Titus 2:8 (DRB)

Passage

The sound word that can not be blamed: that he who is on the contrary part may be afraid, having no evil to say of us.

Nearby Context

Titus 2:6 Young men, in like manner, exhort that they be sober.

Titus 2:7 In all things shew thyself an example of good works, in doctrine, in integrity, in gravity,

Titus 2:8 The sound word that can not be blamed: that he who is on the contrary part may be afraid, having no evil to say of us.

Titus 2:9 Exhort servants to be obedient to their masters: in all things pleasing, not gainsaying:

Titus 2:10 Not defrauding, but in all things shewing good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sound", "word", "blamed", "contrary", "part", "afraid", "having", and "evil". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sound" and "word", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "In all things shew thyself an example..." into verse 9's "Exhort servants to be obedient to their...", so "sound" and "word" belong inside that flow. In Titus context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "sound" and "word" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.