Are Jesus' words about calling someone a fool a contradiction?

Question

Matthew 5:22 NIV: But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, "Raca," is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, "You fool!" will be in danger of the fire of hell.

In this verse, Jesus says if you call someone a fool you are in danger of hell. There are many verses in the Bible's old and new testament where where someone calls someone else a fool. I won't list any here. But Jesus is one of those who calls others fool many times after this verse.

My father, a minister with a degree in Theology, said, "It's his rule" and suggested that the rules didn't apply to Jesus. That thoroughly confused me, I'm Agnostic and open minded, but his answer didn't sit right with me. If Jesus says something can put you in hell, isn't that something a sin? And if someone tells you not to do something and then does it, how is that not contradictory and hypocritical?

Answer 1

The exhortations regarding 'Raca' and 'fool' are bracketed by two conditions.

Firstly, Jesus says in verse 22, 'whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause ...' This is a matter between brethren. It is not a matter of distant strangers falling out.

And it concerns some one being angry when there is no just cause for his anger.

Secondly, Jesus encourages reconciliation as soon as possible if a brother is aware that another brother has something against him.

So if I become aware that a brother (not a total stranger) has somewhat against me, I am to put that as a priority above all else and to go to that brother and to be reconciled to him. I am not to be angry. I am not to retaliate.

If every brother behaves in this way, then peace will ensue and it will be impossible for arguments to propagate.

On certain occasions, when foolish men do foolish things, then it is quite correct to call them foolish. There is nothing wrong with that.

Answer 2

Is this verse about calling people a fool a contradiction. If not why?

Jesus is not talking about using the word itself, but more about the intent behind what is being said. In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus was trying to get across to his listeners about being so angry and the hatred some may have in their hearts.

Answering the question "What three dangers was Jesus warning against at Matthew 5:22?", the Questions from Readers from the Watchtower of February 15, 2006 mentions the following:

What, then, did the expression “despicable fool” signify? The word used here sounded similar to a Hebrew term that means “rebellious,” or “mutinous.” It designates a person as morally worthless, an apostate and a rebel against God. So the person addressing his fellow as a “despicable fool” is as much as saying that his brother should receive a punishment fit for a rebel against God, everlasting destruction. From God’s standpoint, the one uttering such a condemnation against another could merit that severe sentence​—everlasting destruction—​himself.​—Deuteronomy 19:17-19.

In verses 23-26, Jesus goes further into how his followers are to cultivate peace with those around them.

Answer 3

The passage from which you took your example is part of what’s known as the sermon on the mount. Jesus is talking to the Jews about righteousness - but, the righteousness that comes via the Torah (Mosaic Law).

MAT 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

And the point he is making is that you can’t - In the verse you quoted, Jesus is saying that when you call someone ‘senseless/a fool’ (rhaka) you need to ensure you are doing this ‘righteously’ - else you yourself are in danger of being judged by the Law.

MAT 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Note that the judgement(‘hell fire’) was not a certain/definite result, but rather could be.

So, as Jesus could only be but righteousness, he would only ever have called someone a ‘fool’ if they were, that is, if it was ‘right’. The Bible does talk about ‘anger’ being an appropriate response. And at times, the Pharisees/Sadducees, via their teaching, were blinding the Jews, so the response was justified.

You need to be cautious when interpreting the ‘sermon on the mount’. If you took it literally, churches would resemble amputation wards.

Answer 4

Looking at your comments to other answers, I can see that your main concern is whether 1) Jesus violated His own rule about calling others "Fool", or 2) Jesus's rule doesn't apply to himself, or 3) we shouldn't take it literally (but which begs the question: what guide should we use?)

I will argue for #3: we shouldn't take it literally. But unlike your concern, there are plenty of clues for an objective interpretation guided by proper exegesis, such as:

• taking cultural meaning into account: for example, calling someone "fool" in that time and place must have meant something much more serious than in 21st century North America; On the other hand, what's considered hate language now was perfectly fine in other periods.
• local laws and regulations for public speech against others: for example, while defamation are criminal both in Jesus's days and today, the rules governing what kind of speech / situations are considered defamatory must have been different.
• procedures for investigation and prosecution: which seems implied by the distinction Jesus made about the 2nd level: "Raca" -> answerable to the court.

