Metaphysical meaning of intellect (rw)
intellect--"The power or faculty of knowing" (Webster). Intellect is not wise. Wisdom is not its office. Intellect is the executive officer of wisdom, and can do right only when faithfully carrying out the instruction of its principal. Intellect follows the letter of the law.
It is hard for the intellect to realize the spiritual "I AM THAT I AM" (Exod. 3:14). The intellect always argues back and forth, endeavoring to prove that it is the highest authority. Jesus condemned the sins of the intellect, of which self-righteousness is the greatest, as worse than moral sins. People who live wholly in the intellect deny that man can know anything about God, because they do not have quickened faith.
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Following Entry: intellectualism
