There is no inconsistency, but we must understand the context of the passages involved.

Titus 1:2 tells us: “… in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.” God CANNOT lie. In other words, it is IMPOSSIBLE for Him to do so. Malachi 3:6 adds: “For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.” God’s character does not–CANNOT–change, because God has WILLED not to change in that respect. Since He has a perfect Will and a perfect character, He CANNOT do something against His own nature. It is impossible for God to sin because He has WILLED never to sin. And His Will is perfect. To put it still differently, God CAN DECIDE to make something impossible with Him.

Note another example when something has BECOME unalterable–so that even God cannot change it. Due to a perfect unconditional promise, He binds Himself never to deviate from it. Since breaking an unconditional promise is tantamount to lying, it is impossible for God to break His unconditional Word. We read in Genesis 9:11 about one of God’s unconditional promises in this way: “Thus I establish My covenant with you:… never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

It may be difficult for the human mind to grasp that Someone can have such a perfect Will that He can decree never to sin–and that because of this, it is impossible for Him to sin. Based on our human experiences, we find ourselves sinning, even if we have set our minds against doing so. Paul had to struggle with sin, as every Christian has to do. He tells us in Romans 7:15-17, 22-23:

“For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me… For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”

Paul did not want to sin. He willed not to sin. But weak as we are as human beings, our will does not make it impossible for us to do something which is against our will. Christ admonished the disciples to pray to God for help, as their mind or spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak (compare Matthew 26:41). Even Christ had to fight against sin, but He was the only human being who, through the power of God’s Holy Spirit dwelling within Him without measure, submitted perfectly to God’s Will in all things, and never sinned. But He still had to fight against His human nature (Romans 8:3), tempting Him to sin (compare Luke 22:40-44; Hebrews 5:6-10).

Paul sinned, as was and is the case with every other Christian except Jesus Christ. And so, he asked the question: “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24). He himself gives the answer: It will be accomplished “through Jesus Christ our Lord” (verse 25). Christ, living in us through the Holy Spirit, helps us more and more to overcome sin. And when we are changed from flesh and blood to spirit–at the time of Christ’s return– then we will not be able to sin anymore. Then, we will have become born-again members of the Family of God–God beings–and as such, it will be impossible for us to sin, as it is impossible for God the Father and the Son of God, Jesus Christ, to sin. Then, our will not to sin will be perfect–as God’s Will is perfect (Matthew 5:48)–and we will not be able to sin anymore. 1 John 3:9 confirms this, when it says: “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.”

Matthew 19:26 tells us: “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” But what is Jesus referring to here? Verses 23-25 tell us it is the question of a rich man having the potential of entering God’s Kingdom. Jesus is not saying that it is possible for God to lie or to sin, when making the point that nothing is impossible with God. God’s power is limitless, but this does not mean that He would or could do something which would be against His Will and His very character. God CANNOT sin, because He has WILLED not to sin. His very character makes it impossible for Him to sin. And this is the character which God wants you and me to develop.

Lead Writers: Norbert Link and Tom Shadoin

As we point out in our booklet, “Should You Fight in War?,” it is wrong for a Christian to take the life of another human being in war or otherwise, including in “self-defense.” But does this mean that a Christian must do NOTHING when he or a loved one is being attacked? The Bible does not say that at all. In fact, we have a tremendous responsibility for action in those kinds of circumstances–but we must know what exactly is required of us. Most will disagree with the following comments, because human nature is unwilling and incapable of obeying God and His Law. True Christians have no alternative but to do exactly what God commands–however unpopular and difficult and even wrong in the eyes of man this approach might be.

For an answer to this important question, we are quoting at length from our free booklet, “Should You Fight in War?“:

“The question boils down to this:… Do we believe in God and rely on Him for our protection, having the faith that it is GOD who is our protecting shield…? Do we think that God is incapable of helping us in certain circumstances?…

“The most important of all the things you can do to avoid using violence is to pray to God, on a daily basis: ‘Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil’ (compare Matthew 6:13). We are to plead with God daily to NOT ALLOW a tempting situation that might be too difficult for us to bear, to overtake us.

“However, we read in the Bible that righteous persons have sometimes found themselves being attacked by others. What did they do, and what should YOU do, if God allows it?

