The gift of wisdom, according to John Packo, is “...the spirit-given ability to wisely apply the knowledge of God’s word in a given situation[1].” The relationship between knowledge and application is captured in Keirsey and Bates description of the INTP and INTJ personality types:
With regard to spiritual gifts, this theme reoccurs in many descriptions of knowledge and wisdom. For example: “In comparing and contrasting knowledge and wisdom, knowledge has more to do with facts, data, insight. Wisdom then makes use of that body of knowledge in meeting a particular need or situation[3].”
INTJs have been described as having a deep structure understanding of reality, and they often have an intuitive grasp of the larger picture: “The INTJs, rather than using deductive logic, use their intuition to grasp coherence[4].” McRae attributes a kind of big picture thinking to the gift of wisdom (although he believes the gift to have ceased). Referring to I Corinthians 2:6-12, he writes “The wisdom of God, according to Paul, is the whole system of revealed truth. One with the gift of wisdom had the ability to receive this revealed truth from God and present it to the people of God[5].” MacArthur, who believes the gift still exists, adds “This is the ability to see deeply into the mysteries of God[6].”
The INTJ would best fit McRae’s description of wisdom: “...the work of INTJs often has an ‘ultimate’ quality to it, as if it were the discovery of God’s final plan for the universe[7].”
The gift of wisdom can be seen in the writings of Francis Schaeffer (INTJ) whose books articulate the relevance of Christian theology to modern problems. His survey of Western art and culture is titled How Should We Then Live?, indicating his focus on the application of philisophical understanding to our Christian walk. His wisdom in areas such as pre-evangelism and civil disobedience have provided blueprints for us to put doctrine into practice.
Summary: For each of the sixteen personality types there is a theme or set of related themes that run through the various descriptions of that type. One theme of the INTJ is that of a strategic planner who has a solution for every contingency. The overall thrust of the various descriptions is that of an insightful thinker who is very independent and determined in outlook. These traits of the INTJ appear a fairly good match to the gift of wisdom and no type better fits the ability to apply ideas and concepts.
References
[1] John E. Packo, Find and Use Your Spiritual Gifts (Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publications, 1980), 48.
[2] David Keirsey and Marilyn Bates, Please Understand Me (Del Mar: Prometheus Nemesis, 1978), 181-182.
[3] Donald Hohensee and Allen Odell, Your Spiritual Gifts (Wheaton, Il.: Victor, 1992), 87.
[4] Keirsey and Bates, 181.
[5] William McRae, Dynamics of Spiritual Gifts (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1976), 65.
[6] John MacArthur, The Body Dynamic: Finding Where You Fit in Today’s Church (Colorado Springs: Chariot Victor Publishing, 1996), 108.
[7] Susan Scanlon, “Type and the Brain,” The Type Reporter (Fairfax Station, VA: The Type Reporter, Inc, 1988).
Teamed with an INTP who is the architect of systems, the INTJ provides a dimension to an organization which insures that the work of the INTP does not gather dust on library shelves...INTJs live to see systems translated into substance; an INTP, by way of contrast, is content to design the system... they [INTJs] always have a keen eye for the consequences of the application of new ideas or positions[2].
With regard to spiritual gifts, this theme reoccurs in many descriptions of knowledge and wisdom. For example: “In comparing and contrasting knowledge and wisdom, knowledge has more to do with facts, data, insight. Wisdom then makes use of that body of knowledge in meeting a particular need or situation[3].”
INTJs have been described as having a deep structure understanding of reality, and they often have an intuitive grasp of the larger picture: “The INTJs, rather than using deductive logic, use their intuition to grasp coherence[4].” McRae attributes a kind of big picture thinking to the gift of wisdom (although he believes the gift to have ceased). Referring to I Corinthians 2:6-12, he writes “The wisdom of God, according to Paul, is the whole system of revealed truth. One with the gift of wisdom had the ability to receive this revealed truth from God and present it to the people of God[5].” MacArthur, who believes the gift still exists, adds “This is the ability to see deeply into the mysteries of God[6].”
The INTJ would best fit McRae’s description of wisdom: “...the work of INTJs often has an ‘ultimate’ quality to it, as if it were the discovery of God’s final plan for the universe[7].”
The gift of wisdom can be seen in the writings of Francis Schaeffer (INTJ) whose books articulate the relevance of Christian theology to modern problems. His survey of Western art and culture is titled How Should We Then Live?, indicating his focus on the application of philisophical understanding to our Christian walk. His wisdom in areas such as pre-evangelism and civil disobedience have provided blueprints for us to put doctrine into practice.
Summary: For each of the sixteen personality types there is a theme or set of related themes that run through the various descriptions of that type. One theme of the INTJ is that of a strategic planner who has a solution for every contingency. The overall thrust of the various descriptions is that of an insightful thinker who is very independent and determined in outlook. These traits of the INTJ appear a fairly good match to the gift of wisdom and no type better fits the ability to apply ideas and concepts.
References
[1] John E. Packo, Find and Use Your Spiritual Gifts (Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publications, 1980), 48.
[2] David Keirsey and Marilyn Bates, Please Understand Me (Del Mar: Prometheus Nemesis, 1978), 181-182.
[3] Donald Hohensee and Allen Odell, Your Spiritual Gifts (Wheaton, Il.: Victor, 1992), 87.
[4] Keirsey and Bates, 181.
[5] William McRae, Dynamics of Spiritual Gifts (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1976), 65.
[6] John MacArthur, The Body Dynamic: Finding Where You Fit in Today’s Church (Colorado Springs: Chariot Victor Publishing, 1996), 108.
[7] Susan Scanlon, “Type and the Brain,” The Type Reporter (Fairfax Station, VA: The Type Reporter, Inc, 1988).
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