Ignorance is an excuse. The idea that ignorance is no excuse has its roots in ignorance, …which is excusable, I suppose.
Romans 1 and 2 describes how the nations fell away from God, and that it’s not God’s fault they did. Paul argues in these two chapters that by various signs that are common to all, mankind cannot claim complete ignorance, and thus they cannot claim innocence either. For this reason they will be found to be “without excuse” in the final judgment.
Romans 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
The evidence of the created universe, their own moral compass, their constant efforts to justify themselves and their constant judging and condemning of others using the universal standard written on their hearts, and by their own hypocritical standard by which they themselves are guilty, make it entirely impossible to claim complete ignorance of God’s existence and of His authority and supremacy over all things. Simply put, no one is completely innocent because no one is completely ignorant.
That said, most nations, even in Paul’s day, had completely forgotten the name of the one God, or even that there was just one God. Yet, since the current generation was ignorant of God, it called for some patience on Paul’s part, which reflected the longsuffering of Paul’s God, who acknowledged mankind’s ignorance and reacted to it with patience and firmness:
Act 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Now, ignorance can still get you killed. No less spiritually than physically. But it’s certainly an excuse. Thrice the Father’s response to the crucifixion of His Son Jesus Christ is tempered by the truth that they acted out of ignorance. They meant to do what they did, and did it with malice, but they didn’t understand that they were crucifying God’s Son.
Luk 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
Act 3:14-17 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. … And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
1Co 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Paul himself, acting zealously on “God’s behalf”, and in ignorance persecuted the church, and fought against the very God he professed to serve. His ignorance is exemplified in his response to God, “who are thou, Lord?”. His prior ignorance led Paul to persecute the church he would later lead and bless:
Galatians 1:3 …beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
Yet, God acknowledged his zeal for God, which Paul, in turn, recognized in his fellow Jews:
Rom 10:2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
Academia never ceases to decry ignorance as the source of human suffering. And much suffering must be to ignorance ascribed. Christ repeatedly condemned the Priests’ and Pharisees’ ignorance of the Law and the Prophets. Yet, man’s ignorance was also of primary interest in securing the Father’s pity and patience, and as such, cannot be completely maligned. Academia aims to inject education as a substitute savior to eliminate suffering. That their powers are limited, and for this world alone remains a subscript.
Two key differences between the angels and mankind are:
- The angels were created in the presence of God, whereas God is invisible to mankind.
- The angels who fell received no second chance, whereas mankind received grace through faith in Jesus.
Jud 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
Ignorance is never commendable, and the simple ought to seek through God to be wise. But man’s born ignorance and innocence, limited knowledge and loss of innocence, and eventual wisdom or blindness, are not accidents over which the Lord exercises no control. God made no mistake when He created man with limited knowledge and a simple command to obey. It was a designed feature that would later work in harmony with the redemptive work of Christ. It made it possible for God to extend salvation to man by faith in Christ Jesus.
The Angels, which are great in power and might, who have looked upon God in Heaven, for whom faith is impossible due to the possession of sight, were never given the option of forgiveness, once fallen; and this is in accordance with God’s will. The God who desired to save men hid Himself from men, revealed Himself only in word and Word, and created men in ignorance, each born knowing only appetite.
The Law of Moses echoes the view of God that sins of ignorance are not to be treated as sins of deliberation. The category of sins known as trespasses are those committed in ignorance or with innocent motive. Leviticus 4 and 5 assign the price of ignorance and the path to forgiveness for the individual and the congregation, should they sin by ignorance.
Mankind was created by God the way God saw fit. God, who foresaw the pitiful state of mankind through sin, also saw the solution to man’s sin in Jesus Christ. The holiness and love of God, working in perfect harmony, yet often opposites in execution, were bridged by God through faith in Christ; a door left open by man’s lack of sight, and subsequently his potential for faith.
Ignorance left a power vacuum that faith filled in those that believe.
Heb 11:1-2 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Tel Jiberish 