Introduction: Worldview and identity determine values and wisdom. A Gentile worldview will develop a certain set of values and a certain type of wisdom. God’s kingdom, God’s worldview, and God’s values generate an entirely different type of wisdom. For this reason, Paul does not call Christians to embrace the wisdom of one of the moderate philosophical schools, or even emulate the Greco-Roman pride, in striving for virtue. Rather, in his view, Christian wisdom is rooted in God’s sacrificial love, in Christ’s light, and in pure morality. The wise Christian will run away from the wisdom of the world, which is expressed in all-consuming sexual debauchery, egocentric boasting, and drinking wine. Instead, the wise Christian will wake up from the “sleep” of the world, will be enlightened by Christ’s gospel, will be empowered by the presence of the Holy Spirit, will grab the moment of salvation, and will worship God!
The difference between the wisdom of this world and the wisdom of God consists in understanding who is the object of one’s worship: self or God. Who is one centered on: self or God? Who is one filled with: self or God?
Lesson Themes: This week’s study emphasizes three major themes:
Christian wisdom is rooted in God’s revelation or Christ’s light.
Christian wisdom is not a collection of witty statements about life. Rather, it is a lifestyle, a walk of life transformed by the Holy Spirit according to the pattern left to us in Christ.
Christian wisdom is about salvation and worship.
Part II: Commentary
The Wisdom That Comes From Above
It is almost impossible to think of Paul writing on practical aspects of Christian life and not including wisdom in his discussion. The ancient world was steeped in talks about wisdom. Just several centuries prior to Paul, the Greeks gave birth to what they called “philosophy,” that is, love for wisdom. Philosophy rebelled against the ancient Greek mythological wisdom, in which Zeus, Metis (Zeus’ first wife), Athena (their daughter), and Apollo were associated with wisdom in different ways. All these deities were consulted by humans, becoming patrons of various cities or groups of people. For instance, it was believed that people seeking wisdom in various matters of life could access the mind or knowledge of the Greek god Apollo through Pythia, the priestess of the temple of Apollo, also known as the oracle of Delphi. But apart from seeking wisdom from Pythia, the visitor to the temple of Apollo would be greeted and educated by various maxims that constituted the Delphic wisdom, of which three were the most popular: “know thyself,” “nothing in excess,” and “certainty leads to ruin.” Other maxims taught the Greek way of life, from respecting the gods to conducting an ethical life to sacrificing one’s life for one’s country.
While the philosophers, or “lovers of wisdom,” rejected the mythological aspects of their ancient religion, they placed themselves in the line of succession to the oracle in Delphi. On one hand, the philosophers claimed that Pythia had pronounced Socrates as the wisest man of Greece. On the other hand, the philosophers made use of the Delphic wisdom, especially of the first maxim, “know thyself.”
For this reason, Greek philosophy determined and shaped the subsequent aim of Western thought to seek wisdom by appealing to human reason. The same human reason was used as a foundation for ethics or for the Greek way of life. Other philosophies, especially in the East, built on the same foundation of humanity. Buddhism, for instance, is a proposal of a way of life centered on human experience and psychology. Despite the rich diversity of philosophical schools, both in the West and in the East, they all share a common foundation: the principle of “know thyself.” This principle shows that these philosophies represent a human-centric effort to understand the ultimate reality of life and, thus, they infer a way of life, decision-making, and behavior based on human introspection and reason. By doing so, human wisdom, both in the West and in the East, rejected or departed from divine revelation.
On the other hand, the foundational characteristic of the biblical wisdom is that it is rooted in the divine revelation. Both Paul and James mention characteristics of wisdom that other philosophers also promote: tranquility, balance, moderation, justice, etc. However, James characterized Christian wisdom as coming “from above” (James 3:17), and not “earthly, natural, demonic” (James 3:15, NASB). Paul develops the same contrast between Christian wisdom and worldly wisdom by appealing to the concepts of light versus darkness. For this reason, he warns the Ephesians against being deceived “with empty words” (Eph. 5:6, NASB) or the “useless deeds of darkness” (Eph. 5:11, NASB), for to be deceived by these things is to be unwise.
