3 Answers

  1. Yes, as you want, as, in fact, any text.

    It seems logical to me that when interpreting the text, we should take into account the recommendations of representatives of the tradition in which it was created (when reading Marx, it is useful to listen to the words of communists, when reading the Koran – Muslims, and so on), as well as the historical context of writing.

    But this is my personal opinion, there may be others.

    You can't do just one thing – you can't pass off your own understanding as someone else's. You can understand the Bible in one way or another – but you can't say that according to the Bible Christians or (if we are talking about the Old Testament) Jews are obliged to do this or that – what they are obliged to do is a matter of them, not your understanding of the text.

  2. Short answer: I suggest that you look at the Bible skeptically, as well as at everything else in this world. However, this is not possible for everyone.

    A slightly more detailed answer: I have an assumption that how exactly you, Dima, will understand the Bible does not depend on how you want to understand it, and certainly not on how you are being advised to understand it right now. It depends on what you're reading it for.

    If you are a believer, then the Bible will most likely help establish your faith, teach you to look for good among evil, and also give you hope and an opportunity to brag to other believers who have not read the Bible (you will be in the minority). But the Bible itself says that it is better not to do this.

    If you are not a believer, the Bible will allow you to take a fresh look at history, because if you believe this science, the Bible has been used for almost two thousand years to control the masses — and after reading it, you can understand exactly how this was done. In this regard, it is a very convenient tool, even the believers themselves, including those who have answered and will still answer this question, recognize that you can interpret the Bible in any way. And it's true.

  3. To understand the Bible, you need to study it. There are three sides to this:

    1. The Bible is a very interesting read. Even if you are skeptical about it, it can tell you a lot about the life of the Jews of those times. For example, Daniel Sysoev, who was shot in the temple by an unknown person, was very interesting and informative about the details contained in the Gospel. Even if you are not a religious person, the Bible will be interesting to study from the point of view of history and culture.

    2. The Bible is a beautiful teaching. The New Testament, in fact, consists of parables and stories that tell you how to become happy. Even if you don't count it as God's instructions, the covenants of Jesus Christ are really rules that can help a person in life. The 10 commandments are essentially rules that help a person live honestly and be in harmony with themselves.

    3. The Bible is a guide. If you are a believer, then this book can become a basis for you to move along the path of spiritual development, the path to God. Think and study it so that you can understand more each time.

    Summing up, I want to say that the Bible, in particular, the New Testament, is an interesting book that can tell anyone how to be kind, happy and calm. The main thing is not to treat it with fanaticism, and think, THINK. The most interesting thing, in my opinion, is that it is not necessary to be a believer in order to understand and apply in life the covenants that are indicated in it.

Leave a Reply