The Bible in first person: The Bible as it stands or as we understand it?
Many Christians like to think that they take the Bible as it stands, but in reality they take the Bible as they understand it. What we get out of the Bible often has as much to do with what we bring to the text as with the text itself. Differing biblical interpretations often arise from the different theological grids that are imposed on scripture. For instance, conservatives tend to look at an issue like homosexuality through the prism of the holiness of God, whereas progressives tend to approach it with a focus on the justice of God.