But why does Paul characterize the wisdom of the world in such a somber way? Weren’t the philosophers of the world also given good advice, teaching a way of life based on justice and mutual respect? Yes, many of them did. However, no matter how noble a way of life human philosophy would devise, it would always be deficient, partial, and based on the wrong motivation, rejecting the possibility of the revelation of God. The problem of worldly philosophies lies not in what they affirm but in what they reject or deny. A philosopher may get one aspect of life partially correct, but the rejection of the possibility of God’s revelation and the power of His intervention in the world renders his or her philosophy useless for salvation and for life in God’s kingdom. That is why, for instance, sexual impurity was not considered problematic in the ethics of most philosophies. And even if some philosophers promoted sexual abstinence, the reasons for doing so were wrong.
Ellen G. White notes: “Many acts which pass for good works, even deeds of benevolence, will, when closely investigated, be found to be prompted by wrong motives. Many receive applause for virtues which they do not possess. The Searcher of hearts inspects motives, and often the deeds which are highly applauded by men are recorded by Him as springing from selfish motives and base hypocrisy. Every act of our lives, whether excellent and praiseworthy or deserving of censure, is judged by the Searcher of hearts according to the motives which prompted it.”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 512.
On the other hand, their words are “empty” because these philosophies do not have the power of grace, redemption, forgiveness, or the Spirit to transform us and help us walk on God’s way. In a letter, Ellen G. White describes the importance of motivation and revelation in relation to truth and philosophy: “Faith in a lie will not have a sanctifying influence upon the life or character. No error is truth, or can be made truth by repetition, or by faith in it. Sincerity will never save a soul from the consequences of believing an error. Without sincerity there is no true religion, but sincerity in a false religion will never save a man. I may be perfectly sincere in following a wrong road, but that will not make it the right road, or bring me to the place I wished to reach. The Lord does not want us to have a blind credulity, and call that the faith that sanctifies. The truth is the principle that sanctifies, and therefore it becomes us to know what is truth. We must compare spiritual things with spiritual. We must prove all things, but hold fast only that which is good, that which bears the divine credentials, which lays before us the true motives and principles which should prompt us to action.”—Selected Messages, book 2, p. 56.
For this reason, the Christian walk that Paul espoused is based on the revelation of God in Christ Jesus. Only the biblical God who created us can reveal to us who He is, who we are, and how we can live to be happy. Only God can give us the grace and power to live that life in His kingdom.
Light of Light
In Ephesians 5, Paul does not say that the Ephesians were “in darkness” but that they were “darkness” (Eph. 5:8). But now, “in the Lord,” they are “light” (Eph. 5:8). For this reason, he calls the Ephesians to “walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8) and explains that walking in light means to bear the “fruit of the light,” “all goodness, righteousness, and truth” (Eph. 5:9, NASB), to live in such a way as to “please the Lord” (see Eph. 5:10, NASB), and to live in the light of Christ, illuminated by Christ (Eph. 5:13, 14). So,we are light “in the Lord” (Eph. 5:8) because we are illuminated by Christ (Eph. 5:14).
Adventist Theology of Lifestyle
As Adventists, we have included lifestyle in our list of doctrinal statements. Following Paul, lifestyle is not a marginal aspect of Christianity for us but rather the central part of Christianity, which is to say, living out the Christian life. Adventists especially articulate the biblical teaching on Christianity as a way of life in two fundamental beliefs: 19 (“The Law of God”) and 22 (“Christian Behavior”). In addition, the fact that, in Christ, we regard our transformed lifestyle as essential to Christian experience is also reflected in our church discipline and also in our repeated calls for revival and reformation.
Part III: Life Application
Ask your students to recall how they viewed wisdom before becoming Christians. What was wisdom for them then? Invite your students to write down their own definition of wisdom now that they have become true Christians. Ask them to share their understanding of wisdom with the class.
Ask your students to consider these questions: What does “being enlightened” and “walking in the light” mean in your local context? How do these concepts compare to the biblical view of “being enlightened” and “walking in the light”? What do these concepts mean for you personally?
Sometimes Christians are accused of suppressing wisdom and preventing the development of human knowledge. Some people perceive Christians as being arrogant and dismissive of the world’s wisdom. How can we, as Adventist Christians, appreciate the world’s search for wisdom; learn from the world’s wisdom heritage; be humble about our own wisdom, as received from God and not our own; yet preach that God is the real, and only, source of wisdom? Discuss the answers in class.
