'The Message' Bible Per-Version
‘The Message’
An ‘Exciting’, ‘Fresh’,
‘Contemporary’ Version Of The New Testament???
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When
I heard the title, ‘The Message’, announced by Pastor, alarm bells began
to ring. I had heard of this book somewhere and I seemed to remember that what
I had heard was not complimentary. I seemed to remember that it was either a
Bible translation or a book of prophecies by the Kansas City Prophets who are
part of the Vineyard Movement. I was inquisitive about the book, but not enough
to order one.
On
Tuesday morning at about
During
the morning, with the words ‘The Message’ still bugging me, I had an
idea. I would ring the church member who was looking after the orders from Koorong Books. I wasn’t keen on the idea of having to wait
a week or so to get it, but, I reasoned, at least I would have a copy to find
out what it was all about. I rang his home but there was no answer even though
it was only 9.30 in the morning. He has a mobile phone, so rang that number but
it was busy. I tried again later, but the phone was still giving a busy signal.
From
what the Pastor said in the Sunday morning service, the book was only a new
release and wasn’t available in the bookstores yet, but I decided to ring
Christian Literature Crusade bookstore in the city and get them to order one
for me. It would probably be quicker than getting one through the church
anyway, I thought. When I rang CLC bookstore they informed me that they did,
indeed, have the book in stock and that a shipment had arrived in the shop only
the previous evening. They assured me that I could have one and, consequently,
I had a copy in my hands by mid morning.
Hence,
I discovered that ‘The Message’ is a New Testament Bible ‘translation’
and had nothing to do with the Vineyard Movement or the Kansas City Prophets as
I had feared.
I
still had this idea that I had read, or heard something about this book
somewhere previously. I decided to check some documents that I have stored on
my computer and eventually found what I was looking for. I found two articles
from separate Internet sites that deal with Bible exegesis and Bible
translations. Both articles, written by theologians, were not very enthusiastic
about ‘The Message’. In fact they both issued cautions regarding the
theology the ‘The Message’ promotes. I decided to investigate what these
Bible scholars were warning about and came up with the information following in
this article.
As
I read the two articles that I have in my possession, it became plainly obvious
to me why the Lord had placed a burden of apprehension upon my heart in the
early hours of the morning.
Before
we look at the incriminating evidence about this new ‘bible’, I would like to
say that, in this day of slack Bible reading, when the Church is in crisis
because of lack of Bible knowledge, the last thing that we want is another
‘bible’ that waters down the Gospel and subserviently caters to New Age,
feminist and religious politics, as this ‘bible’ does. There is a terrible
crisis in the Church, and in my opinion, this book will add fuel to the fire
that is already ablaze.
People
will not be led to a closer relationship and understanding of the Lord through
this book. This ‘bible’ promotes another ‘jesus’ and
another ‘gospel’ as will be plainly obvious to anyone with even one ounce of
discernment and who have a love for the sacredness of the Scriptures. If people
will read this ‘translation’ of the Scriptures and accept it as truth
then they will be further led astray into believing myths and fanciful stories,
just as the Bible warns they will. Because people believe fantasy above the
truth of the Scriptures, God says that He will give them over to a strong
delusion.
In
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 we are warned,
"The coming of
the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all
kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil
that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to
love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a
powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be
condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in
wickedness."
At
this critical time in the history of the Church, in these days leading up to
the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, we should be vigilantly watchful of anyone
who might come with another gospel, but instead the sheep of the Lord’s pasture
are encouraged to partake, without discrimination, in whatever is being
promoted. Instead of searching the Scriptures to see that what is being
approved as good and wholesome and true is so, as the Bereans
were commended for in Acts 17:11, the shepherds casually recommend something
that, clearly, they haven’t even inspected for themselves. Recommendations are
made based exclusively upon what some other respected visiting shepherd might
say.
Being
prominently positioned in the chain of command in a hierarchical structure of
an organization and being of good character and pleasant personality does not
preclude that person from suffering deception. Nor does it preclude the rest of
the congregation from judging from the Word of God whether what is being
presented is actually wholesome and of true report. The Bible clearly warns
that a massive deception will come upon the people of God, a deception that
will even place the ‘elect’ in a position of danger. We need to be vigilant! In
fact, it is our duty to remain sober, alert and vigilant.
Where
are the leaders with insight and discernment? Where are the leaders who have
been called upon to watch out for the flock and protect them from the ravages
of wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing? Instead, we are blessed with leaders who
say that they operate by the Word of God but who, nevertheless, seem to be
doing all in their power to deny every Scripture that fearfully warns of a
great deception that will descend upon the
Let
us now discover what it is that the Lord has so clearly brought to my
attention, and that, consequently, He has caused me to be very concerned about.
