Fire and Ice

“I had rather be a fool on fire than a scholar on ice.”

It is claimed that Pentecostal scholar Gordon Fee heard someone make this statement, and afterward determined to be neither “a fool on fire” nor “a scholar on ice,” but rather “a scholar on fire.” I have read several people refer to this and mention how the person making the statement had created a false dilemma. That is true. We might twiddle with the idea and come up with “a fool on fire,” “a scholar on ice,” “a scholar on fire,” “a fool on ice” – as well as a lukewarm fool, and a lukewarm scholar. Maybe others.

That said, I suspect the person who made the statement was thinking of what he knew and had experienced. I know a few scholars on fire (not sure about Fee; not personally familiar with him, but would diverge widely is disagreement with pentecostal views). However, I know many more “scholars on ice.” We in modern times, I think, have a tendency to lose the warmth and fervency of our “first love” as we become more educated. We may become more complacent. Perhaps some it is the spirit of the age.  We are supposed to grow in grace and knowledge of the truth – so knowing more truth should not inherently make us colder. Perhaps some of it is being lifted up with pride. If so, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6).