Another important guide for #3 demanded by proper exegesis is to consider the context and the speaker. In Matt 23 where Jesus called the Pharisees "Blind Fool" Jesus is speaking as a prophet. Therefore, the perceived inconsistency / contradiction can be resolved by distinguishing at least 4 of Jesus's roles:

1. Jesus as a perfect 100% human being who is our role model in his incarnation
2. Jesus as a prophet (a spokesman for God)
3. Jesus as the Son of God
4. Jesus as a judge when He comes again

Please note that besides Jesus we see several more persons in the Bible, both in the OT and the NT, who called others "fool", but they were not condemned to hell because the words represent judgment or teaching coming from God:

1. Jesus calling the Pharisees "Fool" in Matt 23:17 within the 3rd of the 7 woes of the Pharisees.
2. John the Baptist as well as Jesus call the Pharisees "brood of vipers" (see here)
3. David wrote in Psalm 14:1:

   Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!

4. Paul addressed the Galatians as "foolish": Gal 3:1

Source: Did Jesus Contradict Himself by Calling People Fools?

Answer 5

The Ivri (עִבְרִי) / Hebrew (ἑβραιου) word for "wicked" or "condemn" = ’rasha’ (רשע). Family members will be condemned for rash decisions that verbally demean their siblings.

Divorce can occur after years of verbal abuse. Disrespectful verbal disputes regarding interpretations of the Torah had divided nations (Ivrim, Karaites, Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes) & continue to divide nations (Catholics & Protestants).

If you criticize a relative, you potentially could lose your family. If you criticized the Sanhedrin, you could become trampled (Raqa, רָקַע). If you criticized the Church, you could be excommunicated.

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To restore unity to the Kingdom of Heaven, Yeshua of Nazareth offered an observation about Israel in [Matthew 5:22] to acknowledge the outcome of his fellow Karaites & Essenes for criticizing the Sanhedrin.

Matthew 5:22 [KJV]

"But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with [his brother] without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to [his brother], Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire."

[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205:22&version=KJV ]

• Meaning : Be careful not to condemn because your family may condemn you. Then you will have no family.

In regards to the original question: Are Jesus' words about calling someone a fool a contradiction?, The words in [Matthew 5:22] applied to His Brother within the kingdom of heaven. - Yeshua confirms He is not related to the pharisees in [Matthew 5:20] and [Matthew 7:21-23]. This is why [Luke 11:40] is not a contradiction to [Matthew 5:22].

Yeshua denounced pharisees as not being His Brothers in the kingdom of heaven since they served Herod Agrippa I who acknowledged the diefied Caesar. Israel is warned in [Mark 8:15] : "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod." - because Herod like Caesar believed men could be diefied, making Himself equal to G-d.

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As a Commentary on humanity, Yeshua later references Adam saying:

"On the day when you were one, you became two. But when you have become two, what will you do?"

[http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/thomas/gospelthomas11.html ]

• Meaning : When we are united, we survive by respecting eachother. If we are divisive, we will be cast out and suffer alone.

Answer 6

anything that comes out of the Scriptures needs to be in context, especially when it is Hebrew or Aramaic. and always remember that the word you see in English in 2 different places doesn't always have the same root Hebrew word.

The context here is progressive:

I am angry,

you are an idiot (can infer slanderous words - Raca is actually translated often as 'fool'),

you have no worth as a human (you could be dead and I would not care).

Answer 7

There are countless topics here on the sermon mount having the same doubts due lack of understanding of the hyperbolic, figurative language used by Jesus or all the writers of the NT. None of those words are meant to be taken in an absolute sense: hate your family (Luke 14:26), gouge your eyes, do not resist evil, turn the other cheek, about anger, lust, divorce etc. The teaching is aimed about being excellent and perfect (Matt 5:48). To understand the context, you first need to understand who exactly is our brother or neighbor? It does not mean the blood relative or your countrymen, but a compadre, a friend, companion or a close associate, a well-wisher who loves and supports you as his own.

