Third Sunday After Epiphany: The Wisdom That Leads to Unity

Let me read our text for this morning from Romans chapter twelve, verse sixteen, from the English Standard Version Catholic Edition: "Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight."

 

This single verse, though brief, contains a wealth of spiritual wisdom that speaks directly to one of the most pressing challenges facing the Church in every age: the challenge of Christian unity. The Apostle Paul, writing to the church in Rome, is not merely offering good advice or helpful suggestions. He is giving us divine instruction on how we are to live together as members of the Body of Christ.

 

Throughout Romans chapter twelve, Paul has been teaching us how Christians should react and behave toward others. He has painted a picture of the Christian life that is radically different from the way the world operates. He has called us to present our bodies as living sacrifices, to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, to use our spiritual gifts for the building up of the Body, to love genuinely, to honor one another, to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.

 

And now, in verse sixteen, Paul emphasizes the importance of agreement and harmony in the church. "Live in harmony with one another," he writes. The Greek word here literally means "to think the same thing" or "to be of the same mind." This is not a call to mindless conformity or the suppression of legitimate differences. Rather, it is a call to unity of purpose, unity of heart, unity in our commitment to Christ and to one another.

 

But Paul knows that this unity is fragile. He knows that there are forces, both external and internal, that constantly threaten to tear apart the fabric of Christian community. And so he identifies two specific dangers that we must guard against if we are to maintain the harmony that Christ desires for His Church.

 

The first danger is haughtiness—looking down on others, considering ourselves superior to our brothers and sisters. Paul addresses this when he says, "Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly." This is a call to humility in our relationships, to see every person as made in the image of God and worthy of our respect and love.

 

But this morning, I want to focus our attention on the second danger that Paul identifies: "Never be wise in your own sight." This phrase, "wise in your own sight," translates a Greek expression that means being proud of your own wisdom and knowledge, being conceited about your intellectual abilities, trusting in your own understanding rather than in God's wisdom.

 

This is the danger of intellectual pride, and it is just as deadly to Christian unity as haughtiness in our social relationships. In fact, in many ways, it may be even more insidious, because it often disguises itself as virtue. After all, isn't it good to pursue knowledge? Isn't it right to develop our minds? Isn't wisdom something we should seek?

 

Yes, absolutely. But there is a world of difference between seeking wisdom humbly as a gift from God and being "wise in your own sight"—between growing in knowledge for the glory of God and the service of others, and being proud of what we know or how clever we are.

 

This morning, I want us to explore together what it means to be "wise in your own sight," why this is so spiritually dangerous, and how we can pursue true wisdom—the wisdom that comes from above, the wisdom that leads not to division but to unity, not to pride but to humility, not to self-exaltation but to the exaltation of Christ.

 

So what exactly does Paul mean when he warns us against being "wise in your own sight"? At its core, it means being proud of your own wisdom and knowledge, having an inflated view of your intellectual abilities, trusting in your own reasoning more than in God's revelation.

 

This intellectual pride takes two forms. The first is pride in what we know—becoming puffed up because we have studied more than others, can quote Scripture, or understand complex doctrines. We begin to see knowledge as a badge of superiority rather than a gift to serve others. Perhaps we look down on the simple believer who loves Jesus deeply but cannot articulate fine theological points.

 

The second form is pride in our ability to reason and figure things out. We become confident in our own judgment, trusting our thinking more than God's Word. This often masquerades as intellectual independence, but there is a crucial difference between using our minds faithfully under God's authority and setting ourselves up as the final arbiters of truth.

 

The Church has always recognized this danger. Pride was the very sin by which Satan fell, and intellectual pride is particularly dangerous because it strikes at our relationship with God. When we become proud of our wisdom, we are saying, "I don't need God to teach me." Moreover, this pride directly threatens the harmony Paul commands. When we are "wise in our own sight," we dismiss those who disagree, use knowledge to win arguments rather than serve in love, and create divisions in the Body of Christ.

 

Why does Paul warn us so strongly against being "wise in our own sight"? Let me give you three reasons why this sin is spiritually deadly.

 

First, intellectual pride is based on an illusion. We know far less than we think we do. Think about how often you have been absolutely certain about something, only to discover later you were wrong. The wisest people in history recognized how little they truly know. As Paul wrote in First Corinthians thirteen, "For now we see in a mirror dimly... Now I know in part; then I shall know fully."

