ignorant

The expression 'I don't want you to be ignorant …” is a statement by Paul and occurs several times in the New Testament. These are topics that Paul explicitly states that he thinks every believer should have knowledge of. So it is worth checking what Paul is talking about.

Paul's Ministry and Writings

Romans 1:13 – “But I don't want you not to knowbrethren, that I often purposed to come to you that I might have some fruit among you also, as also among the other Gentiles..”

The believers in Rome had come to faith without Paul's direct involvement. But it was a firm belief:it was proclaimed all over the world” (1:8). Everyone talked about it. Yet Paul believes that his visit to Rome will add something extra: “(…) to have some fruit among you also” (1:13). That fruit can relate to new believers as well as to deepening the faith of the Christians who were already there.

Today, Paul will no longer visit, but in his New Testament writings, he left everything he had to say to us. Nor should we be ignorant that reading and studying them will produce special fruit for God. Let us not be ignorant: Paul's epistles are of great importance to every child of God and condition to bear fruit for God.

God's Work and Our Responsibility

Romans 2:4 – “Or despise the riches of His kindness, forbearance, and patience, without knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”

This is where the believer's path begins: repentance to God. The context of our text makes it clear that no one will escape the judgment of a righteous God. But man must repent. It is something he must want. It is a matter of obedience or disobedience. And we are not going to argue about whether man can do that or not. Paul calls that "contentious" (2:8) and that won't get you there.

Our text makes it clear that a person who realizes that he is lost and awaits God's judgment and wants to repent to God should do so in trust in God's promise. God is tolerant and patient and will show His mercy to him who repents to Him. He leads you to it and moves you forward!

Moreover, this verse makes it clear that on the one hand God works in mercy, but on the other hand and at the same time man must also act; he must repent. God works, but that does not take away man's own responsibility. And that is an important lesson for the whole Christian life that follows. God works by His Spirit in our hearts and lives, but this does not take away from our own responsibility. Indeed, if a believer does not act in obedience, God's Spirit will mostly be unable to do His work. If a believer does not engage with the Lord Jesus Christ and with God's Word, God's Spirit will not be able to work much in his life. Perhaps this is a first basic lesson for the one who is converted.

The Christian Life: Living for God!

Romans 6:3 – “Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?”
Romans 7:1 – “Or, brothers, don't you know (…) that the law reigns over man as long as he lives?”

A person who has turned to God and believes in the Lord Jesus as his Savior has received an unimaginable amount from God. Justified and redeemed (Romans 3:24), peace with God (5:1), a future hope in the glory of God (5:2), the Holy Spirit, who has poured out the love of God in our hearts (5: 5) and reconciled to God (5:10,11). But what we do need to know is that after that we live a different life, a new life. No more a life in which we live for ourselves.

The two texts quoted above (and their context) are about that we died with Christ and are therefore dead to the shame and for the law.

That we have been baptized into Christ's death (6:3) means that we no longer live for ourselves; no more 'serving sin' (6:6). We belong then'to walk into a new life' (6:4), 'dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord' (6:11).

Repentance and being born again means life to God! We do this not because we have to, because we have to live up to God's standards and obligations, but because we'belong to the Other, Him Who was raised from the dead' (6:4). We love the Lord Jesus wholeheartedly and that's why'do we bear fruit for God' (6:4). It is out of love to the Lord; then we serve God'in newness of mind' (7:6).

These are things every believer should know. Paul doesn't want us to be ignorant about it. For the most important principles of the Christian life must be known to every believer!

Dangers on the Way of the Christian Life

1 Corinthians 10:1 – “And I don't want you to be ignorant, brethren that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea (…)”
1 Corinthians 12:1 – “As for the spiritual gifts, brothers, I don't want you to be ignorant (…)”
2 Corinthians 1:8 – “Want we don't want you to be ignorant, brothers of our affliction that befell us in Asia, that we suffered exceedingly hard beyond our ability, so that we despaired even of our very life.”
2 Corinthians 2:10,11 – “. . . lest Satan take advantage of us. Because his thoughts are not unknown to us.”

Paul further believes that all believers should know of the dangers that threaten them. If you know the dangers, you can guard against them. We briefly review these three quoted texts.

Idolatry

The text from 1 Corinthians 10:1 has to do with the journey through the desert that the people of Israel had to make. Most perished in the desert (10:5). Paul warns (10:1) that these things happened to them as an example for us. We should not desire evil things, where he is the first the idolatry mentions (10:6,7). Those are things that we discuss on this site and that Paul thinks every believer should understand what it is all about. Quite simply put, the point is that we should not strive for inner, mystical experiences of God. If we do, we are engaged in idolatry and experience things that come from demons. See in the menu under 'Serving Idols‘.

What is spiritual?

