Alleged Contradictions In Scripture – Part 3

Answer A Fool, Answer Not A Fool?

Pro 26:4  Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
Pro 26:5  Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

Introduction

Here we have two verses of scripture, one verse immediately following the other, written by King Solomon who is widely accepted in Christianity as “the wisest man who ever lived” other than Christ. Obviously there is a time to answer a fool, and there is a time in which we ought not to answer a fool. Nevertheless, scriptural detractors and infidels point to these two verses as an obvious and undeniable contradiction.

In doing so, these otherwise intelligent men are putting themselves in the foolish position of saying, ‘If you tell me to ‘Fight fire with water’, and then you also tell me to ‘Fight fire with fire’, then you are completely contradicting yourself. Such is the ‘logic’ of the infidels and of those who say, ‘There is no God and the Bible is a book of myths which is full of contradictions’.

Thanks in large part to all the high profile hypocrisy of the adulterous Protestant mega-ministers, and the highly publicized pedophilia of so many Catholic priests, the adversary, via the powers that be, has been very successful at associating the hypocrisy of the leaders of the great whore with the Bible itself. Yet these very same infidels more than willingly accept the writings of Homer, Socrates and Plato as reliable and authentic, while challenging the Word of God at every opportunity as a book of myths and contradictions which cannot be trusted.

This is God’s estimation of such men:

Psa 14:1  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

How do we know who and when to ‘answer’?

The perfect example of how to answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him, is of course, our Lord when he refused to answer the chief priests and the scribes when they brought the adulterous woman before Him:

Joh 8:1  Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.
Joh 8:2  And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
Joh 8:3  And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
Joh 8:4  They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
Joh 8:5  Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 
Joh 8:6  This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
Joh 8:7  So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 
Joh 8:8  And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
Joh 8:9  And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
Joh 8:10  When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
Joh 8:11  She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

It is good to know the words “as though He heard them not” are not in the Greek. Considering the fact that every man involved in bringing that woman to Christ “being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last”, it would be without logic to fail to connect what Jesus had written on the ground to the answer He finally gave to these hypocrites. Christ knew just when to answer, and He knew the exact perfect moment to give an answer which would cause those accusing Him to instead end up in the embarrassing position of condemning themselves before the whole crowd.

On another occasion our the Lord gave us another perfect example of how to answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit:

Mat 22:15  Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.
Mat 22:16  And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.
Mat 22:17  Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?
Mat 22:18  But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? 
Mat 22:19  Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.
Mat 22:20  And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? 
Mat 22:21  They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s. 
Mat 22:22  When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

Finally, at his kangaroo court trial before the prejudiced hypocritical Sanhedrin, Christ gives us another example of  how not to answer until the perfect moment to produce the most revealing response:

Mat 26:62  And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?
Mat 26:63  But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
Mat 26:64  Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Mat 26:65  Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.
Mat 26:66  What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.
Mat 26:67  Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,
Mat 26:68  Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?

Christ wanted every word we just read to be spoken “for [our] sakes”:

2Co 4:15  For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
2Co 4:16  For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

When “Jesus held His peace [it was] for our sakes”, and when”Jesus [spoke] unto… the high priest” that, too, was “for our sakes [to] leave us an example that we should follow His steps”.

1Pe 2:21  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

“Hereunto were [we] called… that [we] should follow His steps”. Christ has given us some very specific instructions about how we can be like Him and know just when to “answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit”, and when to “answer not a fool according to his folly lest you also be like unto him”. To be like Him we must give careful attention to those instructions. If we truly want to have the wisdom of Christ in knowing exactly when to answer and when we are not to answer a fool, we must simply be obedient to His commandments.

Let’s take a  look at those instructions and see if we are abiding by His words. Only if we do so are we His “disciples indeed”. Here is just how important it is to be obedient to what our Lord instructs us on this and any subject:

Joh 8:30  As he spake these words, many believed on him.
Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

It is not ‘adding to’ or ‘taking from’ the Word of God to declare that if we do not “abide in [His] word, then we are [not] His true disciples”. To be more direct, if Christ tells us to give a brother two admonitions and we ignore His commandment to limit our answer to “the first and second admonition”, and we continue to attempt to salvage a brother beyond “the first and second admonition”, then we simply are not ‘abiding in His Word’, and when we gloss over His words and fail to be obedient  to them, then we are not really His disciple at all because we have no respect for His commandment to let any brother who trespasses against us and who takes no heed to our “first and second admonition”, “let him be unto you as an heathen man and a publican”.

