INCLUDING JESUS’ ROLES AS THE WISDOM OF GOD AND AS THE CREATOR GOD

INTRODUCTION AND STUDY OUTLINE

In this study we will be investigating what the Bible says about wisdom, including the wisdom of God and the wisdom of the world. The first part of this introduction is taken from our study of God’s Plan for the Ages, or the Seven Orders of Heaven and Earth, all presented in other areas of this site. This plan was conceived before creation. It was a plan to give Jesus an eternal gift, an eternal companion, a gift that the Bible often refers to as the bride of Christ. The plan would require Jesus to create the gift, slowly reveal himself to the gift, eventually insert himself into the realm of the gift and to even pay for the gift, a very heavy payment that would include his earthly life.

My intent in this paper is to provide insight into a couple of very difficult and puzzling scriptures dealing with Jesus’ creation of this gift and the environment for the gift. These scriptures include Prov 8:22, Ps 2:7 and Heb 1:5 which some argue call into question the eternal past of Jesus.

My intent is to show that Prov 8, and in fact all of Proverbs is Jesus speaking, and to provide insight into the roles of the Father and Son in creation. An outline of the way that we intend to do this follows:

• To review the trinity and identify the roles of the three persons of the trinity.
• To show that there have always been three persons in the trinity.
• To show that the second person in the trinity, who we refer to as Jesus, has always existed.
• To show that the Father-Son relationship between the first and second persons of the trinity came into being as a consequence of the gift given by the first person to the second person of the trinity.
• To identify the roles of each of the three persons of the trinity in the creation event.
• To solve a couple of puzzles in Prov 8 including identifying the wisdom speaking there and elsewhere in Proverbs. To unravel the mystery of God, the fact that Jesus personifies the wisdom of God, and that in him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Thus we can show that the wisdom speaking in Proverbs is in fact Jesus speaking.
• To solve the puzzle of Prov 8:22 and identify the first of God’s works, done even before his deeds of old.
• To show how to distinguish the wisdom that comes from God from the wisdom of the world, which comes from Satan.
• To show how the truth and fear of the Lord relate to the wisdom of God.

WHAT IS THE TRINITY?

Our next step in trying to understand the wisdom of God and the wisdom of the world will be an attempt to understand what the Bible says about the Trinitarian nature of God. This will be essential if we want to be able to understand what the Bible says about the wisdom of God. The Trinity is a concept that is and always has been difficult for us to understand. The word trinity is not found in the Bible, but when we examine the volume of the Book we find it telling us that the Godhead is composed of three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, the Bible tells us that they are not only three persons but they are “one.” Thus theologians have arrived at the concept which we call the Trinity, or three in one. Theologians have tried for centuries to explain the Trinity to us in terms used in this three dimensional physical world that we live in and are conscious of, but we continue to be confused.

DEFINITION OF THE TRINITY; Within the one being that is God their exists eternally three coequal and coeternal persons, namely the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TRINITY; God is one in essence, three in persons; God is one what and three who’s.

