Road Sign

In March or April of 1973 I had a job interview for a job that I got that changed my life completely. As I was coming home after I got the job I was on Route 495 heading north to get home. The countryside pretty much all looked the same so I could not depend on that to figure out when would be time to get off the interstate. I knew time wise it had been about the the same amount of time as when I gone to the job interview. Then I saw something the state of  Massachusetts had done to make things very simple. There was a big green sign that said Ashland Hopkington Route 135 next exit. I knew that was my exit was next since I lived in Ashland at the time, and I knew how to get home from Route 135.

Have you ever wondered what exactly is important in the word? Are things that just stand out?

There are those who believe that figures of speech, idioms, and Biblical customs all point to important things contained in God's word. I am one of those people. Now in this teaching I will not be getting into any of the aforementioned things. We are going to look at the big huge road signs with arrows pointing out the correct direction to go. The kind that has blinking letters that say "THIS IS IMPORTANT SO LISTEN UP"!!

2 Corinthians 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

If you look at this verse you see that God wants us to know how Satan operates so he cannot get the advantage over us. That leads one to the fact that we have the advantage over him.

As powerful as you may believe that Satan is he has far less power than you. In Col 1:27 the word proclaims it is Christ in you. All the ability that Christ displayed is available to you.

Let's look at what the word says about Satan.

1. John 10:10 he is the thief who comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy.
2. 1 Peter 5:8 he is the lion who seeks to devour you
3. 1 John 3:8 says he is the original sinner
4. 1Timothy 3:7 the one who has a trap set for you.
5. As well as in 2 Timothy 2:26
6. John 8:44 he is the murderer and the liar
7. Hebrews 2:14 he is the one who holds the power of death.

These are just a few of the things that are the devices of the devil.

This is of course a sampling of the devices of Satan.

The word ignorant leads us to many of these signposts in the Word. The word ignorant means uneducated or unlearned or even unaware. There is a way to get rid of ignorance. The way to do it is to be educated. If for instance you don't know how to be saved there are many scriptures that tell you about salvation if you simply read those scriptures you then can overcome all the false teachings that have been inspired by Satan in this world.

The Greek word is agnoeo. It means not to know, not to understand, unknown. It is translated as: be ignorant 7,  ignorant 4,  know not 4,  understand not 3,  ignorantly 2,  unknown 2. We are not going to look at every scripture that has this word but we will look at some of them and at the end I will list every scripture as well as how the word is translated in that scripture and you can check it out for yourself. I will say if you aren't doing at least 5 of these you are unarmed and destined to be tricked for your whole life. Satan is very good at what he does we have to be better at what we do than he is at what he does.

I see another sign post up ahead and it isn't for the Twilight Zone.

1Thessalonians 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

We are given a hope concerning our brothers and sisters in Christ who have fallen asleep or died.

Let's continue for the rest of the chapter.

4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

So those who have died or sleep in Christ will God bring with him.

4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

So not everyone who is a Christian will die before the Lord returns. Some will still be alive and we will not prevent or precede those who have died. If we were to meet the Lord before those who have fallen asleep we would have an advantage. It also means they are not with the lord yet you can see it from the rest of the context.

The root Greek word is phthanó. HELPS Word-studies

5348 phthánō – properly, precede, arrive ahead of time, i.e. before something which indicates priority in importance or sequence.

4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

If the dead in Christ are already with God why do they need to rise? It would be ridiculous for them to bring dust into the air since we will be given new bodies like the one Jesus Christ was given when he arose from the dead.

4:17 Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Together is the Greek word hama it's definition is at the same time, therewith, along with, together with.

Okay so we go together all at once according to this verse. That also agrees with Acts 10:34 which says God is no respecter of persons. If I get to be with God one second before you do God is a respecter of persons. What if Paul the Apostle has been there for almost 2000 years wouldn’t that would be giving Paul the advantage of being with him much longer than any of us will be with him?

4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

You know this is the biggest lie ever told. The serpent said to The Women “You shall not surely die. “

He started with that lie and continues with it even until today. When we die we die and we then wait in the grave till the return of the lord comes unaware of time because we are dead or figuratively asleep. This lie has served the devil well. Do not accuse me of trying to take something away from you I have told you the truth and the truth sets you free. The lie you believed puts you into bondage.

Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

The words not knowing are the word agnoeo. You shouldn't be ignorant of the fact that the goodness of God leadeth men to repentance. There is nothing in that verse about hellfire and brimstone or Jesus Christ being a fire escape from hell. It is the willingness of God to overlook our shortcomings because of Christ paying the price that will get us saved.

1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual [gifts], brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

The one thing you notice is the word gifts is in italics. That means the word was added to the text by the translators in an attempt to clarify the verse. It is also private interpretation which 2 Peter 1:20 says we should not add our private interpretation to any scripture. The word spiritual is the Greek word pneumatikos it means spiritual matters. So the verse should read "Now concerning spiritual matters brethren I would not have you ignorant.”To really understand you need to read chapters 12-14.

Look at Aramaic Bible in Plain English

1 Corinthians 12:1 But about spiritual things my brethren, I want you to know

This is by far a better translation

The Greek word is pneumatikos which means spiritual matters or spiritual things.

I'm not at this time going to try to teach these 3 chapters because it is not my purpose in this teaching and there is a great deal of information to go over and it would take over the teaching. Suffice to say Satan has this pretty well confused and has us ignorant about spiritual matters. Most Christians believe that the nine manifestations or as they call them gifts went out with the apostles but no place does it say that in the word. People who don't operate some of the manifestations of the spirit are not following the instruction in the word. There are those who operate the manifestations for the wrong reasons like personal glory and not out of love and a desire to give. It is very important that we learn the information in these chapters.

Another road sign can be found in Romans 10:3

Rom 10:3 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.

Man will set up his own righteousness if he doesn't know the truth of God's righteousness. He will use the laws of the Old Testament. Under the law you became righteous by following the Law but look at verse nine.

Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

We gain our righteousness by making Jesus Christ our Lord and believing God raised him from the dead. We cannot save ourselves this is repeated in Ephesians 2:8-9 it is all by God's grace.

2 Corinthians 1:8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

God didn't want the believers unaware of what Paul was going through. True leaders today will also share the truth of what is happening to and with them. Leaders don’t have to be perfect they have to be willing to go first.

1 Corinthians 14:38 But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.

In the end if someone wishes to be ignorant there isn't much you can do about it. Remember we never have to defend the word we share the word we bare witness to the word but we do not have to defend the word because the word of God is the truth.

Usage of the Greek word agnoeo in the New Testament.

Mark 9:32  understood not

Luke 9:45 understood not

Acts 13:27  because they knew not

Acts 17:23  ye ignorantly

Romans 1:13  have you  ignorant

Romans 2:4  Not Knowing

Romans 6:3 Know ye not

Romans 7:1 Know ye not

Romans 10:3  they being ignorant

Romans 11:25 should be ignorant

1 Corinthians 10:1  should be ignorant

1 Corinthians 12:1  ignorant

1 Corinthians 14:38  be ignorant, let him be ignorant.

2 Corinthians 1:8   have you ignorant

2 Corinthians 2:11   ignorant

2 Corinthians 6:9   unknown

Galatians 1:22  unknown

1 Thessalonians 4:13  to be ignorant

1 Timothy 1:13   [it] ignorantly

Hebrews 5:2  on the ignorant

2 Peter 2:12  they understand not