WHY THIS EPISODE MATTERS

— Ricky Alcantar and Ben Kreps —

THE BIG PICTURE

Everyone has an opinion about how to navigate the internet — screen time apps, dopamine detoxes, digital minimalism. This episode ignores all of it and goes somewhere unexpected: the Book of Proverbs.

Ricky and Ben argue that a 3,000-year-old wisdom text is the most relevant guide available for the modern internet user — and they make a compelling case.

WHY IT MATTERS NOW

• Social media companies are openly engineering addiction. The slot machine metaphor isn’t a metaphor anymore — it’s a business model.

• Christian online culture has a quarreling problem. The Beatitudes have been quietly shelved. This episode names it directly.

• The Church is largely reacting to internet culture rather than confronting it from a theological framework. Proverbs offers that framework.

• The “spicy literature” category and the Netflix-instead-of-pornhub rationalization are called out in plain language — a conversation most Christian media avoids.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The internet is a noisy marketplace. Proverbs says wisdom is also in that marketplace — but she requires effort to find. This episode is a practical, theologically grounded call to pursue wisdom online before the algorithms do it for you.

EPISODE OVERVIEW

The Clash vs. Internet Culture — Episode 7

Proverbs as a Guide to the Internet

THE BIG IDEA: The internet is not a technology problem. It’s a wisdom problem. And the Book of Proverbs — written 3,000 years before the first browser — may be the most precise diagnosis of online life ever written.

KEY TEXTS

• Proverbs 1:20 — Wisdom cries out in the street, in the marketplace

• Proverbs 7:21–23 — The strange woman’s smooth speech leads like an ox to slaughter

• Proverbs 9:7–8 — Don’t reprove a scoffer; he will hate you

• Proverbs 6:9 — How long will you lie there, O sluggard?

• Proverbs 21:19 — Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome person

• 2 Timothy 2:24 — The Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome

THE DISCUSSION

Ricky opens with a provocative premise: the best internet guide isn’t a tech op-ed or a digital wellness app — it’s Proverbs. The marketplace imagery in Proverbs 1 maps almost perfectly onto the attention economy, where every site is competing for your eyes and wallet.

They define wisdom first. Not IQ — skill in the art of godly living (Waltke). Then they walk through five characters from Proverbs, applied to internet culture:

1. The Collection of Fools

Proverbs maps a spectrum of fools — from the simply ignorant to the actively godless. The internet’s algorithms are engineered to confirm what you already believe, creating the illusion that everyone agrees with you. Ricky and Ben note that social media follower counts and doctorate credentials mean nothing if the person is a fool in the Proverbs sense.

2. The Strange Woman (Seductive Content)

Proverbs 7’s seductive figure — smooth speech, gradual pull, deadly end — maps onto how digital content moves users toward destructive material. The point isn’t just avoiding explicit sites; it’s recognizing that being in the neighborhood is already dangerous. They call out “spicy literature” (romance fantasy with explicit content) and the Netflix rationalization — treating premium streaming as categorically safer than pornography when the content may be identical.

3. The Mocker / Scoffer

Scoffing is the internet’s native currency. Ben names a troubling trend: Christian social media accounts whose entire identity is quarreling and mockery, framed as “full-throated masculine Christianity.” Proverbs says mockers are radioactive — proximity burns. The call is to recognize this pattern in yourself before logging on.

4. The Sluggard

The internet is built to serve the inner sluggard. The slot machine dynamic — intermittent reward keeping users hooked — is by design. The deeper issue isn’t wasted time per se; it’s the neglect of godly priorities masked by busyness. The “I deserve this break” rationalization is examined and found wanting.

5. The Quarrelsome Person

The show’s sharpest moment. Ben invokes the Beatitudes and asks a direct question: did Christians just decide meekness and peacemaking don’t apply online? The neighborhood Facebook group arc — utopia to war in six months — serves as a concise case study. The prescription: return to the Beatitudes. Let 2 Timothy 2:24 govern your posting finger.

TAKEAWAYS / APPLICATIONS

• Wisdom must be sought intentionally. It’s not in the top 20 most-visited websites. You have to go find it.

• The “how close can I get to the edge” question is the wrong question. Proverbs says: stay far from the edge.

• Social media companies are not your friends. If the product is free, you are the product.

• It is legitimate — and wise — to opt out entirely. Social media is not oxygen.

• Start reading Proverbs. One chapter per day. Kidner’s commentary is a strong companion.

