Series: Unwrapping Your Spiritual Gift
#5: The Gifts of Spiritual Qualities – Knowledge/Wisdom
2 Chronicles 1:7-13 and James 3:13-18 (NRSV)
By John Gill ~ July 2, 2023

Last Christmas, there was an attempt to reenact the Christmas story in front of the US Capital, but they had to cancel it. They couldn't find 3 wise men! (Of course, that is a joke – but I’m afraid it’s not too far from the truth!)

Washington DC is filled with knowledgeable men and women. There are experts in every possible area. And yet, a wise person is hard to find! I don't tell people how they should vote, only this: don't vote for knowledge, vote for wisdom.

Knowledge is very different from wisdom. Knowledge is information. Wisdom is properly using this information in order to achieve godly ends. Knowledge is centered in the brain. Wisdom springs from the heart. Knowledge helps you make a living. Wisdom helps you make a life.

Our world is exploding with knowledge overload, yet we are bankrupt in wisdom. We have enough knowledge to fly to the moon and beyond, yet we lack the wisdom to solve problems right here at home.

That's why Paul, in first Corinthians 12:8, when he is listing the spiritual gifts, links knowledge and wisdom together: “to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same spirit.” In our message this morning we will reverse the order of those two similar gifts. First, the Spiritual Gift of Knowledge. There are two views of the gift of knowledge within the church - both of which are correct:

The first way to think about knowledge is this: knowledge enables the believer to search, systematize, and summarize the teaching of the word of God.

It is the enhanced ability to understand and grasp God's thoughts. Within the church, people with this spiritual gift are often biblical scholars, Bible translators, professors, pastors, and Sunday school teachers.

People with the gift of knowledge are very satisfied to lock themselves in their office with piles of books. They love to learn for learning’s-sake. The pursuit of scholarship brings them great joy! They would be content to sit alone in their libraries reading books all day.

But if that is all they do, that would be a misuse of their gift. Knowledge, when it is a Gift of the Spirit, must be shared. We cannot simply keep our knowledge to ourselves, we have to pass it on. We have been gifted with knowledge so that it might be communicated to others to help them in their lives and their Christian walk. We've all had professors in school or college who were brilliant but they had no gift in sharing their knowledge with others. So, the gift of knowledge requires both receiving and giving.

OK, you may say, “I don't have that gift so I don't need to ever study.” False. We must not neglect knowledge - why? Because even if we do not have the gift of knowledge, we are commanded in God's word that we all must constantly increase our knowledge of God. In 2 Peter 3:18 it is written, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Paul prayed that the Corinthians might be enriched in knowledge (First Corinthians 1:4-5), “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind.” So the quest for knowledge is not optional. In fact, it is a tragedy of the church that so many longtime Christians have acquired so little knowledge of the faith they profess.

Are you learning more and more about the faith? In not, in August, why not begin attending Sunday School each Sunday after worship? Or, sign up for my Disciple 1 course – a 24 week overview of the entire sweep of the Bible, that will begin in September (sign up in the Narthex)?

The second view of knowledge in the church is this: Knowledge is the ability to understand truth that cannot be known through human means.

The first view of knowledge is intellectual and scholarly. This second view is revelational and prophetic. In this view God reveals information directly. Acquiring this kind of knowledge has nothing to do with our intellect. Even simple people attuned to the ways of God can receive these revelations.

A good example in scripture is the Old Testament prophet, Nathan. You may not remember Nathan based on his name, but you likely do remember the story that involves him. In second Samuel chapters 11 and 12, we read the story of king David's adulterous affair with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his officers. As you may recall, Bathsheba becomes pregnant with David's child. Then, in order to cover up his sin, David arranges for the death of Bathsheba's husband. He then marries the grieving widow, and pretends that nothing is amiss.

Enter the Prophet Nathan. Nathan apparently had received the Gift of Knowledge. Somehow, he became aware of David's sin. How did Nathan know – through gossip? Eavesdropping? Spies? No. God had revealed this knowledge to Nathan, so that Nathan could then confront the king about his sin.

In the New Testament, the disciple Peter used his Gift of Knowledge when he confessed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. Now, how did Peter know this? In Matthew 16:16 Jesus says plainly that God revealed it to him, “Simon, son of Jonah, flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church…”

F. B. Myer, the British evangelist, was preaching at the Free Assembly Hall in Scotland. Suddenly, he stopped in the midst of his sermon and announced that someone had cheated a person out of 3 pounds 18 shillings, and that it was a sin to keep that money. After the service, a man came to see him. Meyer didn't recognize him. The man said, “But you talked about me in the sermon!” How did Myer know? His “Gift of Knowledge” revealed the truth that exposed the man’s sin.

So, sometimes this Gift of Knowledge produces a direct-insight or revelation from God. At other times, this Gift is akin to an unexplained premonition, a gut feeling that later proves to be accurate.

It has been reported that, on the eve of John F. Kennedy’s fateful trip to Dallas in 1963, Billy Graham, troubled by a sense of foreboding, called Kennedy urging him not to make the trip. Did Graham have ESP? Was he a Psychic? Did he dabble in evil spirits? No, Billy Graham was Gifted with Knowledge.

