In Job, there's a few different ideas banded around:
Eliphaz says wisdom comes from life experience; Bildad says wisdom comes from learning from the past; Zophar says wisdom comes from within (you either are or you aren't); Job says God is the source of wisdom.
I'm backing Job on this one, but I reckon there's a bit of everything in it - surely by reading the wisdom literature we're learning from the past, and in letting older people run the church we're acknowledging wisdom comes from experience?
We are - but those things have a big God element in them too, and that can't be ignored like Eliphaz and Bildad did. All scripture is 'God-breathed' we are told in 2 Timothy; Psalms and Proverbs offer us experience and wisdom rooted in God, not the world.
If you really want to confuse things, have a read of Ecclesiastes!
This is a book written by Solomon, giving a critical analysis of life and highlighting the futility of life apart from God.
If you don't have the time or inclination to read all of Ecclesiastes, just read the last verses, which summarises it very well.
That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. Ecclesiastes 12:13
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