The prayers, fellowship and encouragement of an older saint means a lot to a younger worker perhaps struggling with difficulties, isolated for long periods from home or the company of others in his missionary group. A translation trying to straddle the middle is called an optimally equivalent translation. I think your pros are right on, though I disagree with 2-4 of your cons. Here are the main reasons why you should not use the NIV Bible anymore! [The Bible] is the most valuable thing that this world affords. I guess whats going through my mind is a piano analogy. The translation committees goal was to carry forward this legacy for this generation and generations to come. Books and blogs that help you live a more joyful, integrated life. First, Eugene Peterson, the author of The Message, was a linguist of the top order. VERSE BY VERSE He goes on to say that people should get a study Bible to help with further study. King James Version (KJV) - 1611. There are differences in grammar, word order, nuances, connotations, idioms, and expressions that all must be considered. Open your New King James Version to Luke 9:56 and you will read: handy-dandy Bible App that I use, I discovered "The Message", so I tried it out, and really liked it, and have used it ever since. Clichd symbols are the ones that we all associate the same message with. Secondly, the Bible itself says that if scripture is too difficult for someone to understand, it isn't because the language is obtuse. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Love book clubs? Pros. The search feature is very good and creates a lot of options for reading and research. While there's nothing wrong with this, every church should consider the pros and cons of doing sermon-based Bible studies. Web Design : https://iccleveland.org/wp-content/themes/icc/images/empty/thumbnail.jpg, Lessons from the Biblical Story of Noah: A Righteous Man. Pros and cons of both. How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth: A Guide to Understanding and Using Bible Versions by Gordon D. Fee & Mark L. Strauss. Going to heaven or hell has nothing to do with which translation of the Bible you read. Pros. Many people found this refreshing at first, but also found it inconvenient for cross-referencing, comparison with other versions, and group Bible studies. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In this post, we are going to review the most common versions and some pros and cons of each. Top Ten Bible Translations in the United States by Thom S. Rainer Founder & CEO The Christian Booksellers Association has published its list of bestselling Bible translations in 2012 for the United States. Here are 4 pros I found: To see what I mean, read these two sentences: The two of them, the Man and his Wife, were naked, but they felt no shame. The goal of The Message is to engage people in the reading process and help them understand what they read. https://omerdylanredden.com/2012/02/07/creativity-bob-dylan/. At best, it is a commentary on the Bible, yet unfortunately one masquerading as scripture itself, and no commentary is a suitable substitute for scripture. We have discovered that there are more cons or disadvantages to red letter Bibles than there are pros or positives. Peterson has made some serious mistakes in his book, but he is a brother nonetheless. I like capes. Each decade, more ancient manuscripts are discovered, analyzed, and published (most notably the Dead Sea Scrolls in the late 1940s), meaning that the newer an English translation is, the more textual criticism it can draw upon, and therefore the more accurately it can present the original form of the text. British and Foreign Bible Society operates in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.We also work with a network of local Bible Societies around the world. Before the Fall, the first couple were united and shame-free; the clever serpent, as we read in the next few sentences, seduces them to sin. There are many pros including the impact a large membership can have on community efforts for poor, abused, addictions etc. (LogOut/ Thrive Journaling Bible. grave pleasures bandcamp Lausd Daily Pass Shortcut, There are so many, it can be difficult to choose one to use and to know which one might be better for which purpose. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! However, its archaic English and outdated scholarship can impede understanding. Here are some of its principle downsides: For the serious student of the Bible, there are many benefits to using a newer translation (or two) to supplement the KJV in your personal or family studyespecially if the newer translation is a study bible edition, with notes, commentary, and background information. I am always saddened by the number of people who disdain The Message without knowing Petersons scholarship or understanding his true intent: my intent hereis simply to get people reading it who dont know that the Bible is read-able at all, at least by them, and to get people who long ago lost interest in the Bible to read it again (from the Preface to The Message). Now, if were squared up on that, keep reading because Im sure youll learn a thing or two. So that is The Message and the NIV compared. Turning the gem, as our Jewish friends would say. The Message can be very useful for a variety of reasons. Im not sure if youre a pastor / teacher, but based on how your thoughts and implicit question are arranged, I would guess you are. Well, this plan might be great for you. Thank you! He came to help, to put the world right again". But it is. Literal translation. A fresh easy-to-read, idiomatic translation, It often presents a different insight to a passage, It captures some of the passion of the original, Its colloquial style works for some and not for others, Its idioms arequite Americanand British readers can find this difficult, The translation is very free, which can lead to questions about its accuracy, Considered by many to be the most literal translation, especial care was taken to reflect the same verb tense as in the original, Often almost impossible to understand in English, Conservative theology affects translational decisions, All the advantages of the NIV but easier to read, Designed so that people can go on to read the NIV if/when they want to, One of the clearest and easy to read translations around, It does sometimes slip more into interpreting the text than simply translating it, Some avoid it