How should we read the Bible?

Text based on the Q Christian Fellowship* site (United States), first part. Freely translated by the volunteers of the Gionata Lo Project

How should we read the Bible? Let's start with an anecdote:

A young man knocks on the door of a great Talmud scholar.

"Rabbi, I wish to study the Talmud."

"Do you know the Aramaic?"

"No."

"The Hebrew?"

"No."

"Have you ever studied the Torah?"

“No, Rabbi, but I graduated from Harvard Summa cum laude in philosophy and I achieved a doctorate to Yale. I would like to complete my training with a little study of the Talmud. "

“I doubt you are ready for the Talmud. It is the largest and most deep book that exists. However, if you want, I will examine you in logic. If you exceed the test, I will teach you the Talmud. "

"All right. I am very experienced in logic. "

“First question. Two thieves descend down a fireplace. One comes out with a clean face, the other with a dirty face. Who of the two washes your face? "

"The thief with a dirty face."

"Wrong. The one with the clean face. Let's analyze the logic. The thief with a dirty face looks at the other, who has a clean face, and thinks that his is also clean. The one with a clean face sees the other with a dirty face and thinks she is dirty. So it's the one with a clean face to wash. "

“Very cunning. Another question, please. "

“Two thieves take a fireplace. One comes out with a clean face, the other with a dirty face. Who wash your face? "

“We have already established it. The thief with a clean face washes. "

"Wrong. They both wash. Let's examine the logic. The thief with a dirty face thinks his face is clean. The one with a clean face thinks she is dirty. So, the thief with a clean face washes. But when the one with the dirty face sees him wash, he understands that his face must also be dirty and he washes too. "

“I hadn't thought about it. Ask another question. "

“Two thieves take a fireplace. One comes out with a clean face, the other with a dirty face. Who wash your face? "

"Well, we know they both wash."

"Wrong. Neither washes. Let's examine the logic. The thief with a dirty face thinks he is clean. The one with a clean face thinks she is dirty. But when the one with a clean face sees that the one with the dirty face does not wash, not even he washes. So neither of them washes. As you can see, you are not ready for the Talmud. "

"Rabbi, please, give me one last test."

“Two thieves take a fireplace. One comes out with a clean face, the other with a dirty face. Who wash your face? "

"Nobody!"

"Wrong. And maybe now you will understand why Harvard and Yale cannot prepare for the Talmud. Tell me, how is it possible that two men get off the same fireplace and one has a clean face while the other has a dirty face? "

“But you just gave me four contradictory answers to the same question! It's impossible! "

*"No, son, this is the Talmud" (Eretz Israel).

The well -known Jew Jon Levenson scholar wrote: "For Jews, the Bible is a problem to be solved; For Christians, it is a message to be proclaimed. "

Original text: How Should We Read the Bible?