Foolish Argument

For Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Proverbs 29:9

If a wise man has an argument with a fool,
The fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.

The fool has no interest in wisdom. He may enjoy words, but only as toys in which to enjoy foolishness. When a person tries to reason with him, the fool treats the effort as nothing more than a game of words which he believes he always wins. And he does. For if the purpose of an argument is to win over the other, the man of reason always loses against the fool. The fool is not only unconverted but believes he has out-done the wise man, for it is the wise man who always gives up first in frustration.

That is why other proverbs recommend discipline as the only effective means in controlling the folly of a fool. Corrective discipline, rather than corrective reasoning, is what can quiet the fool. And that is at least one credit for the fool. Unlike the wicked, his heart is not bent on evil. He is merely foolish in his thinking, and if he cannot comprehend what is reasonable, at least he will avoid what is painful.

Wisdom understands this principle. The wise man may first try argument, i.e. use rational thought with the fool. But when the raging and laughing come, the wise man will turn away if he has no authority in the matter or use appropriate discipline. In a similar manner, God so uses reason or discipline with us. As much as we like to think we are rational, the truth is that corrective discipline is needed to deal with our foolish ways.