Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- jn_en_2019_03_04 [2019/03/04 07:53] – potthast
+++ jn_en_2019_03_04 [2019/03/05 08:02] (current) – old revision restored (2019/03/04 08:14) potthast
@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 ====== Beginning of Wisdom ... ======
-Monday, March 4, 2019.
+Monday, March 4, 2019. What is it that makes humans wise? Today, we all know that we have gained a lot
+of understanding of natural processes by science. Sciences means the search and research of humans by
+thinking, testing, experimenting with nature. So we know that without this search and the experiments
+we cannot gain a proper understanding of natural processes.
+Does science make us wise? Mankind has learned by many experiences that sciences helps to understand
+particular points of nature. Perhaps more, we gain a quite broad image of how important
+parts of nature work. We do
+not yet understand many things, but we have a concept for understanding which worked in many cases in
+the past - and we expect it to help us to gain further insight.
 {{2019:2019_03_04.jpg }}
@@ Line 17: / Line 26: @@
 ** Wisdom and Instruction ... **
+But knowledge alone is not wisdom, and understanding particular elements of nature does not necessarily
+lead us to wisdom. Here, the biblical texts take up our questions and give us the following input:
 <color #aa0000>
 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: 2 To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, 3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; 4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth— 5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, 6 to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
 </color> (from Proverbs 1)
+The text talks about words of wisdom - the words written in the proverbs of Solomon, son of David. He is
+the wise king who reigned from about 970 BC. Here, one of his key points is that the fear of the Lord is
+the beginning of knowledge, and that fools despise wisdom and instruction.
+How does this fit to our modern understanding? Let us have a look!
 {{ 2019:2019_03_04_2.jpg}}
-** Righteousness and Equity ... **
+** Fear of the Lord ... **
+Is the experiment the beginning of knowledge? Is the ability of humans to search and to think
+the beginning of knowledge? Where does knowledge start? Or does the author just talk about knowledge
+of a particular kind, of ethical knowledge perhaps?
+From the list of points given to us in the text above, the word "knowledge" is used in context!
+It is about a man or woman learning, growing in understanding. It is about both wisdom of the mind and
+wisdom of life. It is not a purely mental knowledge, not just one element of the human mind. It talks
+about the whole human, about our whole life with all its parts and layers!
+I do not see any point of constructing a contradiction of the above passage with science or our
+understanding of nature. It strongly integrates our human ability to listen to each other and take
+up the knowledge gained by other people - to receive wisdom and instruction. That has become a major
+part of our scientific development. Of course, the wisdom Solomon talks about is much wider and
+addresses our whole life. Here, it is good to listen, to the author of the proverbs as well as to
+Jesus and his disciples in the New Testament. There is a lot to gain! It is important to start to
+realize that there is God, who wants to talk to you and to me. We should start to listen to him!
 (Roland Potthast)
 [[http://www.jesusnetwork.eu/en/topics_collection_ix|... further texts]]