Image Bearer Ministries

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-righteo...

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...

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...

"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 rep...

"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...

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 dyn...

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 rig...

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'...

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...

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 f...