INTERESTING BIBLICAL FACTS ABOUT GOD

• There is one what and three who’s.
• There is only one God and he exists as three and only three persons.
• There is clear distinction between the three persons of the Trinity. Each has a different role as follows:
  • ​Father: the God person who has authority over everything in the universe, in both heaven and earth, whether physical or spiritual,
  • Son, Jesus: the God person who created everything in the universe, who is Lord over all of creation, who sometimes appears as a man on earth to interact directly with man’s soul and who became a man to live the perfect life for us and be the perfect sacrifice for us so that we might one day spend eternity in heaven with him, and who is our advocate to the Father, all under the direction of the Father,
  • Spirit: the God person who participates in the work of the Father and Son, and who interacts directly with man’s spirit, all under the authority of the Father or the Son.
• All three Persons are equal in being God and each of the three Persons is divine, is called God, has his own personal characteristics, possesses the divine attributes, performs divine works, receives divine honors, speaks to the other persons in the Trinity, etc.
• There is a hierarchy in the Trinity. John 14:28 says that the Father is greater than the Son. 1 Cor 15:27-28 says that the Son is subject to the Father. The general order is from the Father (1 Cor 8:4-6), by or through the Son (John 3:17, 1 Cor 8:4-6, Eph 2:18), and in, by, or with the Holy Spirit (Eph 2:18, 3:5). Nevertheless there is always mutual concurrence and unity. Also see 1 Cor 11:3.
• Jesus speaks what the Father tells him to (John 12:50). The Spirit speaks what he is told (John 16:13).
• God the Father sends both the Son and the Spirit, God the Son sends the Spirit, God the Spirit sends us and then only if we will listen and obey.
• There are many incidents recorded in the Old Testament of the Father and Son carrying on a conversation with each other. Ps 2 and 22 are examples.
• The Spirit carries on conversations with God for us, in that he prays for us when we don’t know what to pray for, Rom 8:26.
• God the Father was the mastermind and architect of all creation but the Son was the craftsman at his side carrying out the actual work, Prov 8:27-36, Heb 1:2, Ps 148, John 1:1-3, Col1:16.
• All three persons were at Jesus baptism; Jesus was baptized by John, the Spirit descended on him and the Father was speaking, Matt 3:16-17.
• 2 Cor 13:14 speaks of the grace of Jesus, the love of God and the fellowship of the Spirit.
• Jude 20-21 tells us to pray in the Holy Spirit, keep ourselves in God’s love, and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring us to eternal life.
• Eph 2:18 says that because of Jesus we have access to the Father by the Spirit.
• Eph 4:4-6 says there is one body (church), one Spirit, one Lord (Jesus), one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
• Eph 5:18-20 says to be filled with the Spirit, make music in your heart to Jesus, give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• 1 Peter 1:2 says that we have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, and sanctified by the work of the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood.
• Matt 28:18-19 says to baptize all nations in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
• Acts 20:28 says the Holy Spirit empowers us, Jesus bought the church with his blood, and the church belongs to God.
• 2 Thess 2:13 says the Father chose us, the Spirit sanctifies us, and we are to have faith in the truth of Jesus.
• Ex 23:20-24 says that the Father shares his name with the angel (messenger) of the LORD, who is Jesus. Each person in the Trinity has a unique name, yet they also all share the same name.
• The are many passages that clearly indicate that the Father and Son are separate persons including the following; God the Father gave his son for us (John 3:16), the Father loves the Son (John 3:35, 5:20, 15:9, 17:23-24), the transfiguration (Matt 17:1-9), they speak to each other (Matt 12:28), Jesus prays to the Father (John 17:1-3), you are my Son, today I have become your Father (Ps 2:7, Acts 13:33, Heb 1:5, Ps 89:26-27, Col 1:18), every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Phil 2:9-11), God the Father’s command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us (1 John 3:23), no one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also (1 John 2:23), Jesus was life and eternal life; before appearing on earth he was with the Father (1 John 1:2), and the greetings that begin each of Paul’s letters.
• The Trinity of God was recognized in the Old Testament from the earliest of times. Elohim is used over 2500 times in the Old Testament as a name for God. It is a plural word but is used with a singular verb in every case. God was recognized as having plurality yet possessing singular qualities even from mans earliest days on earth.
• In Revelation Chapters 4 and 5 we are presented with a vision inside of the throne room in heaven. God the Father was sitting on the throne, the seven-fold Spirit was standing in front of the throne, and Jesus was also there as the Lamb. They were interacting with each other as plans were being made for the tribulation to begin on earth. There were also many created beings in the throne room interacting with them.
• Other passages that describe the Trinity in some fashion include 1 Cor 12:4-6, 2 Cor 1:21-32, Rom 8:15-17, 14:17-18, 15:16, and Col 1:6-8.

Let me summarize again. God is plural but acts in a singular fashion. The three persons who comprise God each has a different role to play but they each do them in perfect harmony and in perfect agreement. God the Father is the mastermind and architect of everything in creation, God the Son is his craftsman who carries out his Fathers will in a perfect way, and God the Holy Spirit is the means by which God the Son accomplishes the will of God the Father.

HAS GOD ALWAYS EXISTED AS THREE PERSONS?

The Bible clearly presents all three persons of the Trinity as being eternal, past, present and future. At the creation event in Gen 1 we see Elohim creating the heavens and the earth and the Spirit of God hovering over the waters. Elohim is a plural word always used with a singular verb. This name applied to both God the Father and God the Son.

HAS JESUS ALWAYS EXISTED? WHEN DID HE ASSUME THE NAME JESUS?

