THE BIBLE'S FIVE FOOLS...

                             THE BIBLE’S FIVE FOOLS

PSALM 14:1-7

A FOOL is someone lacking sense, not using his/her reasoning powers, a simpleton, or, someone who is just plain unthinking. It is an individual who forgets God’s truth and launches into life on his own. The Greek word, aphron, means without sense, simple or foolish. Our English word comes from a late Latin word, follis, meaning empty-headed. Probably the harsh word jerk would be a suitable contemporary translation (smile).

THE BIBLE INTRODUCES US TO FIVE FOOLS.

THE ATHEISTIC FOOL – Psalm 14:1-4

​^“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works,
there is none that doeth good.
² The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men,
to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
³ They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy:
there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
⁴ Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge?
who eat up my people as they eat bread,
and call not upon the Lord.”

THE EGOTISTIC FOOL – Luke 12:15-20

^“And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. ¹⁶ And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: ¹⁷ And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? ¹⁸ And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. ²⁰ But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? ²¹ So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

THE RATIONALISTIC FOOL – Luke 24:25-27

^“Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ²⁶ Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? ²⁷ And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.”

THE RITUALISTIC FOOL – Matthew 23:16-19

“Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! ¹⁷ Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? ¹⁸ And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. ¹⁹ Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Matthew 23:16-19

THE CHRISTO-CENTRIC FOOL – 1 Corinthians 3:18 -21; 4:10

“Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. ²⁰ And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. ²¹ Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours…” (1 Cor. 3:18-21)

“We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.” (1 Corinthians 4:10)

-rdc

A QUOTE: “When we find ourselves deficient in wisdom, it is not because the Word of God has pages missing, but because we have not seen all there is on the pages we already have. It is not another book we need, but better attention to the book we have; it is not more knowledge we require, but better vision to see what has already been revealed in Jesus Christ” (Eugene H. Peterson in LIVING THE MESSAGE).