Wisdom of God .

The apostle Paul never missed a teaching opportunity. In Ephesians 3:1–13, he interrupted his own prayer to expound on the divine mystery of God revealed in the New Testament church of Jesus Christ. The previously hidden secret was now made known—both Jews and Gentiles would share equally in the gospel of salvation (verse 6).

God had a specific purpose for using the church in this way: “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:10–11).

Wisdom of God is the divine attribute that guides His creation, His providence, and His redemptive plan . It is the source of all true wisdom for humans. According to the Bible, God’s wisdom is characterized by purity, peace, consideration, submission, mercy, good fruit, impartiality, and sincerity.

Those who follow God’s wisdom are peacemakers who reap righteousness.

The wisdom of God has been evident since our beginning—in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve had free reign of the Garden and everything they would ever need was provided. But the tree in the middle of the Garden was the only thing forbidden.

God warned Adam and Eve against eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They disregarded God’s words. Had they listened to Him and not succumbed to temptation by the serpent, they would never have known evil. This was the fall, the failing, of mankind passed onto every generation.

We wonder about all the suffering in life, why bad things happen, and the evil in the world; but because of Adam’s and Eve’s sin of disobedience in the Garden, we are all subject to those things. You might view it as an inheritance left by our ancestors. There has not been a person since who has not sinned against God—it’s genetic.

His wisdom at work.

The wisdom of God is demonstrated again in Genesis 6 with the story of Noah. Verses 5-8 say, “God saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.

The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, ‘I will wipe mankind whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals’...but Noah found favor in the eyes of God.”

Only Noah and his family were saved when God sent the flood. It was by God’s wisdom the earth was replenished with a righteous generation.

Paul writes in Ephesians 3 about the mystery of the Gospel to the Gentiles. Speaking of God he says in verse 10, “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Having the Wisdom of God.

Can mankind be given the wisdom of God? There are many verses revealing that God does indeed gift us with His wisdom. None is perhaps as well known for wisdom as King Solomon. “God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore” (1 Kings 4:29).

Other examples are found in 1 Kings 5:12; 10:24; Exodus 31:3 (Moses); Deuteronomy 34:9 (Joshua) and Ephesians 1:17 (Paul’s prayer in Ephesus).

After discussing life’s trials, James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

Without wisdom, life can be thorny. Our human wisdom can lead us into more trouble, life can seem very unfair. If life contained perfect justice, every one of us would suffer eternally for every shortcoming in our imperfect lives.

It is better than fair that a righteous Savior bridges the gap between imperfect man and a perfect God with infinite wisdom. Seeking the wisdom of God is the answer to each and every individual.

The word translated “manifold” in Ephesians 3:10 means “many and varied; having many features and forms; wrought in various colors; diversified, intricate, complex, many-sided.” God’s wisdom in His extraordinary plan of salvation, as seen in the new and mysterious creation of the church, is a multi-faceted, many-colored, culturally diverse, rich, and beautiful community of believers.

There is no other human co-op like it in the world.

According to Bible commentators, “the manifold wisdom of God” is a poetic and artistic expression suggesting the intricate nature of an embroidered pattern as in Joseph’s “tunic of many colors” (Genesis 37:3, NKJV). Each member of the body of Christ manifests a different aspect of God’s image (Genesis 1:26–27; James 3:9; Ephesians 4:24).

Together, believers form a perfect blend of harmony and diversity. The many features, forms, and colors of fellowship in the church reflect the manifold wisdom of God.

For the earliest Christians, and particularly the Jews, the up-to-that-time secret mystery of the church was truly a mind-blowing revelation. Even “the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” were learning about it for the first time.

To the Romans, Paul declared, “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!” (Romans 11:33, NLT).

Paul referred to the church as “the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them, God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:26–27).

God’s mystery is Christ “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). Jesus possesses the manifold wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24, 30) and reveals it to the world through His body, the church.

We have Christ in us—the hope of glory. It still astonishes and overwhelms that God has chosen to package the treasure of His manifold wisdom in fragile, human “jars of clay” (2 Corinthians 4:7–11).

The Bible reveals the manifold wisdom of God as unsearchable, deep, and beyond measure (Isaiah 40:28; Psalm 92:5; 147:5). James describes it as “wisdom from above,” which is “first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others.

