1. Make the text about something other than Jesus
2. Force the text to fit into your pre-made theological mold
3. Do not bother to consider whether your implications and applications have an organic relationship with the text.
4. Exalt the literal (wooden) over the literary (story).
5. By all means bypass the heart
6. Get caught up in speculation, making the Bible about answering your questions.
7. Read yourself wrongly into the text. Example: Rather than seeing yourself like Cain, interpret the text as if you are Abel.
Perhaps, in the next few days I’ll expound upon these…
