It is true that knowledge is power but wisdom rules.
Hidden secrets of wisdom and revelation, Wisdom is profitable
Many people are confused about knowledge and wisdom, some may say “what’s different between knowledge and wisdom”.
Humanity has accomplished much and has many clever sayings, such as “knowledge is power.”
Many seek for the knowledge of the world instead of divine wisdom.
But before we go further,
On my own perspective, knowledge are the things you know of, information, your awareness, consciousness.
According to Wikipedia online dictionary, “Knowledge is a familiarity, awareness, or understanding of someone or something, such as facts, information, descriptions, or skills, which is acquired through experience or education by perceiving, discovering, or learning”.
Yeah, knowledge are acquired by study, experience and so others, knowledge are obtainable or acquired.Biblically, Knowledge also can be obtained by revelation, when I said revelation, I’m talking about the spirit of God, and in the form supernatural knowledge(mystery), knowledge can be granted unto those who feared the lord, and we have that in proverb 1:7.
“; Fools despise wisdom and instruction”.
Let’s consider Scripture by using Paul an example.While Paul waited in Athens, There he saw he was standing amidst a group of pagan alters, (ACTS17:16) where people there worship different types of idols, but in (ACTS17:22) Paul stood up at Mars Hill and said: “Men of Athens, I see how very religious you are in every way”
Paul stood up at Mars Hill and said: “Men of Athens, I see how very religious you are in every way”
Acts17:22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious
What are we saying here, these people had knowledge but they were consumed with idolatry.
The Bible also noted that there were philosophers among them, their were men of knowledge in chapter 17:18, but Paul spoke to them at their own spiritual level.
WHAT IS WISDOM
God is wisdom, and he maketh wise those that him first.
Solomon was a man God so much endowed with wisdom, why?
Because Solomon seek for Wisdom after the heart of God.
Wisdom can be found anywhere God chooses, whether we hear it or not, it’s of God.
Men of wisdom can never be men of ordinary anywhere they’re.
But what’s really wisdom?The dictionary define wisdom as “An element of personal character that enables one to distinguish the wise from the unwise”.
It’s the ability to know and apply spiritual truths.
Wisdom can never be hidden, or covered up, in proverb 1:20.
“Wisdom cries out in the street; she utters her voice in the city square”, just like we cry out in prayer for understanding, seeking it as treasure, but Scripture warns about misplacing our focus on knowledge,
Also Paul to the Corinthians in (1 corinthians13:2), “And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing”.
Just like we saw in the story of Paul about the people of Athens, He didn’t look down his nose and walk away.
He didn’t say, ‘Your idols are outrageous and need to be destroyed’, but Paul was able to tell them some good news about his merciful, all-powerful God, using a sliver of wisdom he found among these knowledgeable Athenians,(Acts 17:23) He says, ” I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.
Whom therefore you ignorantly worship, He is the One I will tell you about”.
With this understand, I hereby urge you to seek for wisdom and observe the fruit endured from wisdom because “Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly” (proverb 3:18).
Paul, in his prayers “for saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 1:1, ESV), asks that God “may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better” (verse 17).
Prior to his prayer for the spirit of wisdom and revelation, Paul reminds the Ephesian believers of the blessings God has bestowed upon them (Ephesians 1:3), their adoption as children through Christ (verse 4), the wisdom and insight they have been given (verse 8), and “the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ” (verse 9). He also reminds them that they have been “marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance” (verses 13–14). Now he desires for them to be given the spirit of wisdom and revelation.
Since Christians receive the promised Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation (John 14:17), the spirit of wisdom and revelation that Paul prays for cannot refer to the initial gift of the Holy Spirit. Paul’s reference could easily be to an attitude or frame of mind (although the NIV and ESV capitalize Spirit, other translations such as the NASB and BSB translate it as “a spirit,” and the NLT simply has “spiritual wisdom and insight”). If not the Holy Spirit, then what does Paul ask for in his request for “the spirit of wisdom and revelation”? The key is in the phrase that follows, “in the knowledge of him” (ESV), or “so that you may know him better” (NIV).
Paul had commended the Ephesians for their faith in the Lord Jesus and their love toward all the saints (Ephesians 1:15), but now he is asking God to give them a deeper and greater understanding of the mysteries of His character and will, to know Him more thoroughly and intimately. Now that they have the Holy Spirit in their hearts, Paul desires Him to grant them more understanding and greater insight. The “wisdom” is a better understanding of the doctrines of God, and the “revelation” is a clearer picture of the divine character and will. In the NLT, the prayer is that believers would have “spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.” The AMP translation has Paul asking that God “may grant you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation [that gives you a deep and personal and intimate insight] into the true knowledge of Him.”
