Knowledge Without Wisdom
by Terry Wane Benton
In Colossians 1, we find Paul writing to a group that heard “the word of the truth of the gospel” (Colossians 1:5), and it produced faith, hope, and love (Colossians 1:4-5) in them. Paul was thankful, but he went on to pray that they would be “filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (Colossians 1:9). So, being born again with new faith, hope, and love is wonderful. Still, more is needed, or else the babe in Christ can be lured into dangerous things that might entangle them and destroy them. A little basic knowledge will get you moving in a better direction, but more complete knowledge is even better. Knowledge of facts alone is not good enough if you do not have wisdom and discernment about how to use that knowledge. Wisdom is the principal thing, said the Proverb writer. It sharpens the discernment skills of how to use the facts you know.
We have heard of brethren downplaying necessary inference, yet all that is the wisdom and discernment of how to use the facts gathered. What do those facts imply? Knowledge without wisdom in using and applying that knowledge is stale and useless. Knowing that David wrote Psalms 110 is very different from the wisdom of seeing what it implies. Did you read it and understand that it meant a change in the law was coming? See Hebrews 7:10-14. Wisdom is the perception of how a factual statement can imply things it doesn’t directly state. Suppose you demand only directly stated truths but refuse to acknowledge those implied truths. In that case, you will get easily drawn into false knowledge, thinking that unless something is directly stated, we do not need to address it.
Some think that because abortion is not directly addressed. That it is a political issue and not a moral and biblical issue. That is a false conclusion. Abortion is taking the life of another human being, which is murder. The Bible gives us a knowledge base to work from, but you have to have wisdom to see how to use that knowledge base correctly. When you see the Bible saying that “the babe” leaped in Elizabeth’s womb, you have a knowledge base that tells you that an unborn life is a “babe”, even before birth, and is not a mere blob of inhuman tissue. When you consider all the biblical evidence of God forming us in the womb (Psalm 139) and gather the facts, wisdom tells you how to use those facts. It tells you that God hates the taking of innocent life (Proverbs 6:16-19), which certainly includes the life He formed in the womb. A verse does not have to say straight out, “abortion is a sin,” as the stated principles imply. Wisdom sees it, while lack of wisdom does not!
We do not have to have a verse that says pedophilia or gambling is a sin. The knowledge base God gave us, combined with wisdom, helps us discern these matters. We need to exercise our minds “to discern good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14) because the word of God does not directly state all that it implies.
The few verses in Genesis 14 regarding Melchizedek imply far more than is directly stated. Wisdom is how to handle what you know in such a way that you see what may be implied. When you combine it with Psalms 110, your knowledge base should let you see David’s Lord as a coming figure more significant than the Levitical priesthood that David knew in his day. Wisdom sees the implications, not just the directly stated facts.
If God had to state everything directly, we could not carry the book around as it would have to state every detail of future issues. Can we use AI for our studies in morality? That would have to be stated in such a book. God gave us the complete knowledge base in the word of truth, the Bible, and we need to exercise wisdom in how to use that knowledge. Wisdom enriches our faith because we know how to use the knowledge of Jesus in our tests and challenges. Wisdom cries out for discerning how to stand firm through the storms of life. That is why Paul was praying for the brethren to have and use more than just knowledge, but to use it in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. Wisdom is indeed the principle thing, for knowledge can be cold facts unless we discern the implications of that knowledge. Learning the ways of wisdom and discernment is very enriching and empowering.
