4: Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.

Sometimes we are not to answer the fool because we can easily be brought down to their level. And what good does that do? This is what the fool desires.

5: Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in how own conceit.

Sometimes we should answer a fool; but in such a way that he is put to shame. We don’t have to engage them in argument, but we also don’t have to ignore what they say.

Is this an area of contradiction? Is the Bible saying two different things about the same situation? Let’s consider this.

First of all, the Word of God never contradicts itself. Both of these verses are completely true, and I believe God placed them together so that we could look at themtogether… and figure out that each one is meant to be applied to a different situation.

If we are going to get caught up in the same kind of speech as the fool, we ought to remain silent. We get nowhere if we stoop to their level, and most importantly, the name of Christ is not honored. Sometimes we should speak, and ought not to remain silent…It isn’t a cut and dried formula; but rather one that is dependent upon the leading of the Spirit of Wisdom.

We can’t make a fool see truth or understand what is so important. He lacks judgment; he lacks understanding; he doesn’t want to know anything different.

11: As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool returns to his folly.

We have seen this happen with our dog; it is not only disgusting, it is really baffling! How on earth could she go back to that? And why would she want to? It is amazing that God uses this example to draw our attention to the behavior of a fool. It doesn’t make any sense that he would continue in his foolish ways when he sees what the results are: but he does.

What is our role when we encounter a fool? Well, the God of all Wisdom has told us that the answer to that question varies. Friends, we also must recognize that apart from the grace of God, each and every one of us would be lost in sin, believing in lies, and living in chaos. We too were fools before Jesus came and changed our hearts. But now, we have been given the wisdom from above. Let’s go forward ….relying on the Voice of Truth and Righteousness to guide our every step…. no matter what the fool may say.