If you were to scan the entirety of the Bible front-to-back you would not find a word or definition of culture.  With this being the case we need to begin with the English word “culture” and see if this concept matches anything the Bible teaches so that we can see what exactly the Bible says about culture. 

Culture Defined

The English word culture is originally derived from the Latin word “colere.”  Colere is an agricultural word that means to “tend, guard, cultivate, and till.”  From this point culture evolved into different figurative meanings.  For instance, it is used in a figurative sense to refer to “cultivation through education,” the “collective customs and achievements of a people,” to the medical usage as “The act or process of growing living material.” 

Irrespective of its usage throughout time, the term culture carries within it a sense of growing and making – both tangible and intangible things.  From growing corn to building buildings, to growing living material in a Petri dish to developing complex mathematical equations, culture encompasses all of these facets.

Now that we have an idea of what exactly culture is, let’s take a look in the Bible to see if there is any concept    

Culture by the Book

After creating mankind in His image and after His likeness, the act of culture begins with God’s blessing of humanity:

“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1.28).  

In addition to the tasks encapsulated within this mandate we observe further responsibilities in Genesis 2.15, which says,

“The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” 

There is a lot to be said at this point, but I would like to draw our attention to two observations

Creation vs. Culture

The first thing we observe from these passages is the difference between creation and culture.  Simply put, creation is what God makes and culture is what we make.  During his lectures at Pensacola Theological Seminary on Christ and Culture, John Frame said,

Now of course God is sovereign, so everything we make is also his in one sense. Or, somewhat better: creation is what God makes by himself, and culture is what he makes through us. The sun, moon and stars are not culture. The light and darkness are not culture. The basic chemistry of the earth, and the original genetic structure of life forms are not culture; they are God’s creation.

So, from Genesis 1.1 to 1.28 – including humanity – we read of all that God created, which was created by God and is not considered culture.  Now, beginning with Genesis 1.28 cultural activities begin and are further clarified in Genesis 2.15.

Cultural Activities

From these two passages we see that cultural activities are comprised of four facets: filling, subduing, working, and keeping. 

First, culture includes the act of being fruitful, multiplying, and filling the earth.  This act was and is to be brought about through the birth of children in marriages comprised of just one man and one woman (Genesis 1.27; 2.14). 

Second, culture includes the act of subduing the entirety of all the earth and every living thing (also see 1 Peter 2.9; Revelation 1.6; 5.10; 22.5).  This facet of culture carries within it the implication that mankind is to develop the earth’s resources for useful purposes.  Thus, this facet of culture lays the foundation for scientific research and technological advancement (ESV Study Bible). 

In addition to this, this thought carries with it the notion that mankind is to subdue all things both tangible and intangible in a way that glorifies God.  This means that science, philosophy, politics, universities, families, art, music, etc…, are to serve the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10.31; Romans 11.36; Colossians 1.20).

This act of subduing is NOT to be mistaken for tyrannical rule or the exploitation of the earth and living creatures.  The act of subduing is done so as God’s vice-regents.  In other words, we are to subdue the earth and every living thing on behalf of God.  This holds to be true for two reasons.

One, for mankind to be created in the image and likeness of God is the same as being created as God’s representative likeness (Stanley Grenz, Theology for the Community of God, pgs. 174-175).  Consequently, this means that we are to represent God in all cultural acts. 

Two, God’s command implies that mankind is not to fulfill these cultural acts for him or herself, but rather for God.  For the acts of culture are derived from God’s creation and command of man.  It is for this reason that all acts of culture are to be subjected to “God’s commands, God’s desires, God’s norms, [and] God’s values” (Frame, pg. 4). 

Back to the four cultural activities.

Third, cultural acts include work.  Since the idea of work preceded sin it is not to be considered a negative or sinful thing that needs to be avoided.  Work was and is a part of God’s good created order (also see Ephesians 4.28; 1 Thessalonians 4.10-12; 2 Thessalonians 4.6-12). 

Fourth, culture not only includes the act of filling, subduing, and working, but also keeping.  The act of keeping is the same as exercising great care over.  David Hegeman, from Plowing in Hope, says, “In the context of Gen. 2.15, the term carries with it the idea of taking care of or guarding something of value either from damage or from an outside intruder or enemy” (pg. 46).  As we fulfill cultural activities we are not to do so in a way that exploits people or resources. 

Culture and the Gospel

Even though the English word culture is not found in the Scriptures, it is evident that the idea of culture is rooted in the creation and command of mankind by God.  What we learned is that all cultural activities undertaken by mankind is to be done as God’s representative and subjected to His commands, desires, norms, and values. 

These cultural activities have not been done away with by the entrance and presence of sin.  These acts were repeated to Noah and his family in Genesis 9.1-7 and restored in the life and message of Jesus Christ. 

We observe this in the final words of Christ in Matthew 28.19-20:

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. 

This command encompasses all of life, for we are to make disciples of all the nations by not only baptizing them, but by teaching them to observe all that Christ has commanded us.  Commenting upon this passage John Frame said,

The Gospel creates new people, people radically committed to Christ in every area of their lives.  People like these will change the world.  They will fill and rule the earth to the glory of Jesus.  They will plant churches, establish godly families, and will also plant godly hospitals, schools, arts, and sciences (pg. 9).

Even though cultural activities have been tainted by the entrance and presence of sin, they are now being renewed through the redemptive work of Christ, for Christ is redeeming all things to Himself (Colossians 1.20) which will be culminated in His return.

Sometime in the next couple of weeks I plan on following-up this post with the implications of the Fall on culture as well as redemption.  Be sure to sign-up for the free subscription to RSS and/or e-mail.

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