Cultural Influence and the Bible
I suppose most Christians around the world would agree that the Bible takes precedence over culture as far as deciding what is right and wrong. At the same time I think all of us are sometimes confused, thinking we are following the Bible instead of culture, not realizing that our culture heavily influences how we understand the Bible.
Image © Pacific Press from GoodSalt.com
I will provide a couple of quick examples. When Jesus tells the woman at the well in John 4, that she had 5 husbands and the man she has now is not her own, those of us in the western world quickly judge her as a loose woman jumping from man to man. However, in the Eastern world at that time, a woman could not divorce her husband. That means that 5 men had already left her and the man she was with now was not even claiming her. Jesus’ message was not that she was a slut. His message was that while everyone else had left her thirsting for love, Jesus, the Living Water, would quench her thirst for love for all eternity, as He would never leave her.
Another example is in Numbers 12, when Miriam and Aaron complain about Moses’ Ethiopian wife. Many in the western world think they looked down on her because she was black. That’s because we live in a culture that not even 200 years ago had black slaves. But remember that was not the case at the time of Moses’ day in the eastern world. The Ethiopians were not slaves. It was the Hebrews that had just been freed from slavery. Instead of looking down on her, they were probably jealous, and were insinuating that Moses thought he was all that, because he upgraded in their minds to an Ethiopian woman. (Of course snubbing your nose at anyone based on the history of their race is nonsense in any culture. We are all equal!)
See how our culture influences our understanding of Scripture? So we need to be careful when we claim our traditions and standards are based on Scripture. I would dare say some are and some are not. I remember studying the Bible with a teenage boy, who asked for a ride to church. The family giving him a ride each Sabbath, gave him a tie to wear since he did not have one. They felt he should wear a tie. He thanked them, but never wore it. While their tradition was to wear a tie, he was not convicted that he needed to wear a tie. To the family giving him a ride, he needed to dress appropriately for church, but to him a tie served absolutely no purpose and was nothing more than cloth jewelry. Yet the family would tell you that wearing a tie was a Bible standard while he felt not wearing a tie was a Bible standard.
This reminds me of a story that comes from my extended family. My cousin’s husband was a missionary many years ago in Micronesia. The native women came to church topless. To them breasts were totally utilitarian. The missionaries gave the women shirts to wear to church. They were surprised when the native women returned the following Sabbath with holes cut out of the shirts to expose their breasts. When the missionaries asked why, they were informed that in their culture only prostitutes cover their breasts. The prostitutes were sexualizing their breasts for sale. These God-fearing church ladies were not wanting to come across as being sexually alluring, which is why they actually exposed their breasts. It reminds me of what Paul wrote to Titus,
Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted. Titus 1:15 NLT
Even in our own culture we struggle with this. A friend of mine came back from visiting a very conservative pastor and his family. My friend told me he was shocked when the pastor’s wife breastfed in front of them without a blanket. He told me, “And I thought they were conservative!” I explained to my friend that the wife was probably so conservative that she never thought of breastfeeding as a sexual thing. Like the godly women in Micronesia she saw breasts as utilitarian.
Please don’t misunderstand me. I believe in modesty. I have written about modesty. But like everything else, we have to stop and ask ourselves if our convictions are biblical or cultural. Fact of the matter is that godly families around the world, and often even in the same cultures, have different ideas about what proper modesty looks like. Of course this goes for many other topics too. I was just using modesty as an example because I thought my cousin’s husband’s experience fit so well. Remember we must do all of our rebuking with Scripture according to 2 Timothy 3:16. The Scriptures will tell us exactly on what day to rest, but the Scriptures won’t tell us exactly how many inches a woman’s skirt should be from her knees. If I tell someone exactly how to dress, am I teaching them from the Bible or from my culture?
Some Bible teachings have nothing to do with culture. For example the Sabbath is the seventh day in every culture. Leviticus 11 defines clean and unclean foods for every culture. But even though the Bible is clear that we should be respectful, each culture has different customs and traditions of showing respect. The same is true when it comes to modesty. As a matter of fact, I could share some quotes from the Bible with you that were totally appropriate in Bible times that would not fly today in our culture. For example, this is how David said he was going to capture all the men.
So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that [pertain] to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall. 1 Samuel 25:22 KJV.
Newer versions word it a different way now – way that we say is more appropriate. But apparently in David’s day and in King James’ day, that was a totally appropriate way to talk and write to mixed company of all ages. So even when the Bible clearly teaches us to watch our mouths, the Bible itself words some things differently than we do today. That is because culture has greatly influenced our understanding of the Bible.
