Culture
The Biblical Concept of Culture
The English word 'culture' derives from the Latin cultura, meaning 'cultivation' or 'tending.' In Scripture, the concept is almost exclusively metaphorical, drawing from the familiar agricultural practices of the ancient Near East. The single direct appearance of the term is in 2 Esdras 8:6 (KJV & RV), where the writer prays, "Give... culture to our understanding," likening the development of wisdom to the careful tending of a crop.
Agricultural Metaphors for Spiritual Growth
This metaphor of cultivation is pervasive throughout the biblical narrative. Jesus frequently used agricultural parables to describe the Kingdom of God and the condition of the human heart. In the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20, Luke 8:4-15), the 'seed' is the word of God, and the different soils represent the varied receptivity of human hearts. The good soil that yields a harvest symbolizes a heart that has been properly prepared or 'cultured' to receive truth. Similarly, Paul uses the imagery of planting and watering in 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 to describe his and Apollos's roles in nurturing the faith of the Corinthian church, while noting that "God gave the growth."
Cultivating the Heart and Community
The call to cultivate is not limited to individual spirituality but extends to the community of faith and ethical living. The prophets often condemned Israel for being an unfruitful vineyard (Isaiah 5:1-7) despite God's careful planting. The ethical instructions throughout Scripture—from the Law (Leviticus 19:9-10) to the wisdom literature (Proverbs 24:30-34) to the apostles' letters (Galatians 6:7-9)—function as guidance for cultivating a life and a community that bears good fruit. The ultimate goal is to produce the "fruit of the Spirit" (Galatians 5:22-23).
From Physical to Spiritual Cultivation
The transition from physical to spiritual cultivation mirrors humanity's journey in the biblical story. The narrative begins with Adam placed in the Garden of Eden "to work it and keep it" (Genesis 2:15)—a literal cultural mandate. After the Fall, cultivation becomes toilsome (Genesis 3:17-19). The biblical hope, however, looks toward a restoration where the desert blossoms (Isaiah 35:1-2) and spiritual cultivation yields eternal life (John 4:36-38).
Biblical Context
The term 'culture' appears explicitly only in 2 Esdras 8:6, an apocryphal book, where it is a metaphor for nurturing understanding. However, the concept of cultivation is foundational throughout Scripture. It begins with humanity's mandate to tend the Garden (Genesis 2:15) and is developed through agricultural laws, wisdom sayings, and, most prominently, the parables of Jesus and the agricultural metaphors of the New Testament epistles. It plays a central role in describing how faith, character, and community are to be developed and nurtured.
Theological Significance
The metaphor of culture teaches that spiritual growth is both a divine gift and a human responsibility. It underscores God's role as the ultimate source of growth (1 Corinthians 3:7) and the believer's role in preparing the 'soil' of the heart through repentance, obedience, and discipleship. It illustrates the process of sanctification—the gradual development of Christ-like character. Furthermore, it highlights God's patient, nurturing character as a gardener who tends his people (John 15:1-2) and his desire for a fruitful harvest of righteousness.
Historical Background
The biblical writers lived in agrarian societies where survival depended on successful cultivation. Practices like sowing, plowing, watering, weeding, and harvesting were daily realities. This context made agricultural metaphors powerfully resonant. Extra-biblical sources from the ancient Near East, including Egyptian wisdom literature and Mesopotamian texts, also use farming imagery for life and wisdom. Understanding this background illuminates why such metaphors are the Bible's primary vehicle for discussing spiritual development, ethical living, and divine-human interaction.