Proverbs 26: 4,5?? Answer not a fool. Answer a fool.?

Question

Prov 26:4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

Prov 26:5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

How did JC clear the room of accusers and condemners without saying a word to them in John 8:3-11?

Answer 1

Good point. Thank you.

Answer 2

If you answer a fool in a foolish, thoughtless manner, you stoop to his level and become like him (verse 4).

On the other hand, if you don't answer a fool at all, he thinks he's more wise than the one he's challenging, and he becomes conceited (verse 5).

We see this each and every day on Yahoo Answers. Unbelievers challenge us from a position of foolishness, yet they're wise in their own eyes. If we answer angrily or without giving proper thought to the matter, we come off sounding foolish ourselves (vs. 4) But if we give a well thought out answer, we've put the fool in his place, whether he knows it or not (verse 5).

To answer your follow-up question, Jesus "cleared the room" by using the Law against the woman's accusers, showing them they were not qualified to stone the woman, regardless of the fact that the Law requires an adulterer to be put to death.

If you notice, Jesus was writing in the earth while the woman's accusers were speaking. Jeremiah 17:13 reads: "O LORD, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You shall be ashamed. Those who depart from Me Shall be written in the earth, Because they have forsaken the LORD, The fountain of living waters."

Jesus IS the "fountain of living waters," and, as such, was writing the names and sins of all those who would stone the adultress. This is because the Mosaic Law prohibited anyone from accusing someone of committing a crime punishable by death if they had EVER committed that sin and not gotten caught; this would make that person a false witness. According to the Law, a false witness is deserving of the punishment that otherwise would have gone to the accused.

But it goes even farther than that -- the Law also tells us it stands as one unit: if you break even ONE law, you're guilty of breaking them ALL. Therefore, you would literally have to be sinless in order to accuse someone else; you would also have to be sinless in order to participate in the stoning.

Since none of the people there were sinless, they all dropped their stones. As suggested by Jeremiah, Jesus was writing their sins on the earth, ready to call them hypocrits. Notice that the only sinless person there refused to condemn the adultress; instead, He forgave.

Peace.

Answer 3

The best explanation I’ve found is that there is simply no winning with a fool. If you allow yourself to be drawn into an argument with a fool, you may be brought down to his level. Fools tend to use anger and rudeness in their arguments. They speak without thinking first. They have no humility and are not concerned with truth as much as they are concerned with vindication. To use such tactics is foolish, and arguing with a fool prompts me to respond in kind. I cannot afford to fall into the fool’s trap.
However, we are told in the next proverb to answer a fool in order to prevent him from thinking he is wise when he is not. A fool believes that your silence is an admission of defeat — thus confirming him in his folly. Unfortunately, when that happens, his behavior has been reinforced and others may follow suit.
The problem is, when you try to correct a fool, he will not receive your correction. The writer goes on to say: “Like a lame man’s legs that hang limp is a proverb in the mouth of a fool” (v. 7). A fool does not know what to do with wisdom. It is no use giving it to him. The best thing may be to leave him to God, for only God can break through his folly.
There is something worse than a fool: a man who is certain of his own wisdom. “Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (v. 12).

Answer 4

If you answer a fool according to his folly, in the sense of answering in harmony with his folly or according to it, you put yourself in agreement with the fool. The fool’s reasonings and deductions are unsound, and your answer should not be in accord with the fool’s views. The fool may show folly in the undignified or contentious manner in which he argues, showing desire for only fruitless strifes of words, which Christians are commanded to shun. So you would not answer according to the folly of the fool by siding in with his foolish views or by adopting his foolish and degrading methods of argument. Why not? “Lest you become like him.” But you can answer the fool without making yourself like him, and this verse 5 advises, “lest he imagines he is wise.” If you did not answer the fool’s folly and allowed it to go unchallenged and unrefuted, the fool would certainly become wise in his own conceited viewpoint. To prevent this you would answer according to his folly in the sense of answering on the basis of his foolish contentions, analyzing them, exposing how ridiculous and absurd and unworthy of acceptance they are when viewed rationally. Thus you may be able to show that the fool’s own arguments and false principles lead to conclusions far different from what he contends. His own folly may be used against him in a turning of the tables, if his folly is wisely caught up and analyzed and used against the fool’s false position. So doing, you “reply to a fool as his folly requires” and forestall his becoming “wise in his own eyes”.

Answer 5

Proverbs 21:11
When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom; when a wise man is instructed, he gets knowledge.

Proverbs 4:19
But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.

Answer 6

Be wise. When a fool speaks know when and how to answer. Not according to his foolishness and be like him but answer wisely in the right season so he will not appear to be the wise one.
In other words make sure your answer doesn't make you a fool like him but exposes his foolishness.

Answer 7

to not sound rude, yet 'get actual'. First, lower back then, public punishment became into having a limb decrease off. right this moment some center eastern international locations nevertheless did this. 2nd, reducing off a head does not make a individual an amputee, it makes them lifeless. the merely suitable punishment-dying. 0.33, the Bible (as in a lot of your references) refers to a individual or a relatives lineage being 'decrease off' of being of God's Choosen Ones. Or being 'decrease off' of the land that God gave them. or being 'decrease off' of God's reward that God had on condition that technology. and dissimilar of the references you have are mere parables or metaphors. i don't be attentive to with regard to the Koran. i've got self assurance that somewhat recommend to somewhat decrease with the aid of fact the middle eastern international locations nevertheless do this right this moment at circumstances.

Answer 8

Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, who will only despise the wisdom of your words.

Answer 9

Yeah, good point. Because when you do answer them they always come back with more foolishness and nothing is accomplished. I suppose you're talking about the anti-God crowd.

Answer 10

Could of fooled me..