Examples of Human Wisdom Influencing Our Understanding of God's Truth
Human wisdom, while valuable in many contexts, can sometimes lead to a misunderstanding or misinterpretation of God's truth. The Bible itself contrasts divine wisdom with human wisdom, often highlighting the limitations of the latter [2].
The apostle Paul states that "in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom didn’t know God" [2]. This suggests that human intellectual pursuits, when operating independently of divine revelation, are insufficient for comprehending God. The wisdom of God is described as a "mystery," a "hidden wisdom" that God determined before the world began [4]. This divine wisdom is considered infinite and unsearchable, with God's judgments and ways being "past tracing out" by human understanding [3]. Torrey's Topical Textbook further elaborates on God's wisdom, describing it as perfect, mighty, universal, infinite, unsearchable, wonderful, beyond human comprehension, incomparable, and underived [1]. All true human wisdom is said to be derived from God [1].
The "fall of man," as described in Genesis 2 and 3, is understood as a revolt against God that involved a departure from divine truth, leading to sin and misery [5]. This historical event is foundational to understanding God's subsequent dealings with humanity [5]. The Dead Sea Scrolls reflect a similar sentiment, acknowledging that "righteousness does not belong to a man, nor perfection of way to a son of man," and that "the way of man is not established except by the spirit which God has fashioned for him" [6].
The New Testament also warns against relying solely on human instruction. John Gill, commenting on Proverbs, advises against listening to "the counsel of bad men, or the doctrine of false teachers," drawing a parallel to the doctrines of the Church of Rome concerning Scripture and tradition [7]. Paul, in 1 Corinthians, reinforces the idea that "the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain" [8]. This underscores the idea that human intellectual endeavors, when not aligned with God's revealed truth, can be futile in discerning spiritual matters.
Sources
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Wisdom of God, The — Is one of his attributes -- 1Sa 2:3; Job 9:4. Described as Perfect. -- Job 36:4; 37:16. Mighty. -- Job 36:5. Universal. -- Job 28:24; Da 2:22; Ac 15:18. Infinite. -- Ps 147:5; Ro 11:33. Unsearchable. -- Isa 40:28; Ro 11:33. Wonderful. -- Ps 139:6. Beyond human comprehension. -- Ps 139:6. Incomparable. -- Isa 44:7; Jer 10:7. Underived. -- Job 21:22; Isa 40:14. The gospel contains treasures of -- 1Co 2:7. Wisdom of saints is derived from -- Ezr 7:25. All human wisdom derived from -- Da 2:1. Saints ascribe to him -- Da 2:20. Exhibited in His works. ”
- 1 Corinthians “For seeing that in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom didn’t know God, it was God’s good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save those who believe. -- 1 Corinthians 1:21”
- Romans “Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out! -- Romans 11:33”
- I Corinthians “I Corinthians 2:7 (Geneva1599) — But we speake the wisedome of God in a mysterie, euen the hid wisedom, which God had determined before the world, vnto our glory.”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Fall of man — An expression probably borrowed from the Apocryphal Book of Wisdom, to express the fact of the revolt of our first parents from God, and the consequent sin and misery in which they and all their posterity were involved. The history of the Fall is recorded in Gen. 2 and 3. That history is to be literally interpreted. It records facts which underlie the whole system of revealed truth. It is referred to by our Lord and his apostles not only as being true, but as furnishing the ground of all God's subsequent dispensations and dealings with the children of m”
- Dead Sea Scrolls “Thanksgiving Hymns (Hodayot) (1st century BCE), section 2: before You? He is kneaded from dust, and his dwelling is the food of worms. He is but pinched-off clay, and his desire is for dust. What shall clay reply, that which is formed by hand? And what counsel can it understand?" "I know that righteousness does not belong to a man, nor perfection of way to a son of man. To God Most High belong all works of righteousness, and the way of man is not established except by the spirit which God has fashioned for him." "As for me, I know that no riches compare with Your truth, and I have no desire ap”
- Proverbs (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Proverbs 19:27: Cease, my son, to hear the instruction,.... The counsel of bad men, or the doctrine of false teachers. The words are spoken either by Solomon to his son; or by Wisdom, that is, Christ, to everyone of his children, to beware of false prophets, and take heed what they hear; see Mat 7:15; such as the doctrines of the church of Rome; concerning the Scriptures, forbidding the people to read them; setting unwritten traditions upon a level with them, and making the pope an infallible interpreter of them; concerning merit, works of supererogation, indulgences, pardons, pen”
- 1 Corinthians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Corinthians 3:20: And again,.... Not in the same place, nor in the same book, but in the Psalms, in Psa 94:11. This form of citing Scriptures answers to and moreover, used by the Jewish doctors when the matter does not so clearly appear from the first proof, and therefore they produce another (q): and so here the apostle, for the further confirmation and illustration of this point, that the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, to the testimony of Eliphaz, adds this of David, the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain; in the Psalms it is, "the Lord ”