The Message

[eldermike]

I teach a weekly bible study in my home. It's open to all, an average week is about 15-20 people from several denominations and local churches.
My study bible is a NKJV, it has all my notes and marks so i can't let it get to far away when teaching.
However: I have grown to love The Message. I have seen change in people who have never understood a hard passage before they hearing it read from The Message.
I was wondering what other thought about this.

 

[DiscipleOfIAm]

I bought The Message for my wife about a year ago. She was reading NKJV and NIV, but wanted something that read more like a novel. She likes it for that purpose. To read a story such as a story in the OT. But, for study, she uses NIV mainly. The only thing I didn't care for, and maybe it is just my particular copy, but the verses aren't marked. You never know what verse you're on.

Personally, anything that gets people to read God's Word is great. We can worry about the details and translations and word meanings later, but right now getting someone to read it and be interested in learning more is the most important. And reading it to get an overview of the story, such as my wife does, is great, too.

 

[eldermike]

I bought The Message for my wife about a year ago. She was reading NKJV and NIV, but wanted something that read more like a novel. She likes it for that purpose. To read a story such as a story in the OT. But, for study, she uses NIV mainly. The only thing I didn't care for, and maybe it is just my particular copy, but the verses aren't marked. You never know what verse you're on.

Personally, anything that gets people to read God's Word is great. We can worry about the details and translations and word meanings later, but right now getting someone to read it and be interested in learning more is the most important. And reading it to get an overview of the story, such as my wife does, is great, too.

Thanks!
The verses are not numbered but you can get the message as part of a parallel bible with another translation, that makes it eaiser to use.

Ed Cole speaks at PK events, He says; "it's not the scripture you know", it's the scripture you obey that matters".

I think the real value of the message is finding application for the scripture we read becomes eaiser when it's in our language.

 

[Gwenyfur]

While I have to agree that getting people into the Word and studying the Word is a great thing. I do think you have to be very careful of what you are teaching....the meaning of what you are suggesting for people to read. God wrote the Word, Jesus is the Word, and any translation that omits any part of the scripture (hebrew or greek literal meanings) should be approached with extreme caution.

The message Bible has many such passages where the original meaning of passage is completely changed by it's paraphrasing and in some cases, complete ignorance of what the original language was going for. It's a book I never recommend, nor will I ever endorse. Scripture is too important for our spiritual growth to be treated as "Windows for Dummies"...

As usual just my opinion

 

[eldermike]

While I have to agree that getting people into the Word and studying the Word is a great thing. I do think you have to be very careful of what you are teaching....the meaning of what you are suggesting for people to read. God wrote the Word, Jesus is the Word, and any translation that omits any part of the scripture (hebrew or greek literal meanings) should be approached with extreme caution.

The message Bible has many such passages where the original meaning of passage is completely changed by it's paraphrasing and in some cases, complete ignorance of what the original language was going for. It's a book I never recommend, nor will I ever endorse. Scripture is too important for our spiritual growth to be treated as "Windows for Dummies"...

As usual just my opinion

Thanks! I also view some of it as extrabiblical. that's why I suggest the parallel version.

 

[rural_preacher]

The only thing I didn't care for, and maybe it is just my particular copy, but the verses aren't marked. You never know what verse you're on.

I can't find it online right now, but I remember reading recently that they have printed an updated edition of The Message with verse numbers.



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[Flynmonkie]

Personally, anything that gets people to read God's Word is great. We can worry about the details and translations and word meanings later, but right now getting someone to read it and be interested in learning more is the most important. And reading it to get an overview of the story, such as my wife does, is great, too.

I agree God has worked with amazing things in my life teaching me. I had some concerns about this Bible. And still do if you are using it for deep study. But as with any other book, anything that can put it into words of understanding, the rest will come.

 

[NewData]

Thanks! I also view some of it as extrabiblical. that's why I suggest the parallel version.

My daughter - very studious - got a copy of the Message from our church. She says it is so different, and in some cases waters down verses severely. What is as bad, perhaps, is that it purports to be another translation, when it is really more of a paraphrase.

As to other translations being too difficult, I don't buy that. Maybe the KJ, but most other modern ones are perfectly readable to anyone.

As Mark Twain was reported to say, its not the parts of the Bible that I don't understand that bother me, its the parts that I do understand. - paraphrased -

 

[McDLT]

The Message is good. I believe that all Bibles can be worthy to read. Some make for better study Bibles, but I think it's great to look at lots of different versions of the Bible to get the best understanding possible.

Just some of my 2 cents.

 

[BT]

The Message is good. I believe that all Bibles can be worthy to read. Some make for better study Bibles, but I think it's great to look at lots of different versions of the Bible to get the best understanding possible.

Just some of my 2 cents.

I have no major beefs with the message so long as it is kept "real". What I mean is that so long as you realize that it's NOT A BIBLE - it's a paraphrase. Like one person said... like a novel. But it's not a Bible and certainly not a translation or a "version". If you use a real Bible with it then you shouldn't get off-track. I believe that the reason there were no verses originally was because the author didn't want them.. because it's not a Bible - so he didn't want it to resemble one. I heard an interview with that author, seemed like a decent guy.

