He was speaking about HIS physical attributes. This displays The Messageat its worst, and it's another reminder as to why we should never use it as our primary Bible. The Message communicates their lack of sincerity, but it loses the message of God's coming wrath. I reminded them that we are told to have no fellowship with darkness (Ephesians 5:11) which should mean we dont use that book as a resource. Dear Jonathan, King James translated the Bible so that it would be relevant for the time that he lived in, to bring in more people into the faith, and to oppress others, namely the Puritans, who didnt adhere to the practices of Christianity. you let me catch my breath In Luke 9:61-62, we read of Jesus' conversation with a person who wanted to follow Him, but was denied due to this reason. It's a book of faith, written over four centuries by people with very different viewpoints and agendas. You are really understanding mans word, not Gods by using this commentary/paraphrase. 1. Tyndale got a Bible into the hands of the common person. Authored by Eugene H. Peterson and published in segments from 1993 to 2002. ", In fact, you might even turn to your partner as you read the verses together and say, "That doesn't describe us! They must not be heavy drinkers or troublemakers. Many young people who want to serve on a short-term basis with us in the the Scottish housing schemes are on fire for the poor and passionate about being "missional" and "breaking down barriers.". Unjust people who don't care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. I also like Watchman Nees Normal Christian Life also. Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge; If the Bible is the truth, then ignoring it is ignoring the truth. You set out at the beginning of the year to read the Bible every day. I was appalled and immediately went home and read A LOT . Talking to the Dead in the Bible. Song of Solomon: Most Amazing . The Message loses the idea of an evil demonic power in these verses. Further the Message adds to the text (something forbidden by scripture) there is nothing in there speaking about any of Gods attributes at the end to the prayer, and I have no idea where he got that Yes. 2. Rise to the occasion and preach when it is convenient and when it is not. How is the Bible inspired? I replied that as part of the body of Christ, she was responsible along with everyone else for ensuring that an authentic Bible gets used and not a book that misrepresents Gods word. 9 Pray along these lines: Our Father in heaven, we honor your holy name. makes me feel secure. The purpose of those are the same as the Message, which is to make it more understandable to the reader. Instead, they must be kind and gentle and not love money. In sum, my view today of The Messageis the same as it has been for years, unchanged by the controversial events of this week. (23 October 2018). ", The ESV reads: "For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Holy Bible comes with both the new testament and the old testaments of the holy scriptures. Gossip always distorts and exaggerates, and is never a reliable source of truth. There are many issues I have with the Message translation, but for the sake of space I am only listing three of them. For instance, the English Standard Version, a word for word literal translation puts the Lord's Prayer, from Matthew 6 as: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. But, to repeat: It should neverbe used as your primary Bible, since it is not a translation of the Bible but rather a free paraphrase of the Bible. Contempt for it is contempt for the truth. Solomon compromised with God's way; he decided to give into his wives' idolatrous practices for personal and political peace (1 Kings 11:1-8). It's been the case from the beginning that Christians are slandered, and one of the worst slanders is to consider our love dangerous. The Bible reveals that psychic experiences are real but demonic, and that deceiving . Isaiah lived this name well, insisting that Judah's kings and people trust only in God, make no alliances with foreign nations, and refuse to fear anyone but God. They are persecuted because they wear a cross and bear witness to Jesus. 41,316 Views. I reached the conclusion that it was very bad and going to deceive a lot more people. 12 and forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us. Not the way man tryed n break it down not like this ", In TheMessagethis becomes, "Don't you realize that this is not the way to live? 6. He asked his people to respect his grace in Numbers. Peterson's goal in creating The Message, in his own words, was to "bring the New Testament to life for two different types of people: those who hadn't read the Bible because it seemed too distant and irrelevant and those who had read the Bible so much that it had become 'old hat'." Surely Peterson should do the same. Jonathan Kotyk
In my opinion, The Message is a bit like the ring in Lord of the Rings: theres always someone who thinks it will be all right to use it and who doesnt want to let go of it. The Message Bible is a paraphrase version of the Bible. Theological Reasons. And not a great church to go to if salvation is paramount. 11 Give us our food again today, as usual, One lady, a former church leader, reportedly lay awake all night wrestling with the issue. Updated Jan 9, 2023. Youre not going to fond the truth any other way. Instead, he became way too cute with words in general, taking away from the clarity of the original and even introducing some foreign concepts. And why are they persecuted? https://www.ebay.com/itm/115037693742 Youre ablaze in beauty! This is hazardous work I'm assigning you. I so appreciate your comment, when reading the message bible which is use In my church along with the NIV and both are use, I found it to be valuable to understanding Gods word it not replacing the Bible , it all about evolving period! Speakers were lacking in integrity to feed people from this book without first explaining the many problems with it. Did the Bible copy other religious myths, legends, and traditions? A church that uses the Message, is a church that has let culture invade the Kingdom. