The With-God Life:
The Dynamics of Scripture for Christian Spiritual Transformation
June 19-22, 2005
Adams Mark Hotel
Denver Colorado
Featuring
Richard J. Foster
David deSilva
Dallas Willard
Michelle Lee
Virginia Stem Owens
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From the Introduction to
The Wisdom of Solomon
by Felicia and Lyle SmithGraybeal
In the forthcoming
Renovaré
Spiritual Formation Bible |
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“Love righteousness, you rulers of the earth, think of the Lord in goodness and seek him with sincerity of heart; because he is found by those who do not put him to the test, and manifests himself to those who do not distrust him.” (Wisdom of Solomon 1:1-2)
The Wisdom of Solomon provides guidance for daily living. It moves wisdom beyond the worlds of rulers, philosophers, and holy men and women, to the day-in-day-out lives of God’s People. God wants the best life possible for us, which is why we pursue wisdom. “To fix one’s thought on [wisdom] is perfect understanding, and one who is vigilant on her account will soon be free from care.” (6:15)
Jesus drew heavily from the biblical wisdom tradition in his Sermon on the Mount. Beatitudes, loving enemies, instructions in piety, reminding us not to worry, identifying the kingdom-bound—all built up to the finale: “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man [or woman] who built [a] house on rock.” (Matt 7:24, italics added) Those who put Jesus’ teaching into practice will become wise with lives resting on solid foundations. The Sermon places wisdom at the center of Christian faith and practice. Growth in wisdom is a pillar for Christian discipleship.
The Wisdom of Solomon is not, though, a Christian document. It was likely written by a Hellenized Jewish intellectual in Alexandria, Egypt around 30 BC. While the motivations for the writing cannot be fully known, the philosopher/teacher/author likely required a text for interacting with Greek culture and contextualizing within it Yahweh’s message. Despite their dispersion to every corner of the Mediterranean and beyond, the story of God’s ongoing relationship with the children of Abraham was not finished. Yet it needed articulating anew for those more influenced by Hellenistic culture than the story of the Exodus. Over 300 miles and nearly 600 years removed from Jerusalem as an on-going geography for Jewish formation, Wisdom of Solomon provided guidance for growth in wisdom from the God of all gods.
In turn, as heirs of the Jewish tradition, we are also heirs of the wisdom tradition. While the New Testament contains the wisdom teaching of Jesus, the theological wisdom of Paul, and the practical wisdom of the Letters, for extended reflection on wisdom and her contribution to our formation we look to pre-Christian Scripture. (For more about wisdom literature, see “Wisdom Literature and Spiritual Formation” in the introduction to Proverbs.) In Wisdom of Solomon we find themes helpful for Christian formation.
 
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March/April 2005
