Lewis Black's Christian interpreting the Tanakh (Old Testament)

Welcome to Center for Tanakh Based Studies' Monday morning "On the lighter side". Here comedian Lewis Black, a Jew criticizes Christians interpreting the Old Testament, his book (Lewis is Jewish if you haven't guessed. Although we don't believe Mr. Lewis' beliefs align with all Jewish people, this one bit of shtick is funny and true.

[@haydenwayne3710]

pound for pound, this is Louis's greatest comedic moment. The content, the timing... Just awesome.

[@jwvandegronden]

Couldn’t say it better! Absolutely top notch, sharp as a whip

[@Scavenger82]

I owe a debt of gratitude to Mr Black for starting me on the path of rational thought (and to a better perspective on the dogma I was indoctrinated into as a kid).

[@mkay6089]

The thing with comedy is that it is often stating the obvious but in a way that shows the hypocrisy and ludicrousness of any given situation. Lewis Black not only knocked it out of the ball park but also way out the solar system. He nailed it. Sooooooooooooooooooo funny. lol.

[@howlandowlle7953]

. 0:44 -- Gawd I love it. He struggled and struggled to keep a straight face and restrain a guffaw. Finally, he was able to muster just enough control to give what was the best punchline of this segment. It was worth every bit of the effort, Lewis! . I'm from a Christian background, but I can hear an important message in that. I cannot tell you how many times I have replayed just the first 48 seconds of this tape. Truth and guts, Lewis. Truth and guts.

[@arthurkatz2003]

Love your comedic pauses. Turning on tv sunday mornings finding priests reciting from, "our book." "There are Jews who among us...can interpret...for a price." I say that you, @Lewisblack, are priceless.

[@sakuyastarwind83]

“If the price is right” 🤣 jewy jewy day 🤣 Lewis is incredible ❤️

[@rayrocher6887]

magnificent work with the USO tours, god blessed Lewis Black's work for charity. he also helped the humane society. I hope he endures for 2 more decades. thanks Mr. Black and Lord.

[@Lewa500]

Lewis Black is an atheist, in case you were confused about that.

[@paulwblair]

​​@@Lewa500it's very common for practicing Jews to be atheists. You make Black's point perfectly here.

[@oblivexx]

Need a lewis black audio book of the bible, with commentary on the side.

[@AceofDlamonds]

The Christian interpretation often ARE wrong. Black is so right lol. Often what Christian theologians and preachers do is insert a later theology into the Tanakh, making it say something other than what it originally says.

[@VT-mw2zb]

I went to an Evangelical Christian service in Singapore and the pastor magaged to shoehorn Jesus into a passage describing a ritual in the Old Testament ("Jesus was there [with the Jews] because we can see that ..."). It was pretty bizarrely stupid.

[@MadHatter42]

If Moses had meant the serpent in the Garden to be Satan in disguise, he would've said that it was Satan in disguise! But he didn't say it was Satan in disguise, because it wasn't Satan in disguise, it was the mf serpent!

[@benjamintrevino325]

Genesis itself states before the fall that God created everything including the creatures that crawl on the ground and that it was GOOD. And of course we find out a few passages later that the snake maybe wasn't so good. The Old Testament is roughly four times longer than the New Testament. Psalm 117 is the mid point of the Christian Bible. Of the 27 books in the New Testament, 13 or 14 are traditionally attributed to Paul, and only four are attributed to the so-called "eyewitnesses." Furthermore, only 7 of the Pauline epistles are accepted as being entirely authentic and dictated by Paul. So, exactly whose word are you believing when you believe the Bible. Oh yeah, God.

[@yabits]

"There are Jews who walk among you." -- Cracks me up EVERY time. (Writing as someone born and raised as a Christian, and who left that path after discovering the beauty and truth of the Jewish scriptures a decade ago.) If you're lucky enough to find a Chassidic rabbi providing the REAL story behind Adam and Eve, prepare for a mind-blowing experience. (If you're getting the whole Adam-Eve-Garden thing different from the way it was intended, the rest of the ride through that book is straight down the tubes.)

[@SkillmanHunter]

I want to hear the real story of Adam and Eve.

[@yabits]

@@SkillmanHunter Rabbi Manis Friedman. ("the whole story doesn't make sense, until now")

[@paulmoore-LPC-LMFT-NCC]

I’m of the Christian faith but find this so funny and compelling.

[@patbrennan6572]

It's also filled with truth.

