Answering a Fool

The book of Proverbs is composed primarily of pithy statements that generalize how life operates, particularly with a view of God's design and sovereignty over His world. It is perhaps the one book of the Bible wherein we may pluck individual verses for quoting without worrying too much about the surrounding context. There are some exceptions of course, especially when you realize that the chapter and verse demarcations are of fairly recent origin (circa the 1500's).

One particular pairing of verses are used to indicate a paradox, very similar to philosopher Bartholomew J. Simpson's paradox. Here are verses 4 and 5 from chapter 26 (HCSB):

• Don't answer a fool according to his foolishness, or you'll be like him yourself.
• Answer a fool according to his foolishness, or he'll become wise in his own eyes.

In a recent online "discussion" I initially weighed in favoring verse 5 - answering a fool for his foolishness. I was succinct, direct, and was trying to avoid any ad hominem attacks on this individual who was disparaging the God of the Bible. What I received back was bile, hatred, non-sequiturs, assertions and quotations without context.

There was no reasoning involved - only "yelling", presumptions of motives, and the claiming of the moral high ground without adequate cause. Once it became obvious that this individual cared neither for sound reasoning nor for the consideration of others, I applied the verse 4 side of the paradox and cut off further discussion.

Next time, I will be more mindful of Proverbs 29:9:

If a wise man goes to court with a fool,
there will be ranting and raving but no resolution.