60. Understanding Biblical Contradictions

How do you deal with foolish people?

The Bible gives a surprisingly complicated answer.

In Proverbs 26:4 we're told:
“Do not answer a fool according to his folly...”

And then, in the very next verse:
“Answer a fool according to his folly...”

So which is it?

In this reflection on Psalm 14, John Ortberg explores why biblical wisdom can't be reduced to a simple set of rules. Sometimes wisdom requires speaking. Sometimes it requires silence. Sometimes you engage. Sometimes you walk away.

The goal of Scripture isn't merely to give us enough information to always follow the right rule. It's to form us into wise people, capable of judgment, discernment, and love.
And Psalm 14 eventually turns the question around.

Instead of asking only, “How do I deal with the fools out there?” perhaps we need to ask:
“How do I deal with the fool in here?”

In this episode:
- Psalm 14 and the meaning of foolishness
- Why sin isn't only bad, but foolish
- Proverbs 26:4–5 and seemingly contradictory wisdom
- Why the Bible doesn't simply give us rules
- How Scripture forms judgment and discernment
- When to engage a foolish person and when to walk away
- Why biblical narratives require us to wrestle
- The Psalms as honest journals rather than rulebooks
- What it means to live as though "there is no God"
- 1 Corinthians 13 and filling our minds with Scripture
- How to become a wiser person

Scriptures:
- Psalm 14
- Proverbs 26:4–5
- 1 Corinthians 13

#Psalm14 #JohnOrtberg #Wisdom #Proverbs #Psalms #BibleStudy #SpiritualFormation #ChristianFaith #Discernment #Relationships


📚 Today's Resources:
David A. Hubbard, Proverbs (The Preacher’s Commentary, Volume 15)  


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00:00 Why Do I Do Stupid Things?
 01:01 The Folly of Sin
 01:47 How Do We Acquire Wisdom?
 02:07 Fool Management 101
 02:33 Proverbs on Dealing With Fools
 03:01 Don't Answer a Fool...Answer a Fool?
 03:32 Does the Bible Contradict Itself?
 04:14 What Scripture Is Actually Trying to Do
 05:08 Why Rules Aren't Enough
 05:36 When to Engage a Fool
 06:24 Wisdom Requires Discernment
 06:49 Contradictory Words of Wisdom
 07:16 Wisdom Isn't a Formula
 07:59 Why the Bible Makes Us Wrestle
 08:25 The Psalms Aren't a Rulebook
 08:42 Psalm 14 & the Fool
 09:45 Who Are the Righteous?
 10:09 The Fool in Here
 10:29 Wisdom Begins With Surrender
 10:50 Fill Your Mind With Scripture
 11:26 How to Become Wiser
 11:49 Fool Management 101