I Corinthians 14:38

A common misinterpretation views this as a passive or tolerant endorsement of ignorance in general spiritual matters, suggesting believers can harmlessly remain untaught without consequence; others twist it into a harsh license to shun or condemn fellow Christians deemed ignorant, ignoring the specific context of willful rejection of apostolic commands on church order, or apply it broadly to dismiss any disagreement rather than upholding truth in communal worship.

In the context of 1 Corinthians 14, Paul concludes his instructions on orderly worship, particularly regarding speaking in tongues and prophecy, by affirming the divine authority of his commandments; this verse rhetorically dismisses those who willfully reject or ignore his teaching, implying that such individuals, by choosing ignorance, forfeit further explanation and reveal their spiritual stubbornness, emphasizing the urgency of adhering to God's order in the church to edify all believers.