Answer a fool…do not answer a fool
Prof. Cory Griess addresses the ethical principles governing how church leaders should respond to false accusations and attacks, using Proverbs 26:4-5 as a framework. The article argues that the ninth commandment remains binding even in church conflicts, and that strategic silence or rhetorical excess cannot be justified as necessary for the greater good, offering practical guidance for PRC ministers facing contemporary disputes.
Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit. Proverbs 26:4-5 "All is fair in love and war." And in church battles? But the phrase is not true. All is not fair in love and war. Jehovah still thunders His ninth commandment from Sinai, overcoming the whir of the grinder's wheel and the clanging of the swords below.1 When a husband or a wife twists his/her spouse's words to win an argument, it...
Full article available on sb.rfpa.org
Related Resources
The Gospel And AI: Why God Will Never be Pleased With an AI-Generated Sermon (Nor with the Minister Who Tries)
Barry Gritters
Standard BearerFor it Seemed Good to the Spirit and to Us*
William Langerak
Standard BearerEditor’s Notes
Unknown
Standard BearerSynod 2025 Summary
Joshua Engelsma
Standard BearerThe Minister’s Relation to Christ’s Body*
Douglas Kuiper
Standard Bearer