[ESV Mark 3:31-35] And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ​For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

[ESV Luke 10:25-37] And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

You can see that all those whom Jesus abused, were his enemies who eventually killed him, he did not violate his own command of hating your brother, but he came to die for them. There is nothing wrong with condemning and abusing. Jesus may have been the most abusive person in the Bible, and his disciples followed the similar language of condemning the wicked for their sins. I found some references of his abuses: Jesus called the Scribes and Pharisees "fools, hypocrites, blind guides, whited sepulchers, murderers, a generation of snakes,". He referred to the recalcitrant religious leaders as, "an EVIL and ADULTEROUS generation," "SERPENTS and SNAKES," and "children of the DEVIL." Why He even told the Scribes and Pharisees regarding the royal and mighty King Herod: "Go ye, and tell that FOX [that JACKAL]..."

Proverbs 1:20-26 Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you. ​Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you,

See 1 Kings 18:20-29; Philippians 3:2-3; Titus 1:10-13 ; 2Peter 2:12, 19-22. In these examples, the apostles were imitating the language of Jesus:

“Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. Matthew 7:6 Cf. Romans 12:17-21, Colossians 4:6, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

You have noticed that the Christians with degrees from universities and seminaries, are no more knowledgeable on theology than the ignorant, corrupt religious leaders shown in the New Testament. They teach them to hate reason, truth and God, and create a blind-faith of irrationality. You should continue your open-minded research for the truth, leaving aside the propaganda of indoctrinated people, and seek God, you shall find him. Focus on the literary genre and the inherent figurative nature of the Jewish scripture. These are the last words in the NT:

[ESV Rev 22:12-15] “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. ​I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

Answer 8

I suppose you are referring to Jesus rebuking the Pharisees in Matthew 23:17:

You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?

Jesus is righteous, blameless and omniscient. Therefore it could be argued that he has the sole authority out of anyone else to call someone a fool. He knows good from bad and wise from foolish, and acts accordingly. Us mere mortals on the other hand are imperfect, sinful, are of limited knowledge and therefore often partake in foolish decisions. The moment we insult someone and call them foolish we are also guilty of foolishness -- if not in the same matter then in other matters. Therefore we are manifesting hypocrisy.

Jesus famously said

7 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Matthew 7

Conveniently, going back to Jesus rebuking the Pharisees, if we look back at the rest of the verses in this chapter, we see:

13 "'Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!..."
16 "'Woe to you, blind guides!..."
19 "'You blind men!'..."
33 “'You snakes! You brood of vipers!'..."

After each of these, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees, in defiance of "Do not judge", so is Jesus hypocritical? No, Jesus is God, he cannot be hypocritical. When God takes your life does he defy the commandment of "Do not murder"?

Answer 9

The context is Jesus contrasting calling a brother a fool with the action of murder.

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:21‬

Murder, the physical ending of life is contrasted with anger, insults and denigration (“you fool”).

“But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:22‬

Jesus doesn’t/didn’t have murderous anger in His heart towards those He called fools/foolish. He was making a statement of fact. As was Paul

“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.” ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3:1‬

Paul wasn’t denigrating the Galatians, belittling them, criticizing in a derogatory manner, he was pointing out to the Galatians that they have been fooled and/or were acting foolish because they ought to know better.

The intent in Matthew5:22 with regards to the statement “you fool” wasn’t that you fool should never be used but that if used in a derogatory, denigrating, disparaging manner that person, whoever they may be, anyone including Jesus if He were to say you fool in that way would be liable to hell fire. Whereas Jesus doesn’t use the phrase in that way.

“The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also?” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭11:38-40‬

He is calling them out on their inconsistencies, short-sightedness and calling them fools for not thinking it through before asking their trick question.

But it was not said derogatorily. He is just pointing out their inconsistencies. But no one can accuse Jesus as being murderous and angry in His statement. He is just picking apart their argument and letting them know they are fools for asking a foolish/stupid question assuming no one could see what was in their hearts.

They thought themselves righteous because outwardly they looked the part but Jesus is telling them they didn’t fool anyone but themselves because God see both the I side and the outside

Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness

And He explains that the Creator (Jesus) can see not only the outside but the inside. They looked like fools for trying to hide what God could clearly see was on the inside

Did not he who made the outside make the inside also?

This was an accurate description of their foolishness, trying to trick God by putting on a facade which God could see right through, making them proper fools, not as an insult but as a matter of fact.