Proverbs 26:4, 5 Answering fools

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.

This famous pair of proverbs state opposite approaches to dealing with fools. This, of course, is no contradiction as these are proverbs and where such material may appear to contradict the key is in how the proverbs are applied. In this very chapter we are told (verse 7) Like the useless legs of one who is lame is a proverb in the mouth of a fool and (verse 9)  Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. The trick with these two proverbs then is knowing when to employ which. There are times when a preacher ought to simply ignore what unbelievers say and other times when he ought to tackle unbelief head on and show where it is deficient. Indeed from time to time the demand will vary. Take atheism for example. A preacher who peppers his sermons always with references to atheism and how wrong it is will be in danger of undermining his own argument by giving the impression that there is some strength to the atheist argument. Of course, if a preacher never touches on such a subject he may also give the impression that he has no answers.