A few years ago I found a children’s Bible trivia quiz book that actually had a category for circumcision. While I have publicly taught about Bible circumcision with all ages, the thought of using it as trivia in a children’s Bible game was a little too much for me, so I chose not to use that category. At the same time I did not tear the section out, as some have done, because I did not think it was appropriate. I decided not to use it myself and left it for the next person to decide for themselves.
We need to keep in mind that while Scripture does indeed take precedence over culture, that even Jesus recognizes that some things do vary from culture to culture, without contradicting the Bible. When that happens, Jesus gave us a simple rule to follow.
Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12 NLT
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I note that when we talk about culture we mostly talk about how we dress, what we do and eat, how we worship.
Aside from those how does culture affect our doctrines - what we believe about the character of God and His plan of salvation?
At first view, Sola Scriptura appears near impossible to apply, given that interpretation and response to the Word are both based on world view, corporate and personal experience, resources and sinful tendencies.
It is crucial, therefore, that the eye salve of spiritual discernment be applied through the Holy Spirit.
God's truth, always presented in relevant light, still transcends culture and personal preferences! Praise Him!
Hello William,
Your story about the Bible trivia quiz topic of circumcision triggered the memory of a woman in a church I attended. You stated that you “did not tear the section out, as some have done, because I did not think it was appropriate.”
This woman had heard a sermon on 3abn where the pastor was speaking on the "evils" of non-KJV translations, and after hearing the sermon she threw all of her husband’s Bibles in the garbage that the preacher had mentioned (as well as some that looked “suspicious”). She did it to “root evil out of our home.” Needless to say, her “logic” made a very negative impression on her husband, who lost all his study bibles.
I have heard pastors preach against particular bible versions because it makes their proof text method of evangelism much harder. They get questions that are difficult for them to answer with a handy proof text. Some versions of the bible (The Voice and The Message, for example) take what I would consider extreme liberties in translation; however, I look at their liberties as opportunities to engage in dialogue with those who are honestly seeking the Truth.
In spite of the shortcomings in The Message and The Voice (as well as other translations), they have portions where the ideas in God’s Word come through with a crystal clarity that I appreciate. I have found “gems” like this in nearly every version of the bible that I have read.
Richard Ferguson
Good point Richard. Sometimes the translations that make it "harder" for us to use as proof texts are actually more accurate with the original manuscripts. Sometimes we test a translations accuracy by how well it matches our preconceived ideas. We need to test translations with theoriginal manuscripts and not our preconceived ideas. When we do that we will find the KJV is not always the most accurate on every verse, even though it made a great proof text. Remember the Bible is a love story and not a mere collection of proof texts.
I do agree with your basic point, William, that our view of Scripture can be affected by our culture. We need to be very careful in making sure that we are standing on biblical principles, and not just on our cultural interpretation of them. However, to my mind, most of the examples that you are using seem rather questionable.
Of course you are correct that, in ancient times, a woman had no power to divorce her husband. However, in the case of the woman at the well, we are given no particulars in regard to how she managed to go through a series of five husbands before settling down with a man outside of marriage. There are many possible scenarios besides the unlikely possibility that she was groundlessly rejected by such a long series of faithless men. Some of them may have divorced her for just cause. In that case, the law of Moses would have had her executed, but we have no reason to believe that the Samaritans would have been so particular about following that. Another possibility is that she just wanted to move on, and she was persuasive enough to get her husband to grant her a divorce. Look at the way she was able to bring out the entire village to see Jesus. In the book, Desire of Ages, it is noted that she brought up the controversy over place of worship in order to change the subject away from something so unwelcome as a review of her past. From this I perceive that the woman herself was indeed morally culpable, to a greater or lesser extent. Yet here was the long-promised Messiah, before her very eyes, not giving even a hint of despising or condemning her, but offering her every spiritual blessing that He had come to bestow. No wonder she got so excited!
I find it entirely plausible that Miriam could have seized on the fact that Moses had married someone of another nation in order to further her ends. Nationalism is no recent invention. You are probably correct in saying that skin colour had nothing to do with it, but it certainly appears that Miriam was encouraging others to look down on an immigrant to the Hebrew nation, and on a cross-cultural marriage.
Your example of the women cutting holes in their blouses may only be a testament to the degradation of their culture, resulting in the severe distortion of their own concepts. It certainly doesn't prove that the missionaries were mistaken in their intentions, or that they were imposing their own culture, rather than biblical standards.
