This is the latest development: a 16-page booklet available on Ebay.com that anyone around the world can order and give out: The most dangerous verses in the Bible will have no bearing on us when we are saved and sure; not placing our faith in the work that we have done, but rather in Christ and His finished work. Your kingdom come, 713 I still get what The Holy Spirit is teaching me and have benefited Spiritually by it.. Let's look at Leviticus 18:22, first in the ESV, a conservative evangelical translation, then in The Message. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. This displays The Messageat its worst, and it's another reminder as to why we should never use it as our primary Bible. The Message is a spiritually dangerous book, especially for new Christians who dont know anything about the faith or are just starting to investigate it and as it is there is already a huge amount of false teaching out there, like the Word Faith movement, the New Apostolic Reformation, Jehovahs Witnesses, Hebrew Israelites, and so on. for his names sake. 'Our Father in heaven, Problem Passages in The Message - The Good Book Blog - Biola University We love each other, and we're not using or abusing each other.". A striving after love, is the ethically more demanding choice (1 Corinthians 13:4), while the other, insisting on the right faith, more likely than not will lead to callousness (Gal 1:6-9). 10 We ask that your kingdom will come now. 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. Dont let your guard down or forget that at any moment you can be deceived. Is The Bible Dangerous? - Forbes This raises questions about how accurately The Message reflects the original intent of Scripture. Arthur L. Farstad writes: As a Bible translator and editor myself, I must disagree. But nowhere in Scripture is sound thinking discouraged. 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. How is the Bible inspired? Heather, theres more to it than that. What's So Bad About Cults? - Christianity Without the Religion/Plain Millions, if not billions of people, base their . But whatever it is, it STILL shouldnt be twisting scripture. . The New International I reminded the church that Jesus said if we love him, we will obey his commands (John 14:23). Worship, then, refers to something very big and. Amen. This is clearly what Eugene Peterson is looking at, since otherwise the prayer should end after deliver us from evil, or as the paraphrase puts it (I hesitate to call it a paraphrase, since a true paraphrase keeps the original thought intact), keep us safe from ourselves and the devil. I would point out that theres a huge difference between deliverance and keeping safe. Although it is a . Of course, I could cite hundreds of brilliant renderings in The Message, and sometimes, when preaching, I'll cite one of them, since it powerfully drills home the point. You are really understanding mans word, not Gods by using this commentary/paraphrase. The Message, I was told, is a paraphrase, a commentary, a rendition, a transliteration, etc, etc. 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. Copies of it appeared on the bookshelf as people chucked it in. My answer to the question remains the same today as it has always been: The Message is not a translation and should not be used as your primary Bible. Who Was Isaiah, and What Does His Message Mean for Us? Danger #2 "False guilt". On the two occasions when I have since heard it used, the speakers havent disclosed the name of the book they are reading from. 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. Speak the Truth in Love. Where is Sunday on the calender? In Matthew 3:7, Jesus speaks to the people and calls them a brood of vipers. 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. The cult, of course, believes that these teachings must be preserved and protected from change. He acted out of grace in Exodus. The only significant addition Peterson added was changing what the Bible actually said. None of those individuals ever identified themselves to me and to this day I dont know who they were. Even the most liberal seminary would fail a student who turned in an essay full of Message quotes (at least I hope they would). 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. 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. 10 Warnings in the Bible We Don't Take Seriously Enough - iBelieve.com In addition, Matthew 6:20 speaks of the lamp of the body being the eye. Later, when I started dating a woman (now my wife) at the church, she was warned that I was at the centre of controversy. Is it still available? Jesus is warning the people that they must repent and turn away from their sins if they want to be saved from Gods judgement. Hostility to it is hostility to the. 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. I remember feeling like a pariah with no support or friends in that church for some weeks. Look for Part 2 of this article, where we will review the top 5 Bible translations to use. The Message Bible Endorsements . 5. " MARGARET FEINBERG, AUTHOR OF FIGHT BACK WITH JOY "The Message is original and refreshing. This is wrong; it is not a translation it is a paraphrase, which makes it a commentary at best. English Standard Version (ESV): preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. There are many issues I have with the Message translation, but for the sake of space I am only listing three of them. The Bible: the world's most dangerous book, Alan Watts - Katinka Hesselink Garbage. (a) (The Message) "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"." (b) Comment: Sexual immorality is reduced to "the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy". That is our job. 11 Give us our food again today, as usual, ( Matthew 24:4-5) Translation Comparison - 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. They concluded that Eugene Peterson had indeed made a decision to insert occultic words into the book but they still chose to read from it! Jonathan Kotyk His name in Hebrew (Yeshayahu) means "Yah [weh] is salvation.". Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. Witnesses, who also changed the Bible around to fit what they wanted to say, they created the NWT Bible. Trust God to reveal truth to in Love, The Bible admonishes us to, "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth. Although I was never rude in my emails, seven people complained about me to the church office in one day. It is specifically targeted toward U.S. English . Set the world right; Our Father in heaven, I remember complaining that if the church hall was hired for a function, as it often was, a member of the local community could come in, pick up the copy of The Message from the bookshelf and read a false gospel in it. (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). 1. There are words in every language that does and does not exist in another language. 12 And forgive us our debts, Even in moderation, alcohol use causes significant problemsphysically, mentally, and spiritually. Many believers enjoy reading The Message because of its modern appeal; however, it is important to recognize . 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). The Message has sold over 10 million copies and has continually ranked among the top five best-selling Bibles. "This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. Sometimes we are ignorant because we did not know there was a need to learn something. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. Yes. Amen.. According to NavPress, publisher of Eugene Peterson's The Message The Bible in Contemporary Language, there have been over 10,000,000 readers of The Message. Paraphrase is often written by a single author who translates the Bible in their own words, sometimes not even using the original biblical languages as a foundation. Why Is the Message Bible So Dangerous? 4 Bible Verses You Should Know Rare a member that actually brings a Bible and there are none available in the pews. 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. To see additional comparisons other than what is listed below, visit Bible Gateway, where you can view parallel translations of this translation (and any of the other poor translations featured in this article) with the ESV (or any other reliable translation) side by side. 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. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. The Message translation additionally suggests that people may reject Jesus teaching because the truth is too close for comfort. Doing so would be like saying that the fire used in the sacrifice is also evil. The Samaritans, however, believed that their temple, on Mount Gerizim, was where true worship . https://www.ebay.com/itm/115037693742 For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. He outlined his grace in Leviticus. The Passion Translation (TPT): proclaim the Word of God and stand upon it no matter what! Copyright 2023, The Bottom Line Ministries. Is The Message as bad as they all say? Mike Frost A book through which God speaks. They are convicted because they own a Bible. Instead, they must be kind and gentle and not love money. Gossip often thrives upon secrecy. The Bible, and His word, are not evolving, they are static. 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. Solomon had clear instruction from the Lord not to marry foreign wives, but he chose . Death Valley, Queen Elizabeth II: A Role Model For Humanity, The Dangers of the Pan-sexual Agenda Part 1: What is Pan-sexuality. About ten people in total complained about me that week. According to Psalm 138:2 God magnifies His Word above His name. through the darkest valley, your rod and your staff, I also showed church leaders other occult words in The Message such as Light-bearers and Divine Guardians. Petersons lax handling of the Word of God results in stifled messages that are far less impactful than the original God-breathed directive. There was no malice in eating and therefore not offensive. Youre in charge! 11 Give us this day our daily bread. Of course, here in America, the Bible has, until recently, been a . I will fear no evil, Regarded as sacred and authoritative, such a complex collection of histories, legends, allegories and images becomes a monstrous Rorschach blot in which you can picture almost . Here are a few really good reasons to be a little bit less confident in your ability to see the clear, intended meaning when you read the Bible: 1. [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". Some do know the truth but you will only know that by discovering it yourself. 5) Contemporary English Version (CEV) - This translation is another work by the American Bible Society, commonly referred to as the Bible for Today's Family. It is a popular book to use in liberal churches that are more focused on creating social change than on Jesus Christ, His saving act on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. 7. 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. Where secrecy is removed, gossip is hampered. The Message is generally avoided but there is no hard and fast rule. Dangers of the Message Bible - Dove Ministries 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. What Is the Message Bible? Should This Be Used By Christians? Isaiah was born in 760 B.C. The scene in Oslo after Christian terrorist, Anders Breivik, struck. IE. An overwhelming number of these translations suffer from the strong bias of an unfaithful group of translators. I had to sit through two church services tailored to support the churchs use of The Message. 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. "You do sports together or go shopping together. Difficulty Finding a Modern Interpretation of the Bible. 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. HIS thoughts are above our thoughts, HE himself did not TRANSLATE because they all spoke the same language, but HE did PARAPHRASE to speak to everyone on every level. Jews believed the temple in Jerusalem was the only proper place to worship God. Problems With Peterson's Philosophical Approach. Gmail's spam filters can pick up on grammar and spelling mistakes. Solomon's example can teach us a lesson about how dangerous compromise with God's law can be. Your trusty shepherds crook The purpose of the Bible What is it? Unjust people who don't care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. Reveal who you are. He commanded them to remember his grace in Deuteronomy. Bible translations are usually broken down into three major categories: Word-for-word or Formal Equivalence, Thought-for-Thought or Dynamic Equivalence, and Paraphrase. Or even that the sacrificed child is evil. This one comes from the New Apostolic Reformation ( NAR) camp, from the brain of one man, a human-appointed "Apostle.". True to your word, 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.