John 1:1 says “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jesus was the Word! Col 1:17 speaks of Jesus and says that “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” In Rev 22:13 Jesus says “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” John 8:58 says "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"

The name Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew word Joshua. Mary was told by the angel Gabriel in Matt 1:21 to call the child Jesus, which means “the LORD saves.” Verse 23 says it was prophesied in Isaiah 24:7 that he would be called Immanuel, which means “God with us.” Apparently the first time that the name Jesus or Joshua was given to Jesus was when he was born to the virgin Mary. Before this Jesus shared the name of God the Father, John 5:43 and 8:58. The name that they shared was YHWH. God said that his name was YHWH, meaning the eternal I AM, in Ex 3:13-15 and Ex 6:2-3. John 1:23 points to Isa 40:3 where Jesus is referred to as both YHWH and Elohim. Jehovah is the English for YHWH and Elohim is a plural title for God meaning sovereign.

Thus it seems that the name Jesus was first given to the man-God when he was born to the virgin Mary, although he is and was eternal; he has always existed as God.

WHAT WERE THE ROLES OF THE FATHER AND SON IN THE CREATION? DOES PROV 8 DESCRIBE THIS RELATIONSHIP OR IS THIS MERELY SPEAKING FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF WISDOM?

We will begin with the roles played by Jesus in creation.

• Acts 3:15 calls Jesus the author of life.
• John 1:3 tells us that all things were made by or through Jesus and that without him nothing was made that has been made.
• Col 1:15-17 reveals the following. All things were made by Jesus, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, including the angels. All things were created by him and FOR him. He is over all things and in him all things hold together.
• Heb 1:2 says that it was through Jesus that God made the universe.
• Gen 1:1 says that Elohim created the heavens and the earth. This is a name for God that applied to both the Father and the Son. It is a plural word so we can assume that this implies that both were involved in the creation. Verse 2 follows by saying that as the earth was being created, the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. In Gen 1:26 God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.” This further implies that all of the persons of the trinity were involved in the creation, but it does not spell out the specifics.
• If Prov 8:22-36 is speaking of the roles of Jesus and the Father in the creation process, then it provides a great deal of enlightenment. However, there are a couple of sticky issues with this interpretation. First, Prov 8 begins with the following:

Prov 8:1-2 Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice?

Chapter 8 goes on with an elaborate discussion of the virtues of wisdom and understanding. In fact, verse 12 begins with “I wisdom, dwell together with prudence.” It quickly becomes obvious that this chapter is written from the perspective of wisdom, with wisdom being personified. When “I” is used as a personal pronoun here in Prov 8, it refers to wisdom personified. However so much of this discussion sounds exactly like a personification of Jesus in the New Testament. In verse 23 he was appointed from eternity, in verse 30 he was the craftsman who created the universe, in verse 32 he says “Blessed are those who keep my ways,” in verse 34 he says “Blessed is the man who listens to me,” in verse 35 he says, “For whoever finds me finds life,” and in verse 36 he closes with “All who hate me love death.” This is so obviously Jesus speaking. But what about this being wisdom and understanding personified? That is easy for in 1 Cor 1:24 we find out that Jesus is the personification of wisdom. He is the “wisdom of God.” Even more clearly spoken is Col 2:2-3 where we find that the riches of full understanding and the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in Jesus Christ. This is called the mystery of God. Thus we see that Jesus is the personification of wisdom and understanding. The wisdom and understanding speaking in Prov 8 is Jesus. The two key scriptures from above are presented below.

1 Cor 1:24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Col 2:2-3 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Further confirmation is found in Prov 2:6 which says, “For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” So we see that Proverbs itself answers the question concerning who is really speaking as wisdom, from whom it is coming; the Lord, in this case Jesus.

Prov 3:19-20 also provides insight into interpretation of the relationship of wisdom and understanding to the roles played by Jesus and God the Father in the creation event. It says,

Prov 3:19-20 19 By wisdom the LORD laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place; 20 by his knowledge the watery depths were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.

Obviously wisdom and understanding were not by themselves responsible for creation, but they are innate characteristics of the nature of God, of all three persons of the trinity, which were used by them as they created the complete universe. Other insights into Jesus being the wisdom of God are contained in the study titled “Truth and its Relationship to the Wisdom of God” later in this study. We will see that Jesus being the Word played into this.

So we have established that Jesus is speaking as or from the perspective of wisdom and understanding in Proverbs. Is this unique to Proverbs or did Jesus also author other books of the Old Testament? The New Testament gives us the answer to this. There are many, many New Testament scriptures that tell us very plainly that the Old Testament spoke about Jesus or quote Old Testament scriptures as the words of Jesus. Heb 10:5-7 implies that the whole Bible is about Jesus. A study of Ps 2 is included at the end of this paper as an example of Jesus speaking in the Old Testament. We will list a few of the New Testament quotes below.