God is infinite, and He can never be fully known by finite creatures. We all need wisdom from above. No matter how far we may advance in our understanding of God, there is an unfathomed depth of knowledge that remains to be explored. Scripture is full of admonitions to grow in our knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 3:18; 1 Peter 2:2; Ephesians 4:15).
Paul outlines some of the mysteries he wants the Ephesians to understand through this spirit of wisdom and revelation. He desires them to grasp “the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance” (Ephesians 1:18). This is the hope of eternal life, which Paul refers to as the “upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14, ESV). We inherit the riches of eternal life through Him who saved us and called us to holiness in Christ before time began (2 Timothy 1:9). Paul also prays the Spirit will reveal God’s “incomparably great power for us who believe” (Ephesians 1:19)—power so great it raised Jesus from the dead. It’s a power that we can only comprehend as we possess the spirit of wisdom and revelation.
The spirit of wisdom and revelation is not some mysterious blessing given to a special few, and it is not the ability to speak as a prophet. Rather, it is the work of the Holy Spirit to help the people of God understand the things of God more fully and completely.
This verse adds two details to Paul's prayers. First, Paul specifies exactly to whom he is praying: God the Father. However, Paul again also includes references to all three Persons of the Trinity, God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and then mentions the "Spirit of wisdom." This Spirit is capitalized in most versions, indicating that translators believe Paul refers here to the Holy Spirit. This is one of a dozen mentions of the Holy Spirit in this letter.
Paul also provides two specific points regarding what he prayed for regarding the Ephesian Christians. Paul has already mentioned the importance of wisdom in Ephesians 1:8. Later, he will refer to the "manifold wisdom of God" in Ephesians 3:10. Here, Paul refers to revelation in a particular sense. The revelation spoken of here is connected with wisdom, and involves knowing God's plan for their lives. This is distinct from "general revelation," which is God revealing Himself through nature (Psalm 19). This is also not the same thing as "specific revelation," which is the written word of God (2 Timothy 3:16).
Hidden secrets of wisdom and revelation, Wisdom is profitable
Many people are confused about knowledge and wisdom, some may say “what’s different between knowledge and wisdom”.
Humanity has accomplished much and has many clever sayings, such as “knowledge is power.”
Many seek for the knowledge of the world instead of divine wisdom.
But before we go further,
- what’s wisdom
- What’s wisdom of God
- how do I differentiate wisdom from knowledge?
On my own perspective, knowledge are the things you know of, information, your awareness, consciousness.
According to Wikipedia online dictionary, “Knowledge is a familiarity, awareness, or understanding of someone or something, such as facts, information, descriptions, or skills, which is acquired through experience or education by perceiving, discovering, or learning”.
Yeah, knowledge are acquired by study, experience and so others, knowledge are obtainable or acquired.Biblically, Knowledge also can be obtained by revelation, when I said revelation, I’m talking about the spirit of God, and in the form supernatural knowledge(mystery), knowledge can be granted unto those who feared the lord, and we have that in proverb 1:7.
“; Fools despise wisdom and instruction”.
Let’s consider Scripture by using Paul an example.While Paul waited in Athens, There he saw he was standing amidst a group of pagan alters, (ACTS17:16) where people there worship different types of idols, but in (ACTS17:22) Paul stood up at Mars Hill and said: “Men of Athens, I see how very religious you are in every way”
Paul stood up at Mars Hill and said: “Men of Athens, I see how very religious you are in every way”
Acts17:22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious
What are we saying here, these people had knowledge but they were consumed with idolatry.
The Bible also noted that there were philosophers among them, their were men of knowledge in chapter 17:18, but Paul spoke to them at their own spiritual level.
WHAT IS WISDOM
God is wisdom, and he maketh wise those that him first.
Solomon was a man God so much endowed with wisdom, why?
Because Solomon seek for Wisdom after the heart of God.
Wisdom can be found anywhere God chooses, whether we hear it or not, it’s of God.
Men of wisdom can never be men of ordinary anywhere they’re.
But what’s really wisdom?The dictionary define wisdom as “An element of personal character that enables one to distinguish the wise from the unwise”.
It’s the ability to know and apply spiritual truths.
Wisdom can never be hidden, or covered up, in proverb 1:20.
