Most Christians never learn how to study the Bible properly. They read it devotionally, they cherry-pick when they want to win an argument, or they let their favorite teacher or denomination tell them what it means instead of what it says. As a result, they stay shallow, confused, or even divided from other believers. Today I want to show you why that happens and teach you the single most important question that will completely change how you read Scripture for the rest of your life.

What do I mean? I’ll explain.

For believers reading the Bible, there are three common pitfalls.

First: Devotional-only reading.

This is when we open the Bible and ask, “What does this verse mean to me today?” That can be encouraging, but it’s not study.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Millions claim this as a personal promise of prosperity and good times. But if you read the actual context, God is speaking to Israelites who were taken into captivity in Babylon because of their sin. He’s telling them they will be in exile for 70 years. The “plans to prosper you” meant they would eventually return home, not that every believer gets an easy life. When we ignore context, we turn God’s Word into a fortune cookie.

Second: Cherry Picking/Proof texting.

Cherry Picking is grabbing isolated verses to prove a point.

Take John 6:44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.”

Many people use this to argue that God only draws certain people to salvation and everyone else has no chance.

But just a few chapters later, Jesus says in John 12:32, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

One verse without the other leads to a distorted picture.

Cherry Picking lets us make the Bible say almost anything.

Third: System-first reading.

This is the most dangerous.
We start with a theological system Calvinism, Arminianism, Catholicism, whatever, and then read the Bible through that lens, explaining away anything that doesn’t fit.

For example, someone committed to “Once Saved Always Saved” will read the strong warning passages in Hebrews 6 and Hebrews 10 and immediately say, “Those people were never truly saved.”
Someone committed to the opposite view might downplay the strong security passages in John 10 and Romans 8. In both cases, we’re not letting the text speak, we’re making the text submit to our system.

Unfortunately, clear teaching is not a guarantee for clear learning. Recognizing our fallible reading posture, we institute rules and guidelines to steer us to the intended meaning of Scripture rather than our personal preference of interpretation. We call this the Berean Posture. When we approach God's word with humility, honesty, and love, we can draw the truth from the Bible instead of mining it for support of our presumptions.