Proverbs is Not Pelagian, Part Two (of two)

Proverbs is filled with warnings against sin and exhortations to keep God’s commandments. It constantly sets before the reader the two ways one can choose that result in two different destinies. Thus it is easy to get the idea that Proverbs is teaching wisdom as salvation by good works.

Part of the problem with that, which I pointed out in my earlier post, is that Proverbs understands all people to be sinners in constant need of forgiveness. The other reason is that our Lord Jesus Christ needed to grow in wisdom in his earthly life.

To review:

• “And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him” (Luke 2:40 ESV).
• “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52 ESV).
• “For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation mature through suffering” (Hebrews 2:10 ESV).
• “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made mature, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him” (Hebrews 5:7–9 ESV).

The author of Hebrews ties Christian progress (including victory over sin) with the progress Jesus made, and ties all this to the wisdom that Solomon exhorts us to embrace:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, [2] looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he and chastises every son whom he receives” [Proverbs 3:11, 12]. It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

Hebrews 12:1–7 ESV

Now, all this material is aimed at Christians making progress in life and that includes dealing with sin. But their example is Jesus made progress in his life, even though he was “without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). And a general principle, laid out for readers, from Proverbs, is that sons need discipline to grow–a principle that applies to all children whether or not sin is a reality in their lives.

A reason why Proverbs may seem Pelagian is it is dealing with an issue that confronted Adam and Eve from the moment they were created, before sin entered the picture.

When Adam named the animals and learned he needed a wife, he was growing in wisdom. When Adam and Eve were commissioned to subdue the earth they were commissioned to gain wisdom because by wisdom kings reign (Proverbs 8: 15, 16). And when God left them alone for a time to act without his direct oversight he was giving them an opportunity to gain wisdom in his absence–an opportunity that they tragically abused.

In other words, if the human race had never fallen, and had no Original or personal sin to deal with, they would still need to gain wisdom.

Remember, according to Luke 3:38, Adam was God’s son. Luke is probably getting this designation from Genesis 5:

This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.

Genesis 5:1–3 ESV

Perhaps meditating on this correspondence between Seth as Adam’s son and Adam as God’s son. Seth was undoubtedly human at birth. And as a baby he may have had some striking physical similarities to Adam that had been lacking in Abel, perhaps. But undoubtedly, he became more like Adam as he grew. Even if those similarities faded and he began favoring Eve, his mother, by virtue of growing into an adult male, he became more like Adam.

And Adam, as one who was created to grow in his dominion of the world, was likewise intended to become more like God. He was created in God’s image and he had potential, promise, and mandate to become more like God. This is true of all human beings. It was even true of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the image of God.

Sin has complicated the picture and it is probably impossible for us sinners to imagine human development and progress without sin in as the background. But becoming wise is becoming more like God and it is conceptually distinct from sanctification.

Therefore, the mandate to seek, gain, and/or receive wisdom is not something that God can assign someone else to do instead of us. The whole point of being justified by Christ is to be able again to pursue the progress that was always before us. As those reconciled to God, he can deal with us as beloved children and help us gain wisdom without condemning us for how foolish we remain.

Remember, in Proverbs, wisdom is nothing less than mature character. Thus, Paul’s statement about rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God involves rejoicing in challenges because of how they will mature us:

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Romans 5:1–5 ESV

As sinners, we need redemption. As creatures made in God’s image, we can always become wiser and more like God. Being redeemed, we are back on track.