[@docarsenault3836]

I so hope my fellow Christians are not offended by this hilarious comedy! thank you Lewis..awesome as always! (you made really good points)

[@SplashyandDuckiesadventures]

Not at all. He was really funny. And honestly I understand the Jews more about their frustrations towards the Christian faith

[@chrisclermont456]

Lewis Black is always funny AF!! 🤣

[@stupidtreehugger]

There's a better bit where he says nobody makes better bullshit than the Jews

[@edithdlp8045]

I love him. My anscestors are Jewish on my dad's side and catholic on my mom's side.

[@lancecaldwell3874]

I love this guy! Smarter then the average bear!

[@AzaleaJane]

Possibly my favorite Lewis Black bit ever

[@edithdlp8045]

Sure this is my favorite. I am Jewish on my dad's side and catholic on my mom's side.

[@NobodyNowhereKnowhow]

I dunno, I love his take on candy corn.

[@mohmoony3918]

I've had a jewie day or two in my time, they were rough.

[@sim33009]

As always, Lewis Black hits the nail on the head. Ouch!

[@jamesm.3967]

This was the show where the Kennedy Center wouldn’t allow him to perform there because of too many F bombs in his show ...so he went to the warner theater instead.

[@v.leewalker8640]

Atheist for a reason!

[@lukezuzga6460]

Get a grip it's just comedy sweetheart.

[@OfficeVampire]

@@lukezuzga6460 lol it's a joke.. about something real. 😅 Although it's even more hilarious when people laugh and don't realize there is true meaning behind it.

[@SplashyandDuckiesadventures]

Samantha Koehler there really isn’t no meaning behind jokes. Look at what bill burr said about Tracey Morgan. “It’s jokes and that’s all it will be. The way others take it is their choice but in reality people often mistaken jokes for statements”

[@cmgweb6951]

This one is hilarious, but I think it's a snippet of the "lines" I was looking for to show someone else. (I'm paraphrasing) The part where he compares the Old Testament story of the 40 years lost in the desert, vs. the New Testaments 'new Fresh faced kid', where every one has happy feet and their turning water into wine. These people lost in the Desert can't even get some water, but their turning water into wine and dancing in the New Testament. Nobody breaks the divide like Lewis Black. A International Treasure.

[@artrobinson9310]

So good!

[@stupidtreehugger]

There's a better bit where he says nobody makes better bullshit than the Jews

[@marvinthemaniac7698]

I agree with Lewis all the way. The Old Testament should only be interpreted by Jews and not Christians.

[@suzanachavez2289]

If only 🙄🤣

[@suzanachavez2289]

🤣🤣✡️👏

[@marvinthemaniac7698]

@@suzanachavez2289 made U laugh

[@mikeschwarzenegger6950]

He bashes his own faith. I love him

[@LazyIRanch]

He's only Jewish by birth, not faith. He doesn't practice any religion.

[@Piochanel2]

@@LazyIRanch According to the Jewish religion U do not need to believe in a god to be a perfect Jew

[@James-gk8ip]

Irrelevant. Judaism doesn't care if you believe or not. @@LazyIRanch

[@Bulvan123]

It's a very jewish thing to do. Even Rabbis make fun of Judaism.

[@gunner678]

Hilarious, i would love to be in a conversation with Louis Black and Larry David!

[@CassandrashadowcassMorrison]

Strictly speaking, the Tanakh is the Masoretic Text which most Christians do not, in fact, use. They use translations of the Septuagint (Greek) Old Testament which was current in Jesus' day as it is most likely the one He would have encountered. The Urtext or original Hebrew Bible (Christian "Old Testament") cannot be found anywhere...even the versions of these books found at Qumran showing quite a bit of textual variance with accepted texts. www.bible.ca/manuscripts/Septuagint-LXX-oldest-manuscripts-Bible-Ancient-copies-Dead-Sea-Scrolls-Qumran-Masada-Nahal-Hever-Nahal-Seelim-Wadi-Murabbaat-Masoretic-Greek-Hebrew-Aramaic.htm

[@Historian212]

The Septuagint was created and used outside of Judea/Galilee, in places where Jews spoke Greek (vs. the Aramaic of Judea/Galilee). Jesus would have read the Hebrew, not Greek, versions of the ancient Jewish writings. The bit about the Qumran texts is untrue as well. They show, in fact, very little textual variance from the accepted texts.

[@rutabagasteu]

I think you missed his jokes.

[@farside8625]

He's got musical speech.

[@gatorfan98]

I love Lew! He doesn't hold back! 😂

[@vectoranvil]

These truthboms fall so hard. It's glorios.