About The Message
‘The
Message’ is authored by Eugene Peterson, a professor of spiritual theology
at
‘The
Message’ has been endorsed by, among others, Jack Hayford,
and Billy Graham. Billy Graham’s endorsement reads: "‘The Message’
is one of the most dynamic recent versions of the New Testament that I have
seen ... Children can easily understand it, and veteran Bible readers will see
Christ’s words in a fresh light." In fact, Graham even authorized a
special edition of ‘The Message’ to be distributed by his Evangelistic
Association - it comes with "... many explanations that I’ve written to
help you understand what the New Testament says."
In
his introduction to ‘The Message’ , Peterson himself says: "This
version of the New Testament in a contemporary idiom keeps the language of ‘The
Message’ current and fresh and understandable in the same language in which
we do our shopping, talk with our friends, worry about world affairs, and teach
our children their table manners ..."
This
all sounds like an excuse for "dumbing-down"
Scripture to match our culture’s downward literacy trends. Should we rewrite
God’s holy Scriptures to fit our more shallow and worldly communications? And
what does it say about men of the calibre of Billy Graham and Jack Hayford when they endorse ‘The Message’ as an
authentic translation of the Bible rather than as Eugene Peterson’s personal,
politically correct interpretation?
Let
us perform some random comparisons between this ‘exciting’ new ‘bible’, the
more traditional King James Version and the ‘modern’ New International Version
and observe how it measures up and whether it is an acceptable rendering of the
pure word of God which He has promised to preserve for all generations. Is this
the ‘bible’ that holds the pure words of God and which He has ordained to use
to preserve His truth forever? You be the judge.
Psalm
12:6-7, "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a
furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt
keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this
generation for ever."
Some Samples For Comparison
John 14:28
KJV "28
Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye
loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father
is greater than I.
NIV "28
You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved
me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater
than I."
TM (p. 261)
"You’ve heard me tell you, ‘I’m going away, and I’m coming back." If
you loved me, you would be glad that I’m on my way to the Father because the
Father is the goal and purpose of my life."
Comment: What does
Peterson’s rendering of the Greek in "…the Father is the goal and
purpose of my life" have to do with showing Jesus as the 2nd
person in the Trinity?
1
Corinthians 6:17-18
KJV "17
But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he
that committeth fornication sinneth
against his own body."
NIV "17
But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in
spirit. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are
outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body."
TM (p. 411)
"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." There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others.
In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that
were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for "becoming one" with
another."
Comment: Firstly,
this departure from the original message of Scripture regarding sexual
immorality would lead the immature Christian to conclude that "commitment
and intimacy," not marriage, set boundaries for acceptable sex in the eyes
of the Lord.
Secondly,
The term ‘the Master" is used in place of ‘the Lord.’ The
use of this title for God and Jesus makes this version of the Bible politically
correct and non-offensive to New Age devotees and followers of other religious
persuasions. ‘The Master’ is a New Age term! The offense
that Jesus is the only way to salvation is subtly diminished. If that
sounds like I am being a bit alarmed over nothing, consider the endorsement of ‘The
Message’ by New Age author Madeleine L’Engle.
"‘The Message’ is so good it leaves me breathless" she
proclaimed. This on its own should make us suspicious enough to critically
examine what ‘The Message’ is really saying. When a version of the Bible
is considered acceptable by New Age followers we should know immediately
something is wrong. My Bible tells me that the world and all that it stands for
will hate the Christian and the Word that we proclaim (See Matt.
Romans
1:22-27
KJV "22
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory
of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to
corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts,
and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through
the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between
themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and
served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did
change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also
the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another;
men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that
recompense of their error which was meet."
NIV
"22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23
and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal
man and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the
sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their
bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and
worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever
praised. Amen. 26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even
their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way
the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust
for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in
themselves the due penalty for their perversion."
TM
(p. 361-362) "What happened was this: People knew God
perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship
him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was
neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all,
but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the
whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand.
So God said, in effect, "If that’s what you want, that’s what you
get." It wasn’t long before they were living in a pigpen, smeared with filth,
filthy inside and out. And all this because they traded the true God for a fake
god, and worshipped the god they made instead of the God who made them - the
God we bless, the God who blesses us. Oh, yes! Worse followed. Refusing to know
God, they soon didn’t know how to be human either-women didn’t know how to be
women, men didn’t know how to be men. Sexually confused, they abused and
defiled one another, women with women, men with men-all lust, no love. And then
they paid for it, oh, how they paid for it-emptied of God and love, godless and
loveless wretches."
