[1000 silverlings]

Will you teach me how to read the scripture? Shall I take my little bible and use blackout whenever I see “woman and Israel” mentioned? How about if I just pencil in “Mary” every time I see the word “woman”?

[annalex]

How about if I just pencil in “Mary” every time I see the word “woman”?

That would be just as silly as your original method. You just have to read it as written, and be prepared for the difficulty that there is no cypher to the Bible. It says what it says. If by substituting words the meaning would have become clearer, the inspired writer would have done the substitutions already for you.

[Quix]

INDEED.