Why do well-meaning, intelligent people disagree about the Bible? What should I do when people disagree? How can I use disagreement to help me understand the Bible more clearly?

If I can't agree with someone on how to read the Bible, does it mean the end of fellowship? How many times have you had a conversation with someone that involved a disagreement over the Bible? And how many times have these conversations led to interruptions of friendships or even extended family disputes? Some of these disputes have split congregations. Even the more mild disagreements can leave us perplexed. Why is it that something so plain to one is so obviously unconvincing to others? This often leads us to search for ways to convince others through honing our interpretive skills, doing elaborate word studies, consulting scholarly commentaries and the like. In the end, however, people don't easily change their minds, and we are left to wonder why.

This book differs from most in that rather than looking at how to interpret the Bible properly, we'll examine the sources of disagreement among interpreters. We all have our own ways of trying to understand the Bible and they are close to our hearts. Many of us think our way is superior to most, if not all. But we will not venture into who is right and who is wrong in our interpretations. What concerns us here is why we interpret the way we do and what our attitude should be toward those with whom we disagree.