Pr 14:[21] He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.
Mt 5: [21] Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
[22] But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Yet we should not allow fools to rule the roost:
Pr 30:[21] For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:
[22] For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;
[23] For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
So we must be able to discern who is a fool.
Pr 15: [5] A fool despiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.
Pr 13: [1] A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.
Pr 10: 18] He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.
Pr 28: [26] He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.
Pr 19: [1] Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
If we can show that scripture shows folly, we can face the judgment with regard to why we have determined that we cannot abide the folly of a man. Fools also have these characteristics:
Ecc 10: [3] Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.
Ecc 10: [14] A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?
Does this mean that we should not teach, merely because a fool is not known for his discretion? What is our motive? (See link.) What is the motive of the fool?
Pr 18: [2] A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.
In this case, this is not the “discover” of the man who seeks to “find himself.” Rather it is a word that means to “denude.” This fool believes that his heart is a beautiful thing, and wants to show it off like the body of a beautiful woman (Pr 11:22.)
How should we deal with a fool? The two verses in the bible that most directly seem to contradict each other are:
Pr 26: [4] Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
[5] Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.
What can possibly bring them both into agreement? There is a time and a place for everything (Ecc 3:1.) Consider…
Pr 19: [25] Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge.
When the simple are in the audience, one should rebuke a scorner even though Pr 9: [8] Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
Pr 27: [5] Open rebuke is better than secret love.
In Ps 141: [5] Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.
In Ps 141, King David showed that he was willing to accept a very strong rebuke, provided that it was well intended. He was himself no fool. Above and beyond that, he was the father of a wise so. Do you think he or his son was more qualified to observe…?
Pr 10: [1] The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.
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