Should You Answer a Fool or Not?

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

Is this a contradiction?

No, this is a comparison/contrast. The ending of each verse tells us what is intended by the first admonition.

In verse four, we are warned against being like the fool, or answering him foolishly, that is, answering in such a manner as there appears to be no difference between us (manipulation, name-calling, wild accusations, sensationalism, "I know you are, but what am I?," etc). In verse five, however, we are counseled to rebuke the fool lest he appear wise, and to do so in a manner that cuts to the heart of the issue. I could point to numerous examples of this in politics and the media, where people routinely say foolish things but come across as intelligent and reputable in the eyes of some because their assertions go unchallenged by critical thinkers who know how to expose such things.

Taken together, these verses are counseling us to combat foolishness by addressing why something is foolish rather than by acting like fools ourselves.

*Image credit: Karen Arnold - www.publicdomainpictures.net

http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=34596&picture=question-mark

Response to Tim Kaine on Genesis and Gay Marriage

The following is a video I made back in September but somehow forgot to include on my blog at that time.

In his keynote address at the 2016 Human Rights Commission's dinner, former Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Tim Kaine stated that religious attitudes on gay marriage will eventually change because, in the first chapter of Genesis, God pronounced his creation of mankind "very good." Mr. Kaine's comments demonstrate an appalling lack of biblical literacy, to say nothing of a lack of critical thinking skills. He has taken the practice of twisting scripture in the name of promoting a socio-political agenda to a whole new level of ridiculousness.

The Righteousness by Law versus the Righteousness by Faith

For I testify about them [the Jews] that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: 'Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).' But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart'—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved... - Romans 10:2-9

Paul's phraseology in this passage can be a little confusing, so if you've ever wondered what he's getting at here, I hope the following will be of help.

The context is the righteousness that comes through Christ by grace versus the righteousness offered by keeping the Law of Moses. Paul regrets that his fellow Jews, while zealous for God in their own way, have as a whole rejected Christ, who is the end (or fulfillment) of the quest to find favor with God. As Paul points out here, they were trying to "establish their own righteousness."

To understand what Paul is getting at, we need to think back on how the Jews operated under the Law of Moses.

The Law was a system of observances, commandments, offerings, and animal sacrifices. Atonement for the sins of the people was achieved by the sacrifices, which were performed by priests, first in the Tabernacle and, later, in the Temple. These sacrifices had to be performed continually, and once per year - on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) - the High Priest would offer a sacrifice for the sins of the entire nation. This system allowed sin to be "covered" but not done away with (see Hebrews 10), as is testified by the fact that the sacrifices had to be performed continually - day after day, year after year.

Christ, on the other hand, was the "once for all" sacrifice for sins; once his work was done, it never needed to be repeated (Hebrews 9:25-28; 10:8-18). He was sent to mankind by God and, after being offered up, was raised to life again by God.

Contrast this with the sacrificial system under the Law:

When the Jews needed a sacrificial lamb, they selected one from their flock after visually inspecting it for blemishes. If it was found "pure" in this fashion, it was then put to death in a prescribed manner and consumed. The Jews could do this at will.

As the "Lamb of God," Christ was not selected by men but by God himself. God sent him to mankind, and, after he was offered, raised him up to life again. Men were incapable of this sort of sacrifice, and that is Paul's point in Romans 10:2-9. Under the Law, men could select their sacrificial lamb from among their flocks; but "Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down)"? And the sacrificial lamb, once slain, could not be raised to life again. "Who will descend into the abyss? (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)." The resurrection is an essential factor in the gospel, not merely an impressive miracle. Christ's death satisfied the penalty for sin, but only his resurrection gives us new life (John 6:57; 14:19; I Corinthians 15:12-19).

Thus, from beginning to end, salvation through Christ is entirely a work of God, offered by his grace and accessible solely by faith. Man cannot obtain this righteousness by any system of works. He could never offer this sort of sacrifice for himself. Thus, "the righteousness based on faith" says, effectively: "Don't ask what man can do this for you; rather, believe that God has done it for you, and submit to the sufficiency of it."

- Scriptures quotations taken from the NASB

- Photo King Solomon dedicates the Temple at Jerusalem, by James Tissot (public domain image)

Tips for better understanding the Bible

Many people are interested in reading and studying the Bible but find it difficult to understand and become discouraged. The following are some tips that may help you understand it better and enjoy it more:

1. Like any other book, the Bible builds on itself. There is plenty you can understand without having read the whole thing, but to properly understand its overall message, imagery, deeper themes, and repeated references you really need to take the time to build a working knowledge of the whole book. The more you know about it, the more readily you'll be able to link passages together and form complete pictures of what is being presented (and the quicker you'll recognize error when you hear it). Cults and false teachers would not be nearly as successful as they are if people had a broader base of Bible knowledge from which to draw.

