What's wrong with the Message Bible?

[Norman Seifert]

Deleted

 

[wvmtnkid]

The Message Bible has it's uses.

I like to quote from it.
The passages are really personable; it is written to speak to "you".
It is a good gift Bible to people who claim they don't read the Bible "because it's too hard to understand".
I is good to refrence if you are reading a passage in a more literal translation, and you just can't seem to wrap your brain around it.

I would never say there is something wrong with The Message. Eugene Peterson did a great job paraphrasing the original languages to bring us a Bible in common language.

However, as a number of people have mentioned, and I would fully agree, it is not good as a primary Bible, especially not for study purposes.

This is pretty much what I was going to say, so I'll just quote DanHead.

I like the Message. I use it along with my NIV, not just a stand alone. I think sometimes "the message" in the Message is so straight forward there is no excuse not to understand the implications.

 

[Svt4Him]

Research the publisher and author before you read anything. Navpress and Eugene Peterson are both "basically" sound. Use The Message Bible as you would a reference book/tool. GOD is not the author of confusion; He wants you to understand the Bible.

Why? Does it somehow make it better of you have initials behind your name? The Message isn't a paraphrase.

Now why do I think this line of thought is not terribly correct? My uncle-in-law spent two years creating a Russian Bible from the original language while in Dallas. It was a great Bible, as the old one was very limited. Now according to this, as well as some others, it's not good enough because he doesn't have credentials? Maybe you can tell that to all the Russian people who are now getting a Bible that they can read, that makes sense, and is from the original language.

If someone only read the Message, they would be better off than someone who had 15 versions and never read any of them.

 

[joculi]

It may be that I'm getting too old and cranky, or it may just be that I'm a bit traditional, but I can't stand to read the Message Bible. I think what bothers me, is that it has been changed so much in paraphrasing, that it doesn't "feel" like I'm reading a Bible. It feels irreverant to me.

The Message Bible has it's uses.
It is a good gift Bible to people who claim they don't read the Bible "because it's too hard to understand".
I is good to refrence if you are reading a passage in a more literal translation, and you just can't seem to wrap your brain around it.

I do agree that the Message is better than no Bible at all. I had not considered it as a gift for folks who shy away from reading the Bible. I appreciate that suggestion.

I would probably turn to a good study Bible (such as the Life Application Study Bible) or to a good commentary such as the Matthew Henry Commentary to help me with hard passages. The "feel" of the Message gets in the way for me.

One of my "criteria" for a good Bible translation is to read the process by which it was translated.... who was involved (denominations, scholars), how many people (the more eyes upon it, the more likely you get non-biased accuracy), what texts were used, WHEN was it done, did they do updates to correct concerns or potential inaccuracies, etc....

I agree! When I decided to move to the NIV as my primary translation, one of the factors was the process used to create that translation.

 

[koppee1]

lots of good points. thanks. Here's a thought, if the message bible isn't such a good study bible (for those who said so), would you then give it as a gift? What purpose would it serve if the receiver can't use it to study the bible?

 

[Andry]

lots of good points. thanks. Here's a thought, if the message bible isn't such a good study bible (for those who said so), would you then give it as a gift? What purpose would it serve if the receiver can't use it to study the bible?

Don't take this the wrong way, but don't be such a tight wad. If we are going to reach a group which I call the godless heathen - not the disillusioned Christian, not the church drop-out, not the kid who was raised in a Christian home who kind of rebelled for 4-5 years and came back - but I mean the godless heathen, who has no reference point for a holy God and has no understanding of the purposes of God is his life, no revelation of the Christ - so they won't 'normally' reach out and read a 'traditional' Bible, but hopefully they will read The Message since it reads like a book, isn't that a good enough reason to buy them as 'gifts'?

If Christians want to pretend how smart and knowledgeable they are about theology, then by all means buy the original translations and the accompanying reference sources - that's not the point with The Message.

 

[Andry]

It may be that I'm getting too old and cranky, or it may just be that I'm a bit traditional, but I can't stand to read the Message Bible. I think what bothers me, is that it has been changed so much in paraphrasing, that it doesn't "feel" like I'm reading a Bible. It feels irreverant to me.

You're getting too old and cranky and that you're a bit traditional. Don't buy it then, or if you already have it, donate it to the local library.

 

[Protoevangel]

lots of good points. thanks. Here's a thought, if the message bible isn't such a good study bible (for those who said so), would you then give it as a gift? What purpose would it serve if the receiver can't use it to study the bible?

It isn't that you couldn't study with it, just that it wasn't really written to study. It was written to be a bible you won't want to put down once you begin reading it. I think it does an astounding job of that.

As the Message grows in popularity, they may publish tools to make studying with it more feasible. I could see a Message concordance, a Message study Bible, etc. Until then, I think it is great to get someone into the Word. It is great to re-energize yourself in the Word (its unique take on some passages is astounding!) It is useful as a companion in a study, but I prefer more literal translations for primary use in studies.

Maybe in my previous post, I should have clarified that I personally do not recognize its value for an in-depth study tool. I could always be wrong--Bill Gates once said "640K is more memory than anyone will ever need" (actually, he denies ever saying that, but it is a popular myth, so I used it anyway.)

 

[Svt4Him]

If Christians want to pretend how smart and knowledgeable they are about theology, then by all means buy the original translations and the accompanying reference sources - that's not the point with The Message.

Actually it is from the original translation.

 

[Andry]

Actually it is from the original translation.

Noted. I was being facetious - I mean get the actual original manuscripts and study from them if we really wanted a 'study' Bible!

 

[Svt4Him]

Noted. I was being facetious - I mean get the actual original manuscripts and study from them if we really wanted a 'study' Bible!

Everybody dance now...

 

[Protoevangel]

 

[Svt4Him]

Oh man, I didn't know how to dance like that...

 

[davidshane]

While I don't have a copy of the Message, I've read a lot that is highly critical of it, and seen some verse comparisons with more accepted versions that definitely disturb me. What I've seen indicates that it caters to political correctness, adding things like environmental sin, and changing other sins like homosexuality. Some of the pastors here use it as a reference, so I hope it's OK, but I wouldn't use it.

 

[Scottyb403]

The message is awesome as a complementory reading or if you are a new christian, but for serious study I would go with the niv

 

[I'mHis]

^That's kind of what I was going to say. I like it to supplement my reading of the NIV. It is good for looking up a verse or something you don't understand. But some of it is too "modern" for me. Like in John it says something about how Jesus "moved into the neighborhood". lol