• John 1:45: Philip told Nathanael that he had found the one written about in the law and by the prophets.
• John 5:39-47, Luke 24:25-27: Jesus says that Old Testament scriptures testified about him.
• John 5:46: Jesus says that Moses wrote about him.
• John 8:54-59: Jesus says he saw Abraham, and existed before Abraham, as the “I AM.”
• John 12:41: John says Isaiah saw Jesus glory and spoke of him.
• John 15:25: John says that Ps 35:19 and 69:4 are Jesus speaking.
• Acts 2:25 says that Psalms 16 is Jesus speaking.
• Acts 2:34-35 says that Ps 110 is about Jesus.
• Acts 28:23-24: Paul tried to convince the Romans about Jesus using the Law of Moses and the prophets.
• Heb 2:11-12: Says that Psalm 22 is Jesus speaking.
• Heb 2:13: Says that Isaiah 8:17-18 is Jesus speaking.
• Heb 10:5-7: Quotes Ps 40:6-8 as the words of Jesus saying the whole book is about him.
• Heb 11:2-13: Contains multiple Old Testament quotes referring to Jesus.

So we see that we have solved one problem with Prov 8. However there is one final sticky issue left for us to resolve. That is found in Prov 8:22 where it says “The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old.” How can this be Jesus speaking? How can this be true if Jesus has always existed, was not a created being and has always been God. We will tackle that next.

HAS THE FATHER-SON RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE 1ST AND 2ND PERSONS OF THE TRINITY ALWAYS EXISTED? IF NOT, WHEN DID IT BEGIN?

Apparently this role of Father-Son has not always existed between the 1st and 2nd persons of the Trinity. We assume this because Psalms 2:7, Heb 1:5, Heb 5:5 and Acts 13:33 all say the following:

Heb 1:5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father? Or again, "I will be his Father, and he will be my Son"?

Apparently this role was conceived before the creation of the universe. It seems to have come about when God the Father conceived a plan to give a gift to Jesus. This gift would be an eternal companion, a bride so to speak. The gift would be a newly created being, a being created in the very image of God, Gen 1:26-27. Jesus himself would have to do the creating, and an elaborate plan was conceived whereby Jesus would have to both create the gift and then pay for the gift himself. The payment would consist of him becoming like the gift, becoming a part of the creation for a short time and even dying to save the gift. After he died for the gift, the Father would resurrect him to life, Acts 3:15, 4:10, 5:30, and 13:37. It was during this time, when Jesus was a part of the creation that the Father-Son relationship would begin. Acts 4:24-27 places one fulfillment for Psalms 2 as being in the timeframe when Herod and Pontius Pilate were conspiring against Jesus. This timeframe is confirmed in Acts 13:32-35. These scriptures also seem to tie it to the resurrection of Jesus.

Another part of God’s plan was for Jesus to eventually assume the role as ruler of the created universe, as King of kings and Lord of lords, a role that would last forever, Heb 1:8. Rev 11:15, 12:10, 19:16. God the Father appointed Jesus as heir of all things as stated in Heb 1:2.

Heb 1:2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.

Apparently this appointment was made when God formulated the plan, even before the creation of the universe as stated in Prov 8:23.

Prov 8:23 I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began.

So we see that it appears that the Father-Son role was conceived even before creation but was not put into effect until the time when Jesus actually came to earth and became a man for a period of 33+ years. This solves our puzzle and resolves our last sticky issue. The role that Jesus would play in the creation of the universe, the fact that he would have to become a man for a period of years, etc. the development of the role that Jesus would play was brought forth as the first of God’s works even before the deeds of old (creation). It was not the 2nd person of the trinity that was the first of God’s works before creation; it was the conception of the role that Jesus would play in these works that was the first of God’s works. All God has to do is think of something, speak it and it happens. He is the only one who can write history before it happens and have it come to pass exactly as he conceived it. All of the hundreds of prophecies in the Old Testament regarding things that have already happened were fulfilled with 100% accuracy. Those yet to be fulfilled will also be 100% accurate.

So we see that the Father-Son connection relates to the roles of the 1st and 2nd persons of the Trinity and in no way indicates that Jesus was a created being.

