As we publish a series of articles about education, it is wise to consider what we want to teach and why. What is it that we want our reader to know and understand, and how does that relate to true wisdom? What is the difference between knowledge and wisdom? We can know many facts or have a lot of information about any given topic, but what use are those facts if we don’t understand what they mean or how to use them? In other words, how do we know the difference between what is useful information and what is useless? To whom else shall we turn but to God and His Word? From Scripture we can understand four aspects of true wisdom.

Scriptural Wisdom⤒🔗

“For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding” (Prov. 2:6). It all begins with Him who has no beginning — the One who was, and is, and ever shall be the fountain of all wisdom and ought to be greatly feared. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding” (Prov. 9:10). We begin to know what is right and good when we come face to face with our ignorance and folly. When we confess our sins before a holy God and put our trust in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, we begin to know as we ought to know: who God is and who we are, and how much we need Him.

It is one thing to know that God is holy and we are sinners; it's quite another to respond properly to that knowledge. There are only two possible responses. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Prove. 1:7). What is your response coming face to face with a holy and righteous God? Do you humbly submit to Him, as Job, who already was a righteous man? “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seethe thee. Wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:5-6). You see, if you so come to God, you give evidence you have at least a measure of understanding and knowledge as He causes you to choose wisdom. “How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver” (Prov. 16:16).

Personal Wisdom←⤒🔗

What does it really mean to get wisdom? It's more than gaining knowledge in our heads or minds. It’s also more than having the right understanding of certain truths about God and ourselves so we’re able to explain it to others. We can “theologize” all we want, but we need wisdom! We can talk about it, pray about it, speculate on it, but we’re also called to receive it — or rather, receive Him — and then act upon it. It’s not only a scriptural wisdom but also a personal wisdom: the knowledge of a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ! He is the voice or word of God who spoke long before He took our flesh upon Himself — at creation but also in Proverbs 8:12, “I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.” He confirms this in verse 30, “Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him.”

Wisdom, according to God’s Word, not only includes knowledge and understanding, but includes also having an intimate relationship with the Father, just as with the second Person of the Trinity. One of the fruits of that eternal love and fellowship “and the counsel of peace ... between them both” (Zech. 6:13) is that He would be the Mediator between God and man. Jesus could say, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6), and then say to Philip in verse 9, “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” Wisdom clearly is not some notion or mere applied knowledge or religion, but a vibrant relationship with God through Christ. “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). In other words, when we by grace through faith lay hold on Jesus Christ we have all, as Paul confirms in Colossians 2:3, “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Spiritual Wisdom←⤒🔗

True wisdom then is not only scriptural and personal, but also spiritual.

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.1 Corinthians 2:12-14

It is not to be obtained by our efforts, our teaching, or our learning, but the Lord in His wisdom does use us to teach, so that we may be His disciples and imitators of Jesus. It is revealed by God in His Word and received by us with a childlike faith.

To that end Jesus not only gave His disciples (and us) the Word of truth, but also promised the Spirit of truth, who will guide us “into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” How and where do we find this truth? In God’s inspired Word. When Jesus told Nicodemus that he had to be born again by the Spirit, he asked, “How can these things be?” (John 3:9). And Jesus made it clear to him that the sound of the wind (same as “spirit” in Greek) really is His voice. As God spoke in creating a world, so He speaks in re-creating a sinner, as in Psalm 33:6, “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath (same as ‘spirit’ in Hebrew) of his mouth.”

Practical Wisdom←⤒🔗

This brings us full circle back to the meaning of educa­tion: what and how we teach, and to what purpose. True wisdom is not only scriptural, personal, and spiritual, but also very practical. It puts everything we teach as well as everything we want to be taught in perspective of the knowledge and imitation of Jesus. He said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). This is not only a commandment but also a statement of fact. It not only must but will happen! A triune God works and therefore guarantees it. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples” (John 15:7-8). This is practical wisdom from being in the Word and having Jesus’s words enter into our hearts and minds to make us both willing and able to ask the right questions and begin to do the right things by His Spirit according to His will.

This will cause us to flee from all evil as Job said: “And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28). At the same time, it also will cause us to pursue all good: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth forever” (Ps. 111:10). Pray that we and our children would be like Timothy, as Paul reminds him of both his privilege and his responsibility:

And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.2 Timothy 3:15-17

After Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, He said, “I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15). And then, in verse 17, “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” That is true wisdom!