SOUNDBITES

“I look at social media and I look at the Beatitudes and I think — did we just decide those aren’t in play anymore?” — Benjamin Kreps

“Not every guy yelling in Reading Market deserves a hearing.” — Ricky Alcantar

“If the product is free, you are the product.” — Benjamin Kreps

“The places to find wisdom are probably not the top 20 most visited websites in America.” — Ricky Alcantar

“Stay frosty.” — Ricky Alcantar

EDITED TRANSCRIPT

The Clash vs. Internet Culture

Episode 7 | Edited for publication

Ricky Alcantar:

We live in a world awash with advice about technology — how to use the internet, AI tips, how to spend less time online. We’re drowning in it. And here’s my argument: I think we’re neglecting the best guide available, which is the Book of Proverbs.

Benjamin Kreps:

You never thought about bringing the Bible to your internet use. Got it.

Ricky:

Maybe that’s been my problem. You have this ancient text — 3,000 years old — written long before the rise of the internet. My assumption has always been, well, it’s got nothing to say about something that just appeared in the last hundred years. But before we dive in, I want to know — is there a website you spend too much time on? We need a moment of confession.

Ben:

Philadelphia sports. That’s a daily occurrence — whether in anger or in delusional celebration. Roto World is a big one. NFL player news.

Ricky:

The mix of anger, vitriol, hope, and raucous celebration — that’s Philadelphia sports. You’re going to have a lot of applications today, Ben. Mine is either ESPN FC — the soccer page, my Saturday morning ritual — or recently my brother-in-law has gotten me into NASCAR, which is an unexpected turn.

Ben:

We’re really appealing to a young demographic here.

Ricky:

Everything the kids are into. When you’re on the internet, you face a variety of temptations, and every website is fighting for your attention — trying to keep you on as long as possible for clicks, views, money. That’s actually the exact setting of the Book of Proverbs. The opening of Proverbs is wisdom calling out in a busy marketplace, saying, listen to me. The challenge is there’s a lot of noise. What’s the busiest place near you, Ben?

Ben:

I’m out in the middle of nowhere, so there isn’t much like that around here.

Ricky:

In Philly, think of Reading Terminal Market — food booths, people moving, signs and lights everywhere. Now imagine someone yelling in the corner. Not unusual for Philadelphia. And yet the tragedy is most people just walk by. That’s the setting of Proverbs. What I want to do is walk through the characters of Proverbs, contrast them with wisdom’s voice, and give us some practical handles for evaluating the voices we hear online. Any thoughts before we jump in?

Ben:

You’re right. Let’s go.

Defining Wisdom

Ricky:

First, we have to define wisdom. We often conflate it with intelligence — how smart you are. But that’s not what Proverbs means. My favorite definition comes from Bruce Waltke: wisdom is skill in the art of godly living. There are extremely intelligent people with no wisdom. High IQ, zero wisdom. In Proverbs, wisdom is personified as a divine woman — not God herself, but a poetic personification of God’s attribute. And the youth is at a crossroads: wisdom on one side, folly on the other. You know the cartoon with the angel and devil on the shoulder? My hot take: that comes from Proverbs.

Ben:

We’ll go with that.

Ricky:

The father is saying: who are you going to listen to? For more on this, I’d recommend Waltke, Kidner, and Longman — all excellent on Proverbs. Now let’s get into the characters.

Character 1: The Collection of Fools

Ben:

Proverbs 26:11 — “Like a dog that returns to its vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.”

Ricky:

Not what you’d expect in Scripture. But Proverbs gives us a rich tapestry of fools — not a flat character. There’s a whole spectrum. You’ve got the simple, who just haven’t learned yet. Then the dull, who hear wisdom and ignore it. Then the brutish, who actively push against it. And finally the godless, who want nothing to do with the Lord at all. It ends at “the fool says in his heart there is no God” — an active decision to live as if God is irrelevant.

Ben:

Another way Proverbs puts it simply: a fool is someone who is not open to input. Which means, sadly, all of us fit that description from time to time.

Ricky:

Especially corrective input. We’re very open to agreeing input. I read about a social media company that found if they put views into your feed that don’t align with yours, you’re less likely to return. So instead, they figured out what you think and feed it back to you. That’s why when you go on the internet, everyone seems to agree with you — because the algorithm is showing you exactly what confirms your existing beliefs.

Ben:

Social media is right at the top of that list. And the spectrum of foolishness in Proverbs means that very smart, celebrated people can be fools. A doctorate in front of the name means nothing in this regard.

Ricky:

Right. Big follower counts don’t earn a hearing. Not every person yelling in the marketplace deserves one.

