(4) Answer not a [self-confident] fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him. (5) Answer a [self-confident] fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes and conceit. – Proverbs 26:4-5 Amplified Bible (AMP)

Proverbs 26:4 and Proverbs 26:5 seem to contradict each other. But, these two verses are not contradictory; rather, they form a firm foundation for good debating.

Every argument has a premise, or something that is presumed to be true without needing to be proven. People build arguments upon certain premises (or assumptions), and self-confident fools are no different. Proverbs 26:4 warns us not to accept a fool’s premise as the basis of our own arguments, for if we do, our arguments will be no more defensible than theirs.

For example, not long after Darwin’s Theory of Evolution began circulating the globe, many Christians engaged in theological gymnastics to try to reconcile the Bible with so-called “science.” Many Christians today still engage in such efforts, and they do so foolishly because they accept the fool’s premise that “science,” and therefore mankind (which is behind the science), is the final authority on truth. When accepting the premise that science is the final authority on truth, Christians have no choice but to twist their faith to fit science’s findings. When we do this, we become fools, albeit religious fools.

The firmer foundation is to work from the premise that God is the final authority on truth. If science contradicts what the Bible has to say, then mankind just doesn’t have all of the facts yet. Once we have our feet planted firmly on this correct premise, then we can answer the fool according to his or her folly (Proverbs 26:5) by pointing out the contradictions in his or her premise.

For example, the Theory of Evolution is still called a “theory” today, more than 100 years since its publication by Darwin, because it has never been “proven” to be true using the scientific method. The scientific method requires that theories be tested and studied to see if they agree with observable reality. One key claim of evolution – that one species can morph into a completely different species – has never been observed. Adaptation within a species has been observed, but “morphing” has never been observed. Darwin’s study of finches (a type of bird) has been hailed as proof of evolution for over a century, but all Darwin’s study proved was that, given the right environmental conditions, the beaks of finches will grow smaller or larger to adapt to their environments. Finches have never morphed into dogs or frogs or lions; they have always been finches.

Even when scientists do observe something to be “true,” they oftentimes find out later, when more information is available, that what they thought was true was actually false. How many times have we heard of scientists “proving” that “X” causes a certain disease, only to find out years later through another study that “X” doesn’t cause that disease? How many times have we heard scientists claim that “Y” drug will help people to heal from a certain ailment, only to find out later that “Y’s” side effects cause more harm than the ailment it was intended to combat? Even when science seems to prove things with the scientific method, time often brings new information to the table which changes everything.

Every time mankind thinks it has proven God wrong, time brings new information to light which demonstrates that God was right all along. Don’t accept the fool’s premise as the basis of your arguments for the Christian faith. If you do, you will be accepting an indefensible position, for your arguments will be based on the same shaky foundation as the fool’s. Instead, stand firm on the premise that God knows more than we do, and then attack the foolishness of the fool’s premise by showing him how contradictory and indefensible his way of thinking is.

Shop hundreds of Christian-themed products at our new store! A portion of each purchase goes to support the work of Today’s Quote From God. To visit the Today’s Quote From God Store, please click here.