Bible Dictionaries
Ignorance, Ignorant, Ignorantly

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

"want of knowledge or perception" (akin to agnoeo, "to be ignorant"), denotes "ignorance" on the part of the Jews regarding Christ, Acts 3:17; of Gentiles in regard to God, 17:30; Ephesians 4:18 (here including the idea of willful blindness: see Romans 1:28 , not the "ignorance" which mitigates guilt); 1 Peter 1:14 , of the former unregenerate condition of those who became believers (RV, "in the time of your ignorance").

denotes "ignorance" as directly opposed to gnosis, which signifies "knowledge" as a result of observation and experience (a, negative, ginosko, "to know;" cp. Eng., "agnostic"); 1 Corinthians 15:34 ("no knowledge"); 1 Peter 2:15 . In both these passages reprehensible "ignorance" is suggested. See KNOWLEDGE.

"a sin of ignorance," occurs in Hebrews 9:7 , "errors" (RV marg., "ignorances"). For the corresponding verb in Hebrews 5:2 see B, No. 1. What is especially in view in these passages in unwitting error. For Israel a sacrifice was appointed, greater in proportion to the culpabililty of the guilty, greater, for instance, for a priest or ruler than for a private person. Sins of "ignorance," being sins, must be expiated. A believer guilty of a sin of "ignorance" needs the efficacy of the expiatory sacrifice of Christ, and finds "grace to help." Yet, as the conscience of the believer receives enlightenment, what formerly may have been done in "ignorance" becomes a sin against the light and demands a special confession, to receive forgiveness, 1 John 1:8,9 .

primarily "a private person" in contrast to a state official, hence, "a person without professional knowledge, unskilled, uneducated, unlearned," is translated "unlearned" in 1 Corinthians 14:16,23,24 , of those who have no knowledge of the facts relating to the testimony borne in and by a local church; "rude" in 2 Corinthians 11:6 , of the Apostle's mode of speech in the estimation of the Corinthians; "ignorant men," in Acts 4:13 , of the speech of the Apostle Peter and John in the estimation of the rulers, elders and scribes in Jerusalem.

While agrammatoi ("unlearned") may refer to their being unacquainted with rabbinical learning, idiotai would signify "laymen," in contrast with the religious officials. See RUDE , UNLEARNED.

signifies (a) "to be ignorant, not to know," either intransitively, 1 Corinthians 14:38 (in the 2nd occurrence in this verse, the RV text translates the Active Voice, the margin the Passive); 1 Timothy 1:13 , lit., "being ignorant (I did it);" Hebrews 5:2 , "ignorant;" or transitively, 2 Peter 2:12 , AV, "understand not," RV, "are ignorant (of);" Acts 13:27 , "knew (Him) not;" Acts 17:23 , RV, "(what ye worship) in ignorance," for AV, "(whom ye) ignorantly (worship)," lit., "(what) not knowing (ye worship);" also rendered by the verb "to be ignorant that," or "to be ignorant of," Romans 1:13; 10:3; 11:25; 1 Corinthians 10:1; 12:1; 2 Corinthians 1:8; 2:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13; "to know not," Romans 2:4; 6:3; 7:1; "to be unknown" (Passive Voice), 2 Corinthians 6:9; Galatians 1:22; (b) "not to understand," Mark 9:32; Luke 9:45 . See KNOW , UNDERSTAND.

for 2 Peter 3:5,8 , AV, see FORGET.

Note: For adjectives see UNLEARNED.