So by reading the Bible in English, our minds assume the Western concept of rich, stingy, and guest. The words of rich, stingy, and guest imply something rather different in Western cultures than in biblical and Majority World cultures. But those academic terms do not evoke the moral obligations of generosity, gratitude, or reciprocity that define patron-client relationships.įor example, when you read Nathan’s parable in 2 Samuel 12 about a rich man who was so stingy that he stole a lamb to feed a guest, do you feel a sense of wrongness or repulsion? If you a Westerner like me, then probably not, because patronage is not part of our social life or moral worldview. Yes, there are terms in English like patron, client, benefactor. And since words derive their meaning from social contexts, English words inadequately express the dynamics of patronage.ĭiscussing patronage in English is like using a tribal language in Papua New Guinea to explain nanotechnology-the words are not meant for such a task.

The reason is because patron-client relationships are hardly present in the English-speaking cultures the English language is not naturally used in contexts of patronage. But, the English language fails to evoke those nuances of patronage in the Bible. The cultural assumptions of patron-client relationships pervade NT texts. In biblical times, patronage was a dominant social-economic system for managing relationships and resources. To understand “grace,” we must understand patronage, but even that can be difficult for Westerners because of cultural reasons.

The word “grace” (Greek: charis) is a good example of this problem of cross-cultural interpretation. English words evoke Western assumptions and values that are unlike those of biblical writers.

All Bible translations face a problem- the cultural gap between the Bible and contemporary readers.

What is the meaning of grace