Mat 18:15  Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
Mat 18:16  But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
Mat 18:17  And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. 
Mat 18:18  Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Those are very specific instructions, and they are very clear. Anyone “who is called a brother” or a sister, and who “neglects to hear the church… which is His body”, is telling you that he or she can indeed “say to the hand, I have no need of thee”, in spite of the plain commandment of our Lord to the contrary:

1Co 5:11  But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. 
1Co 5:12  For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? 

1Co 12:20  But now are they many members, yet but one body.
1Co 12:21  And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

To continue to attempt to answer a brother after he has rejected your first and second admonition is to ‘become like him’, because after the second admonition neither of you are trembling at the words of Christ, and Christ certainly is not abiding in either person who ignores and despises His commandments, to whom Christ asks this very pertinent question:

Luk 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? [“Go to your brother… take with you one or two others… after the first and second admonition, reject…”]

To which the holy spirit has added these confirming words:

Tit 3:10  A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;
Tit 3:11  Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself. 

We are not ‘abiding in Christ’s words’; we are not ‘doing the things He says’, and we are not letting a brother ‘be unto us a heathen man and a publican’, when we are guilty of adding the word ‘hundred’ to Tit 3:10, and making it read, ” A man that is an heretick after the first and second [hundred] admonition[s] reject;”. That is “adding to” the words of God, and we are certain to reap this promised curse for doing so:

Rev 22:18  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

On the other hand, if we attempt to skip a step or two and simply cast a brother out of our fellowship without following our Lord’s instructions and “doing the things [He tells us]”, then this is the sure curse we will reap for our high handed presumptuousness:

Rev 22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

When we “do the things [Christ tells us to do]” then we will automatically be gifted at knowing when to answer a fool according to his folly, and when to answer not a fool according to His folly.

As an example of the kind of person who is a fool, and who is not to be answered according to his folly, ‘lest you be like unto him’, here is the spirit upon whom we are not to waste our ‘precious ointment’ of the Word of God:

This is a quote from a list of supposed contradictions in scripture from the Infidels.org website. I think it is very revealing that even they appear to realize just how absurd are their own allegations, by the way they open with this:

“[Editor’s note: Not everyone will agree that all of the listed “contradictions” are, in fact, contradictions. It is therefore up to the reader to use his/her own intelligence and decide for himself/herself what s/he can and will accept as a contradiction. [‘voice of a stranger…leaning to his own carnal understanding, (Pro 3:5). In other words, you need not agree with what Meritt sees as a problem or contradiction. It should be kept in mind, however, that a perfect, omnipotent, and omniscient god would reasonably be expected to have done a better job of it than the Bible had such a god-inspired a book. In any case, lists such as this can be useful in serving as a springboard for further study.

“Introduction to Contradictions

“The Bible is riddled with repetitions and contradictions, things that the Bible bangers would be quick to point out in anything that they want to criticize. For instance, Genesis 1 and 2 disagree about the order in which things are created, and how satisfied God is about the results of his labors. The flood story is really two interwoven stories that contradict each other on how many of each kind of animal are to be brought into the Ark–is it one pair each or seven pairs each of the “clean” ones? The Gospel of John disagrees with the other three Gospels on the activities of Jesus Christ (how long had he stayed in Jerusalem–a couple of days or a whole year?) and all four Gospels contradict each other on the details of Jesus Christ’s last moments and resurrection. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke contradict each other on the genealogy of Jesus Christ’s father; though both agree that Joseph was not his real father. Repetitions and contradictions are understandable for a hodgepodge collection of documents, but not for some carefully constructed treatise, reflecting a well-thought-out plan.

“Of the various methods I’ve seen to “explain” these:

“1. “That is to be taken metaphorically.” In other words, what is written is not what is meant. I find this entertaining, especially for those who decide what ISN’T to be taken as other than the absolute WORD OF GOD–which just happens to agree with the particular thing they happen to want…

“2. “There was more there than….” This is used when one verse says “there was a” and another says “there was b,” so they decide there was “a” AND “b”–which is said nowhere. This makes them happy, since it doesn’t say there WASN’T “a+b.” But it doesn’t say there was “a+b+little green martians.” This is often the same crowd that insists theirs is the ONLY possible interpretation (i.e., only “a”) and the only way. I find it entertaining they they don’t mind adding to verses.

