Fruitful: A Biblical Definition

I don’t know if we will find an exact definition of anything in the Bible. But by combing through the context of passages and seeking to know the intention of God in teachings us, we should be able to understand what we need to. God doesn’t hide things from us when we need them in order to understand his kingdom.

Fruitfulness certainly refers to our production, but let’s consider what we are producing. This production is related to our spiritual lives as much as our physical ones.

Discipleship

The first verse that pops into my head about being fruitful is Matthew 13:23, from the parable of the sower. “But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” I think with this verse; we can easily draw conclusions that we are to be productive. However, I think we need to move beyond an “activity” mindset about fruitfulness and consider the whole being that God wants us to be.

The parable speaks of the Word being spread. Reaching others and discipling them could be considered part of my fruitfulness.

Spiritual Development

The next verse that comes to mind is the Gardener in the Vineyard from John 15:4, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” I find it reassuring that we are not left to do that multiplying on our own, but that God does so with us – inside us.

This maybe refers to the spiritual development and the growth into Christlikeness that we experience as we mature.

Creation

The third reference that comes to mind is the first time we read about being fruitful, Genesis 1:28, “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.”” God our Creator charged us to fill the earth and rule over it. This invites us into the authority and use of the earth and creation.

Being fruitful is about creating and properly using the resources God has supplied.  

This is a quick survey of the uses of fruitfulness in the Bible and I look forward to finding more through the year. What verses would you add to a study of fruitfulness in the Bible? I’d love to hear your thoughts; feel free to comment below.