“Wisdom cries out in the street; she utters her voice in the city square”, just like we cry out in prayer for understanding, seeking it as treasure, but Scripture warns about misplacing our focus on knowledge,
Also Paul to the Corinthians in (1 corinthians13:2), “And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing”.
Just like we saw in the story of Paul about the people of Athens, He didn’t look down his nose and walk away.
He didn’t say, ‘Your idols are outrageous and need to be destroyed’, but Paul was able to tell them some good news about his merciful, all-powerful God, using a sliver of wisdom he found among these knowledgeable Athenians,(Acts 17:23) He says, ” I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.
Whom therefore you ignorantly worship, He is the One I will tell you about”.
With this understand, I hereby urge you to seek for wisdom and observe the fruit endured from wisdom because “Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly” (proverb 3:18).
Paul, in his prayers “for saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 1:1, ESV), asks that God “may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better” (verse 17).
Prior to his prayer for the spirit of wisdom and revelation, Paul reminds the Ephesian believers of the blessings God has bestowed upon them (Ephesians 1:3), their adoption as children through Christ (verse 4), the wisdom and insight they have been given (verse 8), and “the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ” (verse 9). He also reminds them that they have been “marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance” (verses 13–14). Now he desires for them to be given the spirit of wisdom and revelation.
Since Christians receive the promised Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation (John 14:17), the spirit of wisdom and revelation that Paul prays for cannot refer to the initial gift of the Holy Spirit. Paul’s reference could easily be to an attitude or frame of mind (although the NIV and ESV capitalize Spirit, other translations such as the NASB and BSB translate it as “a spirit,” and the NLT simply has “spiritual wisdom and insight”). If not the Holy Spirit, then what does Paul ask for in his request for “the spirit of wisdom and revelation”? The key is in the phrase that follows, “in the knowledge of him” (ESV), or “so that you may know him better” (NIV).
Paul had commended the Ephesians for their faith in the Lord Jesus and their love toward all the saints (Ephesians 1:15), but now he is asking God to give them a deeper and greater understanding of the mysteries of His character and will, to know Him more thoroughly and intimately. Now that they have the Holy Spirit in their hearts, Paul desires Him to grant them more understanding and greater insight. The “wisdom” is a better understanding of the doctrines of God, and the “revelation” is a clearer picture of the divine character and will. In the NLT, the prayer is that believers would have “spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.” The AMP translation has Paul asking that God “may grant you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation [that gives you a deep and personal and intimate insight] into the true knowledge of Him.”
God is infinite, and He can never be fully known by finite creatures. We all need wisdom from above. No matter how far we may advance in our understanding of God, there is an unfathomed depth of knowledge that remains to be explored. Scripture is full of admonitions to grow in our knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 3:18; 1 Peter 2:2; Ephesians 4:15).
Paul outlines some of the mysteries he wants the Ephesians to understand through this spirit of wisdom and revelation. He desires them to grasp “the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance” (Ephesians 1:18). This is the hope of eternal life, which Paul refers to as the “upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14, ESV). We inherit the riches of eternal life through Him who saved us and called us to holiness in Christ before time began (2 Timothy 1:9). Paul also prays the Spirit will reveal God’s “incomparably great power for us who believe” (Ephesians 1:19)—power so great it raised Jesus from the dead. It’s a power that we can only comprehend as we possess the spirit of wisdom and revelation.
The spirit of wisdom and revelation is not some mysterious blessing given to a special few, and it is not the ability to speak as a prophet. Rather, it is the work of the Holy Spirit to help the people of God understand the things of God more fully and completely.
This verse adds two details to Paul's prayers. First, Paul specifies exactly to whom he is praying: God the Father. However, Paul again also includes references to all three Persons of the Trinity, God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and then mentions the "Spirit of wisdom." This Spirit is capitalized in most versions, indicating that translators believe Paul refers here to the Holy Spirit. This is one of a dozen mentions of the Holy Spirit in this letter.
Paul also provides two specific points regarding what he prayed for regarding the Ephesian Christians. Paul has already mentioned the importance of wisdom in Ephesians 1:8. Later, he will refer to the "manifold wisdom of God" in Ephesians 3:10. Here, Paul refers to revelation in a particular sense. The revelation spoken of here is connected with wisdom, and involves knowing God's plan for their lives. This is distinct from "general revelation," which is God revealing Himself through nature (Psalm 19). This is also not the same thing as "specific revelation," which is the written word of God (2 Timothy 3:16).
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