--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That wisdom which cannot teach me that…" description: "\"That wisdom which cannot teach me that God is love, shall ever pass for folly.\" — John Owen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/612/john-owen-1415_folly_that-wisdom-which-cannot-teach-me-that-g_752397.png" --- # That wisdom which cannot teach me that God is love, shall… ![“That wisdom which cannot teach me that God is love, shall ever pass for folly.” quote by John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/612/john-owen-1415_folly_that-wisdom-which-cannot-teach-me-that-g_752397.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/612/john-owen-1415_folly_that-wisdom-which-cannot-teach-me-that-g_752397.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/612/john-owen-1415_folly_that-wisdom-which-cannot-teach-me-that-g_752397.png) > “That wisdom which cannot teach me that God is love, shall ever pass for folly.” [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True wisdom reveals God's love; without that insight, knowledge is empty and foolish. **In simple terms:** Wisdom must show God's love or it's useless. Key Takeaway Seek love in all learning. Themes theology wisdom faith Mood reflective serious Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - personal study - preaching - teaching - spiritual formation Key Concepts Divine love spiritual insight Questions to Reflect On - How does recognizing love change your understanding of truth? - Can knowledge without love guide you? A Different Perspective If love is absent, wisdom may mislead. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Folly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folly/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [Love is God, and to die means that I, a particle of love, shall return to the general and eternal source.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/love-is-god-and-to-die-means-that-i-a-particle-of-love-shall-return/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [To learn and never be filled, is wisdom; to teach and never be weary, is love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arab-proverb/to-learn-and-never-be-filled-is-wisdom-to-teach-and-never-be-weary-is/) Arab Proverb > [“Wisdom may teach you that all places are one, but love shows you how to get there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-micha-el-leventhal/wisdom-may-teach-you-that-all-places-are-one-but-love-shows-you-how/) [Eric Micha'el Leventhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-micha-el-leventhal/) > [The spirit only can teach. Not any profane man, not any sensual, not any liar, not any slave can teach, but only he can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-spirit-only-can-teach-not-any-profane-man-not-any-sensual-not-any/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I discovered that in life, one has got to serve to be observed, if one serve not, one will probably be reserved. Don't wisdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-noah-kramer/i-discovered-that-in-life-one-has-got-to-serve-to-be-observed-if-one/) [Samuel Noah Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-noah-kramer/) > [If I don't have wisdom, I can teach you only ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-buscaglia/if-i-don-t-have-wisdom-i-can-teach-you-only-ignorance/) [Leo Buscaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-buscaglia/) > [“Intelligence will teach you how to make a living; wisdom will teach you how to make a life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/intelligence-will-teach-you-how-to-make-a-living-wisdom-will-teach/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [I believe that God is love. I believe that Jesus came to show us this love, to give us this love, to teach us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/i-believe-that-god-is-love-i-believe-that-jesus-came-to-show-us-this/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [“She shall be my queen, and I her most ardent admirer and protector. A new standard of love shall be established for the ages.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-mull/she-shall-be-my-queen-and-i-her-most-ardent-admirer-and-protector-a/) [Brandon Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-mull/) > [Since we shall love each other, I shall be great and you shall be rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/since-we-shall-love-each-other-i-shall-be-great-and-you-shall-be-rich/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“If you don't love, you shall become a saint; If you love, you shall too become god.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-s-jagadeesh-kumar/if-you-don-t-love-you-shall-become-a-saint-if-you-love-you-shall-too/) [P.S. Jagadeesh Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-s-jagadeesh-kumar/) > [Now I want to live like everybody else. I want to have a wife like everybody else and to take her out on Sundays.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaston-leroux/now-i-want-to-live-like-everybody-else-i-want-to-have-a-wife-like/) [Gaston Leroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaston-leroux/) > [Yet, do thy worst, old Time; despite thy wrong, My love shall in my verse ever live young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/yet-do-thy-worst-old-time-despite-thy-wrong-my-love-shall-in-my-verse/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Be not dishearten’d—Affection shall solve the problems of Freedom yet; Those who love each other shall become invincible. —WALT WHITMAN, “Over the Carnage Rose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-goolrick/be-not-dishearten-d-affection-shall-solve-the-problems-of-freedom-yet/) [Robert Goolrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-goolrick/) > [Pastime with good company I love and shall, until I die. Grudge who list, but none deny! So God be pleased, thus live will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-viii-of-england/pastime-with-good-company-i-love-and-shall-until-i-die-grudge-who/) [Henry VIII of England](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-viii-of-england/) ## More by John Owen > [God hath work to do in this world; and to desert it because of its difficulties and entanglements, is to cast off His authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/god-hath-work-to-do-in-this-world-and-to-desert-it-because-of-its/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [If we do not abide in prayer, we will abide in temptation. Let this be one aspect of our daily intercession: "God, preserve my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/if-we-do-not-abide-in-prayer-we-will-abide-in-temptation-let-this-be/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [The least grace is a better security for heaven than the greatest gifts or privileges whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/the-least-grace-is-a-better-security-for-heaven-than-the-greatest/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [“Our belief of the Scriptures to be the word of God, or a divine revelation, and our understanding of the mind and will of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/our-belief-of-the-scriptures-to-be-the-word-of-god-or-a-divine/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [How can we possibly believe the promises concerning Heaven, immortality, and glory, when we do not believe the promises concerning our present life? And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/how-can-we-possibly-believe-the-promises-concerning-heaven/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [It must be observed, that the best of men, the most holy and spiritually minded, may have, nay, ought to have, their thoughts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/it-must-be-observed-that-the-best-of-men-the-most-holy-and/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [I will not judge a person to be spiritually dead whom I have judged formerly to have had spiritual life, though I see him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/i-will-not-judge-a-person-to-be-spiritually-dead-whom-i-have-judged/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [“And those who pretend to be teachers of others, and yet despise his teaching