Diffence between Proverbs and commands?

Hi Rev, thanks for responding.

I don't refer to it as "some ancient secular wisdom", nor do I believe that the Proverbs are not inspired. Proverbs are God's inspired ancient wisdom literature. However, the fact remains that they were written as part of the proverbial wisdom genre and should be interpreted as such.

I gather that you have come half way in your understanding here, seeing that Proverbs are not promises. Neither are they to be considered commandments. No one in their right mind would not "train their child in the way they should go", so it's easy to call that a commandment. However, when that child buys their first car or tries to establish credit, will you cosign on the loan? If so, you are "violating the commandment" of Proverbs 22:26. Unless you interpret this proverb properly and take it as a general truth, that you need to carefully consider when putting yourself on the line for someone else's debt.

 

I have been thinking on this lately as well and I have these opinions, which are not fact and could be corrected:

The book of Proverbs is 100% true because it is the word of God.

However, since it is dealing with general wisdom, it is not to be taken as a bluepint for specific circumstances.

For instance, training a child. Yes, we should all train our children. But how?
Does it give exact responses to EVERY situation? Not at all.

ALso, how many parents have perfectly raised their kids?

None. So saying that it is a promise that they will with certianly grow up right is a moot point since they are sinners and are in need of God's grace.

In a sense there are commands in Proverbs but even then they are vague and general.

Raise your kids right. How exactly?
Don't be slothful. What exactly defines slothfulness?
Don't tarry long at the wine. How long is long?


So as I see it, Proverbs is a book of inspired wisdom. To be taken as wisdom.
To learn principle to apply to our everyday lives.
Not as legalistic commands that must be followed in order to have favor with God.

Only through Christ can we become reconciled with the Father.

 

The fact remains we do not have the option to not folow them. That would be disobedient.

Not really sure what you mean by that. If you are under the misperception that recently I have changed my view on this it is incorrect.

And failure to consider it would be disobedient.

 

I am curious who would support this or who has suggested this.

 

That's exactly the answer I was looking for--except I would substitute the word "foolish" for "disobedient".

(You don't "consider" a command. And you're not "disobedient" for failing to heed the wisdom of a proverb. You're foolish.)

 

Your both without doubt.

 

A commandment is the letter of the law, a proverb is the spirit of it.

 

Foolishness is still immorality. God has no pleasure in fools, Ecc. 5:4.

 

A proverb is a short pithy statement that is generally true. That means that there times that it is not true. But caution! this does not mean that the Proverbs are not true. They are "general truth".

Much bad theology has resulted of misinterpretations of the Proverbs. For example "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it". is generally true. However, because people are sinners, and naturally bent toward sin and only the grace of God can remedy them from this, sometimes the best and most virtuous efforts of parents seem to fail because one of their children reject the truth of the Word of God.

Also we sometimes see apparent contradictions in the Proverbs. Such as the famous "Answer a fool" and "answer not a fool" passages. Because these are both general truths both are true but depends on the context of the situation.

Commands are absolute and must be followed.

 

I do not see anyone here saying Proverbs is not the Word of God. But the Bible is not simply a book of promises and commands. It contains promises and commands, but its not just promises and commands as your comment suggests. The Bible needs to be interpreted by a good hermeneutic. We see evidence of this by the us of the OT by the Apostles. Now people will differ on which rules of interpretation are best and each will have to answer to God for his or her choice, for this reason each must be convinced in their own mind what is correct.

But historically we see that the Proverbs were understood as general truths. Again this does not lessen their value or the weight of their truth. It simply means we can not build a doctrine solely upon them since they do not come to fruition all the time as has been explained.

 

2 Timothy 3: 15-16 (KJV)
15: And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

:saint: