To Encourage You

Titus 3:9 “But avoid foolish controversies . . . “

You’ve heard it said, “There’s no such thing as a stupid question.” Maybe you heard such a statement from one of your school teachers.  Typically, when such a statement is made, it’s in the sense that the teacher wants you to understand the subject.  He or she doesn’t want the student to hold back because they think some other student or the teacher will think less of them or think them “stupid” if they haven’t understood something. The fact of the matter is, if one student has a question about the subject being taught, it’s likely that many more students have that same question, but they’re either not interested enough to ask, or they might be afraid to ask. Yet, the Bible would have us to know that there are such things as “stupid questions,” which is how the terms “foolish controversies” in the verse above can also be rendered.  The Christian is to avoid such things. They are not to enter into conversations and arguments about things that the Lord would have us to know are “foolish” as to their very nature. 

To understand this, we must understand that a “fool” in biblical terms, is not pointing to someone that lacks intelligence. Rather, a fool is a person that lacks godly wisdom. Throughout the book of Proverbs, we see fools in this sense contrasted with those who are wise. 

As we look at Jesus in His earthly ministry, we see that He was asked many questions by those who listened to Him and watched His life.  These questions could broadly be characterized into two basic types. One type of question He was often asked was from those who didn’t understand something He was teaching but they definitely wanted to know. They were hungry to learn because they knew that here was One whose teaching and life were awesome. They recognized that “No one ever spoke like this man” (John 7:46).  Even as a 12-year old child we are told that “all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers” (Luke 2:47).  As the apostles sat at the feet of this One whose wisdom far surpassed that of Solomon, they asked Him to explain the meaning of His parables. They asked Him to teach them to pray. And they asked Him many questions about the Kingdom of God.  It was such questions that Jesus eagerly and patiently answered.  He urged those Who really wanted to know the truth to listen closely to what He had to say.

But then there was a second type of question Jesus was frequently asked, but these were from the skeptics, the unbelievers, the people such as the scribes and Pharisees who hated Him. Their questions were intended to trap Him. They were questions that demonstrated their unbelief. They weren’t really interested to know the answer. These were the questions of fools.  It was such questions that Jesus either avoided or that He answered with a question to turn their foolishness back on themselves.

This reminds me of one time I was asked by one of my biologist colleagues about why I believed in Creation.  It was a mocking question, for this person would often mock my beliefs in the conversations I had with him. I knew that his was not a serious question, so my answer to him was “Do you really want to know, because if you don’t really want to know, I’m not going to waste my time and yours with my answers.” You see, my colleague’s question was a foolish question. It was one to avoid.

Then I remember another conversation, this time from a colleague that had newly come to faith.  This person unexpectedly asked me one day, “I’ve never grown since I believed. Can you help me to grow?” It was an amazing question, and one that I was eager to reply to. In contrast to the question of the other colleague, here was a question that I would gladly answer, and we talked for hours as a result. 

So many questions we hear regarding spiritual things are questions that are rooted in unbelief. They are designed, not for serious inquiry, but to stir up controversies to an unfruitful end.  It is these questions, as we are told in the verse above, that we are to always avoid.  However, there are other questions that are sincere. They are questions that are asked by people who really want to know. They may be questions about how the Christian can have peace in the midst of the storm. They may be serious questions about how one finds hope in this life.  In contrast to the Lord’s command concerning questions we are to avoid, to the sincere searching heart we are told to “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).

Two very different responses to two very different kinds of questions; may God help us who know Him to know the difference.