“3. “It has to be understood in context.” I find this amusing because it comes from the same crowd that likes to push likewise extracted verses that support their particular view. Often it is just one of the verses in the contradictory set which is supposed to be taken as THE TRUTH when, if you add more to it, it suddenly becomes “out of context.” How many of you have gotten JUST John 3:16 (taken out of all context) thrown at you?

“4. “There was just a copying/writing error.” This is sometimes called a “transcription error,” as in where one number was meant and an incorrect one was copied down. Or what was “quoted” wasn’t really what was said, but just what the author thought was said. And that’s right–I’m not disagreeing with events, I’m disagreeing with what is WRITTEN. Which is apparently agreed that it is incorrect. This is an amusing misdirection to the problem that the Bible itself is wrong .[Emphasis mine]

“5. “That is a miracle.” Naturally. That is why it is stated as fact.

“6. “God works in mysterious ways.” A useful dodge when the speaker doesn’t understand the conflict between what the Bible SAYS and what they WISH it said.”

I would not waste one minute speaking with a person who the scriptures call a fool who can blatantly state “…the problem [is] that the Bible itself is wrong”.

Psa 14:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

But I will take these objections one by one and point out to you the emptiness of the minds of those who say “there is no God [and] the Bible itself is wrong”.

“1. “That is to be taken metaphorically.” In other words, what is written is not what is meant. I find this entertaining, especially for those who decide what ISN’T to be taken as other than the absolute WORD OF GOD–which just happens to agree with the particular thing they happen to want…”

Anyone who refuses to allow for metaphors and allegories in literature and cannot even understand that “the Lamb of God”, means what it means instead of what it says, is metaphorically what the scriptures call an uncalled ‘dog’, who is not yet given a of mind to receive the Truth. The time we would waste on such a person we are instead instructed to use to feed God’s metaphorical ‘sheep’.

As an aside it is not a mere accident that this man has ‘six’ objections against those who defend the Bible.

“2. “There was more there than….” This is used when one verse says “there was a” and another says “there was b,” so they decide there was “a” AND “b”–which is said nowhere. This makes them happy, since it doesn’t say there WASN’T “a+b.” But it doesn’t say there was “a+b+little green martians.” This is often the same crowd that insists theirs is the ONLY possible interpretation (i.e., only “a”) and the only way. I find it entertaining they they don’t mind adding to verses.”

“…Which is said nowhere”? What utter nonsense! This man attempts to make the account of the three wise men contradict the account of the shepherds coming to see Christ the night of His birth.

Luk 2:16  And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
Luk 2:17  And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 
Luk 2:18  And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

The arrival of the three wise men was two years later. That is why Herod killed all the children 2 years old and under. It requires a prejudiced, biased and Godless mind to reject such clear evidence that the scriptures do indeed say “there was “a” (angels) AND “b” (wise men). That is just one example of how blind a fool can be in his folly, and why we are not to engage them in that folly lest we become “like unto them”.

Mat 2:1  Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
Mat 2:2  Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

Mat 2:7  Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 
Mat 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

The story of the three wise men has nothing to do with the account of the shepherds in the gospel of Luke. This is a story about a 2 year old “young child” in “the house”, not “in a manger”.

“3. “It has to be understood in context.” I find this amusing because it comes from the same crowd that likes to push likewise extracted verses that support their particular view. Often it is just one of the verses in the contradictory set which is supposed to be taken as THE TRUTH when, if you add more to it, it suddenly becomes “out of context.” How many of you have gotten JUST John 3:16 (taken out of all context) thrown at you?”

Well, even the devil is used by God to speak Truth at times. For example:

Gen 3:4  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
Gen 3:5  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 

While verse 4 is a direct contradiction of what God had told Adam and Eve, Christ Himself confesses that verse 5 is true:

Gen 3:22  And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

It is true that the vast majority of Christians quote verse 4 out of context, simply because they do not believe verse 5. But this writer himself thinks nothing of ignoring the context to attempt to discredit scripture as his assertion that the story of the shepherds contradicts the story of the three wise men demonstrates.

