Let's talk about fools. (Me for being away for so long!)
Don’t Fool with Fools
Robert M. Bowman, Jr.
The ministry of apologetics is difficult for many reasons. One such reason is that, by its very nature, apologetics requires us to present answers to people who don’t believe the gospel and who may have strong feelings or opinions against what we are saying. This aspect of apologetics discourages many people from doing it. They conclude that apologetics is a waste of time because the people who need it (unbelievers) don’t want it and the people who want it (believers) don’t need it.
I don’t share this view. In my experience some unbelievers are open to reason and evidence, often because they are in a process of moving from belief to unbelief (though it’s impossible for us to “peg” such people infallibly). Others are not. We are called to answer people if they ask us for answers, but only up to a point. That point is reached when the people to whom we are responding behave like fools.
I know what some of you are thinking: who am I, or who are we, to judge who is or is not a fool. In a sense that isn’t up to us to judge. I certainly don’t go around calling people fools. However, in a sense we are called to make a judgment call or to discern when someone is behaving like a fool. After all, the book of Proverbs is full of warnings to avoid getting into debates with fools. Those warnings would be hard to follow if we weren’t able to make some determination as to who is showing themselves to fit that category.
Not everyone who disagrees with us is a fool. Please remember that! The book of Proverbs gives us very clear guidance to help us recognize when we are dealing with a fool. Three characteristics stand out.
Fools always think they are right in such a way that they are unwilling to learn from others (Proverbs 12:15; 18:2). Thinking you’re right doesn’t make you a fool; speaking as though no one can possibly teach you anything does make you a fool.
Fools are not merely those who don’t understand, but rather are those who are unable to understand because of their distaste for wisdom (Proverbs 23:9). Not all who are ignorant are fools. Ignorance can be cured by imparting knowledge; foolishness cannot. The fool doesn’t merely disagree with the truth—he expresses an inability to understand even elementary truths.
Fools respond with hostility and anger or with laughter and ridicule (Proverbs 29:9). When people react emotionally to the truth, either angrily or scornfully, they are fools. A merely ignorant person expresses puzzlement or confusion; the fool, even after misunderstandings have been clearly addressed, continues to mock, scorn, or attack the truth as something he considers stupid or evil or both.
When you become convinced that a person is a fool, don’t call him one. Replying in anger or sarcasm to a fool is wrong; when we do that we lower ourselves to the fool’s level. Proverbs tells us not to respond in such a way (Proverbs 26:4). The right way is to respond by confronting the fool with his lack of wisdom without sinking to his level (Proverbs 26:5). Just describe objectively and calmly the behavior that makes reasoned dialogue impossible. “I’m sorry, but if you can’t get past your anger toward Christianity, as long as you feel as hostile as you do, I don’t think there’s any point in us trying to discuss whether Jesus rose from the dead or not.” Such a statement lets the person know that he is speaking foolishly without attacking him.
Keep in mind is that you should rarely conclude that an unbeliever is a fool. To some extent foolishness is a universal human “disease” (I’ve certainly acted foolishly on far too many occasions!), but most people are not out-and-out fools. If you’re constantly judging people as fools, you’re either in a very strange place or you’re operating from an overly broad standard of judgment in the matter. I hasten to add that most people are ignorant; that is, most people do not know nearly as much about the Bible or basic Christian truth as they should (and this goes for far too many Christians, too!). But again, ignorance is easily curable for those who want to know the truth. We should be very patient with people who don’t know or don’t understand but who show a willingness to learn. We should give everyone a chance to demonstrate such willingness, giving them the benefit of the doubt at first. Only after someone has shown rather emphatically and unmistakably the signs of foolishness as specified in Proverbs should we conclude that our time would be better spent elsewhere.
Thank God that even foolishness can be cured. However, the cure is the illuminating, convicting work of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:14-15). That’s something that wise apologists leave up to God.
I have been foolish before, but I just wanted everyone to remember that after reading some recent posts.
I won't name any names, but you know who you are.
-Kevin
P.S. WHATS UP PEOPLE!?
