Pro-Verbs 26:4-5 To Answer Or Not To Answer

Greetings friends and neighbors...

Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will also be like him. Answer a fool as his folly deserves...that he not be wise in his own eyes." (Pro-Verbs 26:4-5)

Have you ever got into a debate with a fool? Did you win that debate? The Pro-Verbs speaks a lot about fools...contrasting fools and the wise. In Psalms 14:1 and Psalm 53:1 the fool is identified..."The FOOL has said in his heart...there is no God."

This Pro-Verb almost seem contradictory when is says..."Do not answer a fool..." and then says "Answer a fool...".

It seems to mean that when you "stoop down to the fools level"...then you will be like a fool...SO don't be "acting like a fool"...but there will be times when you answer the fool so the table turns and he will not be wise in his own eyes. Sometimes the will be revealed when faced with his own foolishness.

That has happened to me before...as I was saying something that to me seemed reasonable..until someone turned the mirror on me by imitating what I said...and I saw how foolish what I just stated really sounded.

Well...on the level of someone saying within there own heart that there is NO GOD...you can't argue with that logic...but you can share the love of the One who they say does not exist...but you can't mentally debate the issue with them. Choose you battles...and love the unlovable.

Love and Non-Foolish Kisses
Rodney "Answering and Not Answering" Boyd