"See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise" (Ephesians 5:15, KJV).
"If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable [to be pitied]" (1 Cor. 15:19, KJV).
"We are fools for Christ's sake..." (1 Cor. 4:10, NKJV).
"If we are out of mind, it is for God; if we have a sound mind, it is for you" (2 Cor. 5:13, HCSB).
This is a highly misconstrued proposition; namely, that we (should or have to) look like foolish bumpkins or buffoons for the sake of the gospel. "Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools..." (1 Cor. 4:10, NLT). This is not to be interpreted that we are fools in reality, but our hope of eternal life and the subsequent turning our back on what the world has to offer, in exchange for a heavenly prize and the belief in the supernatural and eternal soul makes us looks foolish to the appraisal of man. Hosea 9:7 says that the prophets are crazy and the inspired men are fools (cf. NLT). When we seem foolish, it is only to bring glory to God.
This doesn't give us a license to be unwise or not to be savvy of the world's ways and have good common sense and wisdom. The fool in the biblical sense is really one who doubts God's existence in his heart, not one only who is naive or a simpleton. We are not to flaunt our faith (neither are we to privatize it either, for that matter), or to wear our religion on our sleeves in showy religiosity. People are not to look at us and frown that we Christians are a kooky lot and fit for the asylum because of bizarre behavior. We are not to become offensive Christians or have a bad testimony due to ignorance and stupidity, but the offense is to be in the cross per se, not us, the messengers of the good news. Christ is the true offensive Rock that makes them stumble, not us! We need no pseudo-offensiveness, which we create our own to make false barriers to the truth.
This implies that we are wise men who seek the Lord, and not fools who act or live foolishly! Our faith is what's so offensive and foolish, not our walk or manner of living. Paul said that if we are sane it's for their sake, if we are insane, it's for Christ's sake. Fellow believers should never seem insane or foolish to our estimate or impression. I'll give you a for instance: we seem like party-poopers or people who don't want to join in on the fun of eating, drinking, and merry-making like the others (but seek to live in light of eternity and seek to please our God). It seems foolish. to have such faith and give up what the world has to offer for a heavenly reward. The natural man lives for the here and now, while we set our eyes on the prize for which Christ calls us.
In summation, we don't want to create false barriers and stumbling blocks for the seeker of truth by appearing to be fools in our behavior instead of godly wise. For example, we don't write signs all over vehicles warning our fellow man to repent, but let God open doors! WE ARE NOT CALLED TO BE CORNY OR ODDBALLS! Soli Deo Gloria!
"If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable [to be pitied]" (1 Cor. 15:19, KJV).
"We are fools for Christ's sake..." (1 Cor. 4:10, NKJV).
"If we are out of mind, it is for God; if we have a sound mind, it is for you" (2 Cor. 5:13, HCSB).
This is a highly misconstrued proposition; namely, that we (should or have to) look like foolish bumpkins or buffoons for the sake of the gospel. "Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools..." (1 Cor. 4:10, NLT). This is not to be interpreted that we are fools in reality, but our hope of eternal life and the subsequent turning our back on what the world has to offer, in exchange for a heavenly prize and the belief in the supernatural and eternal soul makes us looks foolish to the appraisal of man. Hosea 9:7 says that the prophets are crazy and the inspired men are fools (cf. NLT). When we seem foolish, it is only to bring glory to God.
This doesn't give us a license to be unwise or not to be savvy of the world's ways and have good common sense and wisdom. The fool in the biblical sense is really one who doubts God's existence in his heart, not one only who is naive or a simpleton. We are not to flaunt our faith (neither are we to privatize it either, for that matter), or to wear our religion on our sleeves in showy religiosity. People are not to look at us and frown that we Christians are a kooky lot and fit for the asylum because of bizarre behavior. We are not to become offensive Christians or have a bad testimony due to ignorance and stupidity, but the offense is to be in the cross per se, not us, the messengers of the good news. Christ is the true offensive Rock that makes them stumble, not us! We need no pseudo-offensiveness, which we create our own to make false barriers to the truth.
This implies that we are wise men who seek the Lord, and not fools who act or live foolishly! Our faith is what's so offensive and foolish, not our walk or manner of living. Paul said that if we are sane it's for their sake, if we are insane, it's for Christ's sake. Fellow believers should never seem insane or foolish to our estimate or impression. I'll give you a for instance: we seem like party-poopers or people who don't want to join in on the fun of eating, drinking, and merry-making like the others (but seek to live in light of eternity and seek to please our God). It seems foolish. to have such faith and give up what the world has to offer for a heavenly reward. The natural man lives for the here and now, while we set our eyes on the prize for which Christ calls us.
In summation, we don't want to create false barriers and stumbling blocks for the seeker of truth by appearing to be fools in our behavior instead of godly wise. For example, we don't write signs all over vehicles warning our fellow man to repent, but let God open doors! WE ARE NOT CALLED TO BE CORNY OR ODDBALLS! Soli Deo Gloria!
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