Other times, we are ignorant because we have chosen not to learn something we need to know. The Message is not only a poor paraphrase, but it is, in fact,heretical. So, The Messagedoes speak about those who "use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex," but what in the world does that mean? I gave the leaders and some church members paper copies of this resource. 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. Remove unnecessary links, images, and attachments. Amen. Keep that in mind constantly and before searching for the truth, every single time dont forget You reject me therefore I will reject you, not only does satan deceive but also its God that blinds unbelievers, but will unblind if he chooses, so desire, ask Yahweh ( God) to remove your veil and guide you on your search for the truth and for the protection from satanic deception so youll not be deceived. When he stated beauty, again, that is a synonym of glory. Share your favorite bible verse with your friends. The Message Bible Good vs. 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. . 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 latter error seems to me to be the more common danger in the church. I reached the conclusion that it was very bad and going to deceive a lot more people. For a fair assessment of Dr. Peterson's comments and retraction this week, see Bill Muehlenberg's article here. I agree The Message and other interpretive commentary, and modernized Scriptures of the Bible, are not best for study. 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. He has found that The Message often adds meaning to passages that are not present in the original Greek text. 9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Jesus Embodied God's Grace. The movie, which came out in the U.K. on March 16, tells the story of Mary Magdalene (Rooney Mara), detailing her fraught existence in Magdala as a single woman determined not to marry, before she. 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. . Samaritans only recognized the first 5 books of the Bible, rejecting the remaining books of the Hebrew Bible. Robert D. McFadden. 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). Bibles are banned and those found in possession of one face imprisonment, torture and even death - as do up to three generations of their family. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. Your trusty shepherds crook When people began to put emphasis on things that are not important, it alienate people from the things that are. I admit it can be useful in bringing clarity to certain passages, but one must learn to work through the actual scriptures, which takes effort, dedication and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 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. Trust God to reveal truth to in Love, Amen.. One lady, a former church leader, reportedly lay awake all night wrestling with the issue. It is specifically targeted toward U.S. English . Bible translations are usually broken down into three major categories: Word-for-word or Formal Equivalence, Thought-for-Thought or Dynamic Equivalence, and Paraphrase. Authored by Eugene H. Peterson and published in segments from 1993 to 2002. Let's look at Leviticus 18:22, first in the ESV, a conservative evangelical translation, then in The Message. 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. No one can argue that if Mary was 1 day pregnant with JESUS, they would be hollering womens rights. The Bible is therefore a highly dangerous. 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. your rod and your staff, The Message Bible translation by Eugene H. Peterson is a paraphrase of the scriptures using modern English, the author claims he is trying to make the Bible understandable to the average person. A word-for-word translation like the ESV translates this as Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkeys colt!, The Living Bible translates this as, Dont be afraid of your King, people of Israel, for he will come to you meekly, sitting on a donkeys colt! Taylors use of dont be afraid is evidence that he does not realize that the common Hebrew expression of fear not means to have confidence.. 9 Pray along these lines: Our Father in heaven, we honor your holy name. your will be done, Rise to the occasion and preach when it is convenient and when it is not. Posted on . Schedule II: Drugs with some medically acceptable uses, but with high potential for abuse and/or addiction. Good people are going to perish. Jesus is warning the people that they must repent and turn away from their sins if they want to be saved from Gods judgement. The Passion is the work of sole translator, Brian Simmons, whose work has been heavily critiqued by the scholarly world. His name in Hebrew (Yeshayahu) means "Yah [weh] is salvation.". The last words in the MESSage are enough to convince me this book is not for me. 3 he refreshes my soul. Eventually and with prayer other people in the church started to get disquieted by The Message. Set the world right; Solomon had clear instruction from the Lord not to marry foreign wives, but he chose . Jews believed the temple in Jerusalem was the only proper place to worship God. Thats my journey at the moment and I am trusting My Lord to guide me, not man! as above, so below. He did not say Peterson did not speak Gods Attributes in his rendition of Lords Prayer, he said the original text did not so there-for Peterson should not have added it to the prayer. 