. as we also have forgiven our debtors. ", In TheMessagethis becomes, "Don't you realize that this is not the way to live? 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. Theological Reasons. Keep pressing into the Lord! 11 Give us today our daily bread. He is asking them who directed them to flee from the wrath that is coming. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, Robert D. McFadden. 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. The prosperity gospel is a false gospel that substitutes a vision of present earthly happiness for a vision of the final restoration of heaven and earth that the Bible anticipates. 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). When it comes to 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, The Messageis not clear at all, but I don't think it's because Dr. Peterson was trying to water down the two Greek terms used for homosexual practice. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. when you walk at my side. HE did say murder is a sin, which is ending the life of another human. 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. People dont see the name of the book. . The Message has sold over 10 million copies and has continually ranked among the top five best-selling Bibles. 1Cor. When I first began to object due to the occult phrases and New Age terminology of The Message, in addition to its distortions of scripture my concerns were discussed with the church minister behind closed doors. The CEV uses an even more simplified version of English than the GNT. I am thankful that Gods grace is sufficient enough for you, me and Eugene Peterson because God is the only one that knows the heart. The cost of theological confusion is too great a price to pay to rely on this version of the Bible as a source of truth. What Are the Most Dangerous Verses in the Bible? Cant find your booklet. I have enjoyed listening to Peter Hobbs reading message audio on youtube. Are you relying on the Holy Spirit to guide your understanding? I reached the conclusion that it was very bad and going to deceive a lot more people. Millions, if not billions of people, base their . Unjust people who don't care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. You're going to be like sheep running through a wolf pack, so don't call attention to yourselves. 7 Dangers of Daily Bible Reading - The Suko Family ", The Message reads: "Worse followed. 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. Yes. What The Message did to The Lords Prayer as you outlined here is startling all the revolutionary meaning has been sliced and diced away. However, I found that often The Message is a wonderful commentary as it helps gel the other versions in a better light for me. Matthew 3:7 Meaning lost: In Matt 3:7, John the Baptist challenges the sincerity of the Pharisees in requesting baptism and warns that they face God's wrath. Bible translations will vary between these three categories and it is important to know which translation falls into which category, along with other attributes that will make the translation either a faithful representation of the original, infallible, and inerrant Word of God or a misleading book posing as a Bible. In his book on Bible reading, Eat This Book, Eugene Peterson writes about his motivations in writing The Message. 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). I had never heard of this Message until a couple of weeks ago when the leader at the church I attend put up verses on the front screen with the abbreviation after the scripture. Answer Ignorance is the lack of knowledge or understanding. Is Tarot Card Divination Dangerous or Evil? Lisa Boswell It's a book of faith, written over four centuries by people with very different viewpoints and agendas. 1. 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.". With verse markings (The Message: The Numbered Edition): This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 03:21. One lady, a former church leader, reportedly lay awake all night wrestling with the issue. Doing so would be like saying that the fire used in the sacrifice is also evil. Your trusty shepherds crook Gossip always distorts and exaggerates, and is never a reliable source of truth. The shepherds and leaders are deceived. Indeed, a day of judgment is coming (2:12-22, 24:1-23), so let all the nations of the earth take heed. The purpose of those are the same as the Message, which is to make it more understandable to the reader. Perhaps you can give me a link to read it? That is our job. Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone by making a one-time donation today. The ESV reads: "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. That is where true salvation begins. ", Nothing is watered down here, and the paraphrase is close and fair. To be fair, a more accurate comparison might be to the Jehovas [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". There were phone calls and emails to the minister, as well as people appearing at the church office to complain about me to him in person. By dictionary definition, power is the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events. Psalm 119:1-2. I found it helpful to cobble together a resource from various websites showing examples of how The Message has tampered with Bible verses, misrepresented the gospel, and added occult and New Age words. Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. Some do know the truth but you will only know that by discovering it yourself. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 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. 3 Reasons Why Looking Back to Past Success Is Dangerous - Christian Today Pastors should not be encouraging people to us such a book, since it fills peoples heads with error. 