2. Context, context, context! Some of the worst mistakes people make in their efforts to understand the Bible (and what it reveals about God himself) are rooted in taking scriptures out of their context. This is especially problematic in Paul's epistles, as Paul regularly engages in lengthy discourses about the topics he covers. Base your reading around themes rather than individual verses or the scriptures parceled out in suggested reading guides. For instance, if you want to understand Hebrews chapter 6, you're going to need to understand chapters 1 through 5 first. This is going to require some time and effort, but there is simply no other way to properly understand scripture.

Understand that the Bible is not laid out like an encyclopedia; very seldom will you find everything you need to know about a subject (like salvation, for instance) in one passage, unless it's a historical reference (speaking of a particular event). Make a habit of searching for all occurrences of terms related to subjects you're studying (Bible computer programs like E-Sword and websites like Bible Gateway and Blue Letter Bible make this easy). Also, learn how to use cross-references, which are passages of scripture that may be related in some way to the passage you're reading at the moment. Cross-references are often found in the margin of many Bibles, especially study Bibles, and can be very helpful.

3. Do your best to avoid reading the Bible through "lenses" provided by books, study guides, and popular teachers. As good-intentioned as most of these are, virtually everyone brings preconceived notions and doctrinal biases to their teaching, and it's easy to fall into the habit of trying to understand the Bible according to what Dr. So-and-so thinks. One of the best things I ever did was to read the Bible from cover to cover without any particular doctrines and perspectives in mind, just allowing it to speak for itself. Be sure you believe what you believe because you, personally, are convinced of it rather than because someone you respect is convinced of it. Remember that the vast majority of pastors and teachers come from denominational institutions that were established to defend and perpetuate certain theological belief systems.

If you consult study guides, start off with theologically-neutral resources such as Bible dictionaries, interlinears, and concordances rather than with commentaries. These things will help you understand the text without necessarily coloring your view of it. I would avoid commentaries until you have broad base of biblical knowledge from which to draw.

4. Bear in mind that the Bible was not written in English; it was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, and has been translated into English. If in doubt as to the meaning of a particular word or passage, do a word-study. A word-study is an examination of the original language from which our English Bible was translated, and can be done quite easily using a program like E-Sword (which is free) or a site like Blue Letter Bible. Translators mean well but they're not infallible. They occasionally make mistakes and sometimes translate passages with certain theological biases in mind. Also, part of a translator's job is to make a text comfortable to read, so there are times when they will translate a passage of scripture in a manner that obscures the precise meaning; this happens a lot with verb tenses, and can impact your ability to understand a passage correctly.

Attempt to learn how the original audience to whom a book or passage was written would have understood it (a Bible handbook or dictionary can help with this). Don't assume that an ancient reader from the Middle East would have understood a concept the same way an American would today.

5. Find a reputable, understandable translation. If you picked up the King James family Bible your parents were given when they got married, and find it difficult to understand clearly, there's a reason for that: you're reading English that is 400 years out of date. A lot has changed in our language in all of that time, and you may find that the Bible opens up to you in a whole new way when you try reading it in modern English. Among the translations I recommend are the New King James Version, the New American Standard Version, and the English Standard Version (I've used all of them a great deal). For study I also recommend Young's Literal Translation; it's a bit wooden and awkward for general reading purposes, but it's excellent for gaining a better knowledge of the original text of the scriptures without having to consult Hebrew and Greek study tools (although I certainly recommend consulting these resources once you're comfortable enough to do so). I also recommend the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) once you've built up a good, general foundation of scriptural knowledge.

One further note on this: some people are partial to the King James Version, for a number of reasons, and I respect their preference. Others, however, will argue that it's the *only* preserved Word of God in English, and vehemently argue against the use of any other translation. I'm very familiar with this debate, have studied the issue out for myself, and completely disagree. Yes, there are Bible versions you should avoid (in particular The Message and the New World Translation, the latter of which is a cult translation), and there are versions that I would not recommend until you have established familiarity with more strictly accurate versions (such as the New King James and New American Standard) - the New International Version (NIV) is a prominent example in this middle category; but don't let this become a stumbling block for you. There are plenty of resources online and in print that address this issue. If you feel the need to get into the matter, consult what *both* sides have to say and then make an informed decision. Don't let people intimidate you. Many who sound off on this come across as authoritative but really have little idea what they're talking about.

