The Message--Opinion, Bible or Hidden Meanings

[Vic]

Paraphrases come and go in popularity and The Message is either viewed as a Bible, a paraphrase or a contemporary translation by some. However, is what is presented doctrinally sound and upholding what the original manuscripts intended?

[DarkGlass1312]

I'm thinking that it probably isn't. For example, in the very beginning of Genesis,
God sounds more like William Shatner, saying things like:
Light!
Sky! In the middle of the waters;
Separate!
Land, appear!
Earth, green up!
Lights! Come out!
Prosper! Reproduce! Fill ocean!
:what: What is this stuff? It's dishonoring to God, and at the same time hilarious to me. "Lights! Come out!" This was a bad idea to do a paraphrase translation, because then you don't have the hidden points and classic phrases like the KJV.

[Vic]

Well said.

[strefanash]

I do understand that Hebrew does have this kind of terseness of style (ie "Light!") Of course I freely admit I know no hebrew. But i am sure that the 10 commandmenst have the same style:

NO MURDERS! (or something similar) . This is a literal reading, or near abouts, of the 6th commandment. Unless I am grievously mistaken. . . .

A paraphrase could be useful if one is careful. I once opened the Message Bible in my local book shop. I actually quite liked it, but not enough to buy it of course.

I might be careful in using a parphrase, and would not be keen to use it for doctrine, but i was offended by the arrogance of a visiting speaker at a university Student Christian conference i went to way back in 1980 who basically screamed at a student having a good news for modern man, and said he or she should burn it.

I would not fulminate againt a paraphrase unless it preacheds outright heresy, as the JW New World translation does.

I don't think we should confuse connotations and traditional emotional responses with the style of the hebrew or greek original. A style as refreshing as that quoted above may very well be in the origina and our negative response could be our own hide bound inertia

[sheep wrecked]

(01-03-2009 02:09 AM)strefanash Wrote:  I do understand that Hebrew does have this kind of terseness of style (ie "Light!") Of course I freely admit I know no hebrew. But i am sure that the 10 commandmenst have the same style:

NO MURDERS! (or something similar) . This is a literal reading, or near abouts, of the 6th commandment. Unless I am grievously mistaken. . . .

A paraphrase could be useful if one is careful. I once opened the Message Bible in my local book shop. I actually quite liked it, but not enough to buy it of course.

I might be careful in using a parphrase, and would not be keen to use it for doctrine, but i was offended by the arrogance of a visiting speaker at a university Student Christian conference i went to way back in 1980 who basically screamed at a student having a good news for modern man, and said he or she should burn it.

I would not fulminate againt a paraphrase unless it preacheds outright heresy, as the JW New World translation does.

I don't think we should confuse connotations and traditional emotional responses with the style of the hebrew or greek original. A style as refreshing as that quoted above may very well be in the origina and our negative response could be our own hide bound inertia

The Message is pure junque, from my perspective
poke dat bad doggie wit a stick :poke:

I can understand the appeal for a version that sounds more modern, but Eugene Peterson put concepts and phrases into the MESSage that are occulitc and new age which at the least, demeans Scripture and at the worst extreme, blasphemes it. He also distorts the Gospel and the finished work of Christ

You can read all about it here:

http://www.seekgod.ca/messageoccult.htm

[strefanash]

(01-04-2009 05:55 PM)sheep wrecked Wrote:  The Message is pure junque, from my perspective
poke dat bad doggie wit a stick :poke:

I can understand the appeal for a version that sounds more modern, but Eugene Peterson put concepts and phrases into the MESSage that are occulitc and new age which at the least, demeans Scripture and at the worst extreme, blasphemes it. He also distorts the Gospel and the finished work of Christ

You can read all about it here:

http://www.seekgod.ca/messageoccult.htm

My opinion was merely and impression based on a two minute perusal of the book in a book shop. Although I am in fact somewhat chary of insisting that any phrase that looks like an occultic must be an occultic phrase, it seems that adding unnecesary words does not do justic to the text. ALthough I doubt that green hope refers to any green man of pagan myth yet the word green is not contained in the original neither is any meaing or connotation.

I did say paraphrases were to be looked at with care, for with these any one word chosen from the spread of meanings available wil in fact limit the meaning to be gotten from it

[sheep wrecked]

(01-04-2009 07:24 PM)strefanash Wrote:  My opinion was merely and impression based on a two minute perusal of the book in a book shop. Although I am in fact somewhat chary of insisting that any phrase that looks like an occultic must be an occultic phrase, it seems that adding unnecesary words does not do justic to the text. ALthough I doubt that green hope refers to any green man of pagan myth yet the word green is not contained in the original neither is any meaing or connotation.

I did say paraphrases were to be looked at with care, for with these any one word chosen from the spread of meanings available wil in fact limit the meaning to be gotten from it

New age and occultic associations that Peterson has would preclude his use of occultic and new age words. No one would just pick up those phrases and stick them into the text like he does without knowing the intended meanings. Even those in the occult and into new age recognize the phrasing and wordage as coming from those venues.

[donaldleesingleton]

My wife has a copy of the messasge on our livingroom bookshelf. I want to prove to her that it's bad. I want to get all the best evidence together first because she is stuborn. I have been praing about it and could use some prayer support.

[Vic]

(07-13-2009 06:50 PM)donaldleesingleton Wrote:  My wife has a copy of the messasge on our livingroom bookshelf. I want to prove to her that it's bad. I want to get all the best evidence together first because she is stuborn. I have been praing about it and could use some prayer support.

Read the series on it Donald, http://www.seekgod.ca/messageoverview.htm -start here. It gives you information from every angle possible. It's really indepth. And there's likely more in some of my other articles.

[sheep wrecked]

(07-13-2009 06:50 PM)donaldleesingleton Wrote:  My wife has a copy of the messasge on our livingroom bookshelf. I want to prove to her that it's bad. I want to get all the best evidence together first because she is stuborn. I have been praing about it and could use some prayer support.

Check out Vic's link - it should give you all the info you need

http://www.seekgod.ca/drpeterson.htm


I think I posted at the same time Vic did!