01. Summary
While largely ignored in the literature on spiritual formation, the Old Testament provides the biblical foundation and resources for spiritual formation. First, the creation account reminds us that at the moment when God endowed homo sapiens with the status of being image bearers, they were spiritually formed, living in harmony with God, themselves, and creation. Their sin, though, produced disharmony, though God immediately pursued reconciliation. The paper focuses on wisdom literature. The book of Proverbs intends to make a person wise (which has practical, ethical, and theological dimensions), and to be wise is to be spiritually formed. Proverbs teaches that wisdom takes effort, but it is also a gift of God. The source of wisdom in Proverbs is ultimately God and his revelation, not general revelation. While God’s revelation in Proverbs is imparted through experience, observation, reflection, and tradition, Ecclesiastes reminds the reader that experience, observation, reflection, and tradition lead to the conclusion that life is meaningless. One must fear God first. Job is the story of a wise man growing in wisdom through the prism of suffering. For the Christian, we must read the Old Testament a second time in the light of Christ, and when we do, we realize that to grow in wisdom is to grow in the image of Christ (imitatio Christi). The end of the essay provides brief glimpses of how the historical narrative, prophecy and apocalyptic, and the Psalms contribute to the questions of the conference.
02. Key Quotes
“The creation story informs us that at the point of creation humans were fully spiritually formed . . . However, how we reflect God in the world is tarnished. Moral and spiritual formation means that we grow into the image of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18) who of course is the perfect exemplar of the divine image (Col. 1:15).”
“Growth in wisdom is growth in one’s spiritual and moral life as well as growth in the ability to navigate life well.”
“ . . . wisdom is not only practical, it is ethical . . . But, beyond the practical and ethical dimensions, to be wise requires a right relationship with God.”
“So to grow in wisdom means that one is experiencing moral/spiritual transformation. One is developing a deeper and more intimate relationship with God. But are God or our efforts the cause of that transformation? Proverbs, I think, would answer, both.”
“ . . . [wisdom] imparts herself to them and makes them wise. In other words, a relationship with her will result in moral and spiritual transformation.”
“So as we become wise we become more like God and thus to grow in spiritual maturity is a process of imitatio dei . . . divine wisdom is incarnated in Christ, so that ‘the emulation of these character types participates in and emulates Christ’s character,’ and thus it is also appropriate to talk about Proverbs as a vehicle for imitatio Christi.”
“ . . . Spiritual transformation does not come through our own efforts, but only when we fear God, obey his commandments, and live in the light of the future judgment. Again, we don’t earn it, God does it. But it does take effort.”
“The Gospels not only present Jesus as incredibly wise (Matt. 13:54-57; Mark 1:22; 6:2-4; Luke 2:40, 52), but also as a sage. Jesus taught using figures of speech which were a teaching vehicle of the sage in the first century.”
“As we deepen our relationship with Wisdom (Christ), we grow in wisdom. We are formed into the image of Christ.”
“The point here is that whatever is going on in our lives, the book of Psalms directs us to God’s presence . . . Thus, coming into God’s presence with honesty can lead to our transformation.”