The committed fool (kesil,lutz, and nabal) hates correction because it challenges the fortress of foolish speculations that undergird his identity. He has exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and God has given him over to his lusts. These lusts largely define who he is. Correction of this unhappy soul is rarely effective via the front door, where the Christian barges it down with the self-righteous zeal of Phineas, offering little empathy for the imprisoned soul shackled by lusts. In order to get a fool to reassess his "wisdom in his own eyes," the fool needs to hear the testimony of the believer whose previous foolishness he can relate to. It's hard to be defensive about someone else's idolatry, so if the Christian story resonates with the fool's story, the fool might be open to similar correction. Take the "I'm right/you're wrong" narrative off the table by identifying and sympathizing with the plight of the fool. If not for the grace of God, we're all incorrigible fools.
When Fools Test Your True Identity
This episode, focusing on Proverbs 26:4-5, admonishes believers to engage fools without being carnal. Fools are naturally defensive in regards to correction, since their identity is virtually synonymous with the lusts they pursue. Potential correction is threatening to their identity. The identity of Christians, by contrast, is Christ Himself, so believers SHOULD more easily abandon behaviors upon correction, because they are not reflective of their true holy identity. That being said, the Christian's old fleshly nature is often provoked by fools through personal attacks and verbal abuse designed to draw us into fleshly combat. Upon encountering fools, we need to find rest and peace in our secure positional identity in Christ, acknowledging that fools are insecure by nature, depending as they are on the world and its lusts that are passing away. (1 John 2:17)
Correct the Fool without Being Foolish
Proverbs 26:4-5 initially appears to give contradictory advice: "DO NOT ANSWER a fool according to his folly, or you will also be like him. ANSWER a fool according to his folly, that he not be wise in his own eyes." The keys to properly interpreting the apparently conflicting advice are the descriptions qualifying the imperative. The objective in the first case is engaging a fool without stooping to his level, using abusive language, character assassination, deflecting and blame-shifting. The goal should be rather narrowly correcting the fool over the issue in dispute, addressing raw facts without being abusive or judgmental of the fool. Of course the fool might still blow you off, but at least you're not communicating like the fool, according to his folly. And methodically sticking to the issue without being disrespectful is potentially corrective. The fool can no longer easily be right in his own eyes. The real issue then in these verses is how we converse with a fool, who would provoke a response in us that is verbally abusive, and abuse returned discredits whatever wisdom we might provide.
Wickedness and Slander, a Deadly Combination
"Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool (Proverbs 10:23), and "he who spreads slander is a fool." (Proverbs 10:18) Wanton pursuit of the "lusts of deceit" and a lying tongue are the trademarks of the kesil fool. This episode unpacks this deadly combination, particularly focusing on a tongue commandeered by wickedness. This fool's mind is consumed by lusts (Ecclesiastes 7:4), and the lust for reputation ("the boastful pride of life") produces many casualties via lying, slander, gossip and dissention. In the dog-eat-dog world of the fool, slander and destructive gossip are counter-intuitively the means of preserving reputation: incited negative attention on competitors deflects from the plots of the fool. So the Proverbs connects slander with concealment: "He who conceals hatred has lying lips, and he who spreads slander is a fool." (Proverbs 10:18) No one is safe, for even "the companion of fools will suffer harm." (Proverbs 13:20) The episode notes that believers, as recovering fools, have an advantage. We know the dynamics of fooldom since all of us are still being delivered from the "lusts of deceit." The program admonishes believers to challenge residing sympathy with the deeds of the flesh, particularly sins of the mouth that often get a pass, in light of the usual suspects of immorality and sensuality.
The Fool Trusts a Sick and Deceitful Heart
"He who trusts in his own heart is a fool." (Proverbs 28:26) This episode spells out the distinguishing traits of the kesil fool, particularly where he differs from the eviyl fool Whereas the eviyl fool trusts that his WAY is right (Proverbs 12:15), the kesil fool "trusts in his own heart." (Proverbs 28:26) And this confidence breaches the dam holding back wickedness. "The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick." (Jeremiah 17:9) The kesil fool pursues his own lusts without restraint, "for his mind is in the house of pleasure." (Ecclesiastes 7:4) The "lusts of deceit" consume him as the objectives of life, and God "turns him over" to "degrading passions" and a "depraved mind." (Romans 1:26, 28) The episode marks a transition in the correctability of fools. The previous fools, though ignorant and close-minded, are reachable, for they have not committed themselves to wickedness. They are potentially receptive to the wisdom of correction. Kesil fools however are committed to wickedness, and God Himself at one point no longer pursues them. This of course anticipates the limited response of believers to kesil fools.