“First, realize that God would NOT allow it if you were not able to bear it, as 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us. And when God does allow it, He will also provide a way of escape for you. This is sometimes literally the case. Sometimes you need to actually flee, to run away! Christ did so on occasion. We read in John 10:39: ‘Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.’… When we find ourselves, or others, in a dangerous, challenging, life-threatening situation, we must PRAY to God, with faith, to HELP us out of that situation. To fight our fight for us! To give us the wisdom and the power NOT to do the WRONG thing, however tempting it may be.

“We must realize that no matter what harm we may WANT to do physically in a given situation, we must not seriously injure or kill the attacker. But unless we understand beforehand, and have in our mind that we are not to do something with the intent to seriously injure or kill the attacker, we might very well do so when the occasion presents itself. If we carry a gun with us or have one handy, say, next to our bed, we will certainly try to use it, but then may be killed in the process.

“People who disagree with the foregoing may ask you what you would do if you came home and a robber was in the process of raping your wife or killing your husband… Realistically, how many times does this happen? But if it does happen, do you really think that you can take a gun and shoot the attacker, and that the attacker would let you do it without any resistance? Chances are, he will use his gun first. In any case, to use a gun and shoot the attacker would be against the clear Biblical teaching of prohibiting killing. But what about just trying to injure him? In the heat of the moment, you may not be able to do just that, even if you wanted to. And if the attacker would only be injured, he would still have the chance to kill you or others who are with you. Christ told Peter, when he pulled his sword in defense of Christ and just injured the servant, to put his sword away. Christ’s protection did not depend on human weapons. It depended on God the Father and His angels. So, too, with us. Our real protection comes from the same source…

“The whole issue really comes down to where we place our trust and confidence for our protection, in EVERY situation… When man places his trust and confidence in God, God will protect man. Ultimately though, no matter the consequences, we must be living a life pleasing to God. We must never fear the ones who can take our physical life from us, but we must fear, or deeply respect, the One who can refuse to give us ETERNAL LIFE… Remember what the angels told the shepherds when Christ was born: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests’ (Luke 2, 14, NIV), or, as the NRSV renders it, ‘ … with whom He is pleased.’… When God is pleased with us, when His favor rests on us, THEN He will be our shield and protection in times of impending battles. We must trust in God (compare Psalm 56:3-4, 8-11), AND we must be willing to obey His commandments, no matter what the situation, circumstance or consequence. God tells us: ‘You shall not kill!'”

As we mentioned earlier, many disagree with this teaching, thinking that they must do something physically, by resorting to violence themselves, to fight a violent attacker. But when we react this way, do we REALLY believe at that moment that God is there to help us in every situation? A true Christian must allow God to fight his battles for him. The Bible contains numerous examples when God did just that.

When the ancient Israelites left the slavery of Egypt and were pursued by the Egyptians, God fought their battle for them, by drowning the enemy in the Red Sea. Moses told the Israelites at that time: “The LORD shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace” (Exodus 14:14).

On another occasion, when the king of Syria sent his army to capture the prophet Elisha, God intervened in this–humanly speaking–hopeless situation. The Bible reports in 2 Kings 6:14-18:

“Therefore he [the king of Syria] sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, ‘Alas, my master! What shall we do?’ So he answered, ‘Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, and said, ‘LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’ Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, and said, ‘Strike the people, I pray, with blindness.’ And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.”

This account is very interesting in several respects. It shows first of all that God is protecting His people with angels. But in this case, the angels did not even have to do anything. God did it all. He intervened directly by striking the enemy with blindness and rendering him incapable of doing any harm to Elisha and his servant. Do we believe that God has lost His power to do likewise today for His people, if the situation warrants it, and if it is His Will? And if it is not His Will to intervene, do we really think that we then have to take matters in our own hands, by resorting to violence ourselves?

On another occasion, a great multitude of enemies attacked Judah. King Jehoshaphat in front of all the people prayed to God for His intervention. He was not too proud to humble himself publicly, and he was not too ashamed to confess that Judah’s only help would have to come from God. He said in 2 Chronicles 20:12: “O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

God inspired a prophet to assure them of His protection, reminding the people that “the battle is not yours, but God’s” (verse 15). They were also promised that they did not have to fight (verse 17). Because the King and the people believed in God and His power, as well as in His servants the prophets who taught the people God’s Word (compare verse 20), God set ambushes against the enemy and used other means to destroy him (verses 22-23). This episode lead to lasting peace for Judah during the reign of King Jehoshaphat (verse 30), as “the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel” (verse 29).

