Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, and "sound" in faith, love, and steadfastness. The list is presented as what fits sound doctrine. See Titus 2:2.
In Titus 2:1–2 Paul tells Titus to speak in a way that matches “sound doctrine,” then immediately shows what that looks like by addressing older men. The teaching is not just information; it is instruction that produces fitting behavior and stable character. This unit follows Paul’s warning about disruptive teachers and empty talk in Titus 1:10–16. The “but you” at the start of 2:1 sets Titus in contrast to those voices: instead of spreading confusion, he is to speak what aligns with healthy teaching.
Titus 2:1–2 presents a tight link between “healthy teaching” and the kind of life that matches it. The passage first focuses on Titus’s role as a teacher: he is to speak “the things” that fit sound doctrine (explicit claim). In context, this stands in contrast to nearby voices that confuse and damage communities (Titus 1:10–16).
A careful answer keeps the immediate passage, the book's argument, and the whole-Bible storyline together, so the question is answered in context instead of as a detached idea.
Start with Titus 2:2, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
2that older men should be temperate, sensible, sober-minded, sound in faith, in love, and in patience: