Proverbs 19:25
Strike a scoffer and the naive may become shrewd,
But reprove one who has understanding and he will gain knowledge.
The problem with the naive is ... they are naive. The naive (or, the innocent) tend to believe everything and nothing at the same time. The don't believe anyone can be bad and therefore won't believe you when you tell them. They believe almost everything they are told by others because they believe others would never lie. So, we can see why it is so hard to correct them and train them. Solomon tells us if we want to "correct" someone who is naive we don't actually try to correct them. Instead, we correct those who are leading them astray. The obvious result will be that the naive one will notice and take heed. But, there is more here. Yes, there is hope that the innocent will take notice and self-correct but another view of this truth is that once you "strike a scoffer" they will not able to influence the innocent. In contrast we have those who are not innocent but rather "understanding", stated in the second line. While the naive need an object lesson and their source of evil removed, the person who seeks wisdom and understanding via faith will gain knowledge by a simple reproof. They don't need an object lesson but rather simple instruction. You can tell a lot about a person by how they learn. If they need others to be corrected to become wiser they may be naive. If, on the other hand, they simply need some instruction, they may be a person of faith and understanding.
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