IGNORANCE . It appears to be in accordance with natural justice that ignorance should be regarded as modifying moral responsibility, and this is fully recognized in the Scriptures. In the OT, indeed, the knowledge of God is often spoken of as equivalent to true religion (see Knowledge), and therefore ignorance is regarded as its opposite ( 1 Samuel 2:12 , Hosea 4:1; Hosea 6:6 ). But the Levitical law recognizes sins of ignorance as needing some expiation, but with a minor degree of guilt ( Leviticus 4:1-35 , Numbers 15:22-32 ). So ‘ ignorances ’ are spoken of in 1Es 8:75 (RV [Note: Revised Version.] ‘errors’), Tob 3:3 , Sir 23:2 f. as partly involuntary (cf. Hebrews 5:2; Hebrews 9:7 ). The whole of the OT, however, is the history of a process of gradual moral and spiritual enlightenment, so that actions which are regarded as pardonable, or even praiseworthy, at one period, become inexcusable in a more advanced state of knowledge. In the NT the difference between the ‘times of ignorance’ and the light of Christianity is recognized in Acts 17:30 (cf. 1 Timothy 1:13 , 1 Peter 1:14 ), and ignorance is spoken of as modifying responsibility in Acts 3:17 , 1 Corinthians 2:8 , Luke 23:34 . This last passage, especially, suggests that sin is pardonable because it contains an element of ignorance, while Mark 3:29 appears to contemplate the possibility of an absolutely wilful choice of evil with full knowledge of what it is, which will be unpardonable (cf. 1 John 5:16 ). Immoral and guilty ignorance is also spoken of in Romans 1:18 ff., Ephesians 4:18 . For the question whether Christ in His human nature could be ignorant, see Kenosis, Knowledge.
J. H. Maude.