Titus: Sound Doctrine

Paul starts chapter 2 with a general exhortation to Titus: in contrast to the false, corrupt teachers of chapter 1, he says, "You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine." We might expect Paul to elaborate on this point by discussing some of the finer points of theology or explaining issues such as sovereignty vs. free will or mode of baptism; we spend much of our energy in churches and seminaries wrestling over these topics, and they are what come to mind when someone mentions "doctrine".
But Paul subverts our expectations: instead of telling Titus how to teach the concept of the Trinity, he instructs Titus to teach various groups of people how to behave in relationships with one another. Here, and throughout the Bible, it is clear that "sound doctrine" does not mean simply dry, academic theories and propositions. Sound doctrine is a life lived in the righteousness of Jesus by the power of the Spirit. Sound doctrine is relationships that reflect the limitless generosity and love of God. Sound doctrine is when we participate in His Kingdom by loving, forgiving, and communing with one another, thereby showing the world the One to whom we belong. In the Bible, sound doctrine is always inextricably linked to sound relationships and a sound life.
More to the point, it is not enough to mentally assent to a set of propositions that state facts about the world--we must live out the doctrine we say we believe. I had a professor once who was fond of saying, "What you believe determines how you behave--and, ultimately, who you become." If I say I believe that I should forgive my husband when he is rude to me, but when he offends me I sulk over it and hold it against him later, do I really believe in forgiving? Of course not! My behavior comes out of my true beliefs about how the world works, and my belief on this matter is that I have a right to be treated well and, if that doesn't happen, I have a right to punish the offender as I see fit. Only when my beliefs have truly changed can my behavior genuinely begin to reflect Jesus. This is why Paul says in Romans that we must allow God to transform us through a process of mental renewal. And as our minds are renewed, awakened to God's truth, our sound doctrine will show up in how we relate to others and how we live our lives.

Titus: The Corrupt

In the last section of chapter 1, Paul moves away from describing the blameless, trustworthy, honest church leader to warn Titus against the rebellious factions that stir up dissension for their own profit. These people propagate Jewish myths, such as the idea that one must be circumcised or follow the Mosaic Law to be saved. They draw the boundaries of salvation according to their own rules and pride, rather than according to the bountiful grace of God, who saves us by grace, not by anything we could do to earn it. Furthermore, these people deceive in order to profit from young believers' doubts about the incredible mercy afforded to us through Jesus. Paul points out that the errors in these teachers' doctrine means they ruin entire households--they tear apart families and set friends against one another, all for the sake of transient earthly gain and selfish pride. According to Paul, they are liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons, corrupted, detestable, disobedient, and unfit for doing anything good. The ultimate blow comes in verse 16: these teachers claim to know God and to be teaching His truth, but their actions call them out. No teacher of God's truth rips apart families and destroys relationships within the church. Their deeds speak a stronger denial of God's sovereignty and goodness than words ever could.
After all this, you might expect Paul to finish by commanding Titus to kick these men and women out of the church and have nothing to do with them. Instead, his instruction is to rebuke them--not to humiliate them, but so that they might come back to a healthy view of God's grace and an accurate understanding of the gospel. Despite the utterly despicable behavior of these teachers, the goal is still for them to come to a saving knowledge of God's mercy through Jesus. God will save anyone, and wants to save everyone. He wants to save us from a state of corruption, in which nothing is pure and we are constantly striving to live up to standards we can never achieve. He wants to save us to a state of purification, in which our right standing before God purifies and makes holy all our dealings in the world. And this is the essence of the gospel: no matter how much evil we do, no matter how evil we are, God wants to save us from corruption to purification, from darkness to light.