[Greek] ἀνόητος (anoētos), [Latin] insipiente, Latin] stultus, [Latin] insensate: without understanding, insensitive, foolish, unwise, senseless; Lk.24:25, Rom.1:14, Gal.3:1,3, 1Tim.6:9, Tit.3:3
Background information:
Greek Hellenism: This term means unintelligible, irrational, intellectually and ethically lacking in understanding, and having no judgment. Sophocles’ Ajax 162 states “But foolish men cannot learn good precepts in these matters beforehand. It is men of this sort that subject you to tumult.” Herodotus’ The Histories 1.87 states “No one is foolish as to choose war over peace. In peace sons bury their fathers, in war father bury their sons.” Xenophon’s Memorabilia 1.3.9 states “Then you are to look on him hence as utterly hot-headed and restless, the men would do s somersault into a ring of knives.”
Old Testament: This term means foolish, one who despises wisdom, one who is licentious, one who is quarrelsome, and one who mocks when guilty. For anger slays the foolish man (Job 5:2). Fools despise wisdom and instruction (Psa.107:17). The wise of heart will receive commands, but a babbling fool will be ruined (Prov.1:7). When a wise man has a controversy with a foolish man, the foolish man either rages or laughs, and there is no rest (Pro.29:9). Keeping away from strife is an honor for a man, but any fool will quarrel (Pro. 20:3).
New Testament: This term means without understanding, foolish, senseless, uneducated, and ignorant. To the Greeks, foreigners (non-Greeks) were considered as simple, uneducated, and lacking developed thought. Jesus meets the two men on the road to Emmaus. Jesus criticizes them for not remembering and believing the prophets who said that the Messiah had to suffer. Paul was chastising the Galatians for being stupid and senseless. The Galatians, by following the way of the flesh, were in danger of losing their salvation. In 1Tim. 6:9 Paul warns that the desires for riches and other foolish (and harmful) desires could lead to ruin and destruction. Living in malice, envy, and hatefulness result in disobedience and hatred toward others. (This now brings to mind these foolish people who are now destroying statues). Our spiritual renewal should be reflected in our improved attitude toward civil authority and others.
Scripture:
“And He said to them, ‘Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!’” Lk.24:25
On the road to Emmaus, Jesus criticizes the two had forgotten what the prophets had said about the Messiah who had to suffer.
“O stupid Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.. Are you so stupid? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?” Gal.3:1,3
Paul was very concerned about the Galatians losing their salvation. They were acting in the flesh, rather in the Spirit.
“For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, deluded, slaves to various desires and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful ourselves and hating one another.” Tit.3:3
Hateful attitudes lead to disobedience and hatred for others. Christian attitudes call for respect for authority and respect for others.
Etymology: The Greek prefix a- means without. The Greek verb noeo means to perceive or understand. Essentially, this word coveys the sense of not having knowledge, being foolish, and senseless.
Insipid: Insipid means flavorless, dull, uninteresting, and tasteless. The disciple (follower of Christ) is likened to salt. An insipid disciple is an ineffective or lackluster believer. Insipid salt is tasteless, bland, and useless salt.
Insensate: Insensate means lifeless, senseless, stupid, and foolish.
Insensible: Insensible means insensitive, senseless, callous, and unmoved.
Stultify: Stultify means to cause or to make worthless, useless, weak, and futile.
Conclusion:
Insipid, insensate, insensible, insensitive, stultify
In light of all these statues currently being defaced and overturned, I wanted to find a term which clearly conveys their motives and actions. I was able to find the perfect term which describes their foolish and senseless behavior. These are restless and hot-headed people have taken upon themselves to destroy these statues without having the maturity to have a political debate in discussing concerns or grievances.
In the Old Testament, foolishness can take on a disobedient, impious, and evil sense in one’s relationship with God and others.
In the New Testament, there are several examples of foolishness, ignorance, and stupidity. It is interesting to note that the Greeks viewed anyone or anything being non-Greek as barbarians or barbaric. Jesus criticizes the two men on the road to Emmaus for not remembering (believing) what the prophets had said that the Messiah had to suffer. The Galatians were acting stupidly, on the brink of losing their salvation. Christian conduct calls for respect for authority and for others.
Statues of presidents (Thomas Jefferson), explorers (Christopher Columbus), and saints (St. Junipero Serra) are now being destroyed. These destroyers of statues, acting with ignorance, hate, and malice, are unable (or unwilling) to grasp or understand the nuanced complexities of the cultural issues of racism and slavery which had been in existence even before our nation’s founding in the 18th century. These foolish people, are judging the past through a simplistic view of history: “Any historical mention of racism and slavery is bad. So we must remove or cancel any mention of it.” They naively think in simple “black and white” terms, whereas the reality of the past is far more complicated. Thomas Jefferson is such an example of a conflicted person pertaining to slavery. One must understand but also neither excuse (rationalize) the culture or cultural motivations of the past.
In a sense, these foolish people, are trying to place their simplistic and preconceived notions of the past on a pedestal. They continually fail to understand nuance (my next post) and are very much in the dark about understanding history.