It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere” (James 3:17, NLT). On the other hand, human wisdom has no merit of its own (1 Corinthians 1:19–21; Isaiah 29:14).

Nevertheless, God gives His wisdom to humans as a gift (Proverbs 2:6; 1 Corinthians 2:6–16; James 1:5), and His followers are to continue praying and asking Him for spiritual wisdom (Colossians 1:9).

As believers, we can picture the manifold wisdom of God as a global, body of Christ-shaped tapestry. Our individual lives are the various colored threads woven together in unity of purpose—to display God’s manifold wisdom through the church.

We do this by taking the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ to all the people of the world.

If we can turn our heart to Him and allow His Word to guide us, we will live a life totally embraced with God’s love and wisdom.

Proverbs 16:16 says, “How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver!” The Bible urges us often to seek wisdom above all things ( Proverbs 4:7).

But there are different kinds of wisdom. First Corinthians 3:19 says, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight.” And verse 20 says, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” There is obviously a difference between godly wisdom and worldly wisdom (see James 3:13–17).

Godly wisdom is, of course, from God and honors God. Godly wisdom starts with the fear of God and results in a holy life. Worldly wisdom, on the other hand, is not concerned with honoring God but with pleasing oneself.

With worldly wisdom, we may become educated, street-smart, and have “common sense” that enables us to play the world’s game successfully. Godly wisdom enables us to prepare ourselves for eternity. With godly wisdom, we trade earthly values for biblical values (1 John 2:15–16). We recognize we are citizens of another kingdom, and we make choices that reflect that allegiance (Philippians 1:27; 3:20).

Having godly wisdom means we strive to see life from God’s perspective and act accordingly.

The book of Proverbs is part of the Bible known as wisdom literature. Proverbs is full of practical instructions for life. Many proverbs contrast the wise with the foolish and warn against repeating foolish actions ( Proverbs 3:35; 14:24; 15:7; 26:11).

Everyone makes mistakes, but the wise learn from their mistakes and take steps to avoid repeating them. The foolish may make the same mistake over and over again and never learn their lesson.

Godly wisdom may look very different from worldly wisdom. Jesus highlighted these differences in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5—7). For example, He said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” Godly wisdom often requires us to do that which is opposite our natural inclinations. Godly wisdom goes against the “conventional wisdom” of the day; it is not focused on self-preservation but on furthering the kingdom of God.

We can only live in godly wisdom when we are committed to crucifying our flesh and living in the Spirit (see Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 5:16, 25).

The primary way we gain godly wisdom is by learning God’s Word (Psalm 119:169). “The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130). No one is born wise; we must acquire wisdom from God if we are to be truly wise: “Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies.

I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts” (Psalm 119:98–100).

Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Immersion in God’s Word produces a heart of worship and thanksgiving.

That heart of worship becomes fertile soil for seeds of wisdom to grow. Jesus prayed to the Father: “Sanctify them by your truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). He wants His followers to be set apart from the world, making godly choices and living godly lives (1 Peter 1:15). We can only do that when His Word lives in us.

We can also develop godly wisdom by carefully selecting those who journey through life with us: “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm” (Proverbs 13:20). Paul instructed the Corinthians to “imitate me as I imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 4:16; 11:1).

Those who want godly wisdom will choose for their heroes those who exhibit wisdom in their personal lives.

Scripture tells us to ask for godly wisdom: “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). God wants us to have His wisdom. He is delighted to give it to us when our hearts are set to receive it.

However, James goes on to say, “But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (verses 6–8).

God knows the position of our hearts. When we are committed to trusting Him and obeying His Word, He pours out His wisdom on us (see Jeremiah 29:13). But if we want to retain the right to disobey, we are double-minded and may not receive the wisdom we ask for.

Solomon received godly wisdom when he asked the Lord for it (2 Chronicles 1:10–11). He became known for his great wisdom, yet, in his later years, he turned away from following the wisdom he’d been given. He disobeyed the Lord and even began to worship idols (1 Kings 11:1–11).

Receiving wisdom did not insure that Solomon would follow the path of wisdom. Sadly, he exchanged his godly wisdom for worldly wisdom, and he suffered for it. The rest of 1 Kings 11 details Solomon’s downfall as the Lord removed His hand of blessing from a man who was once great.