Perrydox.com is devoted to the pursuit of truth, whether plain or paradoxical, whether simple or sublime, or simply absurd yet absolute.
Time to Get Ridiculous!
When someone is being unreasonable you can’t, by logic, reason with them; you have to be unreasonable back. That sounds equally ineffective but you are reduced to shocking them with your even greater unrealistic “reasoning”. If that sounds illogical, you are correct, but that is the logical response. In fact, that is exactly what Paul does several times in 1 & 2 Corinthians.
* “I wish you would put up with a little foolishness from me. Yes, do put up with me!” (CSB’17 2 Corinthians 11:1)
* “Boasting is necessary. It is not…” (CSB’17 2 Corinthians 12:1)
Here’s a comment from Ken Green on this: Proverbs 26:4: “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him.” Proverb 26:5: “Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.” Often listed as a contradiction by skeptics, the fact is it depends on the situation. I was told of a fellow who somehow figured out from Luke 2 that John the Baptist spoke when he was eight days old. This brother never tired bringing the point up in Bible classes. Robert Turner came for a meeting and taught the class on Sunday morning. About halfway through, the enlightened brother held up his hand and said, “Have you ever considered that John the Baptist spoke when he was eight days old?” Brother Turner replied, “That’s nothing. Job cursed the day he was born.”
The point for us is, when people get ridiculous, it’s time for us to get ridiculous. Paul did, because the only way to get through to some is to show them you can be just as unreasonable as they are! You know, show them they are walking around with a plank in their eye – that’s ridiculous!
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