Whether your Gift of Knowledge is of the scholarly type or the insightful type, there are dangers in the misuse of this Gift that we need to be aware of:

The first danger is this: For every gift the Holy Spirit gives, there is a counterfeit “gift” that comes from Satan. Each Gift of the Spirit can be used for good or bad. So, if you have the Gift of Knowledge, test the “word” you receive. It should never contradict the gracious and loving Spirit of God revealed in Scripture. You see, it is entirely possible to be extremely knowledgeable, but not godly! Even Satan can quote scripture!

The second caution: Beware of the temptation to arrogance. The Gift of Knowledge is a very visible gift, and people will look up to you as one who “knows” a lot about God – they will recognize you as teacher, scholar, and a persons with high-intelligence. They will assume you know what you are talking about. Beware! With knowledge comes power. We can become puffed-up and begin to feel superior to others. If you have this gift, remember that your giftedness is solely the work of God – you are only a servant to the Truth which you are privileged to share with others. So, it is important to beware of the pitfalls of Knowledge.

Even so, those with the Gift of Knowledge are essential, even vital, to the ongoing life and health of the church.

I once heard a story about a small factory whose production came to a stop because an important piece of their machinery broke. The employees who ran the machine could not figure out how to fix it, so they had to call in an

expert. It only took the expert about a minute to figure out what was wrong. He took a hammer, went to a certain spot on the machine, and tapped it once. Like magic it came alive and ran normally!

The expert submitted his bill of $1000. The factory supervisor went into a rage. He demanded an itemized invoice. The expert said, “Fine, here it is: for hitting the machine, $10; and for knowing where to hit it, $990.

In the church today, we need people who have the knowledge of where to “hit” the machinery of the church in order to make it function as designed. We need experts who have schooled themselves in the ways of God and God’s word, who can use their knowledge to help our congregations flourish. So, if you have the gift of Knowledge, don’t discount it! Use it for good!

So, you may possess the Spiritual Gift of Knowledge.

Or perhaps, you have been gifted with the Gift of Wisdom.

Knowledge and Wisdom are often related (but not necessarily). As we have just heard, knowledge without wisdom can be a very dangerous thing! Knowledge that is just stored in the mind and not applied, not shared, is useless – or worse, it can be manipulated and mis-applied, leading to misinformation and lies. That's why knowledge must always be accompanied by wisdom. The Gift of Knowledge, when properly practiced, leads us to Wisdom. Wisdom is the application of knowledge.

Annie Cole has written this poetic verse:

“Knowledge roams creation o’re, telling what the ages say.

Silent wisdom evermore holds the lamp to light the way.”

A good way to think about the relationship between knowledge and wisdom is to compare it to the medical field. “Knowledge is to Wisdom” as “Researchers are to Doctors.” We need both, working together.

The Gift of Wisdom is the ability to apply knowledge to vexing problems, to weigh what is true, and to exercise spiritual insight into situations.

The most famous person in the Bible with the Gift of Wisdom was King Solomon. As we heard in our scripture this morning, when Solomon became king, God offered to give Solomon anything he desired. Solomon asked for wisdom, and God granted it to him.

You probably recall the famous story about two women who came before Solomon. They each had recently given birth, but only one of the babies lived. Each of the mothers claimed to be the mother of the living child. Solomon was tasked with determining which woman was telling the truth. You recall that he ordered the living baby be cut in half and that each mother would receive half of the corpse. The real mother begged that the child's life be saved and given to the other woman. Solomon then knew that she was the real mother. Solomon was indeed, wise.

There are many other examples in the Old and New Testaments, of those gifted with wisdom.

Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream and Pharaoh recognized that Joseph’s wisdom was from God (Gen. 41:25-39). Pharaoh said this: “God is the one who has shown you these things. No one else is as wise as you are…” (v. 39).

Daniel sought out God's assistance in order to interpret King Nebuchadnezzar's dream, and God gave wisdom and power to Daniel (Daniel 2:23). Daniel said, “Now I thank you and praise you for making me wise and telling me the King's dream, together with its meaning...” (v. 23).

In the New Testament book of Acts, seven deacons were gifted with wisdom (Acts 6:2-10). The Bible says they were “men who [were] respected and wise, and filled with God's Spirit.” (v. 3). One of them, Steven, spoke with

such wisdom that his accusers could not counter his words: The Bible says, “But they were no match for Steven, who spoke with the great wisdom that the Spirit gave him.” (v.10).

So, many biblical figures were blessed with the Gift of Wisdom. And God continues to pour out the Gift of Wisdom on His people!

Just like knowledge, wisdom is another “gift of spiritual qualities” that we all need to pursue. We all should desire wisdom.

James, in his letter in the New Testament, tells us that we should seek wisdom: “If you are lacking in wisdom ask God... and it will be given you.” (James 1:5)

So, there is a “general wisdom” that we all can possess. But how is that different from the Spiritual Gift of Wisdom? Before we can answer that, let's look at what the Bible tells us about wisdom.

