I would question whether Peterson feels the same way. However, as a very free paraphrase, it is sometimes powerful and brilliant while at other times it is seriously off target. This is hazardous work I'm assigning you. Is it still available? Learn why this "gospel lite" illusion is such a seductive, powerful delusion for Christians and how you can avoid it in your walk of faith. So, if the Bible is the Word of God, and God is perfect, it follows that the Bible must be perfect, too. Later, when I started dating a woman (now my wife) at the church, she was warned that I was at the centre of controversy. 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. . What is more alarming is that the church congregation relies on the over head screen to read the scriptures presented. Tyndale got a Bible into the hands of the common person. Garbage - Life's Little Slices. 3) The Living Bible (TLB) - First published in 1971, The Living Bible is another paraphrase translation by sole translator, Kenneth Taylor. True to your word, Thank you for your comments on The Message, although not very well versed in the bible something in my gut told me that it was wrong. In this case, divination is completely neutral. 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. for his names sake. This is the main message of the entire Bible, Old and New Testament, that those who have repented and trusted in Christ "have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord. 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. Taking away and adding to ie Going to the casino is a sin. Preach in the full expression of the Holy Spiritwith wisdom and patience as you instruct and teach the people. The Bible, and His word, are not evolving, they are static. The Living Bible (TLB): When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and rejoiced in Pauls message; and as many as wanted eternal life, believed. Rather, it is designed as a reading Bible that can give you a fresh perspective on a familiar phrase or passage.. They are persecuted because they wear a cross and bear witness to Jesus. It wasnt too long ago that we were stuck in this stagnant life of sin, but thankfully, God has given us a new life through Jesus Christ. You're going to be like sheep running through a wolf pack, so don't call attention to yourselves. makes me feel secure. It's no wonder the Bible consistently warns against it. Features [ edit] 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, 12 and forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us. ", The Messagereads: "Don't have sex with a man as one does with a woman. 6 the end of the Lords Prayer is about forgiving not Gods attributes you may be confusing scripture with the Doxology/song. How do we know which book - The Bible, the Apocrypha, the Qur'an, the Book of Mormon, etc. your will be done, 2. 11 Give us our food again today, as usual, The scene in Oslo after Christian terrorist, Anders Breivik, struck. The Message Bible is a paraphrase version of the Bible. but deliver us from the evil one.'". John Clark: Ise, thank you for sharing and for your openness. Why is the belief of atheism so dangerous for the atheist? It confirms science, reveals the Messiah, and proves that it is supernatural in origin. Your email address will not be published. This is not a study Bible, but rather ""a reading Bible."" The verse numbers, which are not in the original documents, have been left out of the print version to facilitate easy and enjoyable reading. Queen Elizabeth II: A Role Model For Humanity, The Dangers of the Pan-sexual Agenda Part 1: What is Pan-sexuality. Firstly, ALL Bibles such as NKJV, NIV etc are paraphrasing. It could also refer to sincerity; if ones eyes are windows into their soul, then having a sincere heart will be reflected in ones actions and words. and send me in the right direction. Here's Warren's 10 Scriptural Reasons Why Jesus Calling is a Dangerous Book, reprinted with permission: And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. Excellent observations on The Message. Dear Jonathan, 7 Signs of True Salvation It's been the case from the beginning that Christians are slandered, and one of the worst slanders is to consider our love dangerous. 2) When pastors preach from it, it encourages people to use it, this is dangerous because the Message is full of errors, false doctrine, and occult philosophy. The purpose of those are the same as the Message, which is to make it more understandable to the reader. Church officials must be in control of their own families, and they must see that their children are obedient and always respectful. By dictionary definition, power is the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events. Many young people who want to serve on a short-term basis with us in the the Scottish housing schemes are on fire for the poor and passionate about being "missional" and "breaking down barriers.". The following article hopes to help you make more suitable choices and get more useful information [5] The work was awarded the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association Gold Medallion in 2003 for being the title retailers prized.[6][7]. Solomon had clear instruction from the Lord not to marry foreign wives, but he chose . 4 Even though I walk Almost all of Christianity is deceived and doesnt know the truth. 1 Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need! Yes. 9 "This, then, is how you should pray: 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. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. The second most dangerous way to read the Bible is to let someone create preconceived notions for you. . Jesus Embodied God's Grace. The Bible is therefore a highly dangerous. Authored by Eugene H. Peterson and published in segments from 1993 to 2002, [2] the MSG falls on the extreme dynamic end of the dynamic and formal equivalence spectrum. 