Pros and Cons of The Message Bible

If you’re reading this post, I’m guessing you’ve heard of The Message Bible and you’re in one of three camps:

  1. You’ve heard it can be a good paraphrase and you’re curious what makes it different, fresh, etc. as well as what potential pitfalls it may have.
  2. You’ve heard it is NOT a good version of the Bible, that it’s a fake, fraud, heresy, whatever. BUT you’re curious and trying to figure out if it’s safe to read, if you’ll go to hell for touching it.
  3. You’re doing a research project for a Bible college course or seminary course, and you’re comparing it to other translations.

If you’re in camp #3, I can’t promise that this will qualify as solid academic research. However, I have graduated from Bible college, and I have been to seminary. I’ve also read through the Bible at least a handful of times, so you can definitely say I’m a student of the Word. If you want to cite this article, follow your professor’s requirements and know you can always argue with them later if they dock you for my article. 🙂

If you’re in camp #2, I can confirm you won’t go to hell for touching or reading The Message Bible. Going to heaven or hell has nothing to do with which translation of the Bible you read. It has everything to do with whether you believe what you’re reading, aka was Jesus who He said He was? Now, if we’re squared up on that, keep reading because I’m sure you’ll learn a thing or two.

If you’re in camp #1, read and enjoy.

Now, let’s get down to business.

I might break this into a couple articles eventually, or expand upon it later, but for now, I think there are three main points worth you knowing. I mention the first two points because it seems like the people who say, “The Message sucks,” or “The Message is heresy,” are actually the folks who have no clue how it came into being. And for those of you who have been told those things, I want you to know the facts.

First, Eugene Peterson, the “author” of The Message, was a linguist of the top order. He earned his Masters from John Hopkins University in ancient Semitic languages. If you aren’t sure what that means, he invested thousands of hours learning multiple languages that were around in Bible times. They were languages spoken in the Ancient Near East, in ancient Mesopotamia where the stories of the Old Testament originated. Peterson knew biblical Hebrew and Greek, and he was even a professor of those subjects for a time. These facts are important because he wasn’t just some random dude making up a new paraphrase of the Bible with his own thoughts. He actually knew the original Bible languages, he knew other languages, and he knew them so well that he was paid to teach them in universities. One could rightly say he understood the mechanics, the ins and outs, the nuances of these ancient languages, especially Hebrew and Greek.

Second, Eugene Peterson also served as a pastor for almost three decades. Why does this matter? Because he wasn’t just a scholar in an ivory tower; he also knew the day in, day out lives of common people. The Message was born out of that work. He was trying to connect the ancient text with the daily lives of the people in his congregation. He saw there was a disconnect between people’s understanding of the text and how it played out in their lives, so he translated individual books of the Bible into modern language for his church. People loved it, so he kept doing it. Ultimately, he saw that using the current vernacular helped people better understand and more appropriately apply the Scriptures. From that deep desire to see people live more closely to God and from the proof he saw in his congregation, not only did he translate the entire Bible, he also wrote 30+ books to help. Good on him for all of those efforts!

Now that you know the background and history, what are the pros and cons of using The Message? The Message can be very useful for a variety of reasons. If you’ve grown up reading traditional translations like King James or New American Standard, or even some of the newer ones like the New International Version or New Living Translation, The Message can come in like a breath of fresh air. It’s so unique because Peterson started at the ground level. In essence, he asked if the text was written and read in today’s language, with our current turns of phrase, idioms, and the like, what would it sound like? He wanted to get to the heart of what was being said and capture the tone and emotion and poetry of it. So, if you’ve been studying a passage to prepare for teaching, and you’ve been struggling to get the heart of it or struggling with understanding the fuller context, The Message can help you get to the heart of it. The Message can help you capture the tone, the emotion, the thrust of it.

As for cons, the only two I’ve found are if you’re looking for a specific verse, most versions I’ve seen only have clusters or groups of verses, so you need to read whole paragraphs to find the single verse you’re looking for. Honestly, that could be a pro though because it forces you to get back into the context. The only other downside is judgmental people look down on you if they see you reading it or hear you mention that you read it. Can’t help that!

It’s funny looking at The Message now, and you realize Eugene Peterson was made or prepared for this exact work. A trained linguist and professor of the Biblical languages turned pastor for 30 years, turned author and respected leader, he was very much like a modern-day Paul. But instead of writing most of the New Testament like Paul, he translated the New and Old Testaments.

I wish I could have met Eugene Peterson. He and I would have talked for days. But I can imagine he and Jesus are having a good time together right now, and I can imagine that God is proud of him for the work he did.

To degrade and denounce him or his work is a travesty and tragedy. He was a great man with a great heart, who fully invested his talents and skills to help millions of people re-access their Bibles and be reinvigorated in their faith.

