AGNOSIA (IGNORANCE) IN I CORINTHIANS 15:34 AND I PETER 2:15

 First, a quick word study is in order since there are actually two Greek words in the New Testament commonly translated as “ignorance.” These are agnosia (only found in the two passages above) and the much more common word agnoia. And there is a little disagreement among scholars regarding the distinction between the two.

Stibbs and Walls state, “The word for ignorance, agnosia is a stronger word than agnoia, and indicates more than 'lack of knowledge'. It suggests possible obstinate unwillingness to learn or to accept the truth.”

But in discussing agnosia, Goppelt says that “agnoia has the same sense in I Pet. 1:14; Acts 3:17; 17:30; Eph. 4:18, as does the verb agnoein in Acts 13:27; 17:23 (Rom. 10:3); I Tim. 1:13; Heb. 5:2; II Pet. 2:12.”

“In Hellenistic gnosticism drunkenness is often linked with agnosia in opposition to true gnosis.” (Budd)

Vine characterizes agnosia as “ignorance as directly opposed to gnosis, which signifies knowledge as a result of observation and experience.” He states that in both I Corinthians 15:34 and I Peter 2:15, “reprehensible ignorance is suggested.”

Grosheide defines agnosia as 'non-knowledge.'

Both Strong and Young, in their respective analytical concordances, define the two words in exactly the same way: ignorance.

“In the Hellenistic terminology of gnostic dualism agnosia was 'lack of the knowledge essential to the salvation of the soul, i.e., the knowledge about God, of the fate of the soul and of true direction for life.' If a man was living without knowledge, it was either because he had not received the revelation or had refused it.” (Schutz)

Horsley: “Paul derides 'those who are full of wisdom and knowledge' as having no knowledge of God.”

Since there appears to be a lack of a true consensus here, it is best to next consider the comments of scholars regarding the specific use of agnosia in each of its two appearances in the Bible.

I Corinthians 15:34

“Make no mistake: 'Bad company is the ruin of a good character.' Come back to a sober and upright life and leave your sinful ways. There are some who know nothing of God; to your shame I say it.” (NEB)

Hillyer paraphrases it as: “Some of you claim to be agnostics. But ignorance of God while natural to pagans is shameful to Christians.”

And the Anchor Bible renders this passage: “Sober up as is fitting, and stop sinning; for some are maintaining ignorance of God. I say to you, 'For shame!'”

“False teachers [i.e. the bad company] should be avoided...because though they claimed great knowledge they were in fact ignorant of God.” (Lowery)

Orr and Walther: “Ignorance of God deliberately maintained leads to sinning...It seems necessary to affirm that Paul is attacking the notion that nothing of a personal life survives death...Paul seems to presuppose that his opponents destroy the point of serious Christian living, and this would issue from the belief that death ends for each person.”

Grosheide notes, “From the preceding we can gather that the sins of the Corinthians consisted at least to a certain extent in erroneous doctrine and certainly in wrong conduct. There was also a wrong knowledge of God. In 8:2 Paul referred already to this incorrect knowledge of the Corinthians. Here he lays a connection between the error concerning the resurrection of the body and the incorrect knowledge of God...This must necessarily lead to sin for then the situation is like that in which the gentiles find themselves. Knowledge must not be taken in a purely intellectual sense; it is knowledge that moves the heart.”

Fee states, “The concluding two imperatives suggest that the 'evil company' is in fact their denial of the resurrection, which undoubtedly had a role in the corrosion of their Christian behavior.” He explains that the reference of this ignorance that “some have” could point to those outside the church, but more likely serves to lump those in the church who have this lack of faith together with the pagans as 'the ultimate put-down.'”

I Peter 2:15

“For God wants you to silence the ignorant talk of foolish people by the good things you do.” (TEV)

“Such discrimination arises from the ignorance of foolish people. One who is aphron, 'foolish,' is according to a typical statement in Jewish wisdom, one who does not see God or, therefore, truth and justice. Such a person is found in agnosia, 'ignorance,' and does not know what he or she is doing.Therefore, such a person's steps are not without guilt, but are certainly forgiveable before God and humans.” (Goppelt)

Davids says, “While agnosia itself means simply 'ignorance,' it is clear in this verse that the ignorance is being expressed and must be silenced. Thus we translate it 'ignorant charges'...It is clear that the first and most insidious form of persecution was slander. Peter charitably bases this slander in ignorance..., but as in the use of the related term in 1 Peter 1:14, the ignorance is that of fools, people estranged from God. In their rebellion against God they are ignorant of his ways and perceive the behavior of Christians in a warped manner.”

“Peter, writing probably in the age of Nero, still sees the state as the God-appointed society for the maintenance of moral values, in which the Christian's uprightness should raise him or her above the slanders or suspicions of the ignorant.” (Wheaton)

Keener expresses the opinion that “Peter offers a strategy rather than a promise; he is aware that believers may suffer, but he urges that it is better to suffer as a good-doer than as a wrongdoer...critics are ignorant of the truth (2:15), but this is no surprise: so were believers before their faith (1:14).”

As to the nature of the persecution being discussed here, Webb says: “1 Peter does not describe a traumatic or climactic moment of acute suffering but the kind of suffering that wears people down because of its daily pressure.”

In a similar vein, Michaels states, “The persecution in view is the kind carried out not with fire or sword but with words – words of ridicule, slander, and sometimes formal accusations of crimes against society (see 1 Pet 2:12; 3:13-17; 4:14-16).”

And for a comment on the literary characteristics of this verse, Raymer points out, “Each of the three Greek words rendered 'ignorant talk of foolish men' begins with the letter alpha, as do the three Greek words in 1:4 rendered 'never perish, spoil, or fade.' Apparently Peter enjoyed alliteration.”

Conclusion

I find it interesting that in the first of these only two occurrences of agnosia in the NT, it is the church members who are accused of ignorance while in the second passage, it is the pagans.

I would like to end these comments with an appropriate warning from Towner: “The tyranny of 'knowledge' as the basis of Christian ethics has a long and unfortunate history in the church...Once one's theology is properly in hand, it is especially tempting to use it as a club on others...This does not mean that knowledge is either irrelevant or unimportant, but it does mean that it cannot serve as the primary basis of Christian behavior. In Christian ethics 'knowledge' must always lead to love...In the Christian faith 'knowledge' or 'insight' is never an end in itself; it is only a means to a greater end, the building up of others.”

I once witnessed an unfortunate example of this temptation when our young assistant pastor, who had actually had earlier training to be a Jesuit priest and was quite firm in his current theological beliefs, almost bit off the head of a loyal member of the congregation who had the temerity to ask an innocent question regarding a sermon the pastor had earlier given. He dismissed that man and his comments with a few biting and sarcastic words, turned his back on the man, and walked away. So much for building up the body in love!