Character 2: The Strange Woman (Seductive Content)

Ben:

Proverbs 7:21–23 — “With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. All at once he follows her as an ox goes to the slaughter.”

Ricky:

Remember, a father is instructing a son here. Men aren’t uniquely capable of leading others into sin — the application is universal. What I love about that verse is “smooth talk she compels him” — there’s a natural, sinful drift in those moments. And the end is tragic: an ox going to slaughter. It ends in destruction.

Ben:

The examples are everywhere and obvious. Whether news sites with ads on the side, or social media algorithms offering things that, as Christians, we’d say aren’t for us — but packaged in ways that aren’t aggressive. They appeal to a kind of sensuality. One click doesn’t seem like a big deal. But before you know it, you’re somewhere disastrous.

Ricky:

The challenge is how fast you can go from desire to seeing something inappropriate. In previous generations, there was friction — you had to leave your house, go somewhere, make a plan. Our world has removed all of that friction and delivered it directly to you. And here’s something people aren’t always tracking: Proverbs 5 has the father saying, don’t even go down the street where this woman lives. He’s not just saying don’t knock on her door — he’s saying stay out of the neighborhood entirely. I think many Christians would agree it’s wrong to visit the worst sites, but still don’t mind being in the neighborhood hoping to catch a glimpse.

Ben:

One click, and one click, and one click — and before you know it, you’re somewhere you didn’t plan to go. We have a great capacity for self-deception here. We rationalize. The wisdom of Proverbs is clear: don’t test the edge. Get away from it. The self-confident Christian who thinks they can engage with the internet’s loudest voices without ending up somewhere harmful is, frankly, foolish.

Ricky:

Two categories worth naming. First: romance fantasy has become the fastest growing genre in publishing, and there’s increasing acceptance among Christians of explicit content in books. If you saw that same content portrayed on a screen, you’d call it inappropriate — but somehow in book form it’s okay? Song of Solomon warns, don’t wake love — don’t position yourself where you’re stirring up desires you can’t and shouldn’t fulfill. Second: I think a lot of Christians would never open an explicit site after work — but they’ll jump on Netflix or HBO, start a show with no idea what’s in it, and expose themselves to the same content. Use caution with both your reading diet and your entertainment.

Ben:

Biblical wisdom can look foolish to the world and often will. Avoiding even a hint, cultivating alertness — that might mean getting off sites others think you’re overreacting about. But we care more about what God says than about cultural acceptance of what everyone’s watching.

Ricky:

Our director of music has a phrase that applies here: there is plenty of content to enjoy without that. We are awash in options. If you’re telling yourself you can’t live without a particular show everyone’s talking about, you need to back up. I’m very susceptible to this myself — I love film, TV, music. But sometimes I have to hear that reminder again: there’s plenty. You don’t have to go there.

Character 3: The Mocker / Scoffer

Ben:

Proverbs 9:7–8 — “Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. Do not reprove a scoffer or he will hate you.”

Ricky:

Sounds like everyone on the internet. Scoffing is the native currency of online culture — whoever makes the most cutting remark wins. The Met Gala, NFL games, political events — the content is secondary. What matters is who lands the sharpest take. And if we’re honest, part of us loves it — especially when the target is someone we don’t like.

Ben:

To be clear — we’re not talking about the kind of friendly mockery between people who trust each other. That’s a different thing entirely. What’s extraordinary is what gets justified on Christian social media under the banner of “full-throated masculine Christianity” or being “based” — when it’s actually just sinful scoffing. We are not to engage in that. And we need to be careful not to inhale the spirit of the age and find ourselves in the category of the mocker.

Ricky:

Mockers and scoffers are almost radioactive in Proverbs — get too close and you’ll get burned. The valid counter-argument is that the prophets mocked idols. There’s a category for that. But the question is whether you’ve also looked at Proverbs and honestly asked, do I see myself in the description of sinful mockery? That’s the more important question for most of us.

Character 4: The Sluggard

Ben:

Proverbs 6:9 — “How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest — and poverty will come upon you like a robber.”

Ricky:

The sluggard is one of the most common characters in Proverbs. And the internet is engineered to serve your inner sluggard. Someone who studies social media once said it works like a slot machine — every once in a while you stumble across something delightful, and it keeps you coming back. The tragedy for Christians isn’t just wasted time. It’s the neglect of godly priorities. Paul rebukes idleness not just for idleness’ sake but because we’re meant to be productive — to have something to give to those in need.