The only other thing that kind of bugs me is the "dumbing down" of the Bible. If you don't understand a difficult passage learn to interpret, do deeper study, work at it and pray about it; don't seek for "better" translations or "easier" Bibles (hey if you find an "easy" Bible you might be in trouble, I'm a hermeneutics minor and I don't consider the Bible "easy" even with significant training). The KJV is sufficient for everything you ever need to know, sometimes we naturally look for the "easy" way... but like Jesus said... that ain't always the good way ( <- paraphrase )

 

[eldermike]

Thanks everyone, for posting your thoughts!

How about using it from the pulpit, is that ok?

 

[rural_preacher]

Thanks everyone, for posting your thoughts!

How about using it from the pulpit, is that ok?

As an alternate reading to shed some light/understanding on a passage, yes. But not as the primary text.

JMO...


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[eldermike]

As an alternate reading to shed some light/understanding on a passage, yes. But not as the primary text.

JMO...


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I do that, in fact I am going to do that tomorrow.

 

[Flynmonkie]

Thanks everyone, for posting your thoughts!

How about using it from the pulpit, is that ok?

Now this bugs me. I really don't mind using verses in comparison to KJV for paraphrasing. But teaching out of it really concerns me. Sorry. RP was a brave soul and knew his answer right away. I needed to think about it. I could be absolutely wrong, and I know there are some issues with the translation of the KJV too. But I picked up a paraphrased version like this while trying to explain things to my spouse and I did not like how some things were paraphrased. I know God works through everything but... there are just some things I cannot consciously compromise.

I use many versions for translation at time. I don't want to seem like a KJO but I guess I am when it comes to deep study and teaching. IMVHO

 

[rural_preacher]

But I picked up a paraphrased version like this while trying to explain things to my spouse and I did not like how some things were paraphrased.

This is the reason that a pastor should carefully consider everything he reads and says from the pulpit. Diligent study and comparison of translations & paraphrases with the original languages before stepping into the pulpit is of utmost importance.

I do not believe that preparation quenches the Spirit; rather, I believe the Holy Spirit honors and works through our preparation so that His Word is accurately and clearly presented.

Of course, in personal conversations that kind of preparation is not possible. In those cases you just have to trust that the Holy Spirit will lead.

But, of course, with preparation or without we should trust Him to do His work in us and through us.

To the Praise of His Glory!


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[BT]

I personally wouldn't use it from the pulpit. But that is really due to my preaching style and method. I personally only use the KJV and the TR-for the Greek. If I saw someone using it (not as a primary) I probably wouldn't throw a hymnal at him. Then again I may be odd. I recently found out I was a liberal. I can't win (so I stopped trying to and now I'm far more happy).

The Liberal Baptists call me a redneck (because I'm conservative)
The rednecks call me a liberal (because I'm not a legalist)
So long as God calls me beloved, I'm happy.

 

[daveleau]

I teach a weekly bible study in my home. It's open to all, an average week is about 15-20 people from several denominations and local churches.
My study bible is a NKJV, it has all my notes and marks so i can't let it get to far away when teaching.
However: I have grown to love The Message. I have seen change in people who have never understood a hard passage before they hearing it read from The Message.
I was wondering what other thought about this.

I like to stay away from the paraphrased Bibles. I use Parallel Bibles to get the same effect that you have espoused with The Message. I can see how it would benefit in some situations, though, in helping to bring understanding.

 

[arunma]

I can't say I like The Message very much. It seems to me more like a mess than a message. Now, I try to be careful never to belittle the word of God. Technically, The Message is a translation of God's word. And I'm sure that people might be saved after reading the Message. It's certainly no heresy to use this Bible as a primary Bible or study Bible (if you really want to). But since it's not a literal translation, I'd hope no pastor preaches from it. For preaching purposes, I think that the ESV, NASB, NKJV or KJV would be better. Personally, I prefer the ESV, and in fact that's what my pastor preaches from.

 

[eldermike]

I can't say I like The Message very much. It seems to me more like a mess than a message. Now, I try to be careful never to belittle the word of God. Technically, The Message is a translation of God's word. And I'm sure that people might be saved after reading the Message. It's certainly no heresy to use this Bible as a primary Bible or study Bible (if you really want to). But since it's not a literal translation, I'd hope no pastor preaches from it. For preaching purposes, I think that the ESV, NASB, NKJV or KJV would be better. Personally, I prefer the ESV, and in fact that's what my pastor preaches from.

Thanks. I use the NKJV for preaching but I like to use the message as one support for some hard passages.

 

[Gold Dragon]

Whenever I quote the bible, I intentionally ignore verse and chapter numbers because they were not in the original texts and were added later as a useful reference so that folks could know where they are quoting from.

A drawback of verse and chapter numbers is that they often break up the text in very unnatural places that make the thoughts that the author was trying to present much more fragmented than intended.

Regarding the Message, I think it is wonderful for a "different" take on a passage as long as you understand that it is Eugene Peterson's personal interpretation. Younger people and newer Christians often find it very helpful because of its more contemporary style and more conducive to casual reading, but for deeper biblical studies, I would definitely recommend a literal translation.