Question 1

How can I tell if I’m being foolish?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 53:1Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!Jeremiah 5:4-5, 21Then I said, “But what can we expect from the poor? They are ignorant. They don’t know the ways of the Lord. They don’t understand God’s laws.” So I will go to speak to their leaders. . . . But the leaders, too, as one man, had thrown off God’s yoke and broken his chains. . . . Listen, you foolish and senseless people, with eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear.Luke 24:25Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures.”Romans 1:20Ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.Fools don’t believe in God, in his ways, or in his Word. They see the footprints and fingerprints of the Creator but deny he is there.Psalm 94:7-8“The Lord isn’t looking,” they say, “and besides, the God of Israel doesn’t care.” Think again, you fools! When will you finally catch on?Romans 1:21Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.Fools ignore God, neglect God, or imagine in their own minds who God is and what he is like.Proverbs 12:15Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.Proverbs 28:26Those who trust their own insight are foolish, but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe.Romans 1:22Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.Fools think they are in control of their lives and their future; therefore, they don’t listen to advice.1 Kings 12:8Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older men and instead asked the opinion of the young men who had grown up with him and were now his advisers.2 Chronicles 16:7-9At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa and told him, “Because you have put your trust in the king of Aram instead of in the Lord your God, you missed your chance . . . The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war.”Isaiah 19:11-13What fools are the officials of Zoan! Their best counsel to the king of Egypt is stupid and wrong. Will they still boast to Pharaoh of their wisdom? Will they dare brag about all their wise ancestors? Where are your wise counselors, Pharaoh? Let them tell you what God plans, what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is going to do to Egypt. The officials of Zoan are fools, and the officials of Memphis are deluded. The leaders of the people have led Egypt astray.Fools usually place their trust in the wrong people. Fools who trust in other fools do not have a promising future!Proverbs 1:22“How long, you simpletons, will you insist on being simpleminded? How long will you mockers relish your mocking? How long will you fools hate knowledge?”Proverbs 15:14A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash.Fools don’t believe the truth, while the wise crave it.Proverbs 14:8The prudent understand where they are going, but fools deceive themselves.Fools don’t plan for the future; they live only for the moment.

Question 2

What does foolish behavior look like?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 14:1Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!Psalm 94:5-6They crush your people, Lord, hurting those you claim as your own. They kill widows and foreigners and murder orphans.Proverbs 10:23Doing wrong is fun for a fool, but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible.Proverbs 13:19It is pleasant to see dreams come true, but fools refuse to turn from evil to attain them.Proverbs 24:9The schemes of a fool are sinful; everyone detests a mocker.Isaiah 32:6Fools speak foolishness and make evil plans. They practice ungodliness and spread false teachings about the Lord. They deprive the hungry of food and give no water to the thirsty.Jeremiah 4:22“My people are foolish and do not know me,” says the Lord. “They are stupid children who have no understanding. They are clever enough at doing wrong, but they have no idea how to do right!”A fool has lost perspective about what is right and wrong, true and false. A fool has no anchor of absolute truth in God and, therefore, drifts through life following sinful whims.Matthew 7:24-27“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”Fools ignore God’s Word, the advice that can guide them safely through life.1 Samuel 13:13“How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.”1 Chronicles 21:8Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt for doing this foolish thing.”Psalm 107:17Some were fools; they rebelled and suffered for their sins.Fools disobey God’s Word and rebel against it. They reject God’s good blessings in search of something else and bring suffering on themselves.Proverbs 1:28-33“When they cry for help, I will not answer. Though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me. For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the Lord. They rejected my advice and paid no attention when I corrected them. Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, choking on their own schemes. For simpletons turn away from me—to death. Fools are destroyed by their own complacency. But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.”Proverbs 5:23He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his great foolishness.Proverbs 10:8The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces.Proverbs 15:5Only a fool despises a parent’s discipline; whoever learns from correction is wise.Fools despise instruction and ultimately prove their ignorance to everyone.Luke 12:21“A person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”Fools make decisions based on misplaced priorities, placing a high value on things that matter the least.Ephesians 5:15-17So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.Fools are thoughtless for themselves and others and have no regard for the future.Proverbs 29:11Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.Ecclesiastes 7:9Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.Fools are angry and quick-tempered.Proverbs 14:1A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.Foolish people are destructive. They carelessly tear their own lives and families apart.Proverbs 19:1Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and a fool.Jeremiah 17:11Like a partridge that hatches eggs she has not laid, so are those who get their wealth by unjust means. At midlife they will lose their riches; in the end, they will become poor old fools.Fools are dishonest.Ecclesiastes 5:4When you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him.Luke 11:39-40Then the Lord said to him, “You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and wickedness! Fools! Didn’t God make the inside as well as the outside?”James 2:20How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?Fools are hypocrites. They put on a show, trying to convince themselves and others they are better than they are. They forget that God sees through such charades.Proverbs 12:11A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies has no sense.Fools are lazy. They waste time and avoid hard work. They don’t recognize that doing something produces something, and doing nothing produces nothing.

