knowledge and wisdom

I've been thinking a lot about the concepts of Bible study, Bible class, and discussion groups. Essentially I've found that these concepts can be broken down by applying the idea of knowledge versus wisdom. In other words, how does all the information we can glean from scripture impact our lives. Let me throw some definitions out on the floor...

Data

facts or figures obtained through research, used as a basis for drawing conclusions

Information

the collected facts and data about a particular subject

Knowledge

awareness or possession of information, facts, ideas, truths, or principles

Wisdom

the knowledge and experience needed to make sensible decisions and judgments, or the accumulated knowledge of life or a particular sphere of activity that has been gained through experience

Taken in this context, the Bible can been seen as a resource for information, it contains data points about the history of the Jewish people and the life of Jesus and the early church. Some of these data points are the recorded wisdom of prophets, poets, priests and kings. By studying the Bible or by joining classes we can gain knowledge of the Bible - internalizing the information that it contains. However, this knowledge does not guarantee anything, except that we know what is contained within the pages of scripture. Wisdom comes from experience and the application of that knowledge in everyday situations of life. Bible study is a good and noble pursuit, to a certain point. How long can we study the Bible before we lose focus on what the knowledge it imparts calls us to do? There is a certain point where studying the Bible loses something, it is at that same point that wisdom needs to start taking a larger role. A discussion group is kind of like a testing ground for new wisdom. Real life topics are brought to the table for a conversation and all the implications are flushed out. People have varying opinions and varying degrees of comfort with certain topics, but by staring the issue in the face we can come to understand many aspects of it and perhaps "walk a mile in another's shoes." Wisdom also comes from experiencing the consequences of putting knowledge into action. We practice our faith, harvest the data of positive and negative outcomes, thoughtfully reflect on that new information, giving us broader understanding of that knowledge and from the experience comes wisdom. I don't know where the threshold lies, where gathering knowledge becomes just another aspect of our lives, but I do know that for everyone it is different. Our goal should not simply be to become knowledgeable in the ways of Christ, we should strive to be wise in the ways of Christ.

Think of it like this: engineering is the application of science, wisdom comes from the application of knowledge, what is the application of your faith and what are its fruits?