Comment:
Lust becomes the sin rather than homosexuality,
the choice of same gender sex partners. A loophole is provided for
"committed" homosexuals who "love" each other.
The
strength of ‘The Message’ against homosexual behaviour is lost
giving the impression that, provided two people of the same gender
"love" each other and are "committed" to their
relationship, it is acceptable.
Romans
8:35-36
KJV "35
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress,
or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?"
NIV "35
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or
persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?"
TM (p.379)
"Do you think anyone is going to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s
love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not
hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the
worst sins listed in Scripture."
Comment: ‘The
Message’ wrongly implies that sin will not separate us from God. However,
in the first book in the Bible, Genesis, we discover that sin is the very thing
that separated Adam and Eve from the presence of God and it is the very thing
that will continue to separate mankind from the presence of God today.
In
Micah 3:4, for example, we read,
"Then shall they cry unto the LORD, but
he will not hear them: he will even hide his face from them at that time, as
they have behaved themselves ill in their doings."
Isaiah
59:1-2 reads,
"Behold, the LORD'S hand is not
shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But
your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid
his face from you, that he will not hear."
Colossians
2:10
KJV "10
And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and
power."
NIV "10
and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power
and authority."
TM (p.501)
"You don’t need a telescope, a microscope or a horoscope to realise the
fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him."
Comments: Nothing in
the original manuscripts warrants such an outlandish rendering. This is adding
to God’s word and distorting the intention of the passage as inspired by the
Lord. The headship and authority of Christ over every principality and power is
removed.
1
Corinthians 6:9-10
KJV "9
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the
NIV "9 Do
you not know that the wicked will not inherit the
TM (p.410)
"Unjust people who don’t care about God will not be joining in his
kingdom. 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."
Comment: This
interpretation panders to the Green and New Age movements by adding
environmental sin. It also seeks to be non-offensive to homosexuals. So, once
again we see that ‘The Message’ has no strength in addressing homosexual
behaviour. This politically correct approach is consistent throughout the
entire book. ‘The Message’ will have no trouble being acceptable to the
authors of the false One World Church system that is currently being
implemented by the United Nations and the World Council Of Churches and
ratified by the apostate denominations who are supporters of the Ecumenical
Movement.
2
Corinthians 5:20
KJV "20
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we
pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God."
NIV "20
We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal
through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God."
TM (p.446)
"We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to
drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between
them. We’re speaking for Christ now: Become friends with God: he’s already a
friend with you."
Comment:
Reconciliation is the key word here. Eugene Peterson is promoting unity - the
type of unity that reconciles peoples of different nations, ethnic groups and
religions at the expense of the "…faith which was once delivered unto the
saints." The original context of this passage of Scripture is regarding
the reconciliation of man to God, and not man to man as it has been twisted to
accommodate here. This is again pandering to the Ecumenical Movement and the
soon coming apostate ‘
Romans
10:9-13
KJV
"9 That if thou shalt confess with
thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto
righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the
scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not
be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for
the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
NIV "9
That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in
your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is
with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth
that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who
trusts in him will never be put to shame." 12 For there is no difference
between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all
who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will
be saved.""
TM (p. 3 83)
"It’s the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things
right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God
- "Jesus is my Master" - embracing, body and soul, God’s work of
doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That’s it. You’re not
"doing" anything; you’re simply calling out to God, trusting him to
do it for you. That’s salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting
things right, and then you say it, right out loud.- "God has set
everything right between him and me!" Scripture reassures us, "No one
who trusts God like this - heart and soul - will ever regret it." It’s
exactly the same no matter what a person’s background may be: the same God for
all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out
for help. "Everyone who calls, ‘Help, God!’ gets help."
Comment: The Greek
word kurios is usually rendered
"Lord" in English versions; it reflects both the proper name of God, Yahweh
(LORD) and the positional title, Adonay
(Lord) from the Old Testament. Some biblical scholars avoid
"Lord" as a male-oriented, sexist term. ‘The Message’ rarely
uses "Lord," preferring to call Jesus "the Master"
(John
This
practice limits the interpretation of passages that might refer to Jesus as
both Yahweh and Adonay - as God and as
sovereign.
Philippians
2:9-11
KJV "9
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above
every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in
heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father."
