Verses 17-18: But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
The wisdom from above is consistent with James’ teachings, for he stated in 1:17 that “every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above.”
But what exactly is wisdom? Dr. Geisler explains:
Wisdom has to do with the ability to choose the right means for the desired ends. Knowledge is the apprehension of truth in the mind, while wisdom is the application of truth to one’s life.1
Geisler goes on to state that “as applied to God, wisdom refers to His unerring ability to choose the best means to accomplish the best ends.”2 God’s 'unerring ability to choose' is based upon His vast knowledge. God did not acquire or assimilate His knowledge through experience, reading or by the scientific method. He is omniscient and cannot learn anything new, since for Him, there is nothing new to be learned.
Louis Berkhof explains the relationship of God’s wisdom with His knowledge:
The wisdom of God may be regarded as a particular aspect of His knowledge. It is quite evident that knowledge and wisdom are not the same, though they are closely related. They do not always accompany each other. An uneducated man may be superior to a scholar in wisdom. Knowledge is acquired by study, but wisdom results from an intuitive [discerning] insight into things...We may be a little more specific and call it that perfection of God whereby He applies His knowledge to the attainment of His ends in a way which glorifies Him most. [Emphasis his]3
So there is an immense difference between God’s wisdom and the wisdom of man. Since God is omniscient, He knows everything that is possible to be known, therefore His knowledge and wisdom are perfect. Whereas man’s knowledge is limited and imperfect since he is incapable of knowing everything. What man does know, he must attain through the learning process.
God’s wisdom is one of His attributes and “implies correct judgment and the right use of knowledge.”4 The theologian Charles Hodge asserts that this is substantiated by His work in creation:
As there is abundant evidence of design in the works of nature, so all the works of God declare his wisdom. They show, from the most minute to the greatest, the most wonderful adaptation of means to accomplish the high end of the good of his creatures and the manifestation of his own glory.5
It is further exemplified by His
benevolence toward His creatures. The greatest demonstration of this is that of
His plan of redemption. Chafer maintains that “here God is seen to have solved His greatest of
all problems, namely, how He could be just and at the same time be the
justifier of sinners,”6 without compromising His character.
So, this wisdom from above that James is talking about is true wisdom—divine wisdom, God’s wisdom. It is utterly divergent from the wisdom derived from the demonic doctrine referred to in verse 15. James continues by describing the qualities of God’s wisdom.
- It is pure: Lacking moral corruption or any taint of human viewpoint, 1 John 3:3.
- It is peaceable: Completely harmonious with His character of righteousness, Matthew 5:9.
- It is gentle: Meaning fair and equitable “because the attributes of [His] rule are appropriate”,7 Psalm 66:7.
- It is reasonable: Because He is ever “willing to listen”8 to all of our requests (cf. Philippians 4:6; 1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 55:22).
- It is full of mercy: compassionate in His relations with His creatures, providing salvation and all that believers need to sustain and empower them to glorify Christ in this age and in the age to come (cf. Luke 6:36).
- It is full of good fruits: This refers to His accomplishments in time and eternity; the results of His works are beneficial towards man being in accord with His righteous character. We are commanded to walk as children of Light and therefore produce the fruit of the Light: goodness, righteousness and truth (Ephesians 5:8-9; cf. Galatians 5:22ff).
- It is unwavering: It expresses the distinctive assurance and resolution of faith, and also the reliability of Jesus Christ. The best rendering is perhaps “without wavering,” “unshakable”9 (cf. Hebrews 13:8).
- It is without hypocrisy: The phrase denotes that which is genuine or sincere. Christian love is rooted in this concept by being sincere and authentic and not deceitful, Romans 12:9; 2 Corinthians 6:6; 1 Peter 1:22.
These qualities of God’s wisdom are the ones which we should aspire to emulate. But it is impossible to do so unless we allow the Holy Spirit the control of our lives,
The Fruit of Righteousness
It should be noted at the outset that the New American Standard Bible translators added a clarifying phrase: the seed whose, and rightfully so, for it is only logical that it takes a seed to begin the germination process. The necessary seed is Godly wisdom, comprised of those qualities which James has just enumerated. We learn Godly wisdom (righteous fruit) from the study of Scripture. It is implanted into our hearts and minds by the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit, just as Our Lord stated:
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” (John 14:26)
This implanting work of the Holy Spirit is accomplished in a peaceful, orderly manner—not in the disorderly and disruptive manner as outlined in verses 14-16. For God’s work is never undertaken in confusion, as the apostle Paul maintains:
For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. (1 Corinthians 14:33a)
The final phrase can be translated, according to the principles of Greek grammar10, that this implanting is accomplished in association with those who are making peace. However, this may be a little misleading, for the word make here does not mean the same as constructing something (i.e. a car, a house, etc.). Within the context of something being sown, it follows that the word make actually denotes cultivating. In other words, the believer must be active in the cultivating process. It is true that the Holy Spirit is our teacher, implanting His Word (cf. James 1:21) so that it will flourish and produce His fruit of righteousness. But we have a responsibility to cultivate this seed by our positive choice to pursue His truth. The daily study of His Word allowing the Holy Spirit to teach us all things is essential to this process. The Holy Spirit is willing and able to teach us, but we must be willing to avail ourselves to His teaching.
The question should be stated again: What is wisdom?
Based upon these last two verses of James chapter 3, I offer this definition:
Wisdom is the sum total of the teaching of Bible doctrine by God the Holy Spirit and the positive response by the believer to that doctrine, resulting in believers’ perception and purpose of God’s plan; the assimilation of His truth into the believers’ stream of consciousness; and the application of Bible doctrine in the believers’ daily life.11
Are we willing to pursue His truth?
Doing so will impart divine wisdom in our lives and flood our culture with His much needed truth.
[1] Geisler, Norman (2003). Systematic Theology, Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 2.213
[2] Geisler, 2.213.
[3] Berkhof, Louis (1996). Systematic Theology, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, p. 68-69.
[4] Chafer, L.S. (1976). Systematic Theology, Dallas, TX: Dallas Seminary Press, 1.198-199
[5] Hodge, Charles (2001). Systematic Theology, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1.401).
[6] Chafer, 1.199.
[7] Preisker, Herbert (1888-1952). In Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One Volume (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W., Eds.). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, p. 243.
[8] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (electronic ed.). United Bible Societies, 1.422.
[9] Büchsel, F., & Herntrich, V. (1964–). ἀδιάκριτος. In Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley, & G. Friedrich (Eds.). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 3.950.
[10] Wallace, D. B. (1996). Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, p.159.
[11] An adaptation of a definition by R.B. Thieme, Jr., Spiritual Dynamics, Lesson #1577, 8/29/99
© 2023 David M. Rossi
Excellent as always. I can't wait to share it!
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