Question 3

How is foolishness hurtful?

Accepted Answer

1 Corinthians 1:18The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.The spiritual blindness from foolishness is an obstacle to establishing and maintaining a relationship with God.Proverbs 15:20Sensible children bring joy to their father; foolish children despise their mother.Proverbs 19:13A foolish child is a calamity to a father; a quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping.Foolishness is harmful to relationships and can tear a family apart.Ecclesiastes 10:12Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words.Foolish speech is destructive. While wise words nourish, foolish words are poison.Psalm 38:4-10My guilt overwhelms me—it is a burden too heavy to bear. My wounds fester and stink because of my foolish sins. I am bent over and racked with pain. All day long I walk around filled with grief. A raging fever burns within me, and my health is broken. I am exhausted and completely crushed. My groans come from an anguished heart. You know what I long for, Lord; you hear my every sigh. My heart beats wildly, my strength fails, and I am going blind.Foolish living can lead to harmful physical consequences.Proverbs 1:28-33“When they cry for help, I will not answer. Though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me. For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the Lord. They rejected my advice and paid no attention when I corrected them. Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, choking on their own schemes. For simpletons turn away from me—to death. Fools are destroyed by their own complacency. But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.”Proverbs 14:16The wise are cautious and avoid danger; fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence.Proverbs 19:3People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord.1 Timothy 6:9People who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.Foolishness has destructive consequences. It can send us into a downward spiral of complacency, leading a life amounting to nothing.

Question 4

What are the consequences of foolishness?

Accepted Answer

Mark 7:21-23“For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”Fools are not acceptable to God, for their foolishness has corrupted them.Proverbs 24:7Wisdom is too lofty for fools. Among leaders at the city gate, they have nothing to say.Romans 1:21Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.1 Corinthians 2:14People who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.Foolishness brings confusion, causing the fool to think that wisdom sounds foolish and foolishness sounds wise.Proverbs 26:11As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness.Foolish behavior is often a repetitive, even addictive, cycle.Proverbs 22:3A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.The carelessness of fools often results in dangerous consequences. Carelessness involves ignorance about situations, insensitivity toward others, and apathy about the consequences of actions.Proverbs 3:35The wise inherit honor, but fools are put to shame!Foolish decisions and actions often lead to shame.Proverbs 1:28-33“When they cry for help, I will not answer. Though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me. For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the Lord. They rejected my advice and paid no attention when I corrected them. Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, choking on their own schemes. For simpletons turn away from me—to death. Fools are destroyed by their own complacency. But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.”Foolishness can lead to complacency about God and ultimately to destruction.Matthew 25:13“So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.”Fools are unprepared for Christ’s return, for they are wandering down the wrong road.Proverbs 12:23The wise don’t make a show of their knowledge, but fools broadcast their foolishness.Proverbs 13:16Wise people think before they act; fools don’t—and even brag about their foolishness.Proverbs 15:2The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing, but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness.Proverbs 18:2Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions.Proverbs 29:11Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.Ecclesiastes 5:3Too much activity gives you restless dreams; too many words make you a fool.Ecclesiastes 10:1As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink, so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor.Ecclesiastes 10:3You can identify fools just by the way they walk down the street!Foolishness eventually reveals how foolish it really is.

