Reading the Bible and understanding the Bible are two different things (See Acts 8:30-31). The bridge between knowledge and comprehension is interpretation, or what the apostle Paul called “rightly dividing [explaining] the word of truth” (II Tim. 2:15). This workshop will examine the important role of biblical interpretation in determining how we use and apply the Bible in the Black Church and the African American community. We will explore different interpretive methods and how various factors—including experience, tradition, history, and culture—color our interpretation and, thus, influence our beliefs about God, humanity, and the world in which we live. With particular attention to the issue of homosexuality, we will also review how the Bible has been used in relation to other controversial issues, such as slavery and the place of women in church and society.