These are not some nice bed-time stories for little children. They are accurate accounts and give us timeless testimony of what God DID accomplish for His people–and what He is willing and capable of doing TODAY for you and me–if we trust in His protection. He protected Daniel in the lions’ den, and He protected Daniel’s three friends in the fiery furnace. All these things recorded in the Old Testament “were written for our admonition [or instruction], upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (1 Corinthians 10:11). Christ told us that we must not take the sword or resort to violence. God and His mighty angels are always there to help us (compare Psalm 34:7; 91:11). But we must believe and be persuaded that no matter what the circumstances, we have to remain peaceful, while praying to God to fight our battles for us!

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

This passage of Scripture has indeed puzzled many people. Proverbs 26:4 reads: “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him.” Verse 5 adds: “Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.”

When trying to understand these two verses, we need to realize that the Bible does not contradict itself. God’s entire Word is truth, as Christ said in John 17:17: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” This is a strong statement of Jesus’ confidence in the truth of the entirety of Scripture. Christ also said in John 10:35: “the Scripture cannot be broken…” There are no contradictions in God’s Word–no passage of Scripture “breaks” or contradicts another passage. Jesus’ response made the truth of His argument rest on the absolute trustworthiness of all Scripture.

Rather than being contradictory, the two statements in Proverbs 26:4, 5, complement each other. The last part of each statement shows the sets of circumstances or scenarios under which each of the two statements is to be applied. In every case, before deciding whether or not to answer, we need to consider the questioner’s motives–where the questioner is coming from–the content of his question, and his attitude!

Proverbs 26:4 tells us not to answer a fool according to his folly, lest we be like him. In this situation, the fool is not there seeking to learn anything. He is just argumentative, wanting to quarrel and debate. To answer the fool’s specific allegation or even accusation would end up in a meaningless discussion. In such a case, both parties would end up being foolish or behaving foolishly. Luke 20:1-8 gives us one example. When Christ was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the Pharisees confronted Christ and asked Him: “Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?” (compare verse 2). Christ understood the wrong motives and intentions of the Pharisees. He did not answer their question. Rather, He asked them a question that He knew was impossible for them to answer without condemning themselves (compare verses 3 and 4). As Christ expected, the Pharisees refused to answer the question. As a consequence, Christ stated that He would not answer their question either, and the discussion ended (compare verses 7 and 8).

On the other hand, Proverbs 26:5 tells us that there are selective times when we are to answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.

This approach is well illustrated by Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, in his second letter to the Corinthian Church. Certain men at Corinth falsely pretended to be apostles of Christ. In order to protect the Church and not to give the impression of approving their claim through silence, Paul had to speak up. Therefore, Paul said in 2 Corinthians 11:23: “Are they ministers of Christ?–I speak as a fool–I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.” Paul answered these false apostles’ claims, by showing, in a “foolish way,” who was really an apostle of Jesus Christ, so that they would not appear wise to themselves and to others in the Church, thereby causing great damage.

Another example can be found in Job 2:9, 10: “Then [Job’s] wife said to him, ‘Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!’ But he said to her, ‘You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” In this case the expressed folly is answered with reproof, as well as with a brief statement of the true facts and circumstances, exposing it in the manner deserved.

In conclusion, the two passages in Proverbs 26:4,5, do not contradict each other, but taken together, they explain different methods of handling the questions and statements of foolish people. In verse 4, we are told not to answer a fool, “…Lest you also be like him.” We are admonished to avoid a pointless argument, wasting fruitless time and energy on foolishness, and to avoid responding approvingly by like folly. However, in verse 5, we are told to answer a fool, “… Lest he be wise in his own eyes.” There is a time when we cannot give tacit approval by silence. There is a selective time to stand up, and not close our eyes to damage. We need godly wisdom to know just when and how to apply these principles, and this wisdom comes from God. James 1:5 tells us: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

Lead Writer: Bill Grams