What does Titus 2:6 mean?

So far, chapter 2 has spoken to Titus (Titus 2:1), older men (Titus 2:2), older women (Titus 2:3), and younger women (Titus 2:4–5). In verse 6, Paul speaks to "younger men." Titus is told to urge these men to be "self-controlled," or "sensible." This command uses the Greek parakalei, which means "to challenge" or "to admonish." In other words, Titus is supposed to motivate young men to live with self-control. This same trait is also expected of older men (Titus 2:2) and younger women (Titus 2:5). This is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23). It would have been an important correction for young men raised in the pleasure-seeking culture of Crete (Titus 1:12–13).

Self-control is a crucial focus for young men seeking to live out the Christian faith. This involves both purity and other areas in which young men were to live as an example. In 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul offered similar advice, commanding Timothy to be an example in everything he did, despite his young age. The concept of a godly example is similar to the Torah, where Moses was commanded to construct the tabernacle according to the "pattern" given by God. It is also developed in the next verse (Titus 2:7), similarly to how Paul addressed Timothy.