1 Peter 1, 14-15

[CyrilSebastian]

In The First Letter of Peter Chapter 1 Verses 14-15 state:

Like obedient children do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance,
but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct,

Is the ignorance here referred to the peoples’ former lack of knowledge of God, leading inevitably to godless conduct?

 

[hazcompat]

[1:13–25] These verses are concerned with the call of God’s people to holiness and to mutual love by reason of their redemption through the blood of Christ (1 Pt 1:18–21).

The redemption through the blood was hidden, now revealed.

usccb.org/bible/1peter/1

Peace

 

[ScriptStudent]

This letter is primarily written to Gentile Christians who converted from their pagan religions (4:3-4).

The ignorance seems to refer to a time before they knew the revelation of Jesus Christ (1:7) and the ransom from sin (1:18-19).

The passions/desires of their former ignorance are spelled out in 4:3-4.

I would be careful to say that they completely lacked knowledge of God. Paul makes it very clear in Romans 1-2 that we can come to know God through our human reason. Therefore, even the Gentiles mentioned in Romans were without excuse for their sins.

While reason can never come to the full truths of God without the aid of revelation, it can lead us to know some things about God. The ignorance Peter is referring to does not *inevitably *lead to godless conduct, but it certainly doesn’t help.