Theological Thursdays

Thursdays are for diving into deep theological stuff...

Hebraic wisdom is based entirely on the covenant between the LORD and his people. A person reading the book of Deuteronomy clearly sees that obedience leads to wealth and health, while disobedience leads to poverty and death. Therefore, according to the wisdom movement, a wise decision is to strictly obey the law. Much of the prophets' declarations to the Hebrew people is based on this movement as well. The wisdom movement is seen in every part of the Old Testament; even Job and Ecclesiastes, which seems to counter conventional wisdom, pays homage to the wisdom of the ages. Through the coming of Christ, the wisdom movement of the Old Testament is improved upon by the early Church. An explanation of this new movement is seen when Paul addresses wisdom in 1 Corinthians 1-4.
In 1 Cor 2:13, Paul makes a clear distinction between wisdom taught by humans and wisdom from the Spirit. He further divides the two types of wisdom by proclaiming that those without the Holy Spirit would find God's wisdom foolish (2:14). In writing to the Corinthians, Paul specifically discusses the difference between the wisdom of men and that of God because it is hindering these people from maturing. He rebukes them in 3:1 saying, "I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ." The spiritual wisdom that is needed for believers to grow in Christ is lacking in the Corinthians. The people are deficient in true wisdom, because there is division among the believers in the church at Corinth.
The emphasis of wisdom found in Christ is much different than that of conventional wisdom in the Old Testament. Creation is the emphasis that gives humans a reason for following wisdom according to the Hebraic wisdom movement. God is the Creator; therefore, those who were created by him should follow his wisdom. However, salvation is the motivator for people following the wisdom in the New Testament. Another emphasis by conventional wisdom states that everyone has access to it; however, wisdom of the Spirit can only be accessed by believers in Christ. The major factor that really separates the wisdom found in Proverbs and that found in Corinthians is how the wisdom is obtained. According to the wisdom movement of the Old Testament, human beings acquire wisdom by learning and discerning, but wisdom in the New Testament is received through revelation given by God. Specifically that revelation is found through Jesus Christ.
The Corinthians had not yet learned that the wisdom of the ages needed to be altered because wisdom now comes through believing in Christ. In 1:21, Paul declares, "For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe." Viewing the world through Jesus Christ is how true wisdom is obtained. There are important lessons and ideas that the wisdom movement brought to light that should not be discarded. However, the wisdom perceived by these humans is of little use unless viewed through the life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Perhaps the authors of Job and Ecclesiastes gave deeper insights than their contemporaries. These two books reveal the limitation of human wisdom, but fail to find a solution to the problem. Jesus fixed the problem with conventional wisdom. In Isaiah 40:13, the author mentions the limitations of wisdom, but in 1 Cor 2:16, Paul informs the Corinthians that the limitation can be overcome because they have the mind of Christ. In conclusion, when one reflects on 1 Corinthians 1-4, a desire should arise for one to push aside conventional wisdom and receive the complete wisdom seen only through maturity in Jesus!
So, this day, choose to spend time with Him. Love Him with all that you have. Love your neighbor without prejudice. Seek his face, seek to be intimate, and allow the Sprit to give you wisdom that cannot possibly be attained through traditional learning. (Jaman Iseminger; 2003)