Read parts one, two and three 

More pitfalls you might fall into when you read the bible:

11. Don't let your discomfort with sexual issues affect how you view the story. We are often more prudish than bible characters are. In the story of Ruth, we are told that Ruth 'uncovered Boaz's feet.' Many bible readers will...assume Ruth merely lifted Boaz' clothes as a symbolic action. Yet everywhere else in Scripture, the euphemism 'uncover' is used to describe a sexual or intimate act. 

12. Be aware that your own agenda will cause mis-interpretation. For example: the bible speaks against homosexuality. Some homosexual priests and theologians have said that Sodom's sin was 'inhospitality.' (But) the bible says quite plainly in many places that the act of homosexuality is wrong. That does not mean that we should consider homosexuality worse than other sins or set out to hurt the feelings of someone else. 

13. Know the difference between a symbol and something literal. The bible says that when Lot and his family fled the sulfur-burned cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt. Some say that she literally turned into a pillar of salt. Those who know ancient middle eastern slang, know that the phrase 'to be turned to a pillar of salt' means something like our 'petrified' (which literally means 'turned to stone.') In that case, Lot's wife might simply have died of fright.

14. Don't assume that a bible story is too small to have a spiritual meaning.

15. Don't try to take the supernatural out of a story. For example, many people question the miracle of Jesus walking on the water.

16. Know the basic rules of Reading comprehension.

17. Remember that some words, names or slangs can have many different meanings and different translations of these words can affect interpretation. When Jesus' mother told him to do something about the wine shortage at the wedding reception, he answered her with a slang. The King James translates the slang as 'Woman, what do I have to do with you?' But the phrase could also be translated as 'Woman, what is that to you and me?' This is a very friendly phrase.

18. Know the rest of the bible. The bible continually refers to itself. One bible writer will mention another bible writer or another bible person. We aren't confused when someone mentions Madonna or Homer Simpson... because we know who those people are.

19. Know your own personal psychological history and hang-ups. Your own family history can make you understand some bible stories better than other people understand it. But it can also get in the way. If you find yourself becoming unreasonably angry with a bible character or a bible story, examine yourself prayerfully. If you can't do that, ignore the story and move on. I remember a woman who really hated Leah - and God - for allowing Leah to steal Rachel's husband. There was no talking to her, but the story had hit a raw nerve.

20. Don't assume that new interpretations of bible passages are better than old interpretations.  NEW does not mean TRUE.

21. Beware of media-created dichotomies. For instance, in movies and modern books, very good women are often innocent, almost ignorant, and bad women are always wise and savvy.

22. The bible we have is not the only bible in the world. For instance, the phrase, 'A camel through the eye of a needle' is only found in English translations because the eastern church...translated the Arabic word 'gamla' correctly as ‘rope’ instead of camel. So we must be aware that we might very well be reading a verse that has been mistranslated.

The important thing to remember is that God has given us our own minds. It is not a good idea to have a Second-God and a second-hand knowledge of Scripture.

(This article was first published on Bible Reflections in January 2010, in a different format. It has been cut down from a longer version and is used with kind permission)