James writing to Jews, seems to ignore the value of wisdom literature: >If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. (James 1:15 ESV) Later he gives a more detailed description of wisdom from above: >13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3) With the detailed explanation of wisdom in mind, the earlier statement, *if any of you lacks wisdom* seems rhetorical. Of course, everyone lacks the type of wisdom James describes. So everyone should realize this condition and ask God. Paul makes a similar distinction between the wisdom of God: >For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. (1 Corinthians 1:21) Paul is explicit, the world did not know God through wisdom. He continues making clear he is speaking of the Gospel which is foolishness to the Greek who seek wisdom (Corinthians 1:22-30). Therefore, in contrast to Judaism who would find wisdom in wisdom books, such as Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, the Christian whose access to God by the Spirit in the name of Jesus, would ask God. How should Christians value the relevance of Old Testament wisdom books?

Do people who are Evangelicals, Catholics, Unitarian Universalists, and people of other denominations make decisions based on the Bible? Growing up as an Evangelical, I am familiar with several verses in the Bible that speak to how to make decisions. For example, James 1 speaks to asking for wisdom: > James 1:5 (ESV) > > ⁵If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. Proverbs 3 speaks to acknowledging God for a straight path: > Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV) > > ⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. ⁶In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Jesus speaks of the greatest commandments to love God and others in the gospels: > Mark 12:28-34 (ESV) > > The Great Commandment > > ²⁸And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” ²⁹Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ³¹The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” ³²And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. ³³And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” ³⁴And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions. There are also verses about prayer: > Philippians 4:6 (ESV) > > ⁶do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. > 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV) > >¹⁶Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray without ceasing, ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Are these relevant passages? What other verses in the Bible speak to how to make decisions, and how does each denomination interpret them? Do many kinds of Christians rely on sources other than the Bible for wisdom in decision making? How does each denomination believe God reveals his will for us in how to make choices? What does each denomination believe are the best ways to interpret the verses I shared, as well as other ones that are relevant? For example, in Proverbs 3:5-6, what does each denomination believe the best way is to determine how to make a decision that "acknowledges God"?

In general, Wisdom can be (and is, and was) identified as Jesus. However, there is this verse: > [**Proverbs 8:22 (NLT)**](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs%208:22&version=NLT) > 22 "The Lord formed me from the beginning, > before he created anything else." Hold on a moment...I thought God the Son wasn't created, having coexisted with God the Father since before time? How is the identity of Wisdom established as being that of the Son and how is Proverbs 8:22 handled? If it makes a difference, I grew up Wesleyan, so I'd prefer Protestant doctrines although Catholic or Orthodox doctrines would be interesting too.

**How does Christianity view compassion?** According to Christianity, does compassion mean to "suffer together", as in this Google search result? > What is the true meaning of compassion? Compassion literally means “to suffer together.” Among emotion researchers, it is defined as the feeling that arises when you are confronted with another's suffering and feel motivated to relieve that suffering. Compassion is not the same as empathy or altruism, though the concepts are related. **Does the Bible also teach that compassion mean to "suffer together" or does compassion also have another implicit meaning?** **EDITED and this section moved to answer as below**

> 1 Kings 3:5-14 > > New American Standard Bible 1995 > > 5 In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God > said, “Ask what you wish Me to give you.” > > Solomon’s Prayer > > 6 Then Solomon said, “You have shown great lovingkindness to Your > servant David my father, according as he walked before You in [a]truth > and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have > reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a > son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7 Now, O Lord my God, You > have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but > a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 Your servant > is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people > who are too many to be numbered or counted. **9 So give Your servant > [c]an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good > and evil. For who is able to judge this [d]great people of Yours?”** > > > > God’s Answer > > **10 [e]It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked > this thing. 11 God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing and > have not asked for yourself [f]long life, nor have asked riches for > yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have > asked for yourself [g]discernment to understand justice, 12 behold, I > have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and > discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, > nor shall one like you arise after you.** 13 I have also given you what > you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be > any among the kings like you all your days. 14 If you walk in My ways, > keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, > then I will prolong your days.” > > 1 Kings 11:1-13 > > New American Standard Bible 1995 > > Solomon Turns from God > > **11 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter > of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, 2 > from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the sons of > Israel, “You shall not [a]associate with them, nor shall they > associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after > their gods.”** Solomon held fast to these in love. 3 He had seven > hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives > turned his heart away. 4 For when Solomon was old, his wives turned > his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not [c]wholly > devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had > been. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians > and after [d]Milcom the detestable idol of the Ammonites. 6 Solomon > did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not follow the > Lord fully, as David his father had done. 7 Then Solomon built a high > place for Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab, on the mountain which > is [e]east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the detestable idol of the > sons of Ammon. 8 Thus also he did for all his foreign wives, who > burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. > > > > **9 Now the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned > away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, > 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go > after other gods; but he did not observe what the Lord had commanded. > 11 So the Lord said to Solomon, “Because [f]you have done this, and > you have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded > you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your > servant.** 12 Nevertheless I will not do it in your days for the sake of > your father David, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 > However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one > tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of > Jerusalem which I have chosen.” Why was Solomon’s Godly Wisdom Not enough to prevent him from sinning by marrying “Non-Hebrew” women? To elaborate, if Solomon had so much Godly Wisdom then he should have been Wise enough to know that marrying “Non-Hebrew” women would be disastrous. And What should he probably have asked God for in addition to his request for Godly Wisdom that might have prevented him from sinning?

