The Powerful Gift of Word of Wisdom

A study of the gift of word of wisdom in the Bible. We will look at how the gift of wisdom operates and what it means. 

I think we all deep down want to have Godly wisdom and make good choices. And we can grow in God’s wisdom as we mature in our faith and learn His word. 

But what about the gift of word of wisdom? How is this gift different than the wisdom we see James encourage us to ask (James 1:5)? Well, we are going to take a deeper look into the gift of wisdom and all that it entails. 

Curious about the other gifts? Don’t forget to check out the other gifts below:

To make things easier you can use the table of contents below to jump to certain topics or you can scroll through like usual. If you are new the gifts I encourage you to read through it. 

The Gift of Word of Wisdom 

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. – 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 NKJV (emphasis added in bold)

When writing on the gifts I thought it might be easier to break up information by answering the 5 W’s. If you are not familiar with the 5 W’s it basically means, who, what, when, where, and why. 

Just a note for now I have skipped out on “when.” If in the future I come up for a when question or a helpful reading has some suggestions…I’ll add it to the post. But I sure hope this structure helps to make things clear and easy to digest.

What Is the Gift of Word of Wisdom?

The Greek word for wisdom is sophia (yup, like the name!) it means wisdom, broad and full intelligence. But the gift is not the gift of wisdom but the “word of wisdom.”

“Word” is “logos” in the Greek, which means “word,” “reason,” or “plan.”

Below are the greek words from the Strong’s Concordance.

σοφία, σοφίας, ἡ (σοφός), Hebrew חָכְמָה, wisdom, broad and full intelligence (from Homer down); used of the knowledge of very diverse matters, so that the shade of meaning in which the word is taken must be discovered from the context in every particular case.

λόγος lógos, log’-os; from G3004; something said (including the thought); by implication, a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, (with the article in John) the Divine Expression (i.e. Christ):—account, cause, communication,

In a nut shell….

The gift of word of wisdom is the supernatural God inspired wisdom that instructs us to solve a problem or give an answer. 

What the Gift of Word of Wisdom Is Not?

Being Super Smart 

Having a perfect SAT score of 1600, or the ability to learn something quickly and easily does not mean you have the gift of of the Holy Spirit. Being naturally intelligent is great but should never be mistaken for Godly wisdom or the manifestation of the word of wisdom. 

Regular Wisdom

The Bible encourages us to seek out wisdom and to ask God for it (James 1:5). This wisdom that comes from God or from past experiences and is different than the gift of word of wisdom. The word of wisdom comes during a time when you need or someone else needs divine instruction and understanding. It comes through some form of revelation. 

Psychology or Philosophy 

The pursuit of sciences like psychology is not the same thing. And even though philosophy means lover of wisdom, being a philosopher doesn’t mean you function in the word of wisdom. 

What Is the Purpose of the Gift of Word of Wisdom?

The purpose behind this gift is pretty easy to grasp. A word of wisdom can solve an individual, church, business, or even a national problem. 

It can bring progress, open doors, unanimity, healing, conviction, and so much more. 

What Are Some Examples of Word of Wisdom in the Bible?

Matthew 22:15-22 – Jesus caused the crowd to be in awe at His wisdom when he responded about the taxes. “When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way…”

1 King 3:16-28 – Solomon was known for his wisdom. But in the case of the two women and a child you see the word of wisdom in action with that situation. 

Genesis 41 – Joseph did not just interpret Pharaoh’s dreams but had a word of wisdom on how to survive during the future famine, by storing the grain during the good years. 

2 Kings 3 – Elisha gains a word of wisdom to dig ditches because the Lord is going to bring rain. 

Acts 27:31-34 – Paul encouraged people on the ship and gave instructions to eat, because they would not die. 

Who Is the Gift of Word of Wisdom For?

Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. – 1 corinthians 14:1 

I say this in all my posts on the gifts, but it’s important! Paul clearly says that we should pursue love (very important) and desire spiritual gifts. That word desire actually means to be zealous or passionate. 

The word of wisdom is given to special smart people. Just kidding! If you are a believer in Jesus you can ask for this gift! Yay!

James makes it clear that if anyone lacks wisdom we can ask of God. (James 1:5). We can ask for both wisdom and gift of word of wisdom. And especially when we are facing something that we need God’s wisdom and insight into. 

It can be easy in our day and age to think we don’t need wisdom because we have over load of information. But our need for wisdom is greater now than ever. We need to able to see and understand the big picture in things and be able to know God’s wisdom versus this world’s ideologies and beliefs. 

Why Is This Gift of Necessary for Today?

I say this in all the gifts. But if it was necessary for the church in the Bible, it’s very much necessary for us today!

Even with a wealth of information at our finger tips we still face situations or hardships that our natural mind can’t figure out. The word of wisdom brings God’s divine wisdom and solution to that situation. This kind of wisdom was needed in the past, it’s needed for today, and it will be needed for the future. 

Where Can I Find It in the Bible?

The word of wisdom is really similar to the word of knowledge. We don’t see the actual term mentioned much in scripture, but we do see the gift used quite a bit. Below are two references for the gift of word of wisdom. 

Word of Wisdom Scriptures

1Co 1:17 NKJV – 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. 

1Co 12:8 NKJV – 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,

My Conclusion and Summarization about the Gift of Word of Wisdom

We all need wisdom from God, and we are in great need of the word of wisdom to be manifested for those situations when books, man-made strategies, and earthly knowledge isn’t going to cut it.

I love what David Pytches says,

The gift of word of wisdom is the special ability that God gives to members of the Body of Christ to receive instant insight on how a given revelation may best be applied to a specific situation or need arising in the Body of Christ, or how a given situation or need is to be restored or helped or healed.

Restored, helped, or healed….that’s what a word of wisdom can do!

I hope this post has encouraged you to grow in the gifts of the Holy Spirit! And I would love to hear from you, so feel free to drop me a comment below. Let me know what God is doing in your life!