Wisdom Contrasted: Part 6 - James 3:17a

Wisdom Contrasted: Part 6 - James 3:17a
Written by LaRosa Johnson
Wednesday, 09 April 2008

After spending a good amount of time developing our understanding of worldly wisdom and seeing what James had to say about that, we are now prepared to move back into the realm of heavenly wisdom that comes from the Lord above. We caught a glimpse of this in the first few verses of this study when we examined James 3:13; that was only a taste, though, as we only looked at it in a very general sense. Today, our focus takes us to James 3:17 where we will start to get an in-depth look at the characteristics that comprise heavenly wisdom. To do this, let us first begin by looking at our passage.

Quote :

James 3:17a (NASB) - But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle...

If there were ever a passage in the Bible that clearly depicted what heavenly wisdom looks like, this passage would be it. From just looking at the passage, we see nothing but good things describing this type of wisdom, true wisdom indeed. Our study today will encompass a look at each of these words so that we can understand what they mean in relation to this passage and in their general terms, a few of which are fairly exclusive to this passage. There are several characteristics that we are going to look at, but before we do, let us remember that we are speaking of heavenly wisdom, that wisdom that can only come from God. As a brief reminder, this is true wisdom can only be received through: 1) conversion, 2) reverence and fear of God, 3) prayer, and 4) studying the Word.

Putting first things first, just as James has, the first thing we find out about heavenly wisdom is that it is "pure." When we think of pure, we normally think of something that is undefiled, untainted, or perfect; much like pure spring water that is clear and clean water without any kind of contaminants. The Greek gives us a very similar concept in its use of the word hagnos (Strong's #G53), as it means "free from ceremonial defilement, holy, or sacred." Used only eight times in Scripture, when it is used in reference to divine wisdom, it takes on the connotation of being "without corruption," which is exactly what we would expect with a holy and perfect God as its source. Another passage that uses hagnos with carrying this meaning is 1 John 3:3, speaking of God Himself being pure and holy. In other passages, this word can refer to the chaste nature of the bride of Christ (2 Cor. 11:2) or general references to moral purity (Phil. 4:8; 1 Tim. 5:22; 1 Pet. 3:2). A pure wisdom is exactly what we would anticipate on having when it comes from the only One who is perfect an pure. Therefore, we can rest assured that any wisdom coming from the Lord, whether it be through prayer of His Word, that it is without flaw.

One important thing to note, as a bridge between this word and the next, is that "pure" is not a characteristic of heavenly wisdom, but instead is the motive. This is shown through the use of the adverb epeita (then) that is connected with peaceable. Thus, we are told that our motive for heavenly wisdom is purity, and then we move into James' list of the seven characteristics of this wisdom. So, not only can we rest assured that godly wisdom is pure, but our motivation for seeking after godly wisdom is so that we can have purity in our own lives, further living out a life of faith.

Following purity, heavenly wisdom is "peaceable." Used only here and in Hebrews 12:11, the word that we want to take a look at now is eirenikos (Strong's #G1516). This is a rare word for us, since it is only used twice, and in both instances it takes on varying meanings. In Hebrews, it is being spoken of as a fruit of righteousness and means salutary; while, our James passage speaks of something that is "ready for peace" or brings peace with it. Either way, eirenikos is a word that speaks of delivering peace wherever it is going, whether as a part of spiritual fruit or through chastening. As believers, it should be our desire to have a peaceable spirit that is able to get along with all men and is slow to anger. In other words, there should be a spirit of humility about us that pervades our entire being and is evident to all. This is the kind of thing that serves as a direct opposite to the selfishness of worldly wisdom, as it seeks to not be quarrelsome by putting ourselves before others. Having regard for one another produces peace and is a perfect example of what humility is all about as we see in Philippians 2:1-4. As Paul tells us, when we look out for the interest of others, instead of our own, we produce peace with others and that only comes from a heart full of humility. This is exactly the kind of thing that comes with heavenly wisdom, as it is what is going to show us how to be humble and peaceable towards others, which is in direct contrast to what the flesh would have us do.

Another somewhat rare word continues James' list of characteristics for heavenly wisdom; this time the word is "gentle." Now, in many regards, this is gentle in the way that you would normally think of gentle, but there is also a lot more too it when you flip open the hood and dig into the Greek and take things a little bit further. The word here for "gentle" is the Greek word epieikes (Strong's #G1933) and is only used for a grand total of five times in the New Testament. It comes from two Greek words that mean "unto" and "likely," which generally denotes "seemingly" or "fitting." Furthering the definition, we eventually get to the understanding that it means "equitable, fair, moderate, or patient." With such a wide definition, we can see what all is entailed in being gentle in regard to heavenly wisdom; not only are we to be fair but also patient in spirit, as well as towards others. This is another mark of true godly wisdom, as we again see that we are putting others first before we take ourselves into consideration. Being gentle means that we have a desire to be fair with all men and not showing partiality (James 2:1-13), as well as patient with them when that is required. Passages that use this word and carry similar meaning would include Philippians 4:5 and Titus 3:2, both of which admonish us to be gentle towards others. This also goes right along with being peaceable because it means that we are willing to not be quarrelsome and kind to all, even if it requires taking on persecution in the process. We are to be servants of the Lord who always exhibit His character and wisdom, whatever the circumstance may be.

Stopping here for today, I think we have a good basis for understanding what godly wisdom is all about. Next time, we will conclude our look at the characteristics that comprise heavenly wisdom. Before we get to that point, though, I want you to take some time today to meditate on our motivation for desiring godly wisdom; is purity your motive for desiring after such things? What about the characteristics that we've looked at thus far; do they remind you of some things that Jesus might have said? Would those around you say that these are characteristic of you, or do you more resemble the kind of person who has worldly wisdom? Begin to think about those things as we prepare to conclude our look at "Wisdom Contrasted" and seeing how we can apply it to our lives, as well as showing how other portions of Scripture clearly advocate for us to live out our lives in godly wisdom. Until then, stay focused on Him!

devotion courtesy of Trailblazin Ministries
http://www.trailblazinministries.com/daily-devotions/04-09-2008.php