In Luke 2:52 it states: > And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and > man. Did Jesus, as a young child, deliberately conceal his Divinity by not accessing the epistemological data of the universe & beyond so that he could participate in the human joy of book learning? For example, he might have read books that his parents got for him from the library of Alexandria in Egypt. Over in another discussion somebody speculated that the gold from the wisemen (sages) could have been used to buy books while the family was in Egypt. Are their commentaries that suggest such a thing took place? The Bible says in Philippians 2:5-11 about Jesus: > Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God > something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very > nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in > appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- > even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place > and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of > Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the > earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the > glory of God the Father. Would the work of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ incarnation, inform his human nature when and where to access the mind behind the universe - that is, the Logos? When studying, would the role of the Holy Spirit put a check in his human nature when reading things that were untrue? I would love to hear from those attempting to figure this out especially via classical Christianity along the lines of Chalcedonian Christology.

>**Proverbs 8:22 (KJV)** The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. Even if you take the stance that Proverbs 8:22 means God *possessed* me at the beginning (i.e. as opposed to God *created* me at the beginning), what does one do with, for example, Sirach 1:4, which says: >**Sirach 1:4 (KJV)** Wisdom hath been created before all things, and the understanding of prudence from everlasting. I'd like to believe that Wisdom is Jesus; it makes a lot of sense to me. But it's very hard for me to believe Jesus was a created being, and just as hard to believe there are two Wisdoms. Question -- According to Christians who believe a) Christ was **not created** and b) is the Wisdom spoken of in the Wisdom books of the Old Testament, why is this Wisdom described in the Old Testament as having been **created** by God?

Prov 8:22 (NKJV) says about Wisdom: > The Lord possessed me at the **beginning** of His way, Before His works of old. And John 1:1 reads: > In the **beginning** was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. **Emphasis mine** - Wisdom speaks of itself as having existed with God

King Solomon and King David identified themselves both as servant although King and more so, both of them said they are the "son of thy handmaid". Are the mothers of King Solomon and King David a handmaid? Both of the passages does not imply King David and King Solomon referred to their biological mother when they uttered to God saying "son of thy handmaid". Or this passage is related to Jesus also a King but came in the form of a servant and became the "son of thy handmaid". This time St. Luke gospel reveals what the "son of thy handmaid" means. The Blessed Virgin Mary gave a title to herself and it doesn't came from angel revelations but from Her own words, staing Her role as the Mother of all the elect not just Jesus Christ. >Mary said, Behold, "I am the handmaid of the Lord. .." (Luke 1:38) Is King David and King Solomon prophesying the future role of Mary's name as a powerful intercessor and mediatrix of graces before the Throne of God?

Proverbs 8:22–36 states the following: > 22 “The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works,before his deeds of old; > 23 I was formed long ages ago, at the very beginning, when the world came to be. > 24 When there were no watery depths, I was given birth, when there were no springs overflowing with water; > 25 before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth, > 26 before he made the world or its fields or any of the dust of the earth. > 27 I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep, > 28 when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep, > 29 when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth. > 30 Then I was constantly at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, > 31 rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind. > 32 “Now then, my children, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways. > 33 Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not disregard it. > 34 Blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. > 35 For those who find me find life and receive favor from the LORD. > 36 But those who fail to find me harm themselves; all who hate me love death.” My question is, who is the Wisdom described here? It seems that God created this being and it was present with Him before creation time began? I'm looking for a Catholic perspective.

I have heard it said many times in religious/spiritual and/or typical conversation that "***there is more to know than that which is written*** [in the bible]." Is this comment scripturally inspired? If so where can the comment or its inspiration be found in scripture?

In James 1:5 it says that God gives Wisdom, whereas in Proverbs 4:7 it teaches to seek wisdom. How would one reconcile these two verses.