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Key Text: Ephesians 5:15–17
Study Focus: Eph. 5:1–20, 1 Cor. 5:1–12, Rev. 16:1–16, Col. 4:5, Prov. 20:1, Prov. 23:29–35, Acts 16:25.
Introduction: Worldview and identity determine values and wisdom. A Gentile worldview will develop a certain set of values and a certain type of wisdom. God’s kingdom, God’s worldview, and God’s values generate an entirely different type of wisdom. For this reason, Paul does not call Christians to embrace the wisdom of one of the moderate philosophical schools, or even emulate the Greco-Roman pride, in striving for virtue. Rather, in his view, Christian wisdom is rooted in God’s sacrificial love, in Christ’s light, and in pure morality. The wise Christian will run away from the wisdom of the world, which is expressed in all-consuming sexual debauchery, egocentric boasting, and drinking wine. Instead, the wise Christian will wake up from the “sleep” of the world, will be enlightened by Christ’s gospel, will be empowered by the presence of the Holy Spirit, will grab the moment of salvation, and will worship God!
The difference between the wisdom of this world and the wisdom of God consists in understanding who is the object of one’s worship: self or God. Who is one centered on: self or God? Who is one filled with: self or God?
Lesson Themes: This week’s study emphasizes three major themes:
Christian wisdom is rooted in God’s revelation or Christ’s light.
Christian wisdom is not a collection of witty statements about life. Rather, it is a lifestyle, a walk of life transformed by the Holy Spirit according to the pattern left to us in Christ.
Christian wisdom is about salvation and worship.
Part II: Commentary
The Wisdom That Comes From Above
It is almost impossible to think of Paul writing on practical aspects of Christian life and not including wisdom in his discussion. The ancient world was steeped in talks about wisdom. Just several centuries prior to Paul, the Greeks gave birth to what they called “philosophy,” that is, love for wisdom. Philosophy rebelled against the ancient Greek mythological wisdom, in which Zeus, Metis (Zeus’ first wife), Athena (their daughter), and Apollo were associated with wisdom in different ways. All these deities were consulted by humans, becoming patrons of various cities or groups of people. For instance, it was believed that people seeking wisdom in various matters of life could access the mind or knowledge of the Greek god Apollo through Pythia, the priestess of the temple of Apollo, also known as the oracle of Delphi. But apart from seeking wisdom from Pythia, the visitor to the temple of Apollo would be greeted and educated by various maxims that constituted the Delphic wisdom, of which three were the most popular: “know thyself,” “nothing in excess,” and “certainty leads to ruin.” Other maxims taught the Greek way of life, from respecting the gods to conducting an ethical life to sacrificing one’s life for one’s country.
While the philosophers, or “lovers of wisdom,” rejected the mythological aspects of their ancient religion, they placed themselves in the line of succession to the oracle in Delphi. On one hand, the philosophers claimed that Pythia had pronounced Socrates as the wisest man of Greece. On the other hand, the philosophers made use of the Delphic wisdom, especially of the first maxim, “know thyself.”
For this reason, Greek philosophy determined and shaped the subsequent aim of Western thought to seek wisdom by appealing to human reason. The same human reason was used as a foundation for ethics or for the Greek way of life. Other philosophies, especially in the East, built on the same foundation of humanity. Buddhism, for instance, is a proposal of a way of life centered on human experience and psychology. Despite the rich diversity of philosophical schools, both in the West and in the East, they all share a common foundation: the principle of “know thyself.” This principle shows that these philosophies represent a human-centric effort to understand the ultimate reality of life and, thus, they infer a way of life, decision-making, and behavior based on human introspection and reason. By doing so, human wisdom, both in the West and in the East, rejected or departed from divine revelation.
On the other hand, the foundational characteristic of the biblical wisdom is that it is rooted in the divine revelation. Both Paul and James mention characteristics of wisdom that other philosophers also promote: tranquility, balance, moderation, justice, etc. However, James characterized Christian wisdom as coming “from above” (James 3:17), and not “earthly, natural, demonic” (James 3:15, NASB). Paul develops the same contrast between Christian wisdom and worldly wisdom by appealing to the concepts of light versus darkness. For this reason, he warns the Ephesians against being deceived “with empty words” (Eph. 5:6, NASB) or the “useless deeds of darkness” (Eph. 5:11, NASB), for to be deceived by these things is to be unwise.
