1 Corinthians 14:38 Meaning: When Ignorance Is a Choice
But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant.
But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.
But if any man is ignorant, let him be ignorant.
and if any one is ignorant--let him be ignorant;
But if any be ignorant, let him be ignorant.
Meaning in one sentence
What does Paul mean by 'let him be ignorant'? Learn about willful ignorance of God's commands and the textual variant that says 'he will be ignored.'
Context
Paul is bringing the long discussion about prophecy and tongues to a close. The Corinthian church had become proud of its spiritual gifts, and Paul spent chapter 14 correcting their disorderly worship. In verse 37, he makes a direct challenge: anyone who claims to be a prophet or spiritual person must recognize that what he writes is the Lord’s command. Then comes this short, sharp verse. It is the final word for someone who has refused that challenge. The setting is not abstract theology. It is a real church where people needed to decide whether to accept Paul’s divinely given authority or stubbornly maintain their own ways.
Key Words
The Greek verb agnoeō lies at the heart of this verse. It means to be ignorant, not to know, or even to willfully ignore something. In verse 38, Paul uses it twice: first as a present tense active, describing someone who is in a state of ignorance. Then the second occurrence appears in a form that can be read two ways. Some early manuscripts read it as an active command, “let him be ignorant,” meaning Paul and the church should leave that person alone. Other manuscripts read it as a passive statement, “he is ignored,” meaning that God will disregard such a person. Either way, the word carries a serious weight. This is not ignorance out of simple lack of information. It is a refusal to acknowledge what has been plainly spoken.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have understood this verse in two main ways, both grounded in the manuscript evidence. Many Protestant commentators, including Calvin and Matthew Henry, read it as Paul saying, “Let him stay ignorant, I will waste no more words on him.” The church should not let a stubborn objector disrupt the assembly. The second reading, which appears in the Vulgate and some modern translations like the BSB, takes the passive sense: “he will be ignored,” meaning God ultimately overlooks or rejects that person. Both views are faithful to the text and the context. Across traditions, the common thread is that willful, persistent rejection of God’s revealed word has real consequences.
A common misunderstanding
Living This Out
This week, look at your own heart first. Is there an area where you have resisted what God clearly says in Scripture, perhaps because it costs you something? That is the ignorance Paul warns about. The verse also frees you from the pressure to win every argument. If you have spoken the truth in love and someone persists in rejecting it, you may need to step back and trust God to handle the outcome. Neither stubbornness nor endless debate honors Him. Let the warning of this verse make you humble in receiving truth and patient in releasing those who will not.
Main takeaway: The refusal to accept what God has clearly spoken leads to being left in that refusal, either by human decision or by divine judgment.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
This verse says that if someone chooses not to listen to God, they will be left alone with that choice. God wants us to listen to Him, because He loves us.
For ages 9, 12
Paul was talking to people who insisted on ignoring what God had made clear. He told the church to stop arguing with them and let them stay in their ignorance. That is serious. It means we should pay careful attention to what God says in the Bible, and not harden our hearts when He corrects us.
Questions People Ask
Is Paul talking about honest ignorance or willful ignorance?
He is talking about willful ignorance. The context shows people who claim to be spiritual but refuse to accept Paul's apostolic authority. They are not just confused; they are rejecting plain truth. Honest seekers are addressed differently throughout Scripture.
What does 'he will be ignored' mean in the BSB translation?
That translation follows a variant reading of the Greek text. It means that God will disregard or not recognize that person. It echoes passages like Matthew 7:23 where Jesus says, 'I never knew you.' The idea is that persistent rejection of God's word leads to being rejected by God.
Does this verse teach that we should give up trying to reach people?
No. It describes a specific situation where someone willfully rejects authority after clear teaching. The general Christian call is to love and witness patiently. But there is a time to stop debating and trust God. This verse gives pastoral wisdom for that moment.
How does this verse apply to church discipline?
Some churches see it as a principle for dealing with unrepentant members: after repeated warnings, the church may withdraw and let the person face the consequences. It shows that guarding the unity and truth of the assembly sometimes requires leaving a stubborn person in their own choices.
Why is the Greek text uncertain here?
The earliest manuscripts differ: some have the active verb 'let him be ignorant,' others the passive 'he is ignored.' Both readings were known to early translators like Jerome. The uncertainty means we should hold both possibilities humbly, but the meaning in either case points to the seriousness of rejecting God's word.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study