s divinity in the Pauline corpus, calling Jesus ‘our great God and Savior.’
Themes running underneath
Grace is not merely forensic (declaring righteous) but pedagogical (training in righteousness). The epiphany of grace teaches, empowers, and motivates ethical living. This ‘already/not yet’ framework—living between the first appearing of grace and the blessed hope of Christ’s return—defines the ethical space of Christian existence.
Why it still matters
The vision of grace as a transforming teacher counters both legalism (behavior driven by fear) and antinomianism (grace as permission to sin). Every demographic in the church has both responsibility and dignity in this framework.
Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.