But why does Paul characterize the wisdom of the world in such a somber way? Weren’t the philosophers of the world also given good advice, teaching a way of life based on justice and mutual respect? Yes, many of them did. However, no matter how noble a way of life human philosophy would devise, it would always be deficient, partial, and based on the wrong motivation, rejecting the possibility of the revelation of God. The problem of worldly philosophies lies not in what they affirm but in what they reject or deny. A philosopher may get one aspect of life partially correct, but the rejection of the possibility of God’s revelation and the power of His intervention in the world renders his or her philosophy useless for salvation and for life in God’s kingdom. That is why, for instance, sexual impurity was not considered problematic in the ethics of most philosophies. And even if some philosophers promoted sexual abstinence, the reasons for doing so were wrong.
Ellen G. White notes: “Many acts which pass for good works, even deeds of benevolence, will, when closely investigated, be found to be prompted by wrong motives. Many receive applause for virtues which they do not possess. The Searcher of hearts inspects motives, and often the deeds which are highly applauded by men are recorded by Him as springing from selfish motives and base hypocrisy. Every act of our lives, whether excellent and praiseworthy or deserving of censure, is judged by the Searcher of hearts according to the motives which prompted it.”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 512.
On the other hand, their words are “empty” because these philosophies do not have the power of grace, redemption, forgiveness, or the Spirit to transform us and help us walk on God’s way. In a letter, Ellen G. White describes the importance of motivation and revelation in relation to truth and philosophy: “Faith in a lie will not have a sanctifying influence upon the life or character. No error is truth, or can be made truth by repetition, or by faith in it. Sincerity will never save a soul from the consequences of believing an error. Without sincerity there is no true religion, but sincerity in a false religion will never save a man. I may be perfectly sincere in following a wrong road, but that will not make it the right road, or bring me to the place I wished to reach. The Lord does not want us to have a blind credulity, and call that the faith that sanctifies. The truth is the principle that sanctifies, and therefore it becomes us to know what is truth. We must compare spiritual things with spiritual. We must prove all things, but hold fast only that which is good, that which bears the divine credentials, which lays before us the true motives and principles which should prompt us to action.”—Selected Messages, book 2, p. 56.
For this reason, the Christian walk that Paul espoused is based on the revelation of God in Christ Jesus. Only the biblical God who created us can reveal to us who He is, who we are, and how we can live to be happy. Only God can give us the grace and power to live that life in His kingdom.
Light of Light
In Ephesians 5, Paul does not say that the Ephesians were “in darkness” but that they were “darkness” (Eph. 5:8). But now, “in the Lord,” they are “light” (Eph. 5:8). For this reason, he calls the Ephesians to “walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8) and explains that walking in light means to bear the “fruit of the light,” “all goodness, righteousness, and truth” (Eph. 5:9, NASB), to live in such a way as to “please the Lord” (see Eph. 5:10, NASB), and to live in the light of Christ, illuminated by Christ (Eph. 5:13, 14). So,we are light “in the Lord” (Eph. 5:8) because we are illuminated by Christ (Eph. 5:14).
Adventist Theology of Lifestyle
As Adventists, we have included lifestyle in our list of doctrinal statements. Following Paul, lifestyle is not a marginal aspect of Christianity for us but rather the central part of Christianity, which is to say, living out the Christian life. Adventists especially articulate the biblical teaching on Christianity as a way of life in two fundamental beliefs: 19 (“The Law of God”) and 22 (“Christian Behavior”). In addition, the fact that, in Christ, we regard our transformed lifestyle as essential to Christian experience is also reflected in our church discipline and also in our repeated calls for revival and reformation.
Part III: Life Application
Ask your students to recall how they viewed wisdom before becoming Christians. What was wisdom for them then? Invite your students to write down their own definition of wisdom now that they have become true Christians. Ask them to share their understanding of wisdom with the class.
Ask your students to consider these questions: What does “being enlightened” and “walking in the light” mean in your local context? How do these concepts compare to the biblical view of “being enlightened” and “walking in the light”? What do these concepts mean for you personally?
Sometimes Christians are accused of suppressing wisdom and preventing the development of human knowledge. Some people perceive Christians as being arrogant and dismissive of the world’s wisdom. How can we, as Adventist Christians, appreciate the world’s search for wisdom; learn from the world’s wisdom heritage; be humble about our own wisdom, as received from God and not our own; yet preach that God is the real, and only, source of wisdom? Discuss the answers in class.