Who you are shapes how you interpret the Bible.

There are many reasons why Christians disagree on how to interpret the Bible, one of the primary being something called the interpretive lens. This refers to the specific glasses through which you see the world. No two lenses are the same, because no two people are the same in their background, upbringing, culture, ethnicity, race, gender, and personality.

These “glasses” are how you see the world. It’s like wearing sunglasses that are tinted yellow. You become so accustomed to everything holding a slight yellowish tinge that you are shocked - blinded, even - by the vivid reds and blues when you take off your glasses.

In the same way, your worldview is tinted a specific shade. Often, you’re not aware of it until you encounter someone who views the world differently than you do. Then of course, you think that the other person is completely off their rocker for thinking the way that they do, never once considering the interpretive lens by which the other is viewing the world.

The way that you see the world influences the way that you read the Bible, and therefore, also influences your view of God.

Unfortunately, these differences all too often result in arguments and divisions. My aim here is to draw attention to the lenses by which you see the world, God, and the Bible. Instead of dividing us, my hope is that this exercise will garner compassion and understanding for those who are unlike you because they might be seeing blue where you are seeing yellow.

How does your specific lens influence how you read the Bible?

We’re going to look at six shades that influence the lens by which we view the world, God, and the Bible. Through each of the six, you will hear my own interpretive lens coming through, and it may be different than yours.

