About Foolishness
Fools despise wisdom. This is because foolishness and wisdom are at odds with each other. Whether you are acting like a fool or a wise person in a given situation will be revealed in your speech, your actions, and your decision-making. It begins with your view of God. Are you embracing the wisdom that God provides, or are you living foolishly in your own understanding? We are fools when we ignore God and rely solely on our own judgment, which is why we should pursue wisdom as a valuable treasure that God gives generously to those who earnestly seek it.
Wise Words
All wisdom is from God. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. – Proverbs 1:7 ESV (see also Proverbs 2:6-12)
Pursue wisdom. Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. – Proverbs 4:5 ESV (see also Proverbs 8:11)
Ask in faith. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. – James 1:5 ESV
Seek wise counsel. By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom. – Proverbs 13:10 ESV
Wise Warnings
Unbelief fuels foolishness. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good. – Psalm 14:1 ESV (see also Proverbs 12:15-16)
Don’t be unteachable. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. – Proverbs 1:7 ESV (see also Proverbs 18:2)
Foolishness is contagious. Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge. – Proverbs 14:7 ESV (see also Proverbs 14:7-9, 14-15)
Watch what you say. A fool’s lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating. A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul. – Proverbs 18:6-7 ESV (see also Proverbs 15:2-3)
Gospel Wisdom
It is foolish to live apart from Jesus. The wisest choice we can make is to trust God and put our faith in Jesus to save us from our foolish ways. God is not trying to hide this wisdom from us. He gives wisdom “generously to all without reproach.” (James 1:5) We should follow the example of Jesus and the apostles, who considered the Gospel message to be so important that they sacrificed their very lives in order to share this wisdom with others. The apostles worked hard and strategically engaged a culture that was prone to foolishness in order to share the wisdom of the Gospel.
Other Wisdom
Romans 1:22
1 Corinthians 1:18-25, 3:18, 4:10
James 1:5
Colossians 3:16
Introducing Christian Doctrine, by Millard Erickson