Regarding the scripture, "...to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:8), people sometimes call these the gift of wisdom or the gift of knowledge. That is not correct, however. We must call spiritual gifts what the Bible calls them or we will become confused.

For example, if you called a dog a cat, people would say you were confused. The gift of the word of knowledge is not the gift of knowledge, and the gift of the word of wisdom is not the gift of wisdom any more than a dog is a cat.

First Corinthians 12:8 is not talking about natural wisdom and knowledge in the general sense. It is talking about just what it says—the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge. And these gifts of the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge are given supernaturally. They are not natural gifts.

God has all knowledge. He knows everything, but He never reveals to anyone everything He knows. He just gives various people a word, a part, or a fragment of what He knows. A word of knowledge, for example, is just a fragmentary part of God's knowledge.

And so it is with the gift of the word of wisdom; it is not the gift of wisdom, it is the word of wisdom. God has all wisdom and all knowledge. But He only reveals a part of it to man—that which He wants him to know at a given time.

The Word Of Wisdom Is Not Wisdom In The Affairs Of Life
The word of wisdom is confused many times with simple wisdom in the affairs of life, but simple wisdom in the affairs of life is not a spiritual gift. In the beginning of Joshua's ministry, God told him that the key to his success would he in meditating on the Word of God, and that is how Joshua was to obtain wisdom in the affairs of life.

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
(Josh. 1:8)

Another translation says, "Thou shalt make thyself prosperous and thou shalt be able to deal wisely in the affairs of life." There is a wisdom that is gained through the knowledge of God's Word, but that is not the supernatural manifestation of the gift of the word of wisdom.

Some people think that Solomon's wisdom was a manifestation of this word of wisdom, but it wasn't. Solomon's wisdom was given to him by God, just as we read in James 1:5: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him."

God has promised that this wisdom, which I simply call general wisdom to deal in the affairs of life, is available to everyone who will ask for it. God will impart wisdom, but that is not a supernatural manifestation of the word of wisdom.

In writing to the Church, James said that if any lack wisdom, let him ask God for it (James 1:5). So we see that this general wisdom to deal wisely in the affairs of life will be given to anyone who asks for it.

The wisdom that James is talking about is the wisdom to deal wisely in the affairs of life and the wisdom to know how to conduct yourself as a Christian.

However, when God sees fit to reveal His own mind and purpose and plan to man in a supernatural way, He does so by this supernatural manifestation of the word of wisdom.
The supernatural manifestation of the gift of the word of wisdom is not given to everyone. Paul said in First Corinthians 12:8, "To one is given the word of wisdom."

This verse says the manifestation of the word of wisdom is given to one; not to all, stating that spiritual gifts are divided severally as the Spirit wills. This infers that not everyone is going to have these manifestations.

Source: The Holy Spirit And His Gifts
by Kenneth E. Hagin.
Excerpt permission granted by Faith Library Publications