Today, I am reading and commenting on  Proverbs 25-28.

When I first read through today’s passage I did not see any common themes running through the various proverbs in it.  So, I pulled out a few phrases around which I struck me as a basis to build what I would write.  Then I looked at them to begin to write and realized that at least some of them fit together.  The first thing I saw was how the writer emphasized the value of gentle patience.  When we seek to convince others gently and patiently reasoning with them from love will accomplish more than angry and forceful rhetoric.  Closely related to that, the writer warns us against hastily reaching conclusions.  Instead, we should wait for all of the facts to come out before we reach a conclusion about events.  Speaking of waiting for the facts, the writer tells us that gossip provides fuel for quarrels between people, and some people stir up strife for their own entertainment.  Neither succeeds if we do not allow them to convince us with partial information.  Rather than form an opinion about what others have done based on gossip, or the partial information provided by those who seek to generate strife, let us patiently wait for all of the facts.  Let us find others who will similarly seek to do God’s will, and ask them to test our thoughts before we reach a conclusion.

The writer gives us two proverbs together which seem to contradict each other:
Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
    or you yourself will be just like him.
 Answer a fool according to his folly,
    or he will be wise in his own eyes.
These two represent two important things to keep in mind when having a debate with someone.  The first one means that you need to make sure that you do not debate someone on issues where they make assertions which are not supported by their assumptions.  For example, if an atheist argues that God cannot be good because He allows for evil.  Ask him to explain what evil means.  Ask the atheist to explain what makes it evil.  Which in a way leads us to what the second of those two proverbs means.  When debating someone who has taken a foolish position (as defined by the Bible), take their assumptions to their logical, foolish conclusion.  Finally, when debating, or in any other sort of confrontation, with someone who is hostile, treat them well, do not return their hostility.  Instead, treat them with respect and provide for their needs.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.