1:18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. Confess to God. One lady, a former church leader, reportedly lay awake all night wrestling with the issue. In sum, my view today of The Messageis the same as it has been for years, unchanged by the controversial events of this week. Not the first. Samaritans and Jews also disagreed over their holy sites. I have read and listened the audio of many different translation of the bible. God says, in Isaiah 1:18, "Come now and let us reason together." With alcohol use we temporarily and permanently stupefy our reasoning powers. Im not afraid I would sit alone on a sofa with no one ready to converse with me. The Message loses the idea of an evil demonic power in these verses. The Message Bible Good vs. On the two occasions when I have since heard it used, the speakers havent disclosed the name of the book they are reading from. He gives me new strength. People at my church had seemingly fallen in love with The Message and I was chucking a big rock in their pool. 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. We have to read them for what they say, not for what we want them to say. Problems With Peterson's Philosophical Approach. I Other times, we are ignorant because we have chosen not to learn something we need to know. Verse Concepts. Jews believed the temple in Jerusalem was the only proper place to worship God. A book through which God speaks. Does this post violate any norms, rules, or others that you aware of? Its because you have the spiritual gift of discernment! Contemporary English Version (CEV): It is true that anyone who desires to be a church official wants to be something worthwhile. We must reject contemporary culture, not change to fit in. 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. for you are with me; I saw new believers using The Message as their actual Bible during a study, and felt like The Message was robbing them of some choice meat when they read passages from it that were flowery but so watered-down. Good people are going to perish. 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. 13 And lead us not into temptation, Finally, I have to say, the attitudes in a lot of these comments and from the opinion of the author is why many people are leaving the practice of Christianity. This mans interpretation is not always correct, nor is it always what the Spirit wants YOU to get from it. 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. But, to repeat: It should neverbe used as your primary Bible, since it is not a translation of the Bible but rather a free paraphrase of the Bible. Just want to point out that Matthew 6 commonly includes a footnote now where it used to continue the prayer. Tags Bible Interpretation bible translations Dangerous Doctrine Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus Errors in the Message Bible ESV false teaching occult influence the Lord's prayer The Message Bible. And whenever I see people carrying The Messageinto church services, I groan, since I assume that, for those people, it istheir Bible. "You do sports together or go shopping together. If the Bible is the truth, then ignoring it is ignoring the truth. As translated in the ESV, Paul wrote, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? 13 .mw-parser-output span.smallcaps{font-variant:small-caps}.mw-parser-output span.smallcaps-smaller{font-size:85%}God, my shepherd! Some manuscripts add, for yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. https://www.ebay.com/itm/115037693742 August 23, 2017 Message Bible is completely an offline bible without requiring internet connection to study the scriptures. Faith The only significant addition Peterson added was changing what the Bible actually said. It was then I got on the internet and read A LOT more and studied LOTS. I am not alone. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. English Standard Version (ESV): Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Worship, then, refers to something very big and. Peterson's Approach Yields a Commentary. Answer Ignorance is the lack of knowledge or understanding. Amen. Paul wrote, "And do not grumble, as some of them did and were killed by the destroying angel" ( 1 Corinthians 10:10 ). I got the phrase As above, so below which appears in The Message and googled it alongside the word Satanism in the presence of the minister. [2] It is a highly idiomatic translation, using contemporary slang from the US rather than a more neutral International English, and it falls on the extreme dynamic end of the dynamic and formal equivalence spectrum. A man who has strong convictions, who speaks out boldly for God's truth, if he's not careful can become harsh or unkind. Good for you, Simon son of John! answered Jesus. Do what's best The Bible reveals that psychic experiences are real but demonic, and that deceiving . This is a useful place to start, given the controversy currently surrounding this popular, 84-year-old, Christian author. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Jonathan Kotyk is a student, self taught philosopher, recovering addict and born again Christian. And the word "abhorrent" is as good a rendering of the Hebrew as is "abomination. It's dangerous to build an opinion of the Bible through the lens of someone else's beliefs. Doing so would be like saying that the fire used in the sacrifice is also evil. The biblical position on controversial social and cultural issues is not immoral, it's not harmful, and it's not unloving. Youre not going to fond the truth any other way. I believe that Gods people searchin n praying to Holy Spirit to guide us in understanding. North Korea - In this totalitarian state, the only thing that North Koreans are permitted to worship is the nation's leader, Kim Jong-un. Unjust people who don't care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. The gospel addresses all of life, both this life and the one to come. Gossip always contributes to a problem and never to a solution. How many times have learned preachers over a couple of centuries, with over 32,000 denominations of The Way (the early name of Christianity in the days of the Early Church), read from Scripture and then got the context wrong in the rest of their message somewhere else? I began to show up where The Message had taken from, added to, and twisted scriptures in the particular passage that had been recited during the church service also explaining why those changes fitted a New Age and politically correct agenda. Biblical scholars can do real spiritual harm by casually dismissing the texts that students hold dear. Our Father in heaven, Only you can discover it. You cannot say that just because divination is used in human sacrifice, it is evil. The reason it is so dangerous is that Satan blinds them and convinces them that God is not real, which keeps the person from pursuing spiritual truth, like the afterlife and the Creator of the universe. 