New Testament Christology clearly draws on personified divine attributes and exalted human figures. For example, Jesus is identified as wisdom in 1 Corinthians 1:30. Though some have been prone to downplay this as mere metaphor, Andrew Chester marshals evidence that Paul is probably drawing on wisdom tradition that the Corinthians would have accepted. Paul not only depicts Christ, like Wisdom, as the mediator of creation (1 Cor. 8:6; cf. Prov. 8:22-31; Sir. 24; Wis. 9:2), but he also identifies Jesus with the rock in Exodus 17 (1 Cor 10:4), much as Philo identifies this rock with Wisdom and the Word. John’s treatment of Jesus as the Word of God also likely draws on such personification. . . . Second Temple intermediary figures helpfully illuminate New Testament Christology.

D. GLENN BUTNER JR., TRINITARIAN DOGMATICS, 21-22.