The Word of Wisdom
12: 8a
Paul begins with two gifts that sound very much alike: the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge. They apparently were of particular interest to the Corinthians. The Greek word for wisdom is sophia. Some of the Corinthians worshiped “the wisdom” of the world. In Gnosticism, a heresy in the early Christian church, Sophia is sometimes portrayed as a divine being superior to God, who reprimands God for arrogance. In other Gnostic texts, Sophia is a mischievous spirit who indirectly creates a world so evil that God has to rescue it by sending another person named Yeshua. According to these texts, Yeshua taught that we are rescued from evil and returned to God through knowledge (gnosis).
More recently, the Shakers have understood Sophia as the fourth person of the Godhead. A Russian Orthodox priest named Sergei Bulgakov has taught that Sophia is the essence of the Trinity, the glue that binds Father, Son and Holy Spirit together. Thus, Sophia has been gaining popularity in some pseudo “Christian” circles for many years. For a growing number of misguided “Christians,” Sophia is the feminine symbol of divinity desperately needed to balance the patriarchal emphasis of the Church and is worshiped as a goddess!
The gift of wisdom clearly takes us back to the problem addressed at the beginning of the letter (to see link click Am – False Wisdom vs the Good News), where on the basis of worldly “wisdom” the Corinthians were rejecting both Paul and His gospel. Indeed, in contrast to their own criterion for “spiritual” excellence, Paul says he deliberately rejected coming to them either in “wisdom” that consisted of mere rhetoric (1:17), or the eloquence of human “wisdom” (2:1 and 5). With a considerable stroke of inspiration from the Spirit, Paul now used one of their own terms to begin his list of gifts and redefines that term in light of the work of the Ruach so as to give it a significantly different context than their own.363
The word of wisdom is a broad term. The use of word (Greek: logos) indicates this is a speaking ability. In the apostolic age it may have been revelation at times. In Bri’t Chadashah, wisdom is used most often to refer to the ability to understand God’s will and to apply it obediently (Matthew 11:19 and 13:54; Mark 6:2; Luke 7:35; Acts 6:10; James 1:5, 3:13 and 17; Second Peter 3:15). Therefore, the word of wisdom is the God given ability to apply practical biblical truth to daily life situations for yourself or others. Wisdom doesn’t end with knowledge, but is expressed in transformed hearts and lives. It is an ability a counselor must have in order to apply God’s truth to the questions and problems brought to her. It is a feature of the gift that a shepherd of the flock (Ephesians 4:11), who must know, understand, and be able to apply God’s Word in order to lead his people as he should.364
People with this gift are able to take from their own life experiences and share what God has taught them through those things. They can easily recognize where a decision of action may lead and can warn against those that may be harmful or unfruitful. They can see through the confusion of a situation and can give direction that would help an individual or a group obtain a God-glorifying goal. The Church needs those with the word of wisdom to guide Her through uncertain or difficult times.
Dear Wise Heavenly Father, Your perfect knowledge (Job 37:16) is such a comfort! Praise You that You so generously give wisdom to some of Your children as a gift. Praise You for giving Your wisdom in many ways (Hebrews 1:1). Praise You that when wisdom is needed right away – you are only an arrow’s prayer away. How awesome it is that You, who rule the universe, always have time to listen to those with this gift and to guide their path. Thank You for having such a deep and caring heart and for generously giving Your presence and wisdom for Your Church. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen
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