JACQUES GAUVIN, RELIGION

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Intelligence

There is much talk on social internet sites about the intelligence or rather lack of intelligence of voters these days. These insults are escalating as the election in the US approaches, as the works of the Canadian government unfolds and as the world turns into an Islamic dysfunctional state or perhaps rather a state of decay.

No one understands intelligence better than God. And nothing explains intelligence better than the Bible, the word of God.

Interestingly the word intelligent is only found once in the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible. It’s found in Acts 13:6.

Acts 13:6–7 (NKJV)
... Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.

So it seems, according to this passage, that there is a direct connection between being intelligent and seeking the word of God. Furthermore it also looks as if there is a connection between being intelligent and seeking the word of God from God’s true ministers, Barnabas and Saul (better known as Paul). Sergius Paulus also wanted to hear what these two ministers had to say for himself rather than to go with the crowd or to base his opinion on hearsay or third party attitudes and biases or to cave in to the opposition, and the opposition was strong. Have a look at the surrounding verses. So it is not an insignificant occurrence of the word intelligent.

The word intelligence is not in the New King James Version at all. If you were to stop your Bible study there you might think that God might have created most people with very little intelligence. Or that God does not have much to say about intelligence. Or that being intelligent is not very important. But to continue your search you must think that perhaps there are more important things than intelligence or perhaps God uses other terms when he talks about intelligence. Let’s look into this further.

By contrast intelligent, including intelligence and intelligently, is found 28 times in the Good News Bible.

Let’s have a look at some of the passages where the Good News translators used the word intelligent. My experience with the Good News Bible has revealed that it often makes things that are unclear in other versions very clear and easy to understand.

Proverbs 1:2–3 (GNB)
Here are proverbs that will help you to recognize wisdom and good advice, and understand sayings with deep meaning. They can teach you how to live intelligently and how to be honest, just, and fair.

So to live intelligently is associated with being honest, just and fair and is synonymous with wisdom and intricately linked to good advice and understanding of sayings with deep meaning. All these things work together like a well managed factory or a fine tuned engine or a glitch free computer, if you can accept such modern analogies.

Proverbs 10:23 (GNB)
It is foolish to enjoy doing wrong. Intelligent people take pleasure in wisdom.

This reminds me of a common expression that I used to here back when I was in grade school, wipe that stupid smile off your face. It also reminds me of why Islam and Christianity do not mix. But it baffles me why so many people vote for the politicians that run so many countries. Perhaps it is not so surprising that the NKJV only uses the word intelligent once even though man was created in the image of our Great Creator God.

Proverbs 10:13 (GNB)
Intelligent people talk sense, but stupid people need to be punished.

This is a very good example of a scripture that encourages me to make sense as much as I can, that is to the limits of my God given gifts and abilities.

Proverbs 14:33 (GNB)
Wisdom is in every thought of intelligent people; fools know nothing about wisdom.

This passage reminds me of the instruction to pray always. It makes sense to me to pray to the giver of life for intelligence and wisdom in using it as well as to give Him thanks for it all always.

Proverbs 18:15 (GNB)
Intelligent people are always eager and ready to learn. I agree with this passage and try to be an example but when I think about this I also think of how priorities quickly enter the picture so often. Should I try to be a Jack of all trades or more realistically and Jack of some trades but master of none? Or try to be the master of at least one? How much time should I spend learning new skills and tasks. Again prioritizing becomes critical. Intelligence and wisdom need be applied.

Proverbs 28:2 (GNB)
When a nation sins, it will have one ruler after another. But a nation will be strong and endure when it has intelligent, sensible leaders.

In a democracy it seems that in order for a leader to win an election he needs to deceive the electors by making promises that he will not be able or has no intensions of fulfilling. So it is a puzzle to me how a nation can ever get a sensible leader. I do like the idea a great deal however.

And one more from the Good News Bible from the New Testament this time and speaking of Jesus as a twelve year old boy discussing things with some teachers, that is Rabbis.

Luke 2:47 (GNB)
All who heard him were amazed at his intelligent answers.

So here is Jesus, the son of man and the Son of God made in the image of God, being considered amazingly intelligent by some of the leading teachers of the Jewish world of the time. I like the Good News Bible.

 

Now let’s have a look at some synonyms. The word wisdom is found hundreds of times in most versions of the Bible. And the word wise is also found hundreds of times in the eleven versions that I regularly search. This includes a few occurrences of the word wisely. So the words wise, wisely and wisdom are found a total of about 400 times in the Bible. There are other similar words like prudent, sensible and clever that I have not looked up for this composition as I must put limits on my research lest I fail to get a work accomplished in any reasonable amount of time and keep it a reasonable length.

The following are a number of insights from the book of Proverbs into intelligence. Intelligent being a synonym of wise and wisdom.

Proverbs 1:5 (NKJV)
A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,

I would say that a great deal of my life was void of wise counsel. The wisest counselling that I have managed to get in life were the words of the Bible and the teachings of the Churches of God and the works of the ministers of God. I’m doing my best to follow it as best I can.

Proverbs 3:7 (NKJV)
Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.

This one is a bit of a puzzle. Is it not to be considered wise to fear the Lord and to depart from evil?

Proverbs 3:35 (NKJV)
The wise shall inherit glory, But shame shall be the legacy of fools.

But only if you can endure to the end, easier said than done. God have mercy on us.

Proverbs 4:5 (NKJV)
Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

It is rather depressing at times when you consider how few follow this advice and this commandment from God.