NIV "9
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is
above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven
and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ
is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
TM (p. 491)
"Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored
him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven
and on earth - even those long ago dead and buried-will bow in worship before
this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the
glorious honor of God the Father."
Comment: As above
for Romans 10:9-13.
Ephesians
5:22-24
KJV "22
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the
husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and
he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ,
so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing."
NIV "22
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head
of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also
wives should submit to their husbands in everything."
TM (p. 484)
"Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your
support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ
does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church
submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit
to their husbands."
Comment: ‘The
Message’ fails to consistently handle role relations between men and
women. Some passages that address husband-wife role relations, using the word
"submit" as in the example above and the one following, are rendered
"understand and support." The rendering of this passage also
qualifies the submission to mean that only as the husband exercises leadership
should the wife submit to him.
Colossians
3:18
KJV "18
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the
Lord."
NIV "18
Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord."
TM (p. 504)
"Wives, understand and support your husbands by submitting to them in ways
that honour the Master."
Comment: This
passage changes the emphasis from the submission to the type of submission.
Submitting to the husband is not conditional in the KJV or the NIV. In the TM
it is conditional upon certain ‘ways.’
Other
texts have been rendered in such a way that the traditional, hierarchical
interpretation is no longer possible, especially as shown in the example below.
1 Peter
3:1-7
KJV "1
Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey
not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the
wives; 2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. 3 Whose
adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of
wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 4 But let it be the hidden man of
the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and
quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. 5 For after this
manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned
themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: 6 Even as Sara obeyed
Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and
are not afraid with any amazement. 7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them
according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel,
and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not
hindered."
NIV "1
Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them
do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and
reverence of your lives. 3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment,
such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry
and fine clothes. 4 Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading
beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 5
For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used
to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, 6
like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters
if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. 7 Husbands, in the same
way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as
the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that
nothing will hinder your prayers."
TM (p. 579)
"The same goes for you wives: Be good wives to your husbands, responsive
to their needs. There are husbands who, indifferent as they are to any words
about God, will be captivated by your life of holy beauty. What matters is not
your outer appearance - the styling of your hair, the jewelry
you wear, the cut of your clothes - but your inner disposition. Cultivate inner
beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in. The holy women of old
were beautiful before God that way, and were good, loyal wives to their
husbands. Sarah, for instance, taking care of Abraham, would address him as ,
"my dear husband." You’ll be true daughters of Sarah if you do the
same, unanxious and unintimidated.
The same goes for you husbands: Be good husbands to your wives. Honor them, delight in them. As women they lack some of
your advantages. But in the new life of God’s grace, you’re equals. Treat your
wives, then, as equals so your prayers don’t run aground."
Comment: Here we
find that women are simply admonished to "be good wives." The
paragraph on page 421 of ‘The Message’ begins, "Don’t, by the way,
read too much into the differences here between men and women," a
statement which has no clear textual base.
1
Corinthians 11:11-12
KJV "11
Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without
the man, in the Lord. 12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man
also by the woman; but all things of God."
NIV "11
In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent
of woman. 12 For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But
everything comes from God."
TM (p. 421)
"Don’t, by the way, read too much into the differences here between men
and women. Neither man nor woman can go it alone or claim priority. Man was
created first, as a beautiful shining reflection of God - that is true. But the
head on a woman’s body clearly outshines in beauty the head of her
"head," her husband. The first woman came from man, true - but ever
since then, every man comes from a woman! And since virtually everything comes
from God anyway, let’s quit going through these "who’s first"
routines."
Comment: No comment
except to say Eugene Peterson has a very fertile imagination which he would no
doubt claim is some special anointing from the Holy Spirit.
Summary:
In the introduction, Eugene Peterson compares
his pastoral ministry to his work as a translator: "I stood at the border
between two languages, biblical Greek and everyday English, acting as a
translator, providing the right phrases, getting the right words so that the
men and women to whom I was pastor could find their way around and get along in
this world" (p. 10). Much of ‘The Message’ reads like a sermon:
text plus interpretation and application. Unlike a sermon, however, the reader
does not know where the text ends and the sermon begins.
But should we rewrite and dumb-down the Bible
to fit our own shallow and worldly communications skills? Should we reinterpret
the holy Word to sound more like a TV advert or film script?
Hughie Seaborn
Westcourt Q 4870
Email:
rseaborn@ozemail.com.au
The "Lamp" Ministry Web Site Designed and Maintained by Hughie Seaborn - Copyright? None! The "Lamp" Ministry 1999