Nevertheless, it is true that context is not the only Biblical rule for understanding “the things of the spirit”. The fact is that the scriptures themselves declare that spiritual understanding is only to be had by “comparing spiritual things with spiritual”, a principle of Biblical exegesis which is completely rejected by both Christians and secular humanists alike:

1Co 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 
1Co 2:14  But the natural [secular humanist] man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 
1Co 2:15  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

That is the Truth of the Word of God. Do not waste your precious God-given time attempting to explain “the things of the spirit” to those who do not have the spirit, whether they are strangers like the writer on the Infidels.org website or your own family members. When we disobey the commandments of God telling us when to answer a fool and when not to answer a fool we are going “above that which is written”, and we are no better than the writers on Infidels.

“4. “There was just a copying/writing error.” This is sometimes called a “transcription error,” as in where one number was meant and an incorrect one was copied down. Or what was “quoted” wasn’t really what was said, but just what the author thought was said. And that’s right–I’m not disagreeing with events, I’m disagreeing with what is WRITTEN. Which is apparently agreed that it is incorrect. This is an amusing misdirection to the problem that the Bible itself is wrong.”

Whether infidels like it or not it is true that humans make errors when copying manuscripts by hand. It is also true that some of the oldest manuscripts are the most corrupted, but the “multitude of counselors” principle will keep any sincere Truth seeker from being misled by such errors and corruptions. There are over 5,000 Greek manuscripts extant and the errors and corruptions are absent in the vast majority of those manuscripts.

Pro 15:22  Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.

The principle of “the sum of Thy Word” also serves the sincere seeker of Truth very well in avoiding such errors and corruptions.

Psa 119:160  The sum of thy word is truth; And every one of thy righteous ordinances endureth for ever. (ASV)

The only person guilty of “misdirection” is a prejudiced infidel or agnostic who has no interest in doing anything other than disproving the validity of scripture, to the extent of excluding the use of metaphors in scripture, while allowing them in any other literature.

“5. “That is a miracle.” Naturally. That is why it is stated as fact.”

This objection is to be expected of anyone who does not believe in an invisible God. Sadly the lie of “theistic evolution” which has been adopted by the majority of Christians, is just as fatal to one’s salvation as atheism which does not believe in miracles. So if you do not believe in miracles why would you call your self a Christian at all, when the very foundation of the Christian religion is faith in the miraculous virgin birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. So much for number 5. God is a miracle working God who is not limited by mankind’s lack of faith.

“6. “God works in mysterious ways.” A useful dodge when the speaker doesn’t understand the conflict between what the Bible SAYS and what they WISH it said.

It is no doubt true that most Christians are not capable of defending the Word of God, and cling to the doctrines of their church over the plain statements of scripture, Infidels.org are as dedicated to the blind faith of their own secular humanist religion as is any Christian on earth. Nothing is more illogical than to believe that something came into existence out of nothing, and nothing is less demonstrably unscientific than the claims of evolutionists that live evolved from the non-living. The fact that many Christians are not equipped to defend their faith is in no way connected to the Truth of the scriptures.

Conclusion

I pray this study has helped you to be better equipped to see that Biblical “fools” are far more than just those who say ‘There is no God’. The fact is that secular humanism is hardly even a factor in the persecution of God’s elect. Here is who will be our chief adversary as we strive to follow in Christ’s steps:

Mat 10:17  But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; 

Jewish “synagogues” are shadows of modern day Christian churches, where the Word of God is a distant second to established church doctrine. It is our Lord’s commandments in Matthew 18:15-18, Titus 3:10-11, and Proverbs 26:4-5 which will keep us from slipping and disobeying our Lord’s commandments to answer a fool according to his folly lest he be wise in his own conceit, and answer not a fool according to his folly lest you be like unto him.

Pro 26:4  Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
Pro 26:5  Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

Mat 18:15  Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
Mat 18:16  But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
Mat 18:17  And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
Mat 18:18  Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Tit 3:10  A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;
Tit 3:11  Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

If we are given to be faithful to these commandments of God, we will be inoculated against the diseases which have infected all the churches of spiritual Egypt and Babylon:

Exo 15:26  And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.