You may also find it very helpful to compare translations, as they tend to bring out different nuances that can be helpful in understanding the scriptures. I've seen this proven many times. And for those who do enjoy older English, I recommend trying the Geneva Bible.

6. Be willing to make the time investment. Just like any other discipline, understanding the Bible takes time; but if the Bible really is what it claims to be (the Word of God), what else could be more worthwhile than coming to know it better? 

7. Ask the Lord to open your understanding as you read (Luke 24:45). As the one who inspired the scriptures, only he can really bring out the full force of its truth. Often, you'll find that he will do this based on what you need at the moment. I've experienced this a number of times, and as much as I've read and studied the Bible over the years, I'm still finding new things in passages I've read dozens of times.

8. Study with others. If you're a Christian, you're a member of the Body of Christ, and each member of that body has been granted unique gifts that are designed to help strengthen the entire body. While the Lord will certainly speak to you in your own private devotions, it is wise to call upon the experience and understanding of other believers as well, and especially those who have been believers longer than you. They may see things that you've overlooked and may think of things that would never have occurred to you otherwise.

9. Take notes and/or post thoughts on what you've read. Often, when you read and study the Bible you'll come across items of interest that you may want to recall later and/or return to for further study. For that reason, it's a good idea to write down references to the passages you read and any immediate thoughts you have on them. You may even want to consider blogging or otherwise posting your thoughts on social media. This can serve two purposes: a) It serves as a way of remembering what you've read and learned, and b) your thoughts might be of benefit to others.

10. Above all - apply what you learn! The Bible contains much that is transformative, but in order for this to occur, it must be applied to our lives. Start doing something with what you learn as you read the Bible, and you'll find that God will give you even more understanding. Like any good manager, God is not in the habit of giving his valuables to those who won't do anything productive with them.

May God bless you richly as you come to know him better through his word!

Walter Martin on the Church and the Tribulation

The late, great Dr. Walter Martin on the church and the Great Tribulation:

The Inner Rot and Torment of Unforgiveness

When an animal is killed on a highway and the body is not cleaned up or dragged off into the woods by something, as often happens on secondary roads, driving through the area can be a pretty stomach-turning experience. The process of decay isn’t pretty, and the aroma it produces isn’t exactly something they typically bottle and sell at Dillard’s. Even after the body finally decays into an unrecognizable mess and the smell dissipates, the side of the road often bears the stain of its decomposition for a long time afterward, and a lot of people avoid even looking at it.

A similar process takes place in the human heart.

Unless tended to quickly, anger and wounded emotions can ripen into bitterness, which can then fester and putrefy into hatred. Anger, bitterness, and hatred are forms of spiritual death and decay. As a deer carcass rotting on the side of the road fills the immediate area with the stench of its decomposition, these destructive emotions and attitudes can quickly permeate an entire personality, to the point where everyone around the affected person can see and feel the results, even if they don’t know the cause (ever drive through a particular area, wrinkle your nose, and say “What died here?”).

The results of emotional death and decay are equally unmistakable. The longer it goes on, the worse it gets, the more thoroughly it permeates everything around it, and the more difficult it is to clean up completely. It leaves a stain on the personality that repels even the person who carries it. Who among us would take a rotting deer carcass home, sleep in the same room with it, bathe with it, tie it onto our backs and take it with us from place to place? The very idea is vomit-inducing. A person could not do such a thing and remain sane.

It’s little wonder then that wounded people so often hate themselves, engage in self-destructive behavior, tend to destroy all of their relationships (no matter how desperately they may want to love and be loved), and hate those around them who seem to be leading normal lives. They are walking tombs; they carry death and decay inside of themselves. It has come to saturate their every emotion, every reaction, and every thought process. Often, they are obsessed with death, pain, violence, the trappings of death, the occult and supernatural, spirits, death-related imagery, and wanting to die.

It’s little wonder that in the New Testament book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul warns us: “Do not let the sun go down on your anger” (Ephesians 4:26). In other words, don’t let your anger fester; you can reach a point where it literally takes a miracle to set you free.

Yet, freedom is possible. Christ can deliver a person from anger, bitterness, and hatred, and can clean up the darkest heart, but he will not do so against our will. If you want to be free, you must determine to forgive all who have ever hurt you. The anger you feel toward those people is source of the problem, and as such it has to go, or it will just continue to poison you.