May you dive in, enjoy, and be reinvigorated yourself!

Colossians 4

There’s a great command from Paul, here at the start of chapter 4:

Pray diligently.

Do you know what it looks like to pray diligently? Diligent is defined as showing care and conscientiousness in one’s work or duties. So you could say it means praying with care. Praying conscientious of what’s going on around you. Praying as if it’s your work or duty.

I’m inspired to stop and pray right now!

…

There are two other things worth drawing attention to here as we wrap up Colossians: the number of names mentioned and the significance of the other church mentioned.

Now don’t hold me to this, but I counted at least 11 folks that Paul mentions by name at the tail end of chapter 4. Have you ever heard someone say that we need a team of great people around us to accomplish anything significant? Have you ever heard Margaret Mead’s quote, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

That’s what I think of when I read this list of people mentioned by Paul. Everyone remembers Paul because Paul wrote all the letters. Plus, he was the one leading the charge. But he couldn’t have done it without an incredible supporting cast. And these are the folks who traveled with him, who were jail birds with him, who helped him start the churches and continued working there after he moved on to other cities.

Which brings me to the other church mentioned here. There are actually two. He mentions the church at Laodicea and the church that meets at Nympha’s house. Now, the church of Laodicea apparently received a letter. But that letter didn’t make it in the Scriptures.

I wish we knew what it said. But all we know instead is Paul wants them to do a little switcheroo. Colossae believers need to get in touch with Laodicea believers and swap letters. This wouldn’t be a huge deal because they were only 15km apart, but that would take a couple days to walk and swap. Worth it? Probably. Did it happen? We don’t know.

All we know is that about 30 years later, when John writes the book of Revelation, the messenger tells John to write a letter to the church at Laodicea, and it’s not full of rainbows and butterflies. In fact, it’s one of the most scathing of the seven letters to the seven churches. John tells them that they are lukewarm, and Jesus doesn’t like lukewarm. He’ll spit them out of his mouth.

Three decades. They go from an encouragement and a bright spot in Paul’s letter to a scathing critique in John’s letter.

May we learn from their ways. May we gather a small group of committed helpers. And may we pray diligently.

Colossians 3

Paul is on a roll here in chapter 3. There are four very different phrases that I want to pull out here. Four unique analogies and proclamations. The thread through them all is this: Jesus is your life, so live like it.

Number 1: Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ. – Christine Caine talks about this idea, and my wife and I both love it. So many people are shooting for fame, thinking that’s what will make you happy. Status and notoriety only take you so far. Be content with obscurity instead. Don’t despise the days of small things, the days of living in the shadows, in obscurity. God is with you more there. Needtobreathe, NF, and many others have talked about the downsides of fame. I think we’d be wise to heed their advice.

Number 2: And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. – Wear it everywhere. It’s versatile. It’s important. It’s essential. Like a good pair of underwear. Haha! Wear love.

Number 3: Let the Word of Christ – the Message – have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. – I love the image here. Let it have run of the house, run of your life. Give it space and room to grow and expand as we talked about in this post a couple chapters ago.

Number 4: Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work. – Paul is speaking to workers/servants/employees. He’s telling them to do their very best and do their work as unto the Lord, regardless of who serves as the earthly master/boss. And it’s a worthwhile command. As I mentioned in a previous post, there’s a verse in Proverbs that says, “See a man who excels in his work, that man will stand before kings.”

I’ve often prayed that for myself. And the Lord has answered it. Maybe I haven’t stood before a real king, but I’ve stood before heads of companies and mentors of mine. I’ve stood before leaders and large crowds. And I’m confident, if I continue to put my very best into my work, I’ll have more and more of those opportunities. Not for fame, as I mentioned before. But having opportunities for influence and impact. That’s a lot more noble.

I hope you get some opportunities like that as well. But only if you’re doing your best work. 🙂

Colossians 2

Paul wrote so many good lines in Colossians 2. I’m struggling with which ones to call attention to and dive into. I can’t possibly cover it all. And I’m sure Paul felt the same way when writing these letters.

He had written roughly 2,000 words, and he was trying to explain the mystery of the Gospel and how it went first to the Jews, then to everyone else. It was such a novel concept at the time. There was controversy, misunderstanding, differing expectations, and a whole lot of false teaching surrounding it. People were trying to dazzle others with their big words and their fancy rules and their intellectual talk. Sure sounds a lot like today actually!

But Paul saw straight through it. And I pray I can do the same today.

So where should we dive in? Let’s look at verse 7. In the Message, it reads,

You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.

Isn’t that such a great line?! School is out. Quit studying. Start living.

