James 1:5

But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Oesterley said, "There is no thought connection between this verse and the preceding";[15] but such a comment is due to a failure to discern the theme of the epistle, which is "Perfection," one of the most common impediments to perfection being ignorance. It is the word of God only which is able to make one "wise unto salvation"; and, without doubt, James' reference to persons "lacking wisdom" meant a lack of knowledge of divine truth. There is no hint whatever in this passage that one may pray for wisdom in mathematics or physics and that God will "give" wisdom in such categories as those. Furthermore, there is no promise here to the effect that God will supernaturally endow the man praying for wisdom even with the knowledge of the word of God. As was the case with Timothy, all Christians are commanded to "Study to show thyself approved unto God, etc." (2 Timothy 2:15). What is promised here is that for the true seeker of divine truth as it regards human salvation, if he shall indeed seek it in that word which liveth and abideth forever, God will surely give him liberally of all that is necessary for him to know. As Lenski said it:

God has his means for giving additional wisdom. This is his word. Wisdom does not come down out of the sky. God's Spirit instructs, enlightens, makes wise by means of the word. This angle of the matter James takes up again in James 1:21.[16]

Barclay also discerned that the wisdom promised here is not wisdom of any secular subject, but "the supreme and divine quality of the soul whereby man knows and practices righteousness."[17]

Before leaving this verse, it is appropriate again to notice that James' teaching regards with utmost fidelity that of the Christ himself, who said, "How much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" (Matthew 7:11).

[15] W. E. Oesterley, op. cit., p. 422.

[16] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 529.

[17] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 45.