Are We Unaware?
Lying in bed trying to fall asleep seemed to be a good time for the Spirit to lay a word on my heart for study. So I grabbed my phone and made note so I could go back to bed. The word was unaware. A quick word search led me here.
Ianthanó: To escape notice, to be hidden, to be unaware
1. to lie hid
2. (adverbially, often) unwittingly
{literally or figuratively}
Peter and Paul uses this word a few times.
Hebrews 13:2 “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” (ESV)
We can be unaware of angelic activity and our failure to act appropriately
2 Peter 3:3-7 “3Most importantly, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4“Where is the promise of His coming?” they will ask. “Ever since our fathers fell asleep, everything continues as it has from the beginning of creation.” 5But they deliberately overlook the fact that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6through whichb the world of that time perished in the flood. 7And by that same word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
scoffers are deliberately unaware of God’s power and authority
2 Peter 2:8-10 “8Beloved, do not let this one thing escape your notice: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.c 9The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.10But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief.”
the reality of time is beyond our understand but the end will come at some point, and it should shape the way will live with the time we have now
There is another Greek word to look at.
Agnoeó: To be ignorant, to not know, to be unaware
1. not to know (through lack of information or intelligence)
2. (by implication) to ignore (through dislike, disinterest, or unwillingness)
Romans 2:3-5 “ 3So when you, O man, pass judgment on others, yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance? 5But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.” (BSB)
being unaware keeps you from repentance and the loving kindness of God
Romans 6:3-4, 12 “3Or aren’t you aware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life…12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires.” (BSB)
awareness of our baptism into Jesus death brings authority over sin in our lives
Romans 7:1, 4-6 “1Do you not know, brothers (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives?…4Therefore, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. 5For when we lived according to the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, bearing fruit for death. 6But now, having died to what bound us, we have been released from the law, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.”
awareness of our death with Christ is liberation from the law into the Spirit
Romans 10:1-4 “1Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is for their salvation. 2For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge. 3Because they were ignorant of God’s righteousness and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4For Christ is the end of the law, to bring righteousness to everyone who believes.”
being unaware of God’s righteousness (Christ) keeps one from submitting to Him and keeping a religion of works
Romans 11:25, 28-32 “25I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in…28Regarding the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but regarding election, they are loved on account of the patriarchs. 29For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. 30Just as you who formerly disobeyed God have now received mercy through their disobedience, 31so they too have now disobeyed, in order that they too may now receive mercy through the mercy shown to you.i 32For God has consigned everyone to disobedience so that He may have mercy on everyone.”
awareness of the mystery (of God’s universal mercy) keeps one from conceit
1 Cor 10:1-12 “ 1I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud, and that they all passed through the sea. 2They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the same spiritual food 4and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness. 6These things took place as examples to keep us from craving evil things as they did… 11Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall.”
awareness of Israel’s failures is a warning to believers keep from falling in the same ways.
1 Corinthians 12:1-7 “1Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2You know that when you were pagans, you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3Therefore I inform you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.4There are different gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6There are different ways of working, but the same God works all things in all people. 7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”
awareness of spiritual gifts benefit the body of Christ and brings discernment
1 Corinthians 14:36-40 “36Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only ones it has reached? 37If anyone considers himself a prophet or spiritual person, let him acknowledge that what I am writing you is the Lord’s command. 38But if anyone ignores this, he himself will be ignored.39So, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40But everything must be done in a proper and orderly manner.”
being unaware of truth leads one into obscurity
2 Corinthians 1:8-11 “8We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia.aWe were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9Indeed, we felt we were under the sentence of death, in order that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead. 10He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. In Him we have placed our hope that He will yet again deliver us, 11as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the favor shown us in answer to their prayers.”
awareness of fellow christians struggles leads to opportunities to pray and witness Gods power and deliverance
2 Cor 2:9-11 “9My purpose in writing you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. 10If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And if I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven it in the presence of Christ for your sake, 11in order that Satan should not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”
being aware of satan’s schemes keeps us from being outwitted so we can pass our tests and remain obedient
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 “13Brothers, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death,c so that you will not grieve like the rest, who are without hope. 14For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.”
awareness of death in Christ brings hope
Hebrews 5:1-3 “1Every high priest is appointed from among men to represent them in matters relating to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and misguided, since he himself is subject to weakness. 3That is why he is obligated to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.”
A godly mediator is gentle with those who are unaware. He covers their ignorance with sacrifices/blood
2 Peter 2:12 “12These men (greedy false teachers) are like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be captured and destroyed. They blaspheme in matters they do not understand, and like such creatures, they too will be destroyed.”
being unaware is being beastly. opens the door to blasphemy, irrational behavior and destruction
Hopefully there are things to be gleaned here but I feel like this post requires a Part 2. More to come.