assistance, will one day find that they undertook a work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/and-those-who-pretend-to-be-teachers-of-others-and-yet-despise-his/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [Spiritual wisdom consists in finding out the subtleties, policies, and depths of any indwelling sin... to trace this serpent in all its turnings and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/spiritual-wisdom-consists-in-finding-out-the-subtleties-policies-and/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [Christ by his death destroying the works of the devil, procuring the Spirit for us, hath so killed sin, as to its reign in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/christ-by-his-death-destroying-the-works-of-the-devil-procuring-the/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [A man may easier see without eyes, speak without a tongue, than truly mortify one sin without the Spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/a-man-may-easier-see-without-eyes-speak-without-a-tongue-than-truly/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [Christ's blood is the great sovereign remedy for sin-sick souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/christ-s-blood-is-the-great-sovereign-remedy-for-sin-sick-souls/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [Sin aims always at the utmost; every time it rises up to tempt or entice, if it has its own way it will go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/sin-aims-always-at-the-utmost-every-time-it-rises-up-to-tempt-or/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [Never was sin seen to be more abominably sinful and full of provocation than when the burden of it was upon the shoulders of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/never-was-sin-seen-to-be-more-abominably-sinful-and-full-of/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) > [He, then, that would really, thoroughly, and acceptably mortify any disquieting lust, let him take care to be equally diligent in all parts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/he-then-that-would-really-thoroughly-and-acceptably-mortify-any/) [John Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) [Explore all 244 John Owen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/) ## More Folly quotes > [My folks tried to make a preacher of me and missed by a narrow margin… I would have made a good one if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/my-folks-tried-to-make-a-preacher-of-me-and-missed-by-a-narrow-margin/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [While the people retain their virtue and vigilance, no administration, by any extreme of wickedness or folly, can very seriously injure the government in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/while-the-people-retain-their-virtue-and-vigilance-no-administration/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [How arrogant - how very far from humility - would be the self-satisfied, smug assurance that God, a tidy-up-after-us God will come and clean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/how-arrogant-how-very-far-from-humility-would-be-the-self-satisfied/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [“Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverbs-16-22-bible-kjv/understanding-is-a-wellspring-of-life-unto-him-that-hath-it-but-the/) Proverbs 16:22 Bible KJV > [Alcohol doesn't console, it doesn't fill up anyone's psychological gaps, all it replaces is the lack of God. It doesn't comfort man. On the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marguerite-duras/alcohol-doesn-t-console-it-doesn-t-fill-up-anyone-s-psychological/) [Marguerite Duras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marguerite-duras/) > [Tis easy to break an idol, very easy: to regard the self as easy to subdue is folly, folly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/tis-easy-to-break-an-idol-very-easy-to-regard-the-self-as-easy-to/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [You are my inspiration and my folly. You are my light across the sea, my million nameless joys, and my day's wage. You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/you-are-my-inspiration-and-my-folly-you-are-my-light-across-the-sea/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [What curious little corners of folly are to be found in even the sanest brain!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-of-romania/what-curious-little-corners-of-folly-are-to-be-found-in-even-the/) [Marie of Romania](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-of-romania/) > [Unnecessary hustle is one of the American follies. We hustle at both work and play, and consequently enjoy neither to the utmost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-feather/unnecessary-hustle-is-one-of-the-american-follies-we-hustle-at-both/) [William Feather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-feather/) > [HERMIT, n. A person whose vices and follies are not sociable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/hermit-n-a-person-whose-vices-and-follies-are-not-sociable/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Democracy is the worst form of government. It is the most inefficient, the most clumsy, the most unpractical… It reduces wisdom to impotence and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-briffault/democracy-is-the-worst-form-of-government-it-is-the-most-inefficient/) [Robert Briffault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-briffault/) > [It is such a supreme folly to believe that nuclear weapons are deadly only if they're used.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/it-is-such-a-supreme-folly-to-believe-that-nuclear-weapons-are-deadly/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [One's conscience reproaches one much more stingingly for one's follies than one's crimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-jewsbury/one-s-conscience-reproaches-one-much-more-stingingly-for-one-s/) [Geraldine Jewsbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-jewsbury/) > [What folly made young people, even those in middle age, think they were immortal? How much better, their lives, if they could remember the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohinton-mistry/what-folly-made-young-people-even-those-in-middle-age-think-they-were/) [Rohinton Mistry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohinton-mistry/) > [We are more heavily taxed by our idleness, pride and folly than we are taxed by government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/we-are-more-heavily-taxed-by-our-idleness-pride-and-folly-than-we-are/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) [Browse all 1,246 Folly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folly/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "That wisdom which cannot teach me that God is love, shall ever pass for folly.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Owen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/that-wisdom-which-cannot-teach-me-that-god-is-love-shall-ever-pass/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Folly" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/that-wisdom-which-cannot-teach-me-that-god-is-love-shall-ever-pass/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/612/john-owen-1415_folly_that-wisdom-which-cannot-teach-me-that-g_752397.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/612/john-owen-1415_folly_that-wisdom-which-cannot-teach-me-that-g_752397.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/612/john-owen-1415_folly_that-wisdom-which-cannot-teach-me-that-g_752397.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That wisdom which cannot teach me that God is love, shall ever pass for folly.” — John Owen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Owen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-owen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "That wisdom which cannot teach me...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/that-wisdom-which-cannot-teach-me-that-god-is-love-shall-ever-pass/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-owen/that-wisdom-which-cannot-teach-me-that-god-is-love-shall-ever-pass/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```