 

Second, whatever wisdom we have is a gift from God, not our own achievement. Saint James writes, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights." Did you choose your intellectual abilities? Your opportunities for education? No—these are gifts. When we become proud of our wisdom, we are taking credit for what is actually God's gift, committing the sin of ingratitude.

 

Third, intellectual pride does great harm. Paul writes in First Corinthians eight, "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." Pride is the opposite of love. It is impatient with those slower to understand, boastful of its knowledge, arrogant in its certainty, rude in dismissing others' views. Without charity, even the most impressive knowledge is worthless. Intellectual pride destroys charity, turning knowledge into a tool for self-exaltation rather than service. Most importantly, it is the opposite of Christ, who came not in pride but in humility, saying, "Learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart."

 

If intellectual pride is so dangerous, how do we avoid it? The answer lies in understanding that there are two fundamentally different kinds of wisdom.

 

Saint James describes these in chapter three: "The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere." But earthly wisdom is characterized by "bitter jealousy and selfish ambition," leading to "disorder and every vile practice."

 

Earthly wisdom seeks its own advantage, competes with others, wants recognition as superior. This is exactly what Paul warns against when he says, "Never be wise in your own sight." It is knowledge corrupted by pride, serving self rather than God and neighbor.

 

But the wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy, impartial and sincere. Where does this wisdom come from? Proverbs tells us: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." True wisdom begins with a right relationship with God—with reverence, humility, and recognition that God is God and we are not.

 

James tells us, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." True wisdom is not something we achieve through our own efforts—it is a gift we receive from God. We must ask for it, open our hearts to the Holy Spirit, and approach knowledge with humility and prayer.

 

How do we walk this path? Let me offer three practical steps.

 

First, walk humbly with your God. As Micah asks, "What does the Lord require of you? To do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God." This humble walk must permeate our intellectual lives. Study Scripture prayerfully, asking the Holy Spirit to illumine your understanding. Approach learning with gratitude, recognizing all truth comes from God.

 

Second, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. This is Paul's instruction in Philippians two—not terror, but profound awareness of the seriousness of our spiritual condition. When we work out our salvation with fear and trembling, we cannot be "wise in our own sight." We remain humble, teachable, open to correction, recognizing we are all works in progress.

 

Third, actively seek wisdom from God through prayer, Scripture, and the Church's teaching. Prayer is essential—ask God for wisdom regularly. Scripture is God's inspired Word, one of the primary means by which He imparts wisdom. Read it regularly, meditate on it deeply, let it shape your thinking. And humbly receive the teaching of the Church, recognizing that God works through His people to guide us into truth.

 

Let me bring us back to where all Christian teaching must lead: to Christ Himself.

 

Jesus Christ is our model of humble wisdom. In Him we see what it means to possess all knowledge without being "wise in one's own sight." Paul tells us in Colossians that in Christ "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." He is the eternal Word through whom all things were created. He knows all things, understands all mysteries, possesses infinite wisdom.

 

Yet how did He come to us? Not in pride or intellectual superiority, but in humility. Born in a stable, raised in an obscure village, working as a carpenter, associating with fishermen and tax collectors. He taught in simple stories that children could understand—parables about seeds and soil, sheep and shepherds. When challenged by those who thought themselves wise, He responded with wisdom from above—pure, peaceable, gentle, full of mercy.

 

Most remarkably, though He possessed all wisdom, Jesus became obedient unto death on a cross. Paul describes this in Philippians two: "Though he was in the form of God, [He] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself... he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." This is the pattern we are called to follow.

 

So I ask you: Are there areas where you have been "wise in your own sight"? Have you been proud of your knowledge or looked down on others? Have you used knowledge to win arguments rather than serve in love? If so, bring these things before the Lord. Confess your intellectual pride. Ask for the grace of humility. Seek the wisdom from above.

 

I invite you to commit yourself afresh to walking humbly with God, to seeking wisdom through prayer and Scripture. Follow Christ in the way of humble wisdom—the way that leads not to self-exaltation but to God's glory, not to division but to unity, not to pride but to love.

 

Remember our text: "Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight." This is the way of Christ, the path to true wisdom, how we build up the Body of Christ in unity and love. May God grant us grace to walk this path together, that in all things Christ may be glorified and His Church may be one.-F.F.D.