I’m in my mid-30s, but I’d honestly still be in school if I could find a way a different way to get the bills paid. I have a tendency to study a lot. I love to read. I love to learn. I love to be intellectually stimulated. But I’ve also been a believer for over 18 years now, and I recognize, the value in all of this is actually LIVING it out!

It doesn’t mean I shouldn’t continue to study. It doesn’t mean I shouldn’t continue to learn. But I absolutely need to be putting it all into practice. And if I ever have a day where I have to choose between the two for sake of time, I can absolutely miss out on studying, so that I can focus on living it.

So live it, my friends. You know your way around the faith. The fruits of the Spirit are simple. The manifestation of Christ’s life in you is very straightforward. You’ll love people more. You’ll love people better. And you’ll be a more kind, more gentle, more patient, more joyful, more faithful, more peaceful person. Let the Spirit continue working those things in your life.

LIVE IT!

Colossians 1

I love the way Paul opens most of his letters. They’re so grandiose, so meta, so big and dynamic. This letter is no different.

Paul then affirms this truth with the folks at Colossae:

The Message is as true among you today as when you first heard it. It doesn’t diminish or weaken over time. It’s the same all over the world. The Message bears fruit and gets larger and stronger, just as it has in you.

How many things have you heard of that get larger and stronger over time? Usually, it’s the opposite, right? The law of entropy/disorder. Things left to themselves are usually falling apart, getting worse, breaking, dying, etc.

But here Paul says this message, The Message aka the Gospel, is bearing fruit in their lives, and it doesn’t diminish or weaken over time. In fact, it gets stronger and larger and better. It keeps increasing.

So, it may be fair to say, the Gospel is like wine, it gets better with time.

It may also be fair to say that the longer you live with this Gospel and truth, the longer you stay open to its working in you, the better you’ll get. Of course, your body will still age and fall apart; this isn’t the fountain of youth we’re talking about. We still haven’t found that. But your spirit, your soul, the core of you will get better and better.

That’s quite a promise. It was true for the Colossians then, and it’s true for us now.

May you live in the largeness, the strongness, and the increasing power of The Message!

Ephesians 6b

I’m just going to quote part of Ephesians 6 verbatim:

Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

Be prepared.

Take all the help you can get.

Pray hard.

Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up.

Talk about some strong language. Feels like a battle cry!

And there’s that line…so that when it’s all over but the shouting… you’ll still be on your feet. Have you ever been in some of those battles in life? There was the lead-up to it. There was the thick of it, the storm, the heat of the difficulty. And then there was the aftermath. But after the aftermath, it was just a bunch of shouting and words back and forth. I think about it as the folks still talking crap, even after the fight is over. I think that’s what Paul is talking about here. The goal is to still be on your feet. You want to go out with a bang.

Paul had his fair share of battles. And he always remained on his feet. The boxer may get beat up for 12 rounds. But if he’s still on his feet, he has his dignity and he has the chance to win.

How do you stand the chance to win? Through those next couple items: staying full of God’s Word and prayer.

Ephesians 6

Children, fathers, servants, masters… each group is addressed in order.

For the children, they’re encouraged to honor their father and mother knowing that there is a promise attached to it, “so you will live well and have a long life.” Simple enough, right?

“Fathers, don’t frustrate your children with no-win scenarios.” An interesting command, isn’t it? First, it’s interesting because the mothers don’t get called out on any behaviors, nor are they given any commands. Just dads. Second, it’s interesting because that seems like an obscure request. But the more you think about it, the more you see it’s actually a pretty common problem. Dads can give irrational commands to their kids when they get frustrated with them. They can contradict themselves. They can have unreasonable expectations. They can get in a hurry and give impossible instructions. From the child’s perspective, they just need a simple, clear command to follow. And they need someone to deliver that in a concise and polite way, so they can hear it and do it. It’s that simple. There’s a saying I’ve heard many times, “If Momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” But I think it’s just as true on the flip side, “If Daddy ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” Dads can make or break their kids, and when they create no-win scenarios, it breaks them.

Now, the word “servants,” at least in this context, could be easily swapped for “employees.” Servants/employees are encouraged in this section to work heartily, to work with a smile on their faces, reminded that no matter who is giving the orders, it is really God who is in charge. It is God who we are serving in our labor. Such a great reminder! And to steal a verse from Proverbs, “See a man who excels in his work; that man will stand before kings.”

Finally, masters, aka bosses, no abuse and no threats. Your master in heaven makes no distinction between you and your workers/employees. You’re all on a level playing field before God. That’s a big deal.

So if you’re a child, a father, a servant/employee, or a master/boss, there’s something in here for you. I wear all of those hats actually, so I really had to listen up and pay attention.

We’ll close out Ephesians with the next entry.