-Ocelot
Don’t Fool with Fools
Robert M. Bowman, Jr.
The ministry of apologetics is difficult for many reasons. One such reason is that, by its very nature, apologetics requires us to present answers to people who don’t believe the gospel and who may have strong feelings or opinions against what we are saying. This aspect of apologetics discourages many people from doing it. They conclude that apologetics is a waste of time because the people who need it (unbelievers) don’t want it and the people who want it (believers) don’t need it.
I don’t share this view. In my experience some unbelievers are open to reason and evidence, often because they are in a process of moving from belief to unbelief (though it’s impossible for us to “peg” such people infallibly). Others are not. We are called to answer people if they ask us for answers, but only up to a point. That point is reached when the people to whom we are responding behave like fools.
I know what some of you are thinking: who am I, or who are we, to judge who is or is not a fool. In a sense that isn’t up to us to judge. I certainly don’t go around calling people fools. However, in a sense we are called to make a judgment call or to discern when someone is behaving like a fool. After all, the book of Proverbs is full of warnings to avoid getting into debates with fools. Those warnings would be hard to follow if we weren’t able to make some determination as to who is showing themselves to fit that category.
Not everyone who disagrees with us is a fool. Please remember that! The book of Proverbs gives us very clear guidance to help us recognize when we are dealing with a fool. Three characteristics stand out.
Fools always think they are right in such a way that they are unwilling to learn from others (Proverbs 12:15; 18:2). Thinking you’re right doesn’t make you a fool; speaking as though no one can possibly teach you anything does make you a fool.
Fools are not merely those who don’t understand, but rather are those who are unable to understand because of their distaste for wisdom (Proverbs 23:9). Not all who are ignorant are fools. Ignorance can be cured by imparting knowledge; foolishness cannot. The fool doesn’t merely disagree with the truth—he expresses an inability to understand even elementary truths.
Fools respond with hostility and anger or with laughter and ridicule (Proverbs 29:9). When people react emotionally to the truth, either angrily or scornfully, they are fools. A merely ignorant person expresses puzzlement or confusion; the fool, even after misunderstandings have been clearly addressed, continues to mock, scorn, or attack the truth as something he considers stupid or evil or both.
When you become convinced that a person is a fool, don’t call him one. Replying in anger or sarcasm to a fool is wrong; when we do that we lower ourselves to the fool’s level. Proverbs tells us not to respond in such a way (Proverbs 26:4). The right way is to respond by confronting the fool with his lack of wisdom without sinking to his level (Proverbs 26:5). Just describe objectively and calmly the behavior that makes reasoned dialogue impossible. “I’m sorry, but if you can’t get past your anger toward Christianity, as long as you feel as hostile as you do, I don’t think there’s any point in us trying to discuss whether Jesus rose from the dead or not.” Such a statement lets the person know that he is speaking foolishly without attacking him.
Keep in mind is that you should rarely conclude that an unbeliever is a fool. To some extent foolishness is a universal human “disease” (I’ve certainly acted foolishly on far too many occasions!), but most people are not out-and-out fools. If you’re constantly judging people as fools, you’re either in a very strange place or you’re operating from an overly broad standard of judgment in the matter. I hasten to add that most people are ignorant; that is, most people do not know nearly as much about the Bible or basic Christian truth as they should (and this goes for far too many Christians, too!). But again, ignorance is easily curable for those who want to know the truth. We should be very patient with people who don’t know or don’t understand but who show a willingness to learn. We should give everyone a chance to demonstrate such willingness, giving them the benefit of the doubt at first. Only after someone has shown rather emphatically and unmistakably the signs of foolishness as specified in Proverbs should we conclude that our time would be better spent elsewhere.
Thank God that even foolishness can be cured. However, the cure is the illuminating, convicting work of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:14-15). That’s something that wise apologists leave up to God.
I have been foolish before, but I just wanted everyone to remember that after reading some recent posts.
I won't name any names, but you know who you are.
-Kevin
P.S. WHATS UP PEOPLE!?
-Ocelot