Heavenly vs. Worldly Wisdom James 3:13-18

Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise … There is no fool so great as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.

Charles Spurgeon

First, a word about wisdom. What is it? We must not confuse it with knowledge. Knowledge is information; wisdom is application. Knowledge is comprehending facts; wisdom is handling life. Knowledge is theoretical; wisdom is practical.

Roger Ellsworth

Are You Honest About Your Wisdom? James 3:13-14

Good Behavior

1 Peter 2:12 NASB95

Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Deeds of Gentleness

1 Peter 2:12 NASB95

Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Bitter Jealousy

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. ζῆλος

intense negative feelings over another’s achievements or success

Acts 5:17 NASB95

But the high priest rose up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy.

1 Corinthians 13:4 NASB95

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,

Selfish Ambition (Strife)

Waring in Your Heart

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. ἐριθεία

where it denotes a self-seeking pursuit of political office by unfair means.

Romans 2:8 NASB95

but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.

Philippians 2:3 NASB95

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;

Lie Against the Truth

1 Timothy 2:4 NASB95

who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

John 14:6 NASB95

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Is Your Wisdom From Below? James 3:15-16

Sinners must be caught with the gospel, not with sugary morsels of worldly wisdom.

Fred A. Malone

Romans 1:22–23 NASB95

Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

People in their fallen, worldly wisdom rejected God, so God confirmed humanity in its rebellion with a plan of salvation that would seem foolish (cf. Rom. 1:18–32)

Craig Blomberg

Wisdom from Below is Earthly

1 Corinthians 3:19 NASB95

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness”;

Man’s wisdom is foolishness to God (1 Cor. 1:20), and God’s wisdom is foolishness to man (1 Cor. 2:14). Man’s wisdom comes from reason, while God’s wisdom comes from revelation. Man’s worldly wisdom will come to nothing (1 Cor. 1:19), while God’s wisdom will endure forever.

Warren W. Wiersbe

Wisdom from Below is Natural (Unspiritual)

Jude 19 NASB95

These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:14 NASB95

But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

Wisdom from Below is Demonic

1 Timothy 4:1 NASB95

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,

2 Corinthians 4:3–4 NASB95

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Wisdom from Below is Disorderly

“there is” or better “in that place”

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. ἀκαταστασία

opposition to established authority, disorder, unruliness

Against the Authority of God

1 Corinthians 14:33 NASB95

for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

Wisdom from Below is Evil

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. φαῦλος

to being low-grade or morally substandard

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. φαῦλος

those who do not reflect in their behavior the high status they could enjoy as pers. destined for ‘deathless knowledge’

John 3:20 NASB95

“For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

Is Your Wisdom From Above? James 3:17-18

Wisdom, the wisdom of God, is not something that is acquired by man, but something that is bestowed by God upon his elect. It is a divine endowment and not a human acquisition.

Spiros Zodhiates

Appears to be a call back to the Sermon on the Mount

What are called the Beatitudes

Wisdom from Above is Pure

Matthew 5:8 NASB95

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Wisdom from Above is Peaceable

Matthew 5:9 NASB95

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Wisdom from Above is Gentle

Matthew 5:5 NASB95

“Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

Wisdom from Above is Reasonable (Willing to Yield)

It is not all about me.

Matthew 5:3 NASB95

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Wisdom from Above is Merciful

Matthew 5:7 NASB95

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Wisdom from Above is Productive

Matthew 5:6 NASB95

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Wisdom from Above is Unwavering

Matthew 5:10–12 NASB95

“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Wisdom from Above is Without Hypocrisy

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. ἀνυπόκριτος

to being without pretense, genuine, sincere, lit. ‘without play-acting’

Matthew 5:4 NASB95

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

John 16:20 NASB95

“Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy.

1 Peter 1:22 NASB95

Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,

Romans 12:9 NASB95

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.

Wisdom from Above is Establishes Righteous Peace

Galatians 6:8 NASB95

For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

Philippians 1:11 NASB95

having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

There is a calmness or peace about them

Isaiah 26:3 NASB95

“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.

Conclusion

John 5:29 NASB95

and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

2 Corinthians 5:10 NASB95

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.