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.. The Samaritans, however, believed that their temple, on Mount Gerizim, was where true worship . Some simply cut out sections of the Bible altogether or add ideas that were never in the original manuscripts. Why The Message bible should not be used It is not the Word of God! The answer to why people spend so much time studying the Bible is simple: it is the Word of God! [2], According to the Introduction to the New Testament of The Message, its "contemporary idiom keeps the language of the Message (Bible) current and fresh and understandable". 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). Although it is a . There is a tool for every job. Let's look at Leviticus 18:22, first in the ESV, a conservative evangelical translation, then in The Message. Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. Millions, if not billions of people, base their . God has always been a God of grace. The minister told the other speakers not to use The Message anymore. you find me quiet pools to drink from. One person stormed up to me and demanded that I send her no more emails. (Dis)Honorable Mention: Two translations that most Christians know to avoid but should still be mentioned are the New World Translation (NWT), which was commissioned by the Jehovahs Witness cult and the Readers Digest Bible, which cuts out about 55% of the Old Testament and another 25% of the New Testament (including Revelation 22:19, which says, if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book). They must not be heavy drinkers or troublemakers. This is wrong; it is not a translation it is a paraphrase, which makes it a commentary at best. 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. About ten people in total complained about me that week. They are convicted because they own a Bible. ", In TheMessagethis becomes, "Don't you realize that this is not the way to live? Here are five countries where owning a Bible is dangerous. 1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 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. 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. Simmons has actually released four installments of his new translation: Psalms: Poetry on Fire. as above, so below. I agree The Message and other interpretive commentary, and modernized Scriptures of the Bible, are not best for study. Or even that the sacrificed child is evil. I also showed church leaders other occult words in The Message such as Light-bearers and Divine Guardians. 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. Petersons lax handling of the Word of God results in stifled messages that are far less impactful than the original God-breathed directive. 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." Blessings my brothers n sisters stay in prayer n God Bless you all. Lets all be careful and remember William Tyndale who first translated the bible to English but encountered fierce opposition and was killed(burnt at stake) but his work has a very large impact on the King James Version (the most accepted version of the bible) He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? I hope this list has been helpful and will steer you in the right direction as to which Bible translations are profitable for training you up in righteousness. Instead of using any of these misleading translations, we would do much better to quote the Word of God faithfully, which is perfect and God-breathed, instead of rewording Gods message to include our biases and personal opinions and beliefs. I continued my protest. 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. 12 And forgive us our debts, Instead, they must be kind and gentle and not love money. Difficulty Finding a Modern Interpretation of the Bible. I reminded them that we are told to have no fellowship with darkness (Ephesians 5:11) which should mean we dont use that book as a resource. 10 your kingdom come, Thought-for-thought presents the intended meaning of the author, which the original audience would have understood during the time the writing was originally created. It's called " The Passion Translation, " written by Brian Simmons of Stairway Ministries. 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. He has found that The Message often adds meaning to passages that are not present in the original Greek text. Reach out to [emailprotected] when you have time. Where secrecy is removed, gossip is hampered. "You have something divine in your hands: a book like fire! In Matthew 3:7, Jesus speaks to the people and calls them a brood of vipers. But nowhere in Scripture is sound thinking discouraged. 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. Even the most liberal seminary would fail a student who turned in an essay full of Message quotes (at least I hope they would). "The Message offers vibrant language that awakens my heart to the wonders of God's Word again and again. Speakers were lacking in integrity to feed people from this book without first explaining the many problems with it. In his book on Bible reading, Eat This Book, Eugene Peterson writes about his motivations in writing The Message. Some people explode when they cannot have it. Also Amen means something different in every denomination. In the aftermath of Eugene Peterson's controversial remarksabout homosexuality, followed by his retraction, many have asked me if they should still use The Message. Hoping it will appear in Google listings in time. Perhaps you can give me a link to read it? 1:28-32). We were living in sin, and letting the world dictate how we should live our lives. 1) The Message (MSG) - This translation is a paraphrase by Eugene Peterson. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. (To get more detail on The Living Bible, see Michael Marlowes detailed review here on bible-researcher.com). - is the Word of God? He is further identified as the son of Amoz (Isaiah 1:1). It is written in a conversational style with contemporary language, making it easier for readers to relate to on a personal level.