Over the next several issues of the Witness, the Gentle Reformation writers will address, one by one, the qualities of heavenly wisdom given in James 3:17: “The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.” Just as a bright light in the background can help you read a book more easily, so knowing the biblical background of wisdom will aid you in understanding what James is teaching here. As you read this verse and the articles that will follow, keep in mind the following three illuminating truths regarding this wisdom from above.

The Source of Heavenly Wisdom

If you were hiking and came upon a stream of water, you would want to know its source before you sipped. It is one thing to drink from streams coming from freshly melted mountain snow. It is another thing to quench your thirst with water polluted with chemicals and waste from a nearby factory. ...