Again, you are making a great and important point. I just have a problem with some of the means to which you resort in making it. To my mind, they seem a bit extreme.
Thanks RG. I don't mean to be absolute in my examples other than showing there is more than one way to look at things, and culture affects how we look at things including the Bible. I did not think that I implied that the missionaries who handed out the blouses were mistaken. I just presented how the natives thought. Just because I can explain how someone else thinks and feels does not mean I think and feel the same way. You think my examples are extreme, but I thought a circumcision category in a trivia book was extreme. Obviously the publishers and people using the category did not think it was extreme. Just goes to show we all have our own ideas of extremism based on our own experience and background.
Thank you, William, for the clarification. Certainly there is more than one way to look at things. I just thought that making the woman at the well into an innocent victim and making Miriam's criticism of Moses' marriage into something where he had supposedly married above his station, rather than below it, was completely off-base. That is what I meant by "extreme." The woman at the well was embarrassed by her past course of action, and Miriam was putting down Moses' wife, even though the woman was a sincere worshiper of Jehovah. If we miss these facts, out of ignorance, and reinterpret things according to our own revisionist tendencies, we can lose the important lessons the Scriptures have for our own lives.
By the way, that sort of extreme revisionism seems to be very popular within the (counter) culture that is so very familiar to every baby boomer. I'd already heard the story of the women cutting holes in their blouses. People seem to love the kind of figurative iconoclasm that kind of story can foster. It's a lot easier than making a commitment to truth.
Blessings!
RG While I do not pretend to be right about everything I say, keep in mind millions share my thoughts about Mirriam. Those ideas and examples I used including Mirriam did not begin with me, so you may or may not be correct, but to say it is way off base is quite an absolute statement to make. As far as far as the missionaries giving out blouses example, I have used that illustration in discussions before and its always been well received and even repeated by other teachers as an excellent illustration, so again while you saw it as extreme it does not mean others do. Remember what may be extreme to you may not be extreme or off base to someone else. In Adventism we have a wide range of diets while some diets appear very extreme to others in the church, even though neither extreme in either direction conflicts with the Bible. I am not sharing this to be argumentative I know you are not being argumentative either. You are just sharing how you feel which is what makes for healthy discussions like the one we are having. However I am sharing this for the sake of our readers who have their own insights as well, and may not appreciate being called extreme or off base.
Thank William! You did it again!
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Rom 12:1-2
This controversy was going on in the church for many years. We live in a sinful world. We go to different places six day of the week: school, work, social activities, listen to the radio, TV, etc, etc. Whatever we participate in during the week affects us during the sabbath as well as our spiritual life.
What affects the physical, affects the spiritual.
How do we think has to do a great lot on the culture we are from or living in presently. I traveled different places and saw different things and even wonder at myself.
It was later in life I got a vehicle. At that time poor people never had vehicle. A bicycle did the same thing as your legs. People walked miles upon miles to go to church on sabbath or crusade. Now I heard people who live a short distance from church say they cant walk to church if something is wrong with their vehicle. Are they right or wrong? Is the work of the Lord affected?
In the culture I grew up in, breast feeding babies and young children is a way of life. Women will sit in the back seat of the church and might throw something over their breast if a man is around, sometimes nothing if only women are in the meeting.People breast fed in public places- parks, market, etc.
Is that a problem in my new culture? Yes.
Once in church my husband saw a door locked that was not supposed to be locked so he went to open it, a young woman was breast feeding all covered up, she got angry because he went into the room at that moment although she was not exposed.
Does several different cultures in the church affect our relationship with God? Yes/no. At times some members are offended if some other members look down on their cultures like if their culture is inferior to theirs. Someone preaching said, God is not interesting in our grammar and how and where we have the noun, verb or adverb. He is interesting in where we have our hearts.
Some might say any version of the bible is appropriate. Has anyone ever used, read or scan through a Roman Catholic bible, what do you think? If someone does not know any other bible and only that version, it will be the work of the Holy Spirit to convince that person about true and error. Just like how he convinced and convicted the elderly gentleman who I spoke about previously. He gave me his bible. Denounced the church.
We at times have to step back and ask the Holy Spirit, is my mind the place he wants us to be. Is something wrong with my mind, why do I think the way I do
Lyn, while holding evangelism meetings in Chiclayo Peru there was an older teenage boy with one leg who walked about a mile on crutches every night down a road filled with potholes to get to our meetings. Yes it is amazing as to what each culture considers practical transportation to get to church.