Ben:

We’re not against leisure. But I’ll confess — Apple used to give me a weekly screen time notification. I was fairly startled by what it revealed. So I did what any wise person would do: I turned off the notification. My life is so much better now.

Ricky:

I didn’t know you could do that. These companies are not your friends. The free product — you are the product. They have a vested interest in keeping you on, wasting time, feeding the inner sluggard where there’s lots of activity but nothing productive actually happens. CJ Mahaney observed years ago that we in the West give ourselves a constant pass with “I’m so busy, I just need this little break.” But sometimes our busyness is itself the avoidance of godly priorities. I’ve been guilty of researching plants for the backyard rather than having a hard conversation I needed to have with my son.

Ben:

And for some of us, the wisest move is simply to cut it off entirely. Social media isn’t necessary for a full life. We have a guy at our church about to be ordained who just doesn’t have social media. He made the call years ago: I have priorities, I’m not confident I have the self-control to navigate this well — so I’m opting out. And he seems quite happy.

Ricky:

We’re not making new laws here. But wisdom sometimes looks like: this isn’t something I’m handling well, and so I’m going to cut it off. That’s not the end of an interesting life. It might be the beginning of a far more fruitful one.

Character 5: The Quarrelsome Person

Ben:

Proverbs 21:19 — “It is better to live in a desert land than with a quarrelsome and fretful person.”

Ricky:

The internet is built on quarreling. I still remember early Facebook — everyone found their high school friends, it was genuinely exciting, everyone was kind. That lasted maybe six months. Then this guy from high school is posting something that guy from high school hates, and they’re screaming at each other. Our neighborhood had a Facebook group when we first moved in — brand new neighborhood, maybe a handful of homes. First months: lemonade stands, free furniture, friendly hellos. Six months later, someone started parking in front of someone else’s house. War.

Ben:

Unforgivable.

Ricky:

Being quarrelsome has become so commonplace that we’ve lost the category for it being a vice. There are Christian social media accounts where the full-time job appears to be quarreling.

Ben:

I’m reading Don Carson’s book on the Sermon on the Mount right now, working through the Beatitudes. And I look at social media and ask: did we just decide these aren’t in play anymore? We don’t do meekness, mercy, peacemaking. These are what Jesus called the hallmarks of the regenerate life — and we’ve shelved them online. Let’s return to the Beatitudes. Let’s please God rather than our desire to be right and to own our opponents. 2 Timothy 2:24 is unambiguous: “The Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome, but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil.” That’s written to pastors, yes — but I would find it very hard to argue that believers who aren’t pastors can sidestep the command to avoid quarreling and pursue kindness.

Ricky:

The faithful Christian who is genuinely wrestling with how to stand firm while remaining gentle — that person is not the concern here. The person living in that tension, praying, seeking counsel — that’s wisdom. The greater danger is the person for whom the Beatitudes don’t even enter the frame when they log on. Or the leader posting without even having considered 2 Timothy 2:24. That’s the bigger issue.

Closing: Finding Wisdom Online

Ricky:

Let me close with Proverbs. On one side you have 1:10 — sinners enticing: come with us. The father says don’t listen. On the other side, 1:20: wisdom calls out in the street, in the markets, at the noisy intersections, at the city gate. She’s pleading to be heard. Then 2:1–5: if you receive wisdom’s words, treasure them, make your ear attentive, incline your heart to understanding, call out for insight, seek it like silver, search for it like hidden treasure — then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. The loud voices of sin are always going to be present and loud. But notice: you have to seek wisdom. It requires intentionality. The places to find it are probably not the top twenty most visited websites in America — or yours. But if you find wisdom, it’s like finding silver. It’s clarity in a cloudy world.

I’m grateful for the internet — it’s how people hear, watch, or read this. But stay frosty. The military guys in our church always say that: stay frosty. Be aware. People on the internet need to stay frosty.

Ben:

Easy, low-hanging application: if you want to grow in wisdom — and hopefully that’s all of us — start in Proverbs. Unhurried, regular time in that book. Derek Kidner’s brief but excellent commentary is a great companion. Just get started.

Ricky:

My dad, when he was working full-time in business, read one chapter of Proverbs every day. He always said, I need so much wisdom at work. That’s a commendable pattern. If you feel like you don’t have enough wisdom, start there. One chapter a day. See what the Lord does.

ABOUT

Ricky Alcantar serves as Pastor at Cross of Grace Church in El Paso, Texas and the Editorial Director for Digital with Sovereign Grace Churches.

Ben Kreps serves as pastor at Living Hope Church in Middletown, Pennsylvania and also hosts the Mark Prater podcast.