In the Scriptures, there are three types of “general wisdom:

First, there is “natural wisdom.” Natural wisdom is a basic human quality. It is the product of our inherent intellectual capacity and life-experience. We tend to believe that if we can just learn from our past and rely on the advice of others, we can solve all the problems of life and our world. It is what is sometimes referred to as “common sense.” Those having “natural wisdom” do not acknowledge or rely on God for what wisdom they possess. This is the “humanist” view that is so prevalent in the secular world. Politicians, scientists, and many others often rely on their “natural wisdom” to guide their lives and decisions – in fact, we all tend to rely on “natural wisdom.” Actually, “natural wisdom” is morally neutral – not inherently good or bad, but because it doesn’t rely on God, it can lead to bad or evil outcomes. We see these all the time, don’t we?

A second type of wisdom the Bible refers to is “worldly wisdom.”

According to the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:19-21, God has declared war on worldly wisdom. He writes, quoting God himself: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise… Where is the one who is wise? The scribe? The debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?”

Worldly wisdom is the flawed result of the natural wisdom I just referred to. It leads to atheism. It may cause people to conclude that there is no God – So not God is their creator – and therefore, God has no claim on their lives. [Just a quick aside here – the whole Evolutions vs Creationism debate in the church is a tragic and unnecessary conflict pitting worldly wisdom against godly wisdom. It is not necessary to reject science and evolution in order to believe that God is the source of the universe and life – we United Methodists are not literalists, nor fundamentalists, in our claim that “God is the creator of all.” We do not see science and religion as being in conflict – they are answering different questions: The Bible tells us that God is the Creator. Science tells us how God did it! They are not in conflict at all!]

So, worldly wisdom can lead to atheism. Therefore, worldly wisdom is also flawed in that it claims that it doesn’t matter what you believe about God and Jesus Christ, and that there is no such thing as “sin,” therefore no need to repent of sin in order to be in fellowship with God.

James, in his letter (3:15) calls this false worldly wisdom, “demonic:” “Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish.” May God protect us from the corruption of “worldly wisdom.”

The third way the Bible speaks of wisdom is “godly wisdom.” Godly wisdom is available to all of us, simply for the asking (James 1:5).

Friends, this is the kind of wisdom we should be using as we make the big decisions in our lives, such as whom (or whether) to marry, or the career or vocation we should pursue. Godly wisdom is essential if we seek to be Christian parents in this confused and morally bankrupt generation. We must not think we can rely on our own

“natural wisdom,” nor be enticed by the “wisdom of the world.” Instead, we must go to God, and confess, “Lord, I don’t know how to approach this problem, or what to do in this situation. God, give me wisdom.” And, He will! Godly wisdom is available to every Christian. You ask for it – you get it!

Godly wisdom is different from the first two types in several important ways: Unlike natural and worldly wisdom, godly wisdom acknowledges God as the giver. It is aways in harmony with the scriptures, and consistent with God’s will and word. And it produces a reaction or response that causes unbelievers to consider the truth of God. It can inspire others to consider the possibility of accepting the truth of God (just as we have seen happened to Pharaoh, King Nebuchadnezzar, and Stephen’s accusers).

So, we have seen three ways the Bible refers to wisdom – in general. So now, back to the original question: “How does this “general wisdom” (available to all believers), differ from the Spiritual Gift of Wisdom?” How? In two ways:

First, it differs in the consistency of the use of wisdom. The believer with the Gift of Wisdom will consistently make wise decisions and provide godly insights to problems.

Second, the Gift of Wisdom differs from general wisdom in the results that are produced. The results of the Gift of Wisdom are described in the Letter of James this way: “the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown for peace for those who make peace.” (James 3:17-18)

Do those words describe you? If so, perhaps you have the Spiritual Gift of Wisdom!”

The Gifts of Knowledge and Wisdom are desperately needed in our world today! In an age when the Word of God in scripture is being ignored or being twisted, proof-texted, and mis-represented as Truth, those with the Gift of Knowledge must be ready to declare what is Truth and what is falsehood masquerading as Truth. The church sorely needs learned men and women to help us understand the mind and will of God.

And in the confused and misguided world in which we live, those with the Gift of Wisdom are needed to help us apply the knowledge of God’s word to solve the thorny problems we all face. Christians and non-Christians both need wise and godly counsel for problems that may seem insurmountable. The person gifted with Wisdom and Knowledge can help.

Someone has beautifully summarized the relationship between knowledge and wisdom eloquently, and I leave it with you to ponder: “Wisdom is knowledge that is guided by understanding. We have to have the wisdom and the knowledge to understand why certain things happen in our lives, and trust that God will lead us over any obstacle that comes in our way.”

Therefore, our prayer this morning should be the prayer of Solomon: “O Lord God… give me now wisdom and knowledge…” And God will answer us, just as he answered Solomon, “Because this was your heart… wisdom and knowledge are granted to you.”

May it be so.

© 2023 by John B. Gill, III