[@theplinkerslodge6361]

Why did G-d change Abram and Sara's names? What do the H's signify or mean?

[@mattfinleylive]

no.... NOoooooo(!?) -That's not adequate!?

[@parkfield7296]

he’s not wrong. Christian interpretation of the OT is obsessed on exactly how the events in the narratives foreshadow Jesus. Often going to bizarre lengths to do so.

[@leespaner]

The Jewish joke on Torah is hilarious. no one wants to know any of the interpretations of Myth.

[@JaneDoe-ci3gj]

I like learning things. Can you explain please.🙏

[@jseph8550]

well said Jane .....me too.

[@patriottroll1764]

This is hilarious!

[@yaruqadishi8326]

Hashem bless you.

[@52958]

Same Book Character present from Genesis to Revelation .

[@StoryGordon]

The New Testament is not included in the Tanakh... and there are differences in the Judaic and Christian translations of the Tanakh and Old Testament.

[@52958]

@@StoryGordon There would be no New Testament , without the Old Testament and although there are many examples of how Christ met the criteria of the Messiah , how do you explain the 22nd Psalm , which David wrote 1,000 years PRIOR to the crucifixion ?

[@StoryGordon]

@@52958 - As I am more Biblical pedestrian than scholar I don't try to explain it. My single point is that there are translation differences between the Judaic and Christian versions of the Tanakh/Old Testament which some say are significant variants.

[@52958]

@@StoryGordon I have run into this many times over the years . Lewis Black's whole premise is errant . Christians love the Old Testament and the Jewish people more than you know . Most people that are the most contentious are those that haven't read it . There are many Messianic rabbis that will help you with these questions . Messianic rabbis , are the ones that have actually studied the Old Testament and revealed the truth of Jesus in it . These are the scholars more concerned with the scripture , than Jewish traditions ... very rare , and we thank God for them . In the same way Martin Luther studied the Bible and posted his 95 Thesis on the door of the Catholic church , he found that church doctrine had little to do with the Word of God . People may be telling you there are variants for the same reason they say there are contradictions in the Bible ... there aren't , but these people love to hear themselves talk . Don't take ANY man's word for what the Bible says ... read it for yourself . Then you can tell me and them where we're wrong

[@StoryGordon]

@@52958 - What? What did I write to prompt this response? I don't need help understanding the fact that the authorized JPS version of the Tanakh differs from authorized Christian Old Testaments. What I need help with is realizing the core meanings of their propositions and premises... but so do all who are serious readers of the texts. One of the most interesting examples of the obsessive, compulsive nature of exclusivist Christians is how the King James version of the Bible came into being as explored in God's Secretaries by Adam Nicolson. If you are afraid of losing your belief that Christian leaders guided by God, don't read it.

[@henryfontaine5632]

Left black came back white most curious

[@rayturner5186]

I can never stop watching this, too funny and not quasi true.

[@FrankFLucas]

Lewis Lewis Lewis 😁

[@Katalyzt]

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!

[@ursaltydog]

you claim him.. but not claim him.. that's even funnier..

[@anthonylewis1232]

😂

[@whazzat8015]

I avoid FB

[@rishabhkashyap690]

Fictional shit anyways lol.

[@benjamintrevino325]

The Old Testament is roughly four times longer than the New Testament. Psalm 117 is the mid point of the Christian Bible. Of the 27 books in the New Testament, 13 or 14 are traditionally attributed to Paul, and only four are attributed to the so-called "eyewitnesses." Furthermore, only 7 of the Pauline epistles are accepted as being entirely authentic and dictated by Paul. So, exactly whose word are you believing when you believe the Bible. Oh yeah, God.

[@NobodyNowhereKnowhow]

It's all just a bunch of myths written by a bunch of bronze age goat hearders whose must cutting edge technology was the open toe sandal.

[@jeannetteharvey]

You're not a real Jew that's for sure according to the Old Testament and New Testament

[@jeannetteharvey]

@Barnabas Blackthorne McTavish lol you are as stupid as you look LMBO

[@elizabetholiviaclark]

He is, and not to put too fine a point on it, you've no rightful opinion on the subject.

[@adamplentl5588]

How detached from reality do you have to be to make such a fucking stupid statement. I hope you figured out how to turn on your brain on since you posted this.

[@suzanachavez2289]

😂 settle down antisemite

[@James-gk8ip]

Of course he is. No one needs to believe. It's superfluous and unethical. Reality is so much more fascinating.