Why are people ignorant of things according to the Bible?
Scripture teaches that people are ignorant of things because they have never been taught; ignorance is not a lack of brain power. Even a brilliant mind remains ignorant of disciplines never learned. The Jews were zealous for God yet ignorant of His things, having never been taught.
Les explains that the word "ignorant" in this context does not mean a lack of brain power. A person can have the most brilliant mind on earth and still be ignorant of many things because he has never been taught other disciplines. Les uses electricity as an example: he may have a fairly good level of intelligence, but since he was never taught much about electricity, he is ignorant of it. The same holds true for any other discipline: if we have not been taught something, we are ignorant. This is not a downplay on our intelligence level; it simply means they had never been taught. In the passage, Paul says the Jews had a zealousness for God. They were religious—the Pharisees were self-righteous, wore robes, prayed in public, and thought they were doing God a service—but they had no knowledge and were totally ignorant of the things of God. Les also notes that the beginning of learning is realizing we do not know it all and that we can never exhaust this Book.
For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
More Questions
What does it mean to be ignorant of something?
If we haven't been taught something, we're ignorant of it; this is not a downplay on our intelligence level.
Why were the Jews in Romans 10 ignorant of God's righteousness?
These Jews were ignorant because they had never been taught — their ignorance was not a downplay on their intelligence level but simply the result of never having been instructed.