On the one hand we need to know what the Bible means by idolatry, but at the same time we need to know what the work of God's Spirit is and how we can distinguish the two from each other. That is why Paul says that we should not be ignorant of spiritual things (1 Corinthians 12:1 onwards). He elaborates on this in chapters 12 to 15 and makes clear what is of the Spirit and what is not. For a more extensive overview of these chapters, reference is made to the summary of the 1^th Corinth letter. Here is a brief list of important topics in these chapters.

• the Spirit is characterized by self-control (12:2,3)
• the Spirit works in diversity, always for the benefit of others (12:4-11)
• the Spirit gives every believer a place in the body of Christ with a view to unity of functioning (12:12-31)
• the Spirit only works if the love for the Lord Jesus is present and active (13:1-8)
• it is good to strive to prophesy, but it must be understandable to the hearers so that their faith can be built up (14:1-25); only then can God's Spirit work.
• it is spiritual if we keep the order in the congregation as the Bible tells us (14:26-40)
• the resurrection of Christ is a fact that must not be tampered with. Otherwise our faith is meaningless (chapter 15).

Tribulation

What Paul taught has caused him to experience much opposition and tribulation, even fearing for his life (2 Corinthians 1:8). He wants us not to be ignorant of what awaits you if you cling to the things God's Word teaches us. This is what you will experience: in many ways you will feel pressure to give up what you believe. At the very least, you should shut up about it. It is a real danger that we therefore give in and let go of the truth of the Word. But on the other hand, we will also experience that 'God redeemed' (1:9,10). We can be sure of that. No, according to Paul we need to know that.

In spite of everything, hold on to what Paul teaches

The pressure that God's adversary puts on us is primarily aimed at detaching us from God's Word and especially from the teachings of the apostle Paul. To the Corinthians he writes in his 2^th letter (2:5-11) that he expected them to act like him; that is a matter of obedience (2:9). Let's follow one line, says Paul, “lest Satan take advantage of us. For his thoughts are not unknown to us.” (2:9,10).

The Doctrine of the Last Things: Israel and the Church

Romans 11:25 – “Want I don't want you to be ignorant, brothers of this mystery (lest you be wise in your own eyes), that in part hardness has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.”
1 Thessalonicenzen 4:13 – “But I don't want you, brothers, to be ignorant with regard to those who have fallen asleep, that you may not grieve like the rest who have no hope. (…)”

It's fascinating to see Paul twice saying that the believers would not be ignorant of the things that... in the last times would happen. It is striking that these are things that have long been disputed in Christendom and are increasingly being questioned. We cannot go into detail here, but briefly indicate the themes that are involved.

The Future of Israel

To begin with, Paul shares his first mystery in Romans 11:25. A mystery, because there is nothing about it in the Old Testament. The secret is that at the end of the Gentile times”all Israel shall be saved, as it is written: The Redeemer shall come out of Zion, and shall turn away wickedness from Jacob. (…) For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” (11:25-32). So there will be a time yet when God redeems His people Israel (the believing 'remnant' according to Romans 9:27) and fulfills His covenant promise:And this is My covenant with them, when I will take away their sins.” (11:27). Many in Christendom do not – or no longer believe – that God still has a promise for His earthly people Israel. Yet it is plain here: when the time period in which we live comes to an end, God will continue with His people again! Paul thinks we should know it, it is part of our indispensable baggage.

The Rapture of the Church

Then in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 we get the second fact that we need to know about, which is the 'rapture' of the Church.

“For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with a trumpet from God. And the dead that are in Christ shall rise first. Then we, the living who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet with the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. So then, comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonicenzen 4:16,17)

This is not the place to elaborate this further. But this is clear: The Apostle Paul teaches that there will come a time when those who have died in Christ will rise and be changed and we - those who believe in Christ - who live will be changed and together we will go to meet the Lord in the sky to meet Him and be with Him forever!

Of course there is much more to say about these topics from the Bible, but these two texts are like beacons to which we can hold on to. The lyrics are clear and we are not ignorant.

It is most remarkable that these two future events, the restoration of God's people Israel and the rapture of the Church, are so denied and snowed under in the Christian church. Paul does not say for nothing that he does not want us to be ignorant on these points!

Being ignorant: a choice

1 Corinthians 14:38 – “But if someone ignorant wants be, let him be ignorant.”

Finally, this text from 1 Corinthians 14, where the same word 'ignorant' is used. The text itself and the context make it clear that Paul is confronting us with the fact that we apparently want to know some things and not others. You could say that we can be 'consciously ignorant'. This has to do with the question of whether we are willing to adopt certain views. The Bible is not unclear in what it teaches. The question is whether we want to hear it, accept it and obey it. It is the same as what the Lord Jesus said to the Jews:If anyone has the will to His  (=Gods) will to do, he will know of this instruction whether it is of God, . . . ” (John 7:17).