If only a few people knew how to read, the greatest written works of all time - all the way from Torah to Twain - would be accurately understood by those few people who cared enough to understand these works correctly that they taught themselves to read.
Today however, the more important the work, the less accurately it is understood. This is because it has been taught by fools to children who grew up to be fools teaching it to other children — for generations.
In each case, (once they gather their puny guts) the intelligencia, trusting the foolish readings of these works as genuine, pay them no interest and thus lead the world, yet again, into one of their ever-renewing follies because they arrogantly believe that everyone before them was a fool with no wisdom to grant.
If you read me you will understand the importance of rhe following advice and you will benefit from it greatly.
The next time you read an important work, be it The Book of Acts or Plato’s Republic, go into it cold.
Do NOT read a word about it from Wikipedia. Don't read papers, opinions, reviews, the back flap or the preface. Do not read a single footnote.
Connect with the author yourself and you will understand the heart or mind of the great author better than anyone who took a class on it.
They may be able to parrot a few more semi-important truths about the author's intent than you’ve caught on your own bold solo expedition, but these class-takers will always miss that which truly matters.
And I say this about no work more, than about the bible.