Have you ever faced this objection to Bible study?
- “There are so many conflicting interpretations of the Bible, how can we possibly know what it means?”
- “Why study it? How could we possibly know we’re getting it straight?”
Or have you asked them yourself?
It’s a fair concern. Throughout history, Christians have disagreed on how to understand various parts of Scripture. Denominations have split. Debates have raged. Entire books have been written defending one view or another.
Lately, it’s become increasingly common to hear people conclude that the Bible can’t be understood at all or at least not with any certainty.
But here’s the irony: the Bible itself assumes the opposite.
Scripture doesn’t speak as if it’s written in code, accessible only to experts or scholars. It doesn’t shrug its shoulders and say, “Good luck figuring this out.” Instead, from beginning to end, the Bible speaks as if its message is clear, true, and meant to be understood by ordinary people.
That doesn’t mean every passage is easy. Some sections are challenging. Some require digging and study. But the core message? That part is remarkably clear. And that’s where I always begin when someone raises this objection.
Try this:
I’ll often invite the person to read a simple, well-known verse like John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Then I’ll ask: What do you think this verse means?
Nine times out of ten, they get the basic idea. God loves us. He gave us his Son. If we believe in Him, we receive eternal life.
No commentary. No Greek lexicon. Just a single verse and already we’re engaging with the text and understanding its message. That’s the starting point.
Understanding the Bible isn’t about unlocking a secret code. It’s about listening carefully to what God has revealed and being willing to take it seriously. Some parts of the Bible are hard, yes. But God did not hide the way of salvation behind theological riddles. His message is clear: we are sinners in need of grace, and He has made a way for us to be rescued.
That’s not a mystery. That’s the gospel.
Yes, interpretation takes work.
I’m not saying we’ll always agree on every verse. Christians who love the Lord and take the Bible seriously can still reach different conclusions on secondary issues. That’s okay. Disagreement doesn’t mean the Bible is unknowable. It just means we’re still learning.
In fact, wrestling with Scripture is part of what it means to be a disciple. The word disciple means learner. And learners ask questions, make mistakes, and keep growing. That’s what we’re doing when we study the Bible: learning to hear God’s voice more clearly.
And God doesn’t leave us alone in that process. He gives us His Spirit to guide us, His people to walk with us, and His Word to anchor us.
Why Do Christians Disagree About What the Bible Means?
If the Bible really can be understood, then why do so many Christians disagree about what it says? That’s a fair and important question, especially if you’re new to the faith and wondering how to make sense of all the differing opinions.
In my view, there are two primary reasons for this interpretive disagreement: one that can be solved with effort, and one that’s simply part of the human condition.
Sloppy Study Habits (The Solvable Problem)
The first reason is actually encouraging, because it’s something we can change: many disagreements come from poor study habits.
Too often, we bring our assumptions to the text without even realizing it. We pull verses out of context. We skip over hard passages. We let our feelings or experiences carry more weight than the author’s intent. And many times, we’re simply repeating what we’ve heard without examining it carefully for ourselves.
In today’s world, it’s easy for Bible teaching to slip into the category of “edutainment” (a mix of emotional storytelling, inspirational quotes, and personal anecdotes). While none of those are inherently wrong, they’re not a substitute for sound interpretation.
Solid Bible study takes more than finding a verse that supports our point. It requires us to slow down, pay attention to the context, and ask good questions.
Unfortunately, good study skills are no longer widely taught or modeled. Many churches have shifted away from verse-by-verse teaching. Many believers have never learned how to observe, interpret, and apply Scripture for themselves. And that leaves us vulnerable to confusion, error, and shallow thinking.
But here’s the good news: this problem is solvable. Bible study is a skill, and like any skill, it can be learned.
You don’t need a seminary degree to grow in discernment. You need curiosity, humility, and the willingness to keep learning. With the right tools and a thoughtful approach, your understanding will deepen and your confidence in Scripture will grow.
Human Limitation (The Unsolvable—at least for now)
The second reason for disagreement is more complex. It’s not something we can fix this side of heaven. Quite simply: our knowledge is limited. Even the Apostle Paul acknowledged this in 1 Corinthians 13:12: “Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”
None of us has a complete grasp of the truth. We are all finite creatures trying to understand an infinite God. Our minds are shaped by our experiences, our culture, our personalities, and our limitations. And those blind spots affect how we read and interpret Scripture.
That’s not a cause for despair; it’s an invitation to humility.
Disagreement doesn’t necessarily mean one side is rebellious or wrong. Often it means we’re each seeing a part of the picture and trying to make sense of the whole. Sometimes we’re both missing something. Sometimes we’re each seeing something the other can’t yet see.
And that’s why we need each other.
Rather than letting our differences drive us toward frustration or division, we can let them push us into more careful study, more thoughtful dialogue, and more prayerful dependence on the Spirit. The goal is not to “win” an argument. The goal is to understand what God has said and to live it out faithfully.
How to Disagree and Seek Truth Together
Here’s a revised and expanded version of the final section, refined in your voice—warm, wise, gently self-aware, and always pointing the reader toward clarity, humility, and hope. It preserves your structure but strengthens the flow, sharpens the insight, and deepens the mentoring tone:
How to Disagree Well
So what should we do when we encounter a difficult or controversial passage especially one that sincere Christians interpret differently? Here’s my advice: keep two goals in mind.
1. Know what you believe and why.
It’s easy to borrow our theology from someone else. But understanding why you hold a particular view is part of spiritual maturity. It forces you to engage the text, think carefully, and wrestle with the implications. Even if you don’t have all the answers, aim to be thoughtful, not just reactive. Know what you believe, and be able to explain it.
2. Understand the other side well enough to know why it doesn’t persuade you.
We often dismiss opposing views too quickly, especially if they make us uncomfortable. But real discernment isn’t about creating echo chamber; it’s about honest evaluation.
If someone reaches a different conclusion, try to understand how they got there. What are they seeing that you’re not? What assumptions are they making? When we understand another view clearly, we’re in a better position to evaluate it wisely and respond with grace rather than defensiveness.
And here’s the truth: genuine believers will reach different conclusions on some passages. We are not all at the same place in our understanding, and God has not revealed every detail with equal clarity to everyone. Some truths are central to the gospel and non-negotiable. Others are important but secondary. And still others are open-handed issues where faithful Christians may disagree.
One day, the Lord will make all things clear. For now, we do our best with what we’ve been given. We study carefully, hold our conclusions with appropriate humility, and continue learning. It’s okay to say, “This is what I think, and here’s why, but I’m still learning.”
I often think of it like this: in the grand scheme of God’s universe, our theological debates sometimes resemble a group of first graders arguing over who reads best. The reality? None of us reads very well, at least not yet. But we can learn. And if we’re willing to sit under the authority of Scripture and the guidance of the Spirit, we’ll keep growing.
Our job is not to be right about everything. Our job is to seek the truth, submit to what we understand, and keep asking good questions. When we approach Scripture with both confidence and humility, we’ll not only learn to disagree well; we’ll grow in wisdom, love, and clarity along the way.
Photo by Afif Kusuma on Unsplash
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