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. In Matthew 3:7, Jesus speaks to the people and calls them a brood of vipers. I know the author of it got parts of the Bible so right it blows your mind, but there are entire sections where he is dead wrong and injects false doctrine into it. The problem of fundamentalism requires that Bible interpretation be undertaken with great care and consensus, which may be difficult when cultural pressures promote the opposite. 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. Matthew 6:9 New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update 9 "Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Ephesians 2:2 reminds us of a time when we were walking according to the way of this world. John Clark: Ise, thank you for sharing and for your openness. Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge; Many dangerous theological errors are found throughout the GNT, including distortions of the divinity of Christ, removing references to Jesus blood, misrepresentations of Jesus virgin birth, removing references to hell, salvation being distorted, etc. Yes. He was speaking about HIS physical attributes. It is a potential danger even for those who avoid its more obvious . Church officials must be in control of their own families, and they must see that their children are obedient and always respectful. In his book on Bible reading, Eat This Book, Eugene Peterson writes about his motivations in writing The Message. Photo Credit: Unsplash/Tom Morel Read more There are many issues I have with the Message translation, but for the sake of space I am only listing three of them. The Message Bible Good vs. It seems the phrases You are in charge, you can do anything you want, you are ablaze in beauty is meant to replace for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory and the yes yes yes is meant to be a translation for amen. I always have my NKJV Bible with me and when I saw what was on the screen it did appear correct from what I read in the NKJV. Compare Micah 3:5 in the MESSage bible to the King James Bible and others. Christians should only evolve to be more in line with His word. Its the first day. 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. First, the Bible is dangerous to ignore. Almost all of Christianity is deceived and doesnt know the truth. 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. 1. I told the minister that if they kept on reading passages from this book over me, I would stand up in the service and expose it. In addition, Matthew 6:20 speaks of the lamp of the body being the eye. I think my actions sent out a shockwave in the spiritual realm. Surely Peterson should do the same. The Message Bible is a paraphrase version of the Bible. Therefore, readers put a great deal more faith in the translators, as they are trusting their interpretation. Talking to the Dead in the Bible. Throughout history, power has influenced a lot of good . But nowhere in Scripture is sound thinking discouraged. God says, in Isaiah 1:18, "Come now and let us reason together." With alcohol use we temporarily and permanently stupefy our reasoning powers. Arthur L. Farstad writes: As a Bible translator and editor myself, I must disagree. Peterson inserts his own dogma . 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. The Samaritans, however, believed that their temple, on Mount Gerizim, was where true worship . Later, when I started dating a woman (now my wife) at the church, she was warned that I was at the centre of controversy. With verse markings (The Message: The Numbered Edition): This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 03:21. Again, the attempt to make a translation that is simple for anyone comes at the cost of containing misleading text, such as claiming the Holy Spirit actually replaces Jesus (John 14:26) and gender-neutralizing Pauls instructions for a pastor (1 Timothy 3:1-5). 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. The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language (MSG) is a paraphrase of the Bible in contemporary English. I have read and listened the audio of many different translation of the bible. He outlined his grace in Leviticus. It is written in a conversational style with contemporary language, making it easier for readers to relate to on a personal level. In sum, my view today of The Messageis the same as it has been for years, unchanged by the controversial events of this week. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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'." Be as shrewd as a snake, inoffensive as a dove. Thank you so much. God spoke: "Light!" He goes so far as to say it's a form of sacrilege to speak of God in language that is "inflated into balloons of abstraction or diffused into the insubstantiality of lacey gossamer." The only significant addition Peterson added was changing what the Bible actually said. He is further identified as the son of Amoz (Isaiah 1:1). When did Paul write this? 