Fruitfulness and the Gospel
To begin this study, it is helpful to understand whether the blessings given to Adam, Noah, and Abraham are still relevant in light of the gospel message. Essentially, is the blessing to have children a command for us to have children? Or is this a blessing but not a command? There are religious traditions that take the blessing from Gen 1:28 prescriptively and seek to produce as many children as God allows. If Gen 1:28 is prescriptive today, then the New Testament should support this idea. Therefore, let’s turn to the New Testament and determine in the teachings of Jesus whether there is support this position.
While it is clear that having children does constitute a blessing from God, it is less clear whether the New Testament commands Christian couples to produce children. Jesus lived thirty-three years and did not marry or have children. Galatians 4:4 notes that Jesus was “born under the law.”33 In Matthew 5:17 Jesus declares that he came to fulfill the law, yet Jesus did not marry or have children. Finally, when speaking with Pharisees about marriage and divorce, Jesus mentions that choosing a celibate life or remaining single is a viable option (Matt 19:12). If having children was commanded by God then Jesus, who fulfilled all of God’s commands, would at a minimum have supported this position in his teaching.
The notion that it is acceptable to serve God and not have children is further supported in Paul’s teaching. 1 Corinthians 7:3834 states that it may be better to stay single and devote one’s life to the ministry of God than to be married. In fact, the Apostle Paul’s life stands in conflict with the idea that everyone is commanded to marry and have children as he never marries or produces offspring.
A final note is the topic of infertility. If it is a command for all married couples to have children, then is being infertile somehow a sin or a curse? Nowhere in the Bible does it mention that the inability to have children constitutes a sin or breach of God’s commands. There are examples like with Sarah and Abraham where God choses to delay conception for a specific reason. However, nowhere in the Bible is this mentioned as a response to sin.
Therefore, an initial review of the New Testament reveals that the command to “be fruitful and increase in numbers” must have a deeper meaning than merely a call to have lots of children. To uncover the intent of God’s blessing upon Adam and Eve we must more closely examine where and how these words are used.
Analysis of “Be Fruitful and Increase in Number” in Genesis
Now that we have completed a brief review of the theme of fruitfulness in the gospel let’s turn to explore some of the key early references where God says to be fruitful and increase in number (multiply).
Adam and Eve (Gen 1:28)
The first reference to being fruitful occurs during the creation account of mankind. The NIV translation of the passage begins in v. 26 with “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’” The passage continues in v. 28 with “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’” The passage concludes by describing the breadth of mankind’s dominion over all created plants and animals.
In this passage, God creates mankind as the first couple—Adam and Eve. God blesses the two with the promise of children and describes mankind’s role in the stewardship of the earth. The key to understanding God’s blessing is to focus on the broad theological purpose and not merely the act of procreation.
God’s blessing upon Adam and Eve is similar to v. 22 for the created animals. Verse 22 reads: “God blessed them and said, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.’” This passage concludes day five of creation and there is no further responsibility of the animals beyond increasing in number.
In contrast, the passage concerning the creation and blessing of mankind has two additional components. First, the verse adds that “God said to them,” thus drawing attention to the personal relationship between God and mankind. Second, the first couple are told to subdue and rule over the earth and all the created plants and animals thereby fulfilling their role as God’s image-bearer on earth (cf. v. 26).35
The focus here is not merely to increase in number—that would make mankind the same as the animals (cf. v. 22). Here, the focus is on why mankind is instructed to multiply and fill the earth. Bruce Waltke states that “Humanity is given a twofold cultural mandate: to fill the earth and to rule creation as benevolent kings (cf. Gen 9:2; Ps 8:5–8; Heb 2:5–9).”36 God’s purpose in creating mankind was that they should rule over God’s other creations on God’s behalf. To effect this purpose Adam and Eve must “be fruitful and multiply.” It is important to note that the verb used to relate God’s blessing is an imperative—thus the blessing is also a command to mankind.
Wenham adds that the dominion of mankind over nature does not give license for the unbridled exploitation and subjugation of nature. While mankind was given a kingly status, this role included the ideal of stewardship and not exploitation. “Ancient oriental kings were expected to be devoted to the welfare of their subjects, especially the poorest and weakest members of society (Ps 72:12–14). By upholding divine principles of law and justice, rulers promoted peace and prosperity for all their subjects.”37 In the same way, acting as God’s representative over creation, mankind is instructed to rule over the environment and all the animals as benevolent kings.
Therefore, the blessing to be fruitful and multiply is not a stand-alone command. The blessing is an agency/task to fulfill God’s purpose of filling the earth with enough people for mankind to act as God’s steward over all of the Lord’s creation. The blessing is given to Adam and Eve before their fall from grace and establishes them as God’s viceroy over creation.
Noah (Gen 9:1–7)
Now let’s turn to explore the third occurrence where God blesses mankind and tells them to “be fruitful and multiply.”38 Chapter 9 of Genesis begins with Noah and his family leaving the ark and providing an offering to God for bringing them to dry ground after the flood waters have receded. The last time God blessed mankind was before the Fall in Gen 3. Between Gen 3 and Gen 8 we learn of the depravity of mankind. Violence and reciprocal killing characterized the communal life of mankind. According to Gerhard von Rad this raised theological questions. After the fall and with the total depravity of mankind did the first command of creation, “be fruitful,” still hold (Gen 1:28)? Did mankind, who had fallen from God’s garden, still have God’s will on its side?39 The theological answer is clearly stated—Yes. God, despite all mankind’s sin, renews his blessing on the new humanity. Similar to the blessing in Gen 1, the verb used to denote the blessing is an imperative relying that the blessing is a command upon mankind.
Verses 1–3 read: “Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and . . . they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.’”
The content in this passage is like the initial blessing of mankind in Gen 1. God gives a blessing upon the new humanity using the same language to be fruitful, to increase in number, and to fill the earth that was present