What and Where Is Wisdom? (Colossians 1:9)

Class Outline:

Wednesday July 22, 2026

 

Main Idea: God’s wisdom is the source of the knowledge of His will and His wisdom is in Christ; a gift from Him to any who by faith submits to God’s living and written Word.

 

Intro: 

 

COL 1:9-10

For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects,

 

Why wisdom focus? 

 

What is spiritual wisdom? 

 

The final answer: Christ. 

 

1CO 1:22-24

For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

 

The many who reject Christ have no option but to grab hold of other wisdoms.  

 

In the OT: Chokhmah was personified as a Lady in Proverbs. She called from the rooftops and the gates to all men. But simultaneously there was another Lady in Proverbs and she was called Folly.

 

PRO 7:4-5

4 Say to wisdom, "You are my sister,"

And call understanding your intimate friend; 

5 That they may keep you from an adulteress,

From the foreigner who flatters with her words. 

 

PRO 9:10

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. 

 

PRO 9:13

The woman of folly is boisterous,

She is naive and knows nothing. 

 

PRO 9:18

But he does not know that the dead are there,

That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

 

Lady Folly has infiltrated the Colossian church, and not only them, but practically every church in the NT and she floats around still. 

 

Sometimes, to understand a thing, it is helpful to understand what it is not. 

 

Wisdom is not abstract intellectual, metaphysical knowledge.

 

1CO 1:24

Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

 

COL 2:2-3

Christ Himself, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

 

But, like the wisdom of God, so the logos became very physical, not abstract: 

 

JOH 1:14

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 

The wisdom of God, the Word of God - Christ. 

 

Wisdom is not achieved by mastering basic studies.

 

1CO 1:26-29

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29 so that no man may boast before God.

 

Even the Lord Jesus was labeled in this way:

 

MAR 6:3

“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon?”

 

MAT 11:25-26

At that time Jesus said, "I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.  26 "Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight [Hebrew way of saying “Your will”].

 

Wisdom is not a spiritual or intellectual freeing of the mind from the body / material.

 

Wisdom is redemption, which is real freedom from real sin to really be with God. 

 

1CO 1:30-31

But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31 so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD."

 

What wisdom is. 

 

Wisdom in the heart of a man is the result of his faith in the first principles stated by God. 

 

Wisdom (sophia):  faith in the first principles of Scripture. A settled condition of the mind that is controlled and enlightened by the Spirit of truth. 

 

First principles are axiomatic or self-evident. They are bedrock.

 

Wisdom is had by grace through faith. Wisdom is spiritual meaning that it comes to us as a gift by the Holy Spirit. 

 

First principles, wisdom, is direct from God. It is not derived. These are: “Thus says the Lord.”

 

When you do not submit to them, you are a fool. 

 

When you fill in doctrines that God has not made clear in His word, you are not in the realm of wisdom. You may say, “I think this but not the Lord,” and then at least you are true, but you are still not wise. When you say that some doctrine is from God that God has not said you are a big fool and a false teacher. 

 

We want solutions and blessings without committing completely to the wisdom of Christ. 

 

And so, we are not gripped by the knowledge of His will.