OTHER INSIGHTS INTO THE FIRST OF GOD’S WORKS, THOSE DONE BEFORE CREATION

Something very new and unique resulted from the life, death and resurrection of Jesus to life. Jesus was the first and only God-man. The Bible makes it clear that Jesus was both fully God and fully man. This may relate to the body of Jesus being human while his spirit was God. He shared our architecture as described in Genesis; we are a spirit living in a human body, with the combination being referred to as a living soul. The difference is that Jesus’ Spirit was God. He was something that the universe had never before seen, a God-man. When Jesus was resurrected his architecture changed a bit in that his essence, his Spirit, being fully God, was now inhabiting a glorified body rather than a human body. Apparently this type of glorified body can function both on earth and in heaven. In Rev 5:6 John sees Jesus in heaven as a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain. It seems that after Jesus went to heaven at Pentecost he still had his glorified body bearing the marks of his crucifixion. In John 17 Jesus earnestly prayed that those given to him by God would one day receive this type of glorified body and would become one as he and the Father are one. This concept of a God-man was the first of God’s works leading up to creation. This role for the 2nd person in the trinity was appointed by the 1st person in the trinity even before the creation of the world, Prov 8:23, as part of the plan to provide an everlasting companion for the 2nd person in the trinity. He would be the first to return from death to eternal life, Col 1:15-18, 1 Cor 15:20-23. Jesus was further appointed heir of all things as stated in Heb 1:2. Heb 1:8 assures us that Jesus is God and that his rule on the throne as King of kings will last forever. We are also assured that those of us who belong to Jesus will be a part of his eternal kingdom and will share his rule forever.

CONCLUSION

I believe that we can finally conclude that the words of Prov 8 were spoken by Jesus. We can conclude that God the Father was the mastermind behind creation, that he was the designer and the architect while Jesus was the craftsman at his side who was doing the actual creating. But what about the role of the Spirit in creation? Let’s speculate a bit about that. The roles of the Father, Son and Spirit seem to be consistent throughout the Bible with things generally coming FROM the Father, BY or THROUGH the Son, and IN, BY or WITH the Spirit.

The adjectives are listed in the order of frequency of use in the original language.

1 Cor 8:4-6 4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, by or through whom all things came and through whom we live.

Eph 2:18 For by or through him (Jesus) we both have access to the Father in, by or with one Spirit.

COMMENT: These scriptures clarify the relationship of the persons within the Trinity a bit. All things come FROM the Father, BY or THROUGH the Son, and are accomplished IN, BY or WITH the Spirit.

Logically applying this to the creation we can see that the creation came about FROIM the Father, was accomplished BY or THROUGH Jesus, and IN, BY or WITH the Spirit. All of the scriptures discussing Jesus’ role in creation use the word translated either by or through.

See John 1:3,10 and Eph 1:15-18.

WHAT DOES THE TERM “SON OF GOD” MEAN IN THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE?

When Greek words are translated to English in a word for word translation we often get a confusing or inaccurate translation because there may not be a matching English word. For example, the Greeks had several different words that are all translated “love” in English, even though all of the Greek words have quite different meanings. Another word that can lead to confusion on our part is the Greek word which is translated as “son.” If we think that Jesus, who is called the “Son of God,” is the offspring of God the Father we have come to an inaccurate conclusion. Jesus is called the Son of God in John 3:16 and many other places in the New Testament. What did the Greek word that is translated as “son” mean to the Greeks? It is Strong’s word 5207 and means “figurative kinship.” Miethe’s Compact Dictionary of Doctrinal Words says that the word means that Jesus shares the same nature with God the Father, and that the word does not mean “son” in a physical sense. Jesus was not conceived or created by God the Father; in fact, God the Son has always been and will always be. He is eternal. 1 John 5:20 says that Jesus is the true God and eternal life. In Phil 2:6, Paul says this of Jesus, “Who, being in very nature God.” In Heb 1:6-9, God the Father twice calls Jesus “God.”

Again, we could be confused when we read in Heb 1:6 that God the Father brings his “firstborn” into the world. The Greek word used here refers to priority of position rather than of origin. Col 1:15-18 says that Jesus is the “firstborn” over all creation because he created all things, and that he is the “firstborn” from the dead because when he voluntarily became a man and sacrificed his earthly life he was the first to arise from the dead with a glorified body. This is explained in 1 Cor 15:20-23 and 35-49. All believers will one day have a body like this. Likewise, Rom 8:29 calls Jesus “the firstborn of many brothers.