There are many reasons why reading authors and theologians who present different perspectives is a great practice for Bible students. One of the biggest benefits of reading broadly is that you can gain insights that reveal your own biases and assumptions you may unintentionally be bringing to the text. But it is very important to remember that the purpose of reading books is not simply to swap your flawed perspective for someone else’s, but to refine your understanding so that you can be better equipped to “rightly divide the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Every single person who opens their Bible does so wearing a set of lenses that impacts how they think (think eyeglasses, except they hinder rather than help your vision). My particular “lens” is that of a white male who grew up in a Christian home in the Bible Belt. I’ve been shaped by a particular upbringing, education, and set of personal experiences within the church. As a result, I may notice certain biblical texts and doctrinal concepts more so than others. The things I notice in my study may be different from that of a Christian who grew up in a secular culture on a mission field, and we both may read scripture differently from a black woman in New York City, or from an Anglican Priest in Europe, or from a 2nd century Christian in the Roman Empire.

But here’s the thing: Just because other people read the Bible from different a perspective than you, this does not necessarily mean that their perspective is more correct than yours. They too are approaching the Bible with a set of lenses.

In today’s pluralistic society, some would rather you simply exchange your own perspective for someone else’s, whether that means reading the Bible from another racial, socio-economic, or political perspective. But that would simply exchange one biased reading for another.

Don’t misunderstand me. You may stand to learn something. In fact, you may stand to learn a whole lot of things you hadn’t considered before. But even if you could begin to read Scripture from someone else’s perspective, you would still be looking at the text from a perspective that is foreign to Scripture itself. Good Bible study simply doesn’t work like that.

The text has one meaning. That one meaning is not determined by my particular place and time, but by the intentions of the original author. If you’re going to exchange your perspective for someone else’s, put yourself in the shoes of original audiences. Put yourself in the shoes an ancient near eastern Hebrew. Put yourself in the shoes of first century Jew. Try to read the text the way the author would have wanted them to understand it.

Yes, you should listen to other people’s perspectives. But your goal in doing so should be to discover how your context may be influencing your reading in ways you have not recognized before, in order that you may approach Scripture apart from that bias.

So yes, you should read books written by people from different backgrounds. When you read only from your familiar context, you risk developing blind spots in your understanding. It is a good thing to consider the insights others have to offer. On occasion they may test your assumptions. That’s a good thing. They may point out flaws in your own logic. That too is a good thing. If our reading is being skewed by our own experiences, we should want someone to point that out to us. At other times you may grow frustrated, as you see the blind spots that skew their own understandings. This too is a good thing to observe, as it helps you grow in confidence in certain truths you already hold.

But remember, the ultimate purpose of reading books about the Bible is to drive you back to Scripture with fresh eyes, so you can see what it really says. Never stop revisiting the inspired text and studying it carefully. Other perspectives are important, but God’s perspective is what matters most.