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8. λόγος σοφίας … γνώσεως. λόγος seems to be used here of the capacity for speaking in a certain way. Thus λόγος σοφίας means discourse prompted by wisdom, λόγος γνώσεως discourse characterized by knowledge. Wisdom I venture to regard as the power of insight into principles, knowledge the result of a process, the comprehension of facts. See ch. 1Co 8:1. This was the view taken by St Paul’s contemporary Philo, and by the Gnostics who immediately succeeded him. Wisdom, according to Philo, was the highest of the Divine attributes, and human wisdom a reflection of the Divine. καὶ γὰρ ἀρχὴν καὶ εἰκόνα καὶ ὅρασιν θεοῦ κέκληκε· ταύτης δὲ ὡς ἂν ἀρχετύπον μίμημα τὴν ἐπίγειον σοφίαν νυνί παρίστησι διὰ τῆς τοῦ παραδείσου φυτουργίας. Sacr. Leg. Alleg. Bk I. So also Quis Rer. Div. Haer. [ed. Mangey, vol. I. p. 498]. In his De Praem. et Poen. [ed. Mangey, vol. II. p. 420], he distinguishes between σοφία and φρόνησις. The former, he says, relates to the service of God: the latter to the problems of human life. Wisdom, according to the Gnostics, was an Aeon or emanation from Divinity; Gnosis or knowledge the process whereby man attained to the comprehension of things Divine. Clement of Alexandria, however, reverses the definition. Knowledge, according to him, comes directly from God, wisdom is the result of teaching. Stromata VII. 10. Chrysostom takes the view which has been taken above. It is supported by the following considerations. (1) σοφία is spoken of as an attribute of God (as in Pro 8:22). γνῶσις has never been so dignified, although of course He possesses it. (2) γνῶσις is described by St Paul as coming to nought (ch. 1Co 13:8 : see note). Wisdom is never so spoken of. Aristotle (Nic. Eth. VI. 7) defines it as a compound of νοῦς and ἐπιστήμη, and describes the σοφός as one who must not only εἰδέναι but also ἀληθεύειν περὶ τὰς ἀρχάς, so that σοφία is ἡ ἀκριβεστάτη τῶν ἐπιστημῶν. Bishop Lightfoot takes a somewhat different view on Col 2:3. With him ‘γνῶσις is intuitive, σοφία ratiocinative also.’ ‘γνῶσις applies chiefly to the apprehension of truths, σοφία superadds the power of reasoning about them and tracing their relations.’ The definition of σοφία given above does not exclude the ratiocinative faculty—the power of following principles to their results—but regards its action as descending from the higher to the lower, whereas γνῶσις ascends from the lower to the higher. In other words σοφία in exercise is deductive, γνῶσις inductive. The one applies principles it has intuitively perceived, the other rises to principles from facts it has gathered. Man’s wisdom (see ch. 1Co 2:7) would be the same faculty in relation to human affairs, quickness of apprehension in regard to them. Of course it is not to be supposed that perfect wisdom or knowledge is given to any one (see ch. 1Co 13:9), but that there are those who have a special measure of either, as God sees fit. See ch. 1Co 1:30; Eph 3:10. The first of these passages is worth noting. Jesus Christ is said to have ‘become to us wisdom.’ He could hardly be said to have become to us knowledge, though this also we receive from Him.
λόγος γνώσεως. See last note. See also ch. 1Co 13:2, where knowledge is distinguished from the perception of mysteries. For other interpretations consult Alford’s note.