“But what they did to me was WRONG! It was TERRIBLE! I CAN'T forgive them!”

If this is your objection—and believe me, I understand it, as I’ve been deeply hurt by people myself and held on to that anger for a long time—you’re not understanding what I mean by ‘forgiveness’; what God means by it.

Forgiving a person does not mean that what they did to you was okay. It does not mean that they were right and you were wrong. It does not mean that you deserved what happened to you. It does not mean that you will forget what happened. It does not mean that you have to become their best friend or even speak to them again. It simply means that you cancel the debt they owe you. It’s just like tearing up an I.O.U. Think of what they did to you as a legal debt they owe you, like a large sum of money. Forgiving them is tearing up the bill, releasing them from your demand that they pay, that you be allowed vengeance on them. It means that you leave the question of payment, of vengeance, to God.

This is a decision, an act of the will, not a feeling, not an emotion. You may feel like killing them, and you can’t help the feeling, but what you choose to do is another matter. You can choose freedom, or you can choose to carry spiritual death and decay around in yourself until it saturates every area of your life, destroying you and those around you.

Adding to this, there are evil forces that will walk through what is essentially an open door in your life and do their best to see to it that you never get free; they will subject you to all manner of mental, emotional, and physical torment (see Matthew 18:21-36). In Ephesians 4, the Apostle Paul follows his admonition to “not let the sun go down on your anger,” with: “Do not give place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:27). The word “place” in this verse is translated from a Greek word that means ‘a particular, reserved, or marked-off place.’ Today, we would use such a word to designate something like a reserved parking spot. In other words, the New Testament warning is that festering anger in us sets aside a place in our lives for the devil to operate in us. It would be like giving him a room in your house, or an office in your building, for him to use as he sees fit, and as the Lord Jesus himself warned us in John 10:10, the devil comes only to “steal and kill and destroy.”

Is it any wonder then that so many who carry hatred and deep emotional wounds are also involved with the occult, obsessed with death, and seem to be caught up in the midst of perpetual ruin? It’s no coincidence.

If someone hurt you, what good do you do yourself by allowing what they did to continue to hurt you, to keep you from every good thing that might otherwise enter your life—even to allow evil spiritual forces to enter and control you? You’re not hurting the person who hurt you; you’re hurting yourself, but Christ can set you free if you’re willing to take the first step and make the decision to forgive.

Further, to become permanently free, make the decision to give your life to Christ, to make him Lord. Only by the Spirit of God in your life can you successfully overcome and be healed from the wounds of the past. Why give a place, room, or office space to the devil when you can give it to God instead? This doesn’t mean that you have to run right out and join a church, give up a bunch of money to some guy on TV with a $100 haircut, or live in a cave somewhere like a monk. It simply means that you give up control of your life to Christ and trust him to work out what is best for you as you follow him. Ask him to forgive you of every sin, to give you a new life, to cleanse and heal you, to lead you in the way you should go, to help you to overcome everything that has hurt you and held you back in the past, to give you hope and a future. Jesus came and died for us, in our place, taking the wrath of God for everything we have ever done wrong or ever will, in order to give us life, to provide for our deliverance and healing. When we come to him, turning away from our old life (what the Bible calls ‘repentance’), he takes our guilt and gives us his righteousness. His resurrection from the dead was not just a good way to end a tragic story; it’s the proof that God the Father accepted what he did on our behalf and will grant life to all who come to him and obey him.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” - Matthew 11:28-29

“If you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” - Romans 10:9-10

“Because I live, you will live also.” - John 14:19

Maybe you want to take this step but you’re confused and conflicted, you don’t know what to say, how to start. Here’s a model prayer that will help you, if you’re sincere:

“God, I don’t really know what to say to you. I don’t know that I’m even sure that you’re there and listening to me. I’m talking to you because I know I can’t go on like this. I’m coming to you because you say you will help me. If what the Bible says about Jesus is the truth, if he is really your Son, if he died in my place and came back to life so that I could be reconciled with you, then I give you my life right now. Take it and be my Lord. Forgive me and wipe away all of my sins. And because I ask you to forgive me, I choose, as an act of my will, to forgive all of those who have hurt me, especially...[name the people and what they did to you] and I ask you to change my heart toward them however you will. I give them over to you. I ask you to heal me inside, to deliver me from the death and rottenness that have festered in my heart, and from any and all evil spirits that I have given a place to in my life. I take back those places and give them over to you. Take full possession of every part of me. Give me your Spirit with all of the gifts he brings, fill me with your peace, and teach me how to live for you.”

