Wisdom Wednesday: Paul’s Teaching on Wisdom
Part 1 – Introduction to Paul’s Teaching on Wisdom
Submitted by Debbie’s Dad
“Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom …”
(1 Co 2:6–7a) NASB 95
The Apostle Paul taught and wrote about the wisdom of God and in this series, we will examine and organize the specific things that he taught on this subject.
We will see that he taught and emphasized three key things about the subject of wisdom:
- By His wisdom, God revealed to us His plan of salvation – the good news (Gospel) that offers redemption (rescue from sin) for all who believe (Ephesians 1:8)
- Paul taught this message of God’s wisdom, which is distinctly different from the wisdom of man (1 Cor. 2:1-9)
- Although the full knowledge of God and His wisdom is deep, unsearchable, and unfathomable, we may become mature in God’s wisdom and know His will by renewing our minds. (Romans 11:33; 12:1-2)
We will also see this is fully consistent with the Old Testament teaching on God’s wisdom. The emphasis of Pauls’ life and ministry after his sharp conversion from opponent of Christ to servant of Christ, was the message of the salvation he had accepted by trusting in the Person that he had previously offended by persecuting His followers.
We will step through Paul’s teaching from his early letters to the churches at Thessalonica and Corinth, to his letters to the believers at Rome and other churches, before we examine his teachings on wisdom to the young pastors, Timothy and Titus.
Paul was so intent on this theme that he repeatedly prayed that new believers in the churches would grow in the wisdom and knowledge of God. (Eph 1:17; 3:10; Col. 1:9; Phil 1:9)
This is the spiritual maturity that Paul learned and taught – to grow in the knowledge of God and gain the wisdom from Him to know and do His will.