Gender
We’re all tired of gender talk. I get it. But gender matters. Regardless of how you dice it, being male or female will influence how you see the world.
The Canadian Human Rights Act of 1977 states that “all Canadians have the right to equality, equal opportunity, fair treatment, and an environment free of discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, marital status and family status.” The UN Convention on the Political Rights of Women in 1952 stated the right for women to vote, to hold public office and to exercise public functions.
As a woman, I stand in solidarity with a long line of women who have fought for equality and recognition as persons, not property. As a millennial, I am privileged to live in a time when I have political and legal freedom as a woman.
I don’t think that men can truly understand how significant the past seventy years have been for women.
Simply put, men haven’t had to struggle for equality as women have. For the vast majority of human history, and even now in most countries around the world, men are “on top.” They are the leaders, teachers, commentators, politicians, and persons of influence. They are the ones in power.
Women have been a minority, not in numbers but in voice. Men have had the power; women have been property. Property can’t talk. It is owned. Used.
Let’s also consider that the Bible was written by men in a patriarchal society. Most of its characters are men. To be fair, it was written in an age in which women could not contribute intellectually or politically. Women such as Deborah and Esther were the exception to the norm.
As a result, many women struggle to find their place within the patriarchal biblical narrative. There has been much debate on the use of gender-neutral pronouns in Bible translations; women often feel excluded by the male-dominant language of the Bible.
In a recent Bible study on 1 Peter 5, a woman asked, “I’m reading all about male elders and “young men,” but what about the women? Where do I fit in?” I hear you, sister!
Women struggle to find a place to belong in the church.
In most churches, men preach from the pulpit to a congregation consisting of more women than men. Men make up the majority of biblical commentators and teachers, not because they are the “superior sex,” but because they have been granted the authority to do so. It is rare for a woman to be granted a leadership position within the church, but when she is, her role is usually in children’s ministry, not in prominent positions of leadership.
In a more subtle way, the church has separated male and female by creating “men’s” and “women’s” groups. There is nothing inherently wrong with this, but it can further divide men and women within the church. I will argue that these groups also create a divide between those who are married and have children and those who are not and do not, but that is the topic of an entirely separate post on childlessness in the church.
Women’s Bible studies are notorious for studying Esther and Ruth. Have you ever heard of a men’s group studying the book of Esther? I haven’t. But why not? Isn’t the book of Esther a book of the Bible like any other? Why have we separated certain books into “male” or “female” categories? Instead, men are more likely to identify with David’s heroism or being a “man of God.” Or they might study the character of Daniel, Jonathan, Samuel, or Peter. In any case, there is often a difference in the focus of character studies for men and women.
Any time you favour one area of Scripture over another, you will end up with a perspective biased toward the passage favoured, which includes gender bias. I am a woman and the issues of gender, patriarchy, and sexism are close to my heart, therefore, it highly influences my reading of the Bible.
How does your gender influence your Bible interpretation?
Income level and Social Status
Where you fall on the social ladder also impacts how you see the world. When I was in Sierra Leone visiting one of the world’s poorest slums, I realized how little I had paid attention to Bible passages concerning the poor. Take a read through Deuteronomy and you too will be amazed at how often God commands his people to care for “the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.” (Deut. 10:18, 14:28-29, 27:19)
Why had I never noticed God’s heart for the poor before? Quite simply, it wasn’t part of my interpretive lens. It was only after I witnessed the heartbreak and devastation of the poorest in Sierra Leone that I noticed these themes in the Bible.
However, where I had ignored passages regarding the poor due to my social status as Canadian middle class, those who are poor cling to them.
Those who struggle for their daily bread will read promises of God’s provision far differently than those who have stocked fridges and pantries. The man or woman who is oppressed by systems of injustice and corrupt governments will understand God’s promise of vengeance with a clarity that escapes the societally privileged. The homeless person who sleeps under the stars will hear of God’s care for the sparrow more intimately than the person with a roof over her head.
How the poor read the Bible might also depend on whether they have a Bible to read. I’m not sure about you, but I think I own about ten Bibles. I can choose which version to read and which commentary to pull out to help me understand the Bible better. With the age of the internet, access to these resources is more common even among the poor, but there are still many who can’t afford access to the Bible.
How do you think these people will view Scripture? I’d say they treat the Bible with a whole lot more reverence than the average North American citizen.
How do your income level and social status influence your Bible interpretation?
Education level
If you can read, then you can read the Bible on your own. Automatically, biblical literacy changes from an oral community interpretation to an individual, private interpretation, which is going to change how you apply Scripture to your life.
Additionally, if your literacy level is low, you might stick to versions that are easier to read, like the NLT, the Message paraphrase, or the Good News Bible. You might also prefer the Gospels rather than Paul’s letters, so your theology is formed around the stories and parables of Jesus rather than the legal terms of Paul’s writings.
It is worth considering how your education level influences which books of the Bible you prefer to read and how you approach studying the Bible. Do you spend all your time debating covenant theology or predestination? Do you argue the mechanics of soteriology? Or, maybe like me, you have no idea what these things mean until someone “smarter” explains them to you.
I have a couple of degrees, which makes me “educated” at a post-secondary level. This education has given me the ability to think critically and to examine the literature closely. It has given me the words to articulate what I mean in ways that make sense to others (I hope!). But I’d wager that those who read simply actually grasp the truth of the Bible more clearly than those who are “more educated.”
The person with a lower education level is not “worse off” for struggling to understand Paul’s letters or the prophets. Not at all! The Bible is written for even the simplest to understand the message of God’s redemption.
I am often humbled by the faith of those who might be “simple” in education. Sometimes education overcomplicates things, and we forget what really matters: Jesus Christ. I need these people in my life to keep me grounded when my efforts at Bible interpretation begin to turn too intellectual. I need them to keep me humble when my education tempts me to arrogance.
How does your education level influence how you interpret the Bible?
Ethnicity or Regional Identity
Where you come from matters.
If you are from a majority culture (e.g. a Caucasian in America), you will experience life far differently than someone from a minority culture.
Similar to the case of women, those of racial and ethnic minority have often struggled to find their place in the world and therefore in the biblical narrative. But let’s recall who the majority culture of the Bible was. They were Jews. Not Caucasian.
Those of us from non-Jewish cultures have placed ourselves in the story of the Bible without often considering that the culture and ethnicity of the Ancient Near East were far different than our known culture. Jews are a minority in America today. They were the majority in the biblical narrative.
Culture matters. We can’t read the Bible as white Americans without first considering what the Bible meant to an ancient Jew.
Similarly, we also can’t read the Bible in a way that assumes everyone else in the world today reads it like a white American. I’m white. I never felt my whiteness as much as I did in Sierra Leone. I was a minority there, and I felt it acutely.
In our predominantly white North American culture, we need the people of colour and immigrants among us to tell us their perspectives. We need to hear the experiences of those who are unlike us in ethnicity or who are from other regions of the country or the world. We need to remember that we are Gentiles given the message of the gospel through God’s chosen Jewish people.
If we ignore these things, we are in danger of movements like white supremacy, which is about as far from the gospel message as one can get.
The truth is that North America is not all-white. There are regions that are highly populated by Caucasians, but there are also regions that are populated with just about any ethnicity you can name. Most regions are a mix. We need that mix. God’s people are not just white people; by God’s grace, His people are all people.
How does your ethnicity and regional identity influence your Bible interpretation?
Political views
Oh yes. Politics matter.
I won’t spend much time on this point except to say that where you fall on the ideological spectrum will impact how you read the Bible.
Those who lean left politically will prefer biblical texts that refer to social justice, caring for the poor, and loving your neighbour.
Those who lean right politically will prefer biblical texts speaking to the value of prenatal life, stewardship of resources, and church order.
Now, these are sweeping generalizations based on my own interpretive lens. Obviously, there are many other differences and nuances ranging from economics to social programs, from health care and education to the military.
How do your political affiliations influence your Bible interpretation?
Denominational background:
The church that you either grew up in or are part of now influences how you read the Bible. The passages that your pastor chooses to preach from focus your attention on certain portions of Scripture over others. Some lean heavily on the epistles; others focus on the Gospels. Some might be so bold as to preach from the prophets, though I’d wager this is rare.
The position that your denomination takes on the authority of Scripture, the language used to describe salvation, whether women are permitted to lead in ministry, or the popular view on the end times will all influence how you read the Bible.
Pay attention.
Which values do your church and denomination hold above others?
If you are from a Reformed tradition, you will hold to the supremacy of God above all else. If you are Lutheran, you will declare “justification by grace through faith!” If you are Pentecostal, you will value the living, moving, breathing Holy Spirit and the gifts that He brings to others. If you are Mennonite, you love helping and serving others within your community in the spirit of hospitality.
How does your denominational background influence your Bible interpretation?

Take some time. Consider how your interpretive lens influences your Bible interpretation. In doing so, I pray that you will come to realize that others have different lenses. They might see blue where you see yellow, and that’s okay. It doesn’t mean that they are wrong and you are right, or vice versa.

Instead, it means that we, as the global body of Christ, need to approach Bible interpretation in community with one another because we all have a different perspective to offer. That’s the beauty of church. We can have conversations and learn from one another as we worship God together.

Men and women, wealthy and poor, educated and illiterate, coloured and white, politically liberal and politically conservative, Protestant and Catholic…

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”

— Psalm 133:1

May your deeper understanding of your interpretive lens result in grace for those who are unlike you and may it open your eyes to ways of viewing Scripture that are unlike your own.

In courage and in love,

Katelyn