Proverbs 4:5 (The Living Bible)
Learn to be wise,” he said, “and develop good judgment and common sense! I cannot overemphasize this point.”

I love this passage but I have a little trouble with the concept of common sense. As mentioned above, it seems rather uncommon that people follow God by imitating His character.

Proverbs 10:14 (NKJV)
Wise people store up knowledge, But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

For those in the know this should remind you of Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins, five of which took no oil for their lamps and missed out on salvation.

Proverbs 11:30 (NKJV)
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise.

This passage epitomises good counsel to me. It establishes my way of life, my goals and ambitions. The only drawback is, Am I winning souls? God only knows.

Proverbs 12:18 (NKJV)
There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health.

There is a passage that states that iron sharpens iron. And another that Jesus is coming with a two edged sword. Perhaps this is a topic worthy of another article at some later time. I do like the idea of promoting health.

Proverbs 14:29 (NKJV)
He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, But he who is impulsive exalts folly.

It seems that I have been holding back my wrath for so long that I surely must have great understanding by now. The Bible does tell us that vengeance belongs to God. Again I pray to God to harness my impulsiveness.

Proverbs 18:15 (NKJV)
The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

Knowledge is not like sugar for your muscles, it is more like nutrition for your blood.

Proverbs 20:26 (GNB)
A wise king will find out who is doing wrong, and will punish him without pity.

Sounds ok but are there any wise kings around and is the old saying the pot calling the kettle black not usually fitting?

This also reminds me of Trump, the Republican nominee (2016), stating that Clinton, the Democrat leader, belongs in jail.

Proverbs 21:12 (NKJV)
The righteous God wisely considers the house of the wicked, Overthrowing the wicked for their wickedness.

This passage is particularly interesting because it speaks of God overthrowing the wicked as if it were not possible for man to do so, at least not on his own. We should always pray to God that he grant us good leaders. Sadly not many pray these days.

Proverbs 23:4 (GNB)
Be wise enough not to wear yourself out trying to get rich.

How often have we been shown examples of this as if these people should be idols and role models for us, men of war and of history, famous politicians and rulers, business tycoons and even mercenaries. So many have worked hard for the world, for riches and for fame and not workers of peace, truth and salvation, not revealers of Jesus Lord of the Sabbath, not upholders of the commandments of God through the Bible.

 

Now let’s look at some New Testament passages for even greater insight into intelligence and being wise.

Romans 16:19 (GNB)
Everyone has heard of your loyalty to the gospel, and for this reason I am happy about you. I want you to be wise about what is good, but innocent in what is evil.

Paul is talking here to an individual but we should all consider it as if he were talking to each one of us. Paul is telling us to be wise in our loyalty to the good news of the coming kingdom of God and in living in the way appointed by God and to not getting involved in evil deeds at all.

Romans 16:27 (GNB)
To the only God, who alone is all-wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever! Amen.

Only in being imitators of God can we consider ourselves or anyone wise.

1 Corinthians 1:26 (GNB)
Now remember what you were, my brothers and sisters, when God called you. From the human point of view few of you were wise or powerful or of high social standing.

And some of us knew next to nothing about anything. God can reveal His knowledge and understanding even onto babes.

1 Timothy 1:17 (NKJV)
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

God is the Creator and Giver of life and of all understanding. Whatever we are we are indebted to Him.

2 Timothy 3:15 (NKJV)
and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Again, Paul is talking to a specific individual but it applies to many or at least some. This is sure, the only way to salvation is through Jesus and you must have faith in the Bible to believe it whole heartedly. You can’t trust anyone these days.

Jude 25 (NKJV)
To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.

It is made sufficiently clear, in the Bible, through repetition that God alone is wise. But we are to be imitators of Him and of Christ as the Bible also reveals.

1 Corinthians 4:16 (NKJV)
Therefore I urge you, imitate me.

1 Corinthians 11:1 (NKJV)
Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.

Ephesians 5:1 (NKJV)
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

Hebrews 6:11–12 (NKJV)
And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

And so as we imitate God and Jesus, and those who imitate them, we too become wise in turn as They are wise.

 

Now let us look at some passages that use the word wisdom.

Proverbs 9:10 (NKJV)
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

The one you fear is the one you obey. Do you obey the Word of God or the Lord of the Sabbath, Jesus? Or do you obey the one who tells you that religion is all fantasy or outdated or for the feeble minded?

Proverbs 15:33 (NKJV)
The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility.

This is how it works in God’s plan, God’s training, God’s testing, God’s refining process and God’s choice making.

Job 28:28 (NKJV)
And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And to depart from evil is understanding.’

This concept is upheld throughout the scriptures and is repeated here and there.

Psalm 111:10 (NKJV)
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.

The one you fear is the one you obey. If you fear God you do His commandments. If you obey Satan you do not do the commandments of God.

Isaiah 50:10 (NKJV)
Who among you fears the LORD? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness And has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD And rely upon his God.

Without the light of the Lord the path of life is so dark that one cannot find his way to salvation. Salvation depends on faith in Jesus the Son, in God the Father and in the Bible.

Deuteronomy 13:4 (NKJV)
You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.

You won’t find any better counselling anywhere.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NKJV)
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.

In conclusion here are two more passages from the New Testament;

John 14:15 (NKJV)
If you love Me (Jesus), keep My commandments.

1 John 5:2 (NKJV)
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.

Be intelligent!

2016 Jacques Gauvin

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