Here is my understanding of what I was trying to convey to you that one night. It is only my opinion and my understanding to hopefully help you understand my wee wittle pea brain and how I think. I think if you read carefully you may see that Jesus also fulfilled the Laws, rules and regulations and requirements of the Old Testament. There is much to be said about that one subject that I did not try to cover here but there is a reason why a lot of what was said in the Old Testament does not appear to apply in the New Testament. Jesus changed or better put, fulfilled it all when He died, and was resurrected.
Intellectualism, The dictionary describes intellectualism as a “Philosophy or doctrine that reason is the ultimate criterion of knowledge.”
Intellectualism is also “the development and exercise of our intellect.” In the latter definition, just about everyone can called be an intellect as we all use our minds to reason out and think, albeit, some more than others, tee hee.
However, when it comes to faith in Jesus Christ and operating in the realm of faith, the first definition of intellectualism described as a “doctrine”, does not apply. I consider that doctrine that describes intellectualism as the ultimate criterion of knowledge to be false. To me, true Christianity is number one, not a philosophy or a doctrine, although man has tried to make it that, and number two, it is never about head knowledge or mere intellect.
Man’s mere reasoning and sense is the very reason we don’t know who God is and totally misunderstand Him and His ways. Whenever and wherever we only use our intellect to try to understand the bible or God, or read the bible as a mere book, or read it only through our own sense , reason or intellect, we greatly misunderstand it. It will never make sense to the carnal or natural mind. Faith, God, and the Godly Spirit realm cannot be understood through mere sense and reason because in the realm of Kingdom of Heaven, there is no time and space, it can only be spiritually discerned. The natural mind cannot grasp the Truth of God or His ways, simply because faith and reason cannot co-exist. Faith makes no sense at all.
1st Corinthians 2:5, in the amplified version says ” So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men (human philosophy), but in the power of God. Chapter 2 has a lot to say about the difference between the wisdom of men and the wisdom of God, including, (verses 12-14), ” Now we have not received the spirit [that belongs to] the world, but the Holy Spirit Who is from God, [given to us], that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts [of divine favor and blessings so freely and lavishly ] bestowed on us by God. And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Holy Spirit , combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who possess the Holy Spirit]. But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them (of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them) because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated.”
So it becomes very clear to me, by what the scriptures teach and through my own years of personal experience with God, that the mind of man, human philosophies, intellectualism and humanism, are directly opposed to God and by and large cannot understand Him or His Word,(the bible) or His ways because they must be Spiritually discerned or understood. The bible states that any man who does not have the Holy Spirit is incapable of understanding the things of the Spirit.
The bible describes sense and reason as death. Romans chapter 8 teaches about the carnal man or mind, verses the mind of the Spirit. It speaks about the nature of man that does not possess the Holy Spirit. This chapter teaches that carnal, unspiritual, natural minded, fleshly thinkers, those dominated by sense and reason, those who are not submitted to the Holy Spirit, not allowing Him to dominate and control their thinking, cannot please or satisfy God simply because they do not belong to Christ nor have His Spirit.
Here is what Romans 8:1-10 says in the amplified bible. Therefore, there is not condemnation, no adjudging guilty of wrong, for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live and walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of Life, which is in Christ Jesus, the law of our new being, has freed me from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the Law could not do, its power being weakened by the flesh, the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit, sending His own Son in the guise of the flesh and as an offering for sin, God condemned sin in the flesh, subdued, overcame, deprived it of its power over all who accept that sacrifice.
So that the righteous and just requirement of the Law might be fully met in us who live and move not in the ways of the flesh but in the ways of the Spirit, our lives governed, not by the standards and according to the dictates of the flesh, but controlled by the Holy Spirit. For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things that gratify the Holy Spirit.
Now the mind of the flesh which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit is death, death that comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter, But the mind of the Holy Spirit is life and soul peace both now and forever. That is because the mind of the flesh with its carnal thoughts and purposes is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s Law, indeed it cannot. So then who are living the life of the flesh catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him.
But you are not living the life of the flesh, you are living the life of the Spirit, if the Holy Spirit of God really dwells within you, directs and controls you. But if anyone does not possess the Holy Spirit of Christ, he is none of His, he does not belong to Christ, is not truly a child of God. But if Christ lives in you, then although your natural body is dead by reason of sin and guilt, the spirit is alive because of the righteousness He imputes to you.
The bible has much to say about our minds verses the mind of God, or natural thinking verses spiritual thinking. I equate carnal thinking, sense and reason, with intellectualism or humanism, or the wisdom of men. The problem as I see it is that most people, including Christians, think through their natural intellect, emotions and experiences, the very reason we have such a hard time understanding the true love of God for us. To put it bluntly, natural carnal thinking is all about being our own god, depending on self, the arm of the flesh, our own strengths and abilities, our own logic and intellect to provide all of our needs and for eternal life. Our God, our Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ has already provided us with ALL that we need for life and godliness in every conceivable way, including food, drink, clothes, all materialistic needs, and all Spiritual needs. The only way to receive what has already been provided for us is through exercising our faith in Him. There is no fear of lack or fear of death, in Him.
Matthew chapter 6 teaches us to ” seek first the Kingdom of God” and all these things will be added to you. It states, ” what does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose its soul”. So true Christianity is all about losing our lives in ourselves and surrendering it to God, so we can truly live and walk in the Spirit. The wisdom of man will never solve the worlds problems simply because it refuses to deal the sin issue which cannot be dealt with except by faith in Jesus Christ because He is the one who paid the penalty for all sin on the cross for all mankind forever.
I could go on and on and use many more scriptures to try to explain why I said, intellectualism and humanism have no place in my life, but I think this will suffice for a good start. I only went this route to try to explain myself, not to preach to you, but to try to answer your question. When I used the word intellectualism and what and where I was coming from. I can give you more detail if you would like, but at this point I don’t think that is necessary. Please feel free to ask about anything else you would like.
here is my understanding of what I was trying to convey to you that one night. It is only my opinion and my understanding to hopefully help you understand my wee wittle pea brain and how I think. I think if you read carefully you may see that Jesus also fulfilled the Laws, rules and regulations and requirements of the Old Testament. There is much to be said about that one subject that I did not try to cover here but there is a reason why a lot of what was said in the Old Testament does not appear to apply in the New Testament. Jesus changed or better put, fulfilled it all when He died, and was resurrected.
Love Mark and Catherine