I've noticed that Proverbs and Ecclesiastes have shockingly differing views of wisdom and knowledge: > “Her [wisdom and understanding personified] ways are pleasant ways and all her paths are peace.” (Proverbs 3:17) > > “Because in much wisdom there is much grief, and increasing knowledge results in increasing pain.” (Ecclesiastes 1:18) Clearly peace is not the same thing as grief, nor is pain the same as pleasant. Considering that there is no argument over that, what then make sense of these two verses. Can they both be true at the same time? Is wisdom and understanding a grievously pleasant and peacefully painful thing? Are we supposed to do the math and determine that wisdom is just average then in every regard? How can these two verses be understood so that they are both true, but can be in harmony with each other and not be a ridiculously obvious contradiction?

It's well established and accepted by most Christians that God is triune, consisting of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. However, while talking with a friend earlier about Wisdom (from Proverbs), I mentioned that Wisdom could almost be considered a fourth Person. This suddenly made me wonder why there are exactly three Persons. Is there any Biblical evidence as to why God "decided" to be a Trinity, as opposed to a Duinity or a Quardrinity? Barring that, what about a doctrine that even touches on this? Though I now call myself non-denominational, I grew up Wesleyan, so I'd prefer Protestant viewpoints, but a Catholic or Orthodox perspective is acceptable.

The book of Proverbs, and several other places in the Bible, mention the "fear of the Lord". > **Proverbs 9:10 ** (ESV) > The **fear of the Lord** is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. In other contexts, such as when God spoke to Abraham, he said "fear not". > **Genesis 15:1 ** (ESV) > After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “**Fear not**, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” In yet other contexts, the "fear of the Lord" is praised as a great thing. > **Isaiah 33:6 ** (ESV) > and he will be the stability of your times, > abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; > the **fear of the Lord** is Zion's treasure. What is the difference in these context and in what sense are Christians supposed to "fear" the Lord?

In the Bible is there any mention of how smart or stupid large groups of people are?

I'm confused about Wisdom 8:8: > Or again, if one yearns for wide experience, > she knows the things of old, and infers the things to come. > She understands the turns of phrases and the solutions of riddles; > signs and wonders she knows in advance > and the outcome of times and ages. If I understand correctly, Wisdom is to be identified with Jesus' divine nature. Why, then, would she *know* the things of old but merely *infer* the things to come? Doesn't she fully know the things to come? The issue reminds me of Mark 13:32: > But of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. If I understand correctly, the correct interpretation of Mark 13:32 is that Jesus' human nature did not know the day or hour. But his divine nature is omniscient, right? So this doesn't help resolve Wisdom 8:8. The original Greek word which has been translated as "infers" is εἰκάζειν; the root word is εἰκάζω. The LSJ lists three meanings for εἰκάζω: represent by an image, compare, and infer. Only the last seems to fit at all. Of course the text doesn't specifically say that Wisdom does not know the things to come, but it seems to seriously suggest it. What is the correct interpretation of this verse, from a Catholic perspective?

> **1 Corinthians 12:4-11 ESV** Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. **For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit**, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. What is the practical difference between these two gifts: wisdom vs knowledge? My understanding of the two words is that "wisdom is applied knowledge", but both gifts are talked about in the form of *uttering* them, which must mean something.

I'm a bit confused on a seeming "contradiction" on how to obtain wisdom from God. > **James 1:5-6 ESV** If any of you lacks wisdom, let him **ask God**, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. This has been my staple how-to-get-wisdom verse for a while. Then I read these passages in Proverbs: > **Proverbs 8:17 ESV** I [*wisdom*] love those who love me, and those who **seek me** diligently find me. > > **Proverbs 2:1-6 ESV** My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you **call out** for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you **seek it** like silver and **search for it** as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord **gives wisdom**; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; They seem to say we need to do a bit more than *just* ask; that we need to also seek diligently--or is that the same as asking? I'm not exactly sure.

Lets say a Christian is in a position where he must make a hard decision (assume it has to either be a yes or no by a deadline) and each one has negatives consequences (more negatives than positives). How should a Christian pick one option over another? Both options can and will affect the future of himself and others, but it is impossible to tell which one will impact the least or which one is a better decision, only time will tell. Based on Christian teaching, if Jesus specifically was talking to that person, how would he advise, or what are some things he would tell the person to keep in mind? I am sorry it is not specific but I can't put details to it. So if it helps, the main part of the question is how should a Christian put a decision in God's hands if he really doesn't see a logical answer but has to pick one? (I am also assuming the person was put into making that decision by God?... since he would rather not be in such a situation...)