Yes, I agree. But what constitutes a sin of ignorance in the USA "now" in 2007? "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent." (Acts 17:30)

That verse does not mean that sins of ignorance were eradicated in the 1st century, does it? One possible example is EGW eating oysters thousands of years after they were prohibited.

My kids, 9 and 5, to this day struggle with sins of ignorance. After years of study, to this day, I am pretty sure that I have much to unlearn. The more I know of Christ's holiness, the more I know of my depravity. And the more I see how my depravity often sneaks up on me.

But of course, not all sins of ignorance are covered. Willful ignorance is condemned.

A: That verse does not mean that sins of ignorance were eradicated in the 1st century, does it?

MM: Paul was speaking to people who worshiped the "Unknown God". Of these people God was no longer willing to wink at their ignorance. When we include Rom 2:13-16 with Acts 17:30, 31 it seems to me sins of ignorance were eliminated. True, they made a come back during the Dark Ages.

A: After years of study, to this day, I am pretty sure that I have much to unlearn. The more I know of Christ's holiness, the more I know of my depravity. And the more I see how my depravity often sneaks up on me.

MM: Do you suspect you have sinful habits of which you are ignorant? If so, why hasn't God revealed them to you?

A: But of course, not all sins of ignorance are covered. Willful ignorance is condemned.

MM: Amen!

Why is it assumed (this seems to me to be what's assumed in my reading here) that Paul was concerned about sinful habits rather than Christ? In reading Paul's writings, in particular Romans and Galatians, it seems to me that Christ was Paul's overriding concern. Am I off base?

Paul was equally concerned about not sinning. So is God.

Matthew
1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

1 John
3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
3:6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

"Paul was equally concerned with not sinning." This assertion is followed by statements by Matthew and John. That's an interesting methodology.

Obviously, I can't give a specific example of something of which I am ignorant. But let's take diet as a hypothetical example.

I eat soy products regularly. As far as I know, that's not destroying my health. But it might turn out that it is detrimental to my health. As soon as I find out, I would no longer be ignorant. But as of today, if it is bad for me, I am ignorant of it.

Let's say that it is bad for me. Why would God not tell me today? One possibility is that maybe I am not educated enough to know what I would replace it with. So if I gave it up immediately, which is what I need to do as soon as I find out it's bad, I might starve to death. Maybe God doesn't want to kill me off just yet.

So, He teaches me. But my slow mind cannot absorb information as fast as others. Therefore, while I'm learning, He keeps the information from me so I don't starve.

That's one example. Based on the many things that God has taught me over the years, I will be very surprised if He didn't have more in store for me. But I know one thing: When I was baptized almost 25 years ago, I didn't know all that I know now. In fact, the more I learn, the more I'm convinced of my ignorance.

Did you overlook "So is God"? The point is God is concerned about us not sinning. You seem to downplay it.

Arnold, I do not consider your soy example an example of a sinful habit that God is choosing not to reveal to you because you are too "slow" to confess and crucify.

The reason I am asking you this question is because some people argue that God does not reveal to us certain of our sinful cultivated habits (traits, practices, propensities) because He does not want to overwhelm us with too much information about ourselves, that He waits until we are ready to give them up.

For example, a person may struggle with being impatient with his loved ones (siblings, parents, spouse, children, etc), but because this particular sinful habit is so ingrained God, in mercy, chooses not to reveal it to him. So the family suffers patiently while they wait for God to make him aware of it.

What do you think?