The Message

[Guest borderline]

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Edited July 16, 2012 by borderline

[OneLight]

The Message is not a translation, but one mans twisted understanding of the Bible with new age and gnosticism thrown in to make it a dangerous lie. Read this The Message.

When Christian's stop demonizing their own bible maybe we'll see more converts to Christianity.

There are Christians who claim the NIV is straight from hell!

Is that the 'message' we should be declaring to an unsaved world?

The message bible just brings the message across. It's not a study bible and the only bad thing about it is your opinion of it!

One of these days...you and I are bound to agree on something!

We are to be as the Bereans and hold everything up to scripture. When one version of the "bible" includes new age and gnostic belief, it stops being a bible and becomes the interpretation by one man, Eugene Peterson. I assume you also like the New World Translation from the Jehovah Witness, or the King James Bible used by the Mormons with LDS footnotes, dictionary and topical guide?

Your assumptions are misguided. And your opinion of the message bible is also misguided.

You too often believe the opinions of others who are as equally misguided as you are!

But if you think it's your duty to slander the Word of God...have at it!

Christian's are too often their own enemy.

I have The Message and have gone through it personally, so it is not misguided. You accuse me because I disagree with you. Shall I post parts of The Message beside accepted translations so show how it is different?

Can you also answer the question about the New World Translation and the KJV bible the Mormons use?

Yes, Christians are too often their own enemy when that accept writings that are false because they do not want to take the time to research what they have been told against scripture, or that their ears have been tickled by the one giving them the message. How sad it is when His people accept teachings that gives a label to God as the "God of green hope". Can you explain what the "God-colors" mean? There are many more that I can bring forth for you to answer, since you accuse me of being misguided, so we all can be enlightened by your new wisdom you have gained from The Message.

[~candice~]

Does anyone have a "Message" bible? What are your thoughts on the accuracy and layout on this translation? I find it frustrating that it lumps the verses into paragraphs, and doesn't break them down verse by verse, so you don't know where one ends and the next one starts.

Hello,

I had heard someone read from this "message bible." I took a closer look at what I had heard with reading various parts of this "message bible." Honestly, and hoping that I do not alienate my brothers and sisters, I would only use the "message" as tinder for a fireplace.

God bless,

Randal

I quietly agree.

Does anyone have a "Message" bible? What are your thoughts on the accuracy and layout on this translation? I find it frustrating that it lumps the verses into paragraphs, and doesn't break them down verse by verse, so you don't know where one ends and the next one starts.

i'm sure this will turn into a message bashing thread, so hopefully you'll see my thoughts before that happens.

i think it's a decent paraphrase, and i think it's more readable for kids and teens. so for that reason, i think it has a target audience that needs it and can be drawn to Christ through it. i won't knock it for that reason. my pastor often uses it in his sermons... we're a recovery church and have people coming in off the street. it's good for them. it reaches them. it speaks in a language that they can relate to.

but me personally, i don't care for it. i'm like you, it lumps things into paragraphs. you can't find the verses you're looking for. beyond that, it elaborates too much. it's way too wordy. and because of that wordiness, it sometimes gets a little off track from straight scripture, and can lead to misunderstandings in some parts. not all parts, i think MOST of the time it sticks very closely to scripture, but there are areas where it doesn't.

it's absolutely NOT good for study. oh man, it's good reading if you like a more novel-ish format, but it's definitely not good for study, and i hope that any young person who starts out with the message will graduate to a real bible in time.

but honestly, i think if someone really wants a paraphrase bible (face it, they are more "digestible" for new christians) they should skip the message and go for the "new living translation". that one also uses more common street lingo, and in fact, it uses more believable street lingo. the message tries too hard. the NLT sounds like how we really talk. and without being too wordy. and without writing paragraphs around verses. still, it's a paraphrase and not suitable for serious study.

Hey you know what? When hubby got saved he started with the message bible. It was terrible for him. He said he just couldn't "hear" it. So I gave him a $5 NKJV pew bible and viola! Even as a baby christian a few weeks old, he says he can hear God in the NKJV but never in the Message.