Subtly Correcting the Uncorrectable
This episode finishes up the discussion of the eviyl fool and describes the salient characteristics of the kesil fool, the third level fool. Both the simple minded fool (pethey) and the eviyl fool are reachable. Though the eviyl fool is quarrelsome and close-minded, he hasn't "graduated" to full blown wickedness. The best strategy to reach the eviyl fool is dialogue that takes the winner/loser dynamic completely off the table. Eviyl fools want to be right all the time, so what would happen if they met a believer who doesn't contradict them, but humbly acknowledges that he is a wayward soul, always in need of correction? When believers communicate that they are often "wrong" based on God's standard, the only one that really matters, they are essentially tilling the soil of the eviyl's mind, where seeds of correction might germinate. The latter part of the program introduces the "kesil" fool, who, adds wickedness and deceit to the fool package, for "the mind of fools ("kesilim") is in the house of pleasure."
Caveats on Navigating Fooldom
The episode begins by addressing possible misinterpretations of Matthew 5:22 where Christ says, "whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell." Calling someone a fool here amounted to declaring that someone is worthless, a value judgment contradicted by the image of God in all men. We judge behavior not intrinsic worth. Along these lines, the program warns against rigidly labeling people, where we identify someone, for example, as a "nabal" fool. We can assess and identify behavior (in ourselves and others) that is characteristic of a certain level fool, without labeling or boxing them in as such. All saints are recovering fools who periodically act "foolish," though their fundamental identity is the "righteousness of God in Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:21) The episode lastly suggests strategies to subtly correct the eviyl fool. Since he/she is hypersensitive about being right all the time, try to avoid dialogue that makes one party "right" and the other party "wrong." Validate the opinions of others, when possible, maybe stating "I can see why you think that.." Then ask a question that is informed by a correct Biblical understanding. "What do you think of this take on the issue? Dialogue doesn't have to have "winners" and "losers," so try to take that zero-sum-game approach to conversation off the table.
Don’t Cast Pearls before Eviyl
This episode surveys descriptions of the second level fool described in Proverbs, the "eviyl fool." Unlike the pethey fool who is very teachable, to the point of credulity, the eviyl fool despises wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7) "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes" (Proverbs 12:15), and he hates correction. The insecurity of eviyl fools often manifests in quarrelsome behavior: they're not content to be right in their own eyes, for they need to be right in the eyes of others. "Any fool will quarrel." (Proverbs 20:3) Correcting an eviyl fool accomplishes little. "When a wise man has a controversy with a foolish man, the foolish man either rages or laughs, and there is no rest." (Proverbs 29:9) Wisdom is a threat to fools who hate correction, so predictably rage and/or scoffing are designed to protect the fragile self-image of the fool. This fool is so resistant to correction, that foolishness doesn't depart, "though you pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain." (Proverbs 27:22)
Instruct the Simple
This episode begins a survey of 5 types of fools described in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. The first level fool most closely approximates the "fool" in English. The pethey fool refers to the simple and naive one, and unlike the other 4 fools, doesn't presume hatred or resistance to the knowledge of God. The pethey is credulous and uninformed and therefore vulnerable to the schemes of the wicked. The purpose of Proverbs is "to give prudence to the naive" (Proverbs 1:4) With respect to responding to the pethey, believers are strongly encouraged to instruct the simple with godly counsel. While saints are discouraged from responding to a "scoffer" (level 4 fool), Proverbs makes an exception in the event a scoffer's words might negatively impact the pethey. Bad counsel must be corrected: "when the scoffer is punished, the naive becomes wise." (Proverbs 21:11)
Sinners Made Saints: It’s Just the Beginning
This episode mostly addresses the transition from the kingdom of fools to the kingdom of God's beloved son. All saints once partook of the kingdom of fools. Indulging in lusts is the tell-tale sign of fools, and Paul, an outwardly righteous Jew according to Philippians 3:6, acknowledges that he also pursued lusts: "we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath."(Ephesians 3:3) Forgiveness marks the believer's transfer from the kingdom of darkness (fools) into the kingdom of God's beloved Son (Colossians 1:13). Confession that Christ is Lord begins the life-long process of extracting residual foolishness from saints in Christ's kingdom. The episode emphasizes cooperation with the Holy Spirit, who constantly convicts and corrects believers, admonishing them to abandon all sympathy with fooldom. The program also includes 3 criteria that hearers can use to assess their progress in repudiating fooldom.