King Solomon picture originally uploaded by evissa

Lately when I teach, I’ve noticed that I’ve been speaking of the Bible as wisdom. Actually I didn’t notice but my friend Linda did. She asked me what I meant by “a wisdom interpretation of the Bible.” Good question. What do I mean by that?

Questions that ask for definition of terms can be challenging for a blurry person like me. As the question stares me down, I realize that I must attempt to articulate an answer with some degree of clarity. Since I am preparing for a retreat on relationships where I may once again speak a “wisdom interpretation of the Bible,” maybe it would be helpful if I pause to define this phrase.

By using the phrase “a wisdom interpretation of the Bible,” I am suggesting that the Scripture offers a way of thinking and acting in every sphere of our lives. This “way” acknowledges God’s involvement with His creation, and our responsibility to serve faithfully in family, civic life and church life.

This “way of wisdom” is a skill that is developed rather than a set of given answers for every situation. This skill combines thought and action in difficult and challenging situations. Consider one of the great examples of wisdom in Scripture. King Solomon is presented with a dilemma. Two women stand before him and lay claim to the same baby. There are no witnesses to assist in his decision. What can he say or do that will shine light on the true mother?

King Solomon proposes to the split the baby in half, whereupon the true mother yields by giving away the baby to the false mom. Solomon’s word-act of wisdom exposes the lies of the false mom. In this demonstration of the skill of wisdom, Solomon reveals an insight into the particular circumstance at hand. He applies a life of training to a specific situation.

Wisdom is the skill that learns how to apply Biblical norms such as the Ten Commandments in specific situations where the decision may not be obvious. This skill can only be developed by knowledge (studying the Biblical norms) and understanding (the practice of applying these commands in specific situations). Knowledge and understanding are developedin the “fear of the Lord.” The skill is developed before the Lord and with trust in the Lord’s guidance.

With that initial definition, I would suggest that the whole Bible can be read as a book that teaches behavioral norms and models successes and failures in applying wisdom to decisions in family, civic and temple/church life.

How is the skill of wisdom developed? I would suggest three specific sources for developing wisdom: revelation of God; human advice and action; and observation of the natural world.

Proverbs 1:7Proverbs 1:7
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. the beginning: or, the principal part  

WP-Bible plugin says that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” James tells us that if anyone “lacks wisdom let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5James 1:5
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.  

WP-Bible plugin). Thus the Bible tells us that wisdom starts with God.

Wisdom does not start in the intellect, but in the person’s relationship with God. As a Christian, I understand this to mean that wisdom starts with faith in Jesus Christ. It begins with a trust in His provision and grace. So wisdom begins in relationship. We learn wisdom in a person-to-person relationship with Jesus Christ.

He gives us his Spirit to teach and guide and lead us. This relationship with Jesus is mediated by the Holy Spirit and is rooted in the Word of God. The Bible is our source document where we believe the Holy Spirit is teaching and revealing Jesus. So when I come to the Bible, I am coming to encounter Jesus.

I read the law, the histories, the psalms and prophecies as well as the gospels and letters of the apostles, trusting that the Spirit is guiding, revealing and opening my eyes to Jesus. In and through this encounter, I begin to learn the norms of God in a person-to-person relationship. Some texts are more overtly revealing ethical norms such as the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes. John Frame explains that law does not justify me or free me from sin but it does reveal God’s commands and expectations as well as my own deficiencies.

Frame also explains that “the law is both a part Scripture and a way of looking at Scripture as a whole” (The Doctrine of the Christian Life, 200). The law tells us what to do, but it also tells us how to think. The law provides a lens for reading all of Scripture. For example, I can read about David and King Saul’s relationship in light of the command to honor your father and mother.

King Saul is a father figure to David. Even though David is being attacked by Saul, he is still seeking to obey this command. Studying David’s life in light of this command may shine interesting insight about how do you live under unjust authority and resist in authentic and effective ways that do not violate the command.

All of Scripture can be studied in this light, yielding insight about how God’s wisdom works in the messiness of this world. One thing we discover rather quickly is that God’s ways are not man’s ways” and the “wisdom of God is foolishness to man.”

As we trust in the Lord and His Spirit to lead and guide us through the light of His word, we can apply this light to the ways of man and the mysteries of the natural world. This wisdom model does not discount man’s world of ideas and communities and culture but it does provide us light to distinguish wisdom from foolishness. It also gives us light to think about and about is wise ways toward other humans as well as all of the created world.

Thus a wisdom approach to Scripture can shine light upon family relationships, local community affairs, federal and foreign affairs, art, science and more. Because I am suggesting that wisdom is a skill we develop, I am also suggesting that application requires humility and acknowledgement of others who may see things differently.

In humility, I seek to apply a wisdom way of thinking and listening to the church tradition, to other cultures, and to non-believers who reject my basic presuppositions. The Spirit guides me in and through the revealed Word to think about human culture and the natural world. Through this Holy Spirit developed skill, I am learning both how to see wisdom in the human and natural world as well as how to apply wise word-acts in specific situations.

I’ll stop here. If I come back to this, I’ll try to offer some insights from authors like David Ford who have thought deeply about the Christian wisdom tradition. And once again, I would suggest reading my friend Charles Strohmer who (along with John Peck) has written an in-depth study on Uncommon Sense and is currently writing about wisdom in relation to foreign policy.

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