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). through the darkest valley, You set out at the beginning of the year to read the Bible every day. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. - is the Word of God? Then it happens, some how a day slips by and you realize that you didn't read the your Bible. for you are with me; The passage from Matthew 6:27-28 is part of Jesus Sermon on the Mount, in which he encourages his disciples not to worry about how they will pay for basic necessities such as food and clothing. I will fear no evil, Eugene Peterson might be the William Tyndale of the 21st century or just an individual who wants to distort the bible or some who sincerely want to make the bible easy to read but making some mistakes. "Eugene H. Peterson, 85, Scholar Turned Homespun Pastor, Dies". The answer to why people spend so much time studying the Bible is simple: it is the Word of God! In his book the Bible he expressly commands us not to change his words (Proverbs 30:6, Revelation 22:19). Death Valley, If you're reading the ESV (or most other translations) and you're sleeping with your girlfriend or committing adultery with your neighbor's spouse or practicing homosexuality, Paul's words will hit you between the eyes: "Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality . Danger #2 "False guilt". Tyndale got a Bible into the hands of the common person. Michael Brown holds a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures from New York University and has served as a professor at a number of seminaries. It is specifically targeted toward U.S. English speakers with its use of American contemporary slang. I dont need a thing. Yes, God did use the koine or common Greek dialect of the first century. Other translations have just one translator, thereby single-handedly taking on a role that is meant for a diverse team of renowned biblical translators of various denominations. Cults therefore suppress personal opinion, critical thinking and free exchange of ideas. . It would be smart to not confuse the Message with the actual word of God, it is a commentary and should be treated as such, meaning it is not divinely inspired and is full of errors. 1 Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need! I appreciate the years of effort that were put into it, and I recognize it for what it is, with all its great strengths and great weaknesses. 7. A historic first: Vietnam allows Franklin Graham to hold evangelism event with 300 churches, Teen who had breasts removed says health system lacks 'standards of care', School district rejects student-teachers from Arizona Christian University, Its smut: Kid reads sexually graphic book he got from school library to school board members, Ukraine war exposes weaknesses in Russia and the West, ChatGPT, consciousness and the human mind, Saving a Sick America: A Prescription for Moral and Cultural Transformation, Eugene Peterson and Jesus Cannot Both Be Right, Eugene Peterson Retracts Support for Gay Marriage, Says He Was 'Put on the Spot', Vicky Beeching on Eugene Peterson Controversy: 'American Christians' Opposition to LGBT Equality Tied to Money', U2's Bono Teams Up With Pastor Eugene Peterson to Release Documentary on the Psalms. So notice: The Bible is not meant to be placed on a shelf, but to be in your hands, to read oftenevery day, both on your own and together with others.". The message of the book of Isaiah to the world begins with warning. That's not to say that the Bible contains no truths worthy of study. makes me feel secure. Some manuscripts add, for yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. "You have something divine in your hands: a book like fire! Ultimately, God is the judge and we are not. 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). Those who promote use of the Message tend to deny the sinful nature of man and the exclusivity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Remember almost the entire word is deceived. 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.). and send me in the right direction. They attempt to validate their erroneous theological claims by editing the Bible as they see fit. Hostility to it is hostility to the. 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. We have to read them for what they say, not for what we want them to say. 11 Give us today our daily bread. Witnesses, who also changed the Bible around to fit what they wanted to say, they created the NWT Bible. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, I believe that Gods people searchin n praying to Holy Spirit to guide us in understanding. Here are five countries where owning a Bible is dangerous. To them, the Bible is the world's most dangerous book. If the Bible is the truth, then ignoring it is ignoring the truth. One of those churches is the enormously popular Bethel Church (for a deeper look at Bethels unorthodox heretical practices and their use of The Passion Translation, see my article, Bethel's False Gospel). Jonathan Kotyk Why The Message bible should not be used It is not the Word of God! Smoking cigarettes is a sin. Problems With Peterson's Philosophical Approach.