13 And lead us not into temptation, English Standard Version (ESV): preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. Mary Magdalene's True History: Real Reason for Controversy | Time I reminded the church that Jesus said if we love him, we will obey his commands (John 14:23). Later, when I started dating a woman (now my wife) at the church, she was warned that I was at the centre of controversy. Taking away and adding to ie Going to the casino is a sin. At one point, I emailed as many people in the church whose email addresses I could find, showing the problems with the book. The Old Testament teaches that believers are defiled by their attempts at communicating with the dead, a practice that is detestable to God. 10 Warnings in the Bible We Don't Take Seriously Enough - iBelieve.com In addition, Matthew 6:20 speaks of the lamp of the body being the eye. The Dangerous Act of Worship | Christian Bible Studies Therefore, an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 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. Often when Im studying the scriptures, I will read 3 or 4 versions (and I use the word version: to include Versions, Translations and Paraphrases or Commentaries). One need only look at how the cultural mindset of those who use the Message tends towards a theologically liberal or completely postmodern way of looking at things. Just want to point out that Matthew 6 commonly includes a footnote now where it used to continue the prayer. Eugene Peterson's "The Message" Exposed! God spoke: "Light!" An overwhelming number of these translations suffer from the strong bias of an unfaithful group of translators. will inherit the kingdom of God. That's because by itself, the Bible is not a history book. The Dangers of a Diluted Gospel | Inside Report | Amazing Facts Hope youll give us another try and check out some other articles. Taylor also inserts his own ideas into the passage, adding that Jesus will come to you meekly which is certainly not part of the original Greek manuscript. for you are with me; A church that uses the Message, is a church that has let culture invade the Kingdom. Abortion isnt a sin if you cant hear a heartbeat or if the BABY was conceived via rape or incest. 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. - is the Word of God? You can do anything you want! Speak the Truth in Love. Dear Jonathan, Song of Solomon: Most Amazing . That type of persuasion keeps them in the dark. The Message is Not a Bible Translation: Peterson's Philosophy On the other hand, a man oozing with love and compassion can err by tolerating everything and everyone, thus compromising God's truth. In some places, The Message actually alters the gospel. Related articles What Must Someone Believe in Order to Be Saved? through the darkest valley, The following article hopes to help you make more suitable choices and get more useful information And then they paid for it, oh, how they paid for it emptied of God and love, godless and loveless wretches. He helps me do what honors him the most. Therefore, readers put a great deal more faith in the translators, as they are trusting their interpretation. [3], The publisher states: "Peterson's work has been thoroughly reviewed by a team of recognized Old and New Testament scholars to ensure that it is accurate and faithful to the original languages. This premise, however, is dangerous and has been the cause of much bigotry, intolerance, injustice and pain.The truth is that there is no proof that this collection of books is the Word of God. Your email address will not be published. Even the most liberal seminary would fail a student who turned in an essay full of Message quotes (at least I hope they would). Why It's Dangerous to Misrepresent the Gospel - Crossway According to Psalm 138:2 God magnifies His Word above His name. " MARGARET FEINBERG, AUTHOR OF FIGHT BACK WITH JOY "The Message is original and refreshing. 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. How hard are you working at understanding the scriptures? Eugene Peterson has stayed true to the text and yet made it come alive for today's generation. The Message communicates their lack of sincerity, but it loses the message of God's coming wrath. ( Matthew 24:4-5) New NAR "Passion Bible" a dangerous heresy - Berean Research Thats why the bible says were should study to show ourselves approved. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. I think my actions sent out a shockwave in the spiritual realm. Rare a member that actually brings a Bible and there are none available in the pews. Eventually and with prayer other people in the church started to get disquieted by The Message. However, by itself, the Bible is not reliable as a single historical source. 3 he refreshes my soul. The Messages technique in translating the original text is so casual in its approach that NavPress, publisher of The Message, says, It's not meant to replace your current version of choice. you let me catch my breath No. Jesus and the Woman at the Well 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.". document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Jonathan Kotyk is a student, self taught philosopher, recovering addict and born again Christian. I ended up hearing The Message defined as all kinds of things to try to dismiss the problem that it tampered with scripture a practice which the Bible itself condemns. I also like Watchman Nees Normal Christian Life also. 3) The Living Bible (TLB) - First published in 1971, The Living Bible is another paraphrase translation by sole translator, Kenneth Taylor. Required fields are marked *. The following translations listed below should be avoided altogether, as utilizing them can lead to grave theological errors, the teaching of a radically different gospel, and a counterfeit Jesus. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. they comfort me. If you desire the truth then and only then will it be reveiled. Ignorant people are either unaware or uninformed. This raises questions about how accurately The Message reflects the original intent of Scripture. People at my church had seemingly fallen in love with The Message and I was chucking a big rock in their pool.