Dealing with Fools

Just a short one while I'm in the midst of standing-in for a colleague...

Proverbs 26:4-5 says

⁴ Answer not a fool according to his folly,
   lest you be like him yourself.
⁵ Answer a fool according to his folly,
   lest he be wise in his own eyes.

At a glance, these 2 verses seem to contradict each other but upon deeper thought, they complement each other. In life we meet people who are "fools" - mockers, scoffers, scorners, etc... - and it is wise to exercise the wisdom in both verses. We should avoid speaking with a fool as he would strive to make you foolish like him. However, there are times when it is needful to put a fool in his place; to treat him as such and tell him to go fly a kite.


I have a few thoughts about this but the one thought that sticks out is from verse 5 - it's a active act as opposed to the do-not-answer passiveness of verse 4. This active rebuttal of a fool reminds me of how the Lord dealt with the Pharisees (whitewashed tomestones? Brood of vipers? Laying unbearable burdens on the people? and it goes on!) and how the New Testament writers addressed sinfulness (2 Pet 2 is a good place to start). Foolishness encompasses a HUGE range of things yes?

Using rebuke as a means to combat foolishness... from the mockers to the slanderers, the mistaken to the false teachers, strangers to family.

Hmmmmmm?