I have no problem with "easy reading" paraphrases, so long as people realise what they are reading isn't a translation. But from my own personal research, the message is a paraphrase that additionally makes some huge changes to the meaning of the text.

Romans 1 is a great example here and what it does to change the condemnation of homosexuality. I have heaps more but I think the link was already posted...

So yeah, I don't demonise paraphrases but when the meanings is drastically changed it's no longer a paraphrase but a work of fiction.

[~candice~]

The Message is not a translation, but one mans twisted understanding of the Bible with new age and gnosticism thrown in to make it a dangerous lie. Read this The Message.

When Christian's stop demonizing their own bible maybe we'll see more converts to Christianity.

There are Christians who claim the NIV is straight from hell!

Is that the 'message' we should be declaring to an unsaved world?

The message bible just brings the message across. It's not a study bible and the only bad thing about it is your opinion of it!

One of these days...you and I are bound to agree on something!

We are to be as the Bereans and hold everything up to scripture. When one version of the "bible" includes new age and gnostic belief, it stops being a bible and becomes the interpretation by one man, Eugene Peterson. I assume you also like the New World Translation from the Jehovah Witness, or the King James Bible used by the Mormons with LDS footnotes, dictionary and topical guide?

Your assumptions are misguided. And your opinion of the message bible is also misguided.

You too often believe the opinions of others who are as equally misguided as you are!

But if you think it's your duty to slander the Word of God...have at it!

Christian's are too often their own enemy.

Brother, you might want to reconsider your language before a board mod turns up and shuts the thread down. Disagree with what Alan is saying but don't accuse him personally, it's against the TOS and not how the Word tells us to relate to our brothers.

[Treasure]

My kids used to read from The Message with the youth group but even they don't like it. Yes, it's an easy read but truthfully, what's the point of it being easy to read if it's not accurate?

[nebula]

The Message is more akin to sermons on the Scriptures than the Scriptures themselves. Sometimes he has some good, practical modern applications and understandings to the verses and passages. But you need to read them as one man's interpretation of them, not the be-all and end-all and not always accurate, just like any other sermon.

The Psalms, though, are completely mutilated. He's so caught up into trying to put everything into modern slang that the poetry and beauty are lost. And frankly, they lose their meaning all together.

[Treasure]

The Message is more akin to sermons on the Scriptures than the Scriptures themselves. Sometimes he has some good, practical modern applications and understandings to the verses and passages. But you need to read them as one man's interpretation of them, not the be-all and end-all and not always accurate, just like any other sermon.

The Psalms, though, are completely mutilated. He's so caught up into trying to put everything into modern slang that the poetry and beauty are lost. And frankly, they lose their meaning all together.

[Guest]

The Message is not a translation, as has been pointed out. But that isn't to say it isn't without value. I don't have one myself, but I have read snippets of it, and some long passages as well, and honestly I would consider it a layman's commentary.

But, I would be careful when it comes to descriptions. I have read some of Eugene Peterson's other work, and heard him speak. Not once have I heard him speak of secret knowledge that only a select few can understand, so why the term "Gnostic" is aimed at "The Message" is beyond me.

It's one thing to not want to use The Message, either as a Bible or a devotional tool or whatever. But please do not throw around slanderous terms, especially since you know not either the intent or the heart of Eugene Peterson.

[oldzimm]

The Message is not a translation, but one mans twisted understanding of the Bible with new age and gnosticism thrown in to make it a dangerous lie. Read this The Message.

I never read the Message book, so I can't make judgement on it.

Nothing personal against you 'Onelight' but I did click on the Message and I seen a bunch of hogwash, all it was is somebody bashing Masons and having no clue on what they were talking about.

[~candice~]

The Message is not a translation, but one mans twisted understanding of the Bible with new age and gnosticism thrown in to make it a dangerous lie. Read this The Message.

I never read the Message book, so I can't make judgement on it.

Nothing personal against you 'Onelight' but I did click on the Message and I seen a bunch of hogwash, all it was is somebody bashing Masons and having no clue on what they were talking about.

There are plenty of other sites that highlight the errors in the Message. Or you can use biblegateway.com and look at them for yourself,try comparing the last say 8 verses of Ro 1 with NASB.