Don’t let your heart, mind, and emotions become just another lonely stretch of highway where something died and was left to rot. Give it to the one who can clean up anything, who can restore you, who can fill you with life and make you a blessing to the whole world.

“He who believes in me, just as the scriptures have said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.” – John 7:38

Proximity to Christ - the Key to overcoming in the End Times

"We're more than conquerors, why? 'Through Him that loved us.' Where does the strength to overcome come? It comes through the Lord Jesus Christ. And your deliverance, your Bible study, your prayer will help you get close to Him, and to that end, they're extremely valuable to help you get through the hard times. If Christians don't get ready for hard times, when they hit they're going to think God died...

"We're more than conquerors, but it's through Jesus Christ. Now everything that gets us close to the Lord is going to get us further from these things that can overcome us. It's the consciousness of His presence with us that's going to cause us to look past the tribulation and see the glory coming, past the distress, past the persecution, past the famine, past the nakedness, peril, or sword. If you don't have that, then you're going to crumple and pile up and you may have a nervous breakdown.

"When the hard times hit...and when the bottom drops out, as it one of these days will, when that happens, you're going to see a lot of Christians have nervous breakdowns. A lot of preachers are going to have nervous breakdowns. Because they honestly have no earthly way to cope with disaster. Some of these so-called great ministers are going to just completely come apart at the seams, because they've been built on a pipe dream, and on a bubble, and when that bubble pops, there'll be nothing left to support it; it'll come crashing down...

"The people have not been taught to do anything but gather together in great big bunches saying 'Hip-tee-doo!' and 'Hallelu,' in one extreme, or they sit together like wooden Indians, saying 'Amen. Now let's go out the door.' But either way they're not getting anything that's going to take them through hard times when they hit. They have not been taught to be individual believers, and households to be individual groups, locked together for the purpose of resisting the enemy and reaching out to minister to other believers and others who are in need. It's wonderful to have a church to come to, and we should thank God every week that goes by that we're still permitted to worship without soldiers breaking through the back doors back there, and police coming and marching the preacher off to jail, because you never know when that's going to cease. The enemy is working ceaselessly...

"But you have to realize that most believers are not ready for anything like this. Their whole lives are geared to the world system, the economic and social thing, and when that tears and rips, they'll have nothing left, nothing to cling to. Have you ever thought how it would be if you came to a situation where you were suddenly swept away from your church and your preacher and you didn't even have a Bible? And all you'd have to go on spiritually would be what you could remember, from the messages you had heard, from the scriptures you had studied...all the songs you could remember and bring back to mind to sing. And maybe you're off in an isolation ward someplace by yourself. How are you going to keep from going crazy?

"You say, 'That's scary stuff. That'll never happen.' That's what everybody thinks....Do you remember the first time you had an accident in your car? You knew you'd never have an accident, you know, because you were very careful and everything. You forgot that there were other people involved. You remember the shock you had the first time you had an accident, how fast it happened? It happened so quickly you could hardly remember what happened at all. All of a sudden everything was all crumpled up, and it couldn't be! It was like something out of a dream, it happened so quick. 'Where did they come from...I didn't see anything," you know. And yet here's the two cars all smacked up, all torn up, in a moment. It happened *so* quick. And that's exactly the way the disaster will strike the world. It says like labor pains coming, just suddenly, out of nowhere...bang! Now the signs are here.

"You know, a lady who's carrying a baby has many signs that she's going to have one. You're a fool if she walks around for nine months and when she has labor pains you think, 'Oh, I never expected that!' You know, that's a little ridiculous. Because she's obviously been going to give birth for a good while. And you'd be a fool not to anticipate and make some type of preparation for the time when that's going to happen. But that's exactly what's happening in our world. This old world is pregnant with evil and wickedness, and it's going to be birthed one of these days, and we'd be a fool to stand by and say, 'Oh, I didn't expect anything like that!' And yet that's where many believers are. They have no idea that there's anything wrong at all. It's roses and buttercups all the way down the path. But God's people aren't supposed to get like that. But we *are* supposed to get close to the Lord, because in the times that are hard, whether they're moderately hard, very hard, or extremely hard, no matter how difficult they become, it's going to be your relationship to the Lord and your geography concerning the Lord that's going to help you."

- Pastor Win Worley, January, 1985