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone by making a one-time donation today. "You have something divine in your hands: a book like fire! Isaiah was born in 760 B.C. We were living in sin, and letting the world dictate how we should live our lives. Gossip often thrives upon secrecy. If they dont know how to control their own families, how can they look after Gods people? In this article, we will discuss why it may be dangerous for ones understanding of the Christian faith and message. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. English Standard Version (ESV): And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. The second most dangerous way to read the Bible is to let someone create preconceived notions for you. Eugene Peterson has stayed true to the text and yet made it come alive for today's generation. The translators of the CEV prove their exegetical incompetence with confusing and illogical translations of verses, such as their handling of Acts 9:22. I remember feeling like a pariah with no support or friends in that church for some weeks. And whenever I see people carrying The Messageinto church services, I groan, since I assume that, for those people, it istheir Bible. He is the author of 25 books and hosts the nationally syndicated, daily talk radio show, the Line of Fire. There was no malice in eating and therefore not offensive. It is written in a conversational style with contemporary language, making it easier for readers to relate to on a personal level. The Bible, and His word, are not evolving, they are static. What is more alarming is that the church congregation relies on the over head screen to read the scriptures presented. I still get what The Holy Spirit is teaching me and have benefited Spiritually by it.. [3] Peterson notes that in the course of the project, he realized this was exactly what he had been doing in his thirty-five years as a pastor, "always looking for an English way to make the biblical text relevant to the conditions of the people". When bestows glory on anything, its beautiful. Some do know the truth but you will only know that by discovering it yourself. Keep pressing into the Lord! Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. He is further identified as the son of Amoz (Isaiah 1:1). Yes. People are not running from the word of God or Jesus, but the judgement and hatefulness of some Christians. Psalm 119:1-2. Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. My answer to the question remains the same today as it has always been: The Message is not a translation and should not be used as your primary Bible. . 13 .mw-parser-output span.smallcaps{font-variant:small-caps}.mw-parser-output span.smallcaps-smaller{font-size:85%}God, my shepherd! Your trusty shepherds crook 4) Good News Translation (GNT) - Also known as the Good News Bible (GNB), the GNT was created by the American Bible Society as a translation that would be simple enough for anyone to easily pick up and understand, including individuals learning the English language and children. When he stated beauty, again, that is a synonym of glory. " MARGARET FEINBERG, AUTHOR OF FIGHT BACK WITH JOY "The Message is original and refreshing. The following is a list of "Bible" translations that should be avoided for any real and faithful personal Bible study (in a separate article we will look at a list of Bible translations that are encouraged for use). It's dangerous to build an opinion of the Bible through the lens of someone else's beliefs. Eugene Peterson created The Message, a Bible translation which emphasizes the need to trust God rather than focus on material possessions or appearances. May your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven. Rare a member that actually brings a Bible and there are none available in the pews. Like you, I too have had a past of far left and far right exposure politically and spiritually but these days I am where Jesus was Render unto Caesar what is Caesars and unto God what us Gods Follow the Great Commission. Trust God to reveal truth to in Love, Taylors lack of understanding of Hebrew and Greek and absent use of the original manuscripts has led to disingenuous passages and verses such as his translation of John 12:15. The Revised Standard Version of the Bible was presented to the public as a completed . This phrase is used to describe someone who is wicked and deceitful, as snakes are often seen as symbols of evil in the Bible. The New Testament instructs believers to seek guidance from God and his Spirit only. It is a trap that ensnares the poor and the weak and leads them away from the love of Christ. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. as we also have forgiven our debtors. True to your word, Compare Micah 3:5 in the MESSage bible to the King James Bible and others. Translation Comparison - 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. About ten people in total complained about me that week. HE never said that. How many times have learned preachers over a couple of centuries, with over 32,000 denominations of The Way (the early name of Christianity in the days of the Early Church), read from Scripture and then got the context wrong in the rest of their message somewhere else? I believe the intent, published by The Navigators, was to produce the late Eugene Petersons work as an evangelical outreach to people who had been preconditioned against Olde English King James style interpretations that got in the way of letting them hear the message. While some good pastors may use it by mistake, many wolves love its language and use it to manipulate the flocks. Worship turns out to be the dangerous act of waking up to God and to the purposes of God in the world, and then living lives that actually show it. It is a potential danger even for those who avoid its more obvious . Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. The Message keeps the language of the gospel compelling and modern. He instead uses the 1901 American Standard Version as his foundation. You're going to be like sheep running through a wolf pack, so don't call attention to yourselves. I've even cited The Messagein some of my academic, biblical commentary writing. Taylors bias also leads to omitting text in key passages that do not fit his Arminian worldview, such as his deceptive repackaging of Acts 4:27-28, Acts 13:48, and Romans 8:28-29. He is emphasizing how these same-sex acts are flatly contrary to God's design and also explaining how, historically, the human race was given over to idolatry and sin.). Also, check to make sure your email is well written. One person stormed up to me and demanded that I send her no more emails. Your email address will not be published. Not to lower ourselves to the call of whatever is popular at the moment. The Message, a loose paraphrase of the Bible, is often treated as a translation. ", The Message reads: "Worse followed. He acted out of grace in Exodus. answer the question why the message bible is dangerous, which will help you get the most accurate answer. Almost all of Christianity is deceived and doesnt know the truth. Then there is the line as above, so below, which is from the Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus an occult text from the school of Hermeticism, that has influenced every aspect of the new age movement, from Asatru to Satanism to Wicca. It is a popular book to use in liberal churches that are more focused on creating social change than on Jesus Christ, His saving act on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. There is a tool for every job. The Message promotes the mystical New Age message with a boldness never seen in a mainstream Bible. Paraphrase is often written by a single author who translates the Bible in their own words, sometimes not even using the original biblical languages as a foundation. Some new Bibles are dangerous because of the theological bias of their translators. We can get a glimpse of the strengths and weaknesses of The Message by . I think we judge too harshly. The Message Bible Good vs. The Message Bible is an English-language translation of the Christian scriptures compiled by Eugene Peterson and published in segments from 1993 to 2002. Only the Bible is authoritative and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, as made clear in 2 Timothy 3:16. According to NavPress, publisher of Eugene Peterson's The Message The Bible in Contemporary Language, there have been over 10,000,000 readers of The Message. Following is the first 2 of 9 points that demonstrate why Peterson's bible is not a translation or even a paraphrase. (a) (The Message) "Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy leaving us more lonely than ever - the kind of sex that can never "become one"." (b) Comment: Sexual immorality is reduced to "the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy". Isaiah 5:13. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, Perhaps you can give me a link to read it? English Standard Version (ESV): Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered him, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! The New International .". Becoming a scholar is the job of the church leader SO they can speak it upon any person of any intelligence. Bible translations are usually broken down into three major categories: Word-for-word or Formal Equivalence, Thought-for-Thought or Dynamic Equivalence, and Paraphrase. "This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. Eugene Petersons translation of The Message removes this idea of worrying about paying for clothing and instead warns against vanity and attention to fancy clothing. 3) The Living Bible (TLB) - First published in 1971, The Living Bible is another paraphrase translation by sole translator, Kenneth Taylor. on earth as it is in heaven. 1 Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need! Thought-for-thought presents the intended meaning of the author, which the original audience would have understood during the time the writing was originally created. This is a useful place to start, given the controversy currently surrounding this popular, 84-year-old, Christian author. 2) When pastors preach from it, it encourages people to use it, this is dangerous because the Message is full of errors, false doctrine, and occult philosophy. It is specifically targeted toward U.S. English . 1) The Message (MSG) - This translation is a paraphrase by Eugene Peterson.
Since it is more of a commentary than a real Bible, it does not have the same effect of cutting into the depths of the heart. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. One implies that the one being delivered is actually out there engaging the enemy (the devil), while the other gives more of a picture of holing up away from other people and not bothering to engage. In addition, Matthew 6:20 speaks of the lamp of the body being the eye. Return to homepage. The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language ( MSG) is a paraphrase of the Bible in contemporary English. Message Bible is completely an offline bible without requiring internet connection to study the scriptures. Speaking of deception, the Sabbath day is the 7th day. I have enjoyed listening to Peter Hobbs reading message audio on youtube. Schedule I: Drugs with no current medical use with high potential for abuse and/or addiction. One of the most dangerous Bible revisions on the market today is "THE MESSAGE." This horrible PERversion which butchers the Word of God was published in 2002. . Although most of these translations are not in wide use today, some are commonly used and unfortunately many fail to accurately and faithfully preserve the Word of God. I believe that Gods people searchin n praying to Holy Spirit to guide us in understanding. I wish you all the best! How do we know which book - The Bible, the Apocrypha, the Qur'an, the Book of Mormon, etc. God bless. Ignorant people are either unaware or uninformed. The Message Bible Good vs. The leader does not state the source of the paraphrased writings so I believe that many are deceived not knowing the Word of God, especially new believers. The reason it is so dangerous is that Satan blinds them and convinces them that God is not real, which keeps the person from pursuing spiritual truth, like the afterlife and the Creator of the universe. The result is a strongly sectarian translation that no longer counts as Scripture; by masquerading as a Bible it threatens to bind entire churches in thrall to a false god. The Passion Translation is even promoted by churches that share Simmons own theology (for example removing rebuking and correcting from 2 Timothy 4:2). And this is why, as Bible Gateway general manager Rachel Barach told Christianity Today, "The Bible has been criticized, challenged, and banned by individuals, groups, and governments through centuries of persecution.". He introduced himself as a God of grace in Genesis. The Message completely changes the meaning of the scriptures, for instance there is no mention of the holiness of the name of God. Lets all be careful and remember William Tyndale who first translated the bible to English but encountered fierce opposition and was killed(burnt at stake) but his work has a very large impact on the King James Version (the most accepted version of the bible) This has been a concern for my friend Ken Berding, who has been doing detailed work in the Greek New Testament and several English translations. The Message translation adds an extra layer of meaning by suggesting that having a generous eye is a way of showing respect for Gods truth. Robert D. McFadden. How hard are you working at understanding the scriptures? 2-3 He lets me rest in the meadow grass and leads me beside the quiet streams. This mistreatment of Scripture can be seen in his misuse of passages such as 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. (Dis)Honorable Mention: Two translations that most Christians know to avoid but should still be mentioned are the New World Translation (NWT), which was commissioned by the Jehovahs Witness cult and the Readers Digest Bible, which cuts out about 55% of the Old Testament and another 25% of the New Testament (including Revelation 22:19, which says, if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book). I have read and listened the audio of many different translation of the bible. So every version that we read from is a translated interpretation. Paul wrote, "And do not grumble, as some of them did and were killed by the destroying angel" ( 1 Corinthians 10:10 ). This is not new; it's normal. You are right-on! Ken is currently working on a Bible app (Wave Parallel Bible) with a team of scholars which links words and phrases from nine major Bible translations, including The Message. Here's what to do if your recipients are seeing "This Message Seems Dangerous" in emails you send: 1. Some scholars, like Michael J. Gorman, consider some of Peterson's idiomatic renderings unconventional. Even the most liberal seminary would fail a student who turned in an essay full of Message quotes (at least I hope they would). I saw new believers using The Message as their actual Bible during a study, and felt like The Message was robbing them of some choice meat when they read passages from it that were flowery but so watered-down. 10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 5) Contemporary English Version (CEV) - This translation is another work by the American Bible Society, commonly referred to as the Bible for Today's Family. Amen. Although I was never rude in my emails, seven people complained about me to the church office in one day. The King James Version 9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 13 Dont bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the Evil One. A striving after love, is the ethically more demanding choice (1 Corinthians 13:4), while the other, insisting on the right faith, more likely than not will lead to callousness (Gal 1:6-9). The message of the book of Isaiah to the world begins with warning. According to Psalm 138:2 God magnifies His Word above His name. Only you can discover it. Its the first day. Thank you for your comments on The Message, although not very well versed in the bible something in my gut told me that it was wrong. Your article caught my eye because The Message has never sat well with me, precisely because, as you point out, it is a paraphrase and not a formal translation. Smoking cigarettes is a sin. Church officials must be in control of their own families, and they must see that their children are obedient and always respectful. The Passion is the work of sole translator, Brian Simmons, whose work has been heavily critiqued by the scholarly world. This is the latest development: a 16-page booklet available on Ebay.com that anyone around the world can order and give out: To be fair, a more accurate comparison might be to the Jehovas . Your email address will not be published. To help us keep our feet on the path that leads to life, below are 10 biblical warnings Christ's followers should take more seriously. as above, so below. 9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. This is the main message of the entire Bible, Old and New Testament, that those who have repented and trusted in Christ "have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord. 4 Even when walking through the dark valley of death I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me, guarding, guiding all the way. There are sections where the message really brings an idea into easy-to-understand language, but for me there is far too much dumbing down and softening of scripture. Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it, don't qualify as citizens in God's kingdom.". Unjust people who don't care about God will not be joining in his kingdom.