What does the Bible mean when it says someone is ignorant?
In Scripture, being ignorant does not mean lacking intelligence or mental capacity. It means simply not having been taught. The word describes a lack of instruction, as when someone has no knowledge of a subject because no one explained it to them.
Les explains that in Romans 11:25, Paul writes, “I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this secret.” He defines “ignorant” carefully: it does not mean a person lacks brain power or is incapacitated. Ignorance is simply a lack of being taught. He illustrates this by saying he is ignorant about electricity—he knows its ramifications, but the details of three-phase electricity are lost to him because he has never been taught. Paul is writing to the common, ordinary believer in the pew, and God wants every believer to drop ignorance and pick up the wisdom of His Word.
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
More Questions
What does the word 'ignorant' mean when Paul says 'I would not have you ignorant' in Romans 11:25?
Being ignorant in Romans 11:25 does not mean having a low IQ; ignorance is simply caused by a lack of teaching and learning.