Question 5

How does foolish speech hurt others?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 18:6-7Fools’ words get them into constant quarrels; they are asking for a beating. The mouths of fools are their ruin; they trap themselves with their lips.Proverbs 20:3Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling.Proverbs 26:18-19Just as damaging as a madman shooting a deadly weapon is someone who lies to a friend and then says, “I was only joking.”1 Timothy 6:4Anyone who teaches something different is arrogant and lacks understanding. Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, division, slander, and evil suspicions.2 Timothy 2:23Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights.Titus 3:9Do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time.Foolish speech can lead to conflict and dissension. When we shoot sharp words at others, we can expect them to shoot back at us, escalating a conflict.Ecclesiastes 10:12Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words.Foolish speech is destructive. Wise words nourish and heal; foolish words are a deadly fire that spreads out of control and leaves destruction in its wake.Ephesians 5:4Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.James 3:5-6The tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.Foolish speech is unhealthy, tainting the soul.Proverbs 10:18Hiding hatred makes you a liar; slandering others makes you a fool.Foolish speech can be slanderous, robbing another person’s reputation and dignity.Proverbs 1:22“How long, you simpletons, will you insist on being simpleminded? How long will you mockers relish your mocking? How long will you fools hate knowledge?”Proverbs 14:6, 9A mocker seeks wisdom and never finds it, but knowledge comes easily to those with understanding. . . . Fools make fun of guilt, but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation.Proverbs 23:9Don’t waste your breath on fools, for they will despise the wisest advice.Proverbs 24:9The schemes of a fool are sinful; everyone detests a mocker.Foolish speech includes ridicule of others. Foolish people often make fun of what could help them and the people who love them most.Proverbs 14:7Stay away from fools, for you won’t find knowledge on their lips.Proverbs 15:2The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing, but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness.Proverbs 26:7A proverb in the mouth of a fool is as useless as a paralyzed leg.Ecclesiastes 9:17Better to hear the quiet words of a wise person than the shouts of a foolish king.Ecclesiastes 10:14No one really knows what is going to happen; no one can predict the future.Foolish speech is empty because it gets us nowhere.Proverbs 10:14Wise people treasure knowledge, but the babbling of a fool invites disaster.Foolish speech invites trouble because it can anger and offend others.

Question 6

How do we keep from being foolish?

Accepted Answer

Numbers 12:11He cried out to Moses, “Oh, my master! Please don’t punish us for this sin we have so foolishly committed.”Psalm 85:8I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people. But let them not return to their foolish ways.Proverbs 9:6“Leave your simple ways behind, and begin to live; learn to use good judgment.”Proverbs 14:9Fools make fun of guilt, but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation.Titus 3:3-5Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But—When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.Wise people walk with God while fools wander away from him. When we walk with God, his words help us to become wise rather than foolish.Proverbs 1:7Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.Proverbs 14:33Wisdom is enshrined in an understanding heart; wisdom is not found among fools.When we honor and respect God, we are acknowledging his ultimate power and authority over everything. Wise people understand their relationship to God.Matthew 7:24-27“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”To keep from being foolish, we should listen and obey God’s Word, for God is the source of all wisdom.1 Corinthians 3:18-20Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, “He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.” And again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless.”To avoid being foolish, we should apply God’s standard of wisdom, not the world’s. We should make sure to use the right measuring stick for wisdom and foolishness.Matthew 12:35-36“A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak.”Matthew 23:25-28“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too. “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.”Luke 11:39-40Then the Lord said to him, “You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and wickedness! Fools! Didn’t God make the inside as well as the outside?”To avoid being foolish, we should be concerned with our inner spirit as opposed to our external religious appearance. Who we are inside is more important than how we appear on the outside.Matthew 6:19“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.”Matthew 23:16-17“Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means nothing to swear ‘by God’s Temple,’ but that it is binding to swear ‘by the gold in the Temple.’ Blind fools! Which is more important—the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred?”Matthew 23:23-24“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel!”Luke 12:16-21Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”To avoid being foolish, we should align our priorities with God’s, or we will miss the things of greatest value.Proverbs 19:25If you punish a mocker, the simpleminded will learn a lesson; if you correct the wise, they will be all the wiser.Proverbs 22:15A youngster’s heart is filled with foolishness, but physical discipline will drive it far away.Proverbs 29:15To discipline a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.To avoid being foolish, we should discipline ourselves and accept discipline from others. Discipline keeps us from wandering off the right path.Matthew 25:1-13“So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.”Mark 13:35-36“You, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know when the master of the household will return—in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak. Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning.”Luke 12:35-36“Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks.”To avoid being foolish, we should be alert to God’s work in our lives and opportunities to serve him. Then we will be ready when he comes for us.

Question 7

Can Christianity seem foolish to outsiders?

Accepted Answer

1 Corinthians 1:18The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.1 Corinthians 1:20-25So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense. But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.1 Corinthians 1:26-31Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”God is the definition of wisdom because he created it. His wise plan was to send his Son Jesus to save people from their sin and re-establish their relationship with himself. Christianity is wise because it embraces the plan of the Creator of all wisdom.