Is Wisdom Really Jesus?

A friend recently asked the following question:

Would I be very far off the path in thinking that the writer of Proverbs was in fact referring to the Christ years before he appeared on earth? John used the word The Word and Proverbs uses the word Wisdom.

My Friend

Actually, you would be far off. There’s no question that some parts of Proverbs may speak directly of Christ, but Wisdom isn’t Him. It was common in Solomon’s day to speak of intangible things like wisdom as if they were people who could talk to us. The fact that this personification is used is no indication that an actual human person is being represented.

Note that Wisdom is a woman. It would be a stretch indeed to make that woman into Jesus.

Note as well that taking such symbolic passages literally generally causes theological trouble. The Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Wisdom is Jesus because, in chapter 8, Wisdom is said to have been created…just as they believe Jesus was created. Much of their odd theology is based on such misreadings, or on blatant Scripture-twisting. It’s best to do what most Christians throughout history have done: read symbolic passages symbolically, and read literal passages literally.

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