“But I say to you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without cause shall be in danger of judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca (“you useless person”), shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire” (Matthew 5:22).

However, in I Corinthians 15:36, the Holy Spirit, speaking by the Apostle Paul, calls those who reason against the Resurrection: “Thou fool...” This is an apparent contradiction, until the root meanings of these two uses of the word “fool” are studied.

In Matthew 5:22, the word “fool” is the Greek word “Moros”, which means spiritually “dull, stupid, heedless, blockhead, absurd”. It carries the idea of self righteously demeaning another’s spiritual value and/or walk with the Lord, and is spiritual in its application.

As used in I Corinthians 15:36, the word “fool” is the Greek word “aphros”, which means “foaming, froth, slavish”, and is a prime root of the Greek words “aphrosune” and “aphron”, and therefore carries with it the combined meaning of these words. “Aphrosune” and “aphron” mean: “senselessness , egotism, recklessness, folly, mindless, stupid, ignorant, unbelieving, unwise”.

These two uses of the same English word, “fool”, are distinguishable from one another in that the application in Matthew 5:22, is primarily spiritual. In contrast, the application in I Corinthians 15:36 is intellectual.

In I Corinthians 15:36, “aphros” says: “Use your brain, dummy. Think!”

While “Moros”, from Matthew 5:22, is a self righteous demeaning of a brothers/sisters spiritual growth, condition and/or value. It in effect says: “You are spiritually useless, valueless and serve no useful purpose in the Kingdom of God” (See Romans 14:12-23).

While we uncompromisingly contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints, let us be ever mindful to correct, rebuke and exhort in the spirit of meekness, longsuffering and patience. And while we inspect fruit and expose error, let us be careful to do so firmly, but in love. May the zeal for God’s house, and the truth of the Gospel of Christ, consume us. But in allowing this zeal to consume us, let us be wary that we do not consume one another.