Wisdom
And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 1:30-31
Scripture discusses wisdom in a variety of ways and places. When God instructs Solomon to ask Him for something, Solomon asks for wisdom that he might properly govern God’s people and discern good and evil (see 1 Kings 3:9). While sending out the Apostles to preach and heal, Jesus urges them to “be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16). Does Jesus’ instruction apply to us? Do you desire wisdom? Have you ever prayed for it? Is wisdom an attribute that you often consider?
As we ponder questions like those, I suppose we should consider what “wisdom” means in the context of the Bible? God’s holy word explains that Godly wisdom is not the same as worldly wisdom. Paul writes,
Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. 1 Corinthians 3:18-19
James writes,
This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. James 3:15
What is wisdom that comes from heaven? Let’s look at a few passages from the Old and New Testaments, beginning with Job.
Job pondered where one might find wisdom. Job 28 contains part of a long speech in which Job discusses the question. He discusses the places people discover all sorts of valuable things like gold, silver and precious stones, but where is wisdom found? The chapter concludes with a quote attributed to God:
And he said to man, “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.” Job 28:28
According to the passage in Job, wisdom is the fear of the Lord. In the Psalms we read a twist on the thought:
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever! Psalm 111:10
Here we see fear of the Lord presented as the foundation upon which wisdom might be established. Rather than depicting wisdom as fear of the Lord, equating the two concepts, the psalm depicts fearing God as the foundation or essential attribute leading to the development of wisdom. Nonetheless, both passages connect fear of the Lord with wisdom. No matter how vast our intellectual resources are, or how quickly we are able solve complex problems, or how smart we are by worldly standards, we will not gain wisdom unless we build it on the foundation of fearing God.
Another line of thought in Scripture tells us that God’s holy word leads to wisdom. Let’s consider three verses. In Moses’ farewell speech recorded as Deuteronomy, he says,
See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ Deuteronomy 4:5-6
Moses gave the people God’s holy word so that they might keep and do God’s word, and by so doing, set themselves apart from the nations they would soon live among. By keeping God’s word and doing God’s word, God’s word “will be your wisdom and understanding.” Of course, before we can keep and do His word, we must know it. The ability to keep and do is built on the foundation of studying, meditating on, knowing and understanding God’s holy word.
In one of his letters to Timothy, Paul writes a similar thought:
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:12-17
Paul urges Timothy to stand on the firm foundation of God’s holy word, which he has known since his childhood, because knowing and doing God’s holy word “make[s] you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
Similarly, the psalmist writes,
Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. Psalm 119:97-98
The psalmist loves God’s holy word and meditates on it all the time. As a result, God’s holy word “makes [him] wiser than [his] enemies.”
Through the passages we have reviewed so far, we see that God’s holy word leads to wisdom, and fear of the Lord leads to wisdom. So, fear of the Lord must be connected to knowing God’s holy word.
Shortly after writing the introduction in his letter to Messianic Jews around the world, in the third sentence, James writes,
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. James 1:5
James says if we ask God for wisdom, He will give it generously to us. Wisdom comes from God. In chapter 3 he continues discussing wisdom as a gift from God. Let’s pick up reading at James 3:13.
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:13-18
He contrasts wisdom from God and wisdom from the world. The source of our wisdom reveals itself through our behavior. Indications of worldly wisdom are jealousy, selfish ambition, boasting and lying. However, wisdom from God is “first pure, then peaceable…”. The word “first” does not refer to time, rather importance. Purity is essential, and other attributes are founded on purity.
James describes characteristics of people who possess wisdom that are very similar to the fruit of the Spirit and love described by Paul in Galatians 5 and 1 Corinthians 13. People who possess wisdom have been and are being transformed by the Holy Spirit, clarifying that wisdom is spiritual, not intellectual. Wisdom is a gift from God resulting from spiritual transformation through Christ Jesus by faith. Wisdom grows as we progress along the path toward sanctification.
In Galatians 5, Paul writes,
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:22-24
Love is one characteristic of fruit of the Spirit. In the so-called Love Chapter, Paul writes,
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:4-6
The way James describes wisdom is very similar to Paul’s description of the fruit of the Spirit and love. Paul and James use different terminology to describe the way people who are transformed through the indwelling Holy Spirit appear to those around them. Their behavior changes and people notice. Wisdom is demonstrated through actions.
By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. James 3:13
Wisdom is a gift from God resulting from spiritual transformation through Christ Jesus by faith. Wisdom grows as we progress along the path toward sanctification.
What information have we gathered so far? The passages above tell us that the fear of the Lord is wisdom. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. God’s holy word leads to wisdom. Wisdom is a gift from God revealed through our actions founded on purity.
With that foundation, consider the following passage. In 1 Corinthians 1, Paul describes Jesus as Wisdom from God for us. At 1 Corinthians 1:18 he begins to contrast wisdom from the world and wisdom from God. Beginning at verse 22 he writes,
For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 1 Corinthians 1:22-25
Christ Jesus is the power of God and the wisdom of God. He repeats this message at verse 30 writing,
And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:30-31
Christ Jesus “became to us the wisdom of God.” Paul connects wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. Christ Jesus is the source of all things, and He is the true wisdom that comes from God, and the source of any wisdom we might possess.
Fear of the Lord is wisdom. Fear of the Lord is an essential condition allowing the formation of wisdom. God’s holy word leads to wisdom. Jesus is the Word. He is the way, the truth and the life. He is wisdom for us. As we grow closer to Him, evidence of our wisdom will be evident to people around us through our purity, peacefulness, gentleness, mercy and love. Wisdom is not intellectual, it is spiritual.
May you know God through Christ Jesus, may you gain wisdom through Christ Jesus, may your holy transformation be evident to the world around you. Amen.