Proverbs 26:4-5 [The Scriptures - TS] 4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also become like him. 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he become wise in his own eyes.
Many say that this is a direct contradiction. Should we answer a fool, or should we not answer a fool? There is no contradiction in these verses, in fact, they complement each other. The latter end of these two verses shows us the context.
► <Do not answer a fool, lest you also become like him> – There are some people who like to discuss with believers about their faith for the sake of discussing. They are not interested in knowing the truth, not interested in what scripture says, they just like to argue and stir contention. The Scriptures tell us not to engage in discussion with these type of people lest we become fools like them.
Yeshua showed an example of this when the chief priests, scribes and elders asked him a question
Luke 20:2 [Hebraic Roots Bible - HRB] …Tell us by what authority you do these things?
Yeshua did not get into a huge argument with them because he knew they were not there to learn or to understand, they wanted to argue and stir contention. Yeshua did not argue back and forth with them because he would have looked like a fool. However, He answered them with a question that they could not answer.
Luke 20:4 [TS] … The immersion of Yohanan{John the Baptiser} – was it from heaven or from men?
If they said from heaven, then Yeshua could say ‘why did you not believe him’. If they said from men, the people would have stoned them because they believed Yohanan (John the Baptiser) was a prophet.
John 20:7-8 [TS] 7 And they answered that they did not know from where it was. 8 And יהושע{Yehoshua} said to them, “Neither do I say to you by what authority I do these.” (Words of Yeshua in purple)
To answer their question directly would have resulted in a verbal battle and an argument would have ensued. Yeshua avoided strife by not answering them according to their folly, or else he would look like them, as Proverbs says.
►<Answer a fool lest he be wise according to his conceit> – There are certain times when you have to answer a fool so that he will not think himself wise and that he has defeated a follower of Yeshua when his questions went unanswered, for example, when someone is trying to teach and spread false doctrine. We must answer these persons with the right doctrine and prove it with Scripture.
2 Corinthians 11:13 [TS] For such are false emissaries, deceptive workers, masquerading as emissaries of Messiah.
Here, the apostle Paul had to answer these fools who were not preaching the true message of Yeshua.
The context will tell us when to answer and when not to answer a fool.
Source:
Peter Salemi