Proverbs 26:12 commentary; the one thing worse than a fool

12 ¶ Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

We’ve now come to the one thing worse than a fool. Perhaps he is a kind of super fool. John Gill laments the conceited, proud, and haughty person who professes faith in Christ but isn’t worth, as Dr. Ruckman says, “the shot and powder it would take to blow him into the lake of fire.”

Gill doubts the salvation of such a conceited ass, an arrogant, pompous, and continually angry so called Christian who doesn’t display anything remotely like the fruit of the Spirit named in Galatians, chapter 5. This person is not submitted to Christ and his behavior and speech shows it. Is this man or woman saved? Who can say but Christ? But you certainly wouldn’t know it by their behavior and what they value.

Matthew Henry calls it a spiritual disease; self conceit. Some of our most famous “men of God” were infected with it. Henry claims that they believe their spiritual state to be very good, when it is very bad in fact. This man or woman might attend church with Bible tucked under their arm, never missing a moment to grace the assembly with their presence, or they might feel themselves too good and spiritual to attend church at all, although often they will permit their wives and children to go.

Paul makes this interesting statement for our consideration about the wisdom of the world;

1Corinthians 3:18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

How sad is it when a Christian comes across as conceited and arrogant. How almost laughable if he or she weren’t doing so much damage to the cause of Christ to get people saved from the natural destination of all mankind.

We are commanded within the church;

Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

And given this admonition;

Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

From reading the Bible and from personal experience, I’d like to point out to the man or woman who claims personal knowledge of Christ and yet is wise in their own conceit that God can take something very precious from you, like a child, to get you to look up and to stop worshipping yourself. Beware of your vanity and arrogance. It is not only not pleasing to God. It makes your life a tragic-comedy of the worst sort. No one really takes you seriously. They just try to avoid you at all costs. It is a sad thing when there is more hope for a fool than for you.