because of its advertised low reading age, One of the few translations that tries to balance literal translation with an emphasis on meaning, Has tried to keep an emphasis on literary beauty, making it a good translation for reading in church, It attempt to maintain clarity has caused it to introduce words that are not in the original, Some people do not like its style of writing, finding it bland or lacking in poetry, A heavily revised version of the Jerusalem Bible, Attempts to make the translation a more literal translation than the Jerusalem Bible, The attempt to be more literal loses some of the poetry of the Jerusalem Bible, A maintenance of the poetic language of the KJV updated into modern English, Uses as much as possible the same version of the original text as the KJV did, Its attempt to be very literal can make it hard to read. ), published by the United Bible Societies (UBS), and Novum Testamentum Graece (28th ed., 2012), edited by Nestle and Aland. Chronologically ordered but with each book in its entirety. It can help you get to the heart of the passage quicker. It adds someone named "Syzygus" to Philippians 4:3 not found in true translations. gospel-centered, Bible-centered content. They will bow low before you and honor you; they will humbly show their respect for you. This means that it waswritten recently. For the student of the Bible, the Bible itself warns most severely that its words are not to be tampered with: Some websites that may be useful (The author does not vouch for their truthfulness or otherwise always read there statement of faith and content dealing with salvation): Just try and Google 'errors in the "message bible"'. For personal study, werecommend usingthe New American Standard Bible or the New English Translation (www.bible.org) or any other accurate translation of the original texts. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. It opens our eyes tothe wonder of who God is and the magnitude of what He has done through Christ. Yes, the Message Bible is as bad as they say. Modern Controversies #2 . 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. The Message fits the ticket perfectly. Crossway is a not-for-profit Christian ministry that exists solely for The article about this version goes on to say that,Peterson did most of the work on the New Testament during 1991, at which time hewas writer in residence at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. The exact pronunciation of YHWH is uncertain, because the Jewish people considered the personal name of God to be so holy that it should never be spoken aloud. Rather, his goal was to put the basic message of the Bible into modern language that could readily be understood by the typical reader without a theological or linguistic background. Also, instead of it being verse by verse, the version is broken intochunks, like verses 1-2 or verses 3-5, which makes it easier to mentally mark where thesermon will be on. With their faces to the ground they will bow down to you, and they will lick the dirt on your feet. Let's get started, Advantages of MAN. Its very important to do this, and it helps us from getting stagnant. harmon dobson plane crash. This hundred-plus-member team shared a common commitment to the truth of Gods Word and to historic Christian orthodoxy and was international in scope, including leaders in many denominations. Peterson was motivatedto make a Bible translation that was morereadable (presumably for himself),but trying to makescripture more accessible by modifying its meaning isan attempt to solve a problem that doesn't actually exist. But instead of writing most of the New Testament like Paul, he translated the New and Old Testaments. And for those of you who have been told those things, I want you to know the facts. is that inestimable treasure that excelleth all the riches of the earth. This assessment of the Bible was the motivating force behind the publication of the English Standard Version in 2001. I take issue with you. The Message was born out of that work. http://watch.pair.com/message.html (Accessed 6th December 2008), Search The Message for yourself and find the errors. Throughout, the translation team has benefited greatly from the massive textual resources that have become readily available recently, from new insights into biblical laws and culture, and from current advances in Hebrew and Greek lexicography and grammatical understanding. But the more dynamically equivalent the translation, the more interpretation is involved and the more the translators bias and theological outlook can creep into the meaning (intentionally or unintentionally). Chronologically ordered - but with each book in its entirety. Ultimately, he saw that using the current vernacular helped people better understand and more appropriately apply the Scriptures. While I was teaching a class on Galatians, he says, I began to realize that the adultsin my class werent feeling the vitality and directness that I sensed as I read and studiedthe New Testament in its original Greek. The value of a more dynamically equivalent translation is its more coherent and understandable in the target language. The first thing is its easy to read, so Pro. It aims to be a literal translation. Here are the principal advantages: There are dozens of English translations, and exploring the different options can be dizzying. Personally, I feel that indeed, it is easier to understand. We've broken that big tale down into three parts, all 3.5minuteslong. If you're intimidated by this ancient book . I knew that the early readers of the New Testament were captured and engaged by these writings and I wanted my congregation to be impacted in the same way. To summarize, he wanted to make the New Testament easier to understand. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. This is not a study Bible, but rather ""a reading Bible."". Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. For Scripture to be "living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword" (Hebrews 4:12) it has to be translated accurately. I had never thought about the advantages of supplementing the King James Bible. The Message 100 intends to engage readers inthe redemption storythe Bible tells. Reading The Message 100 will help us learn, live, and love in the one true story that makes sense of life the gospel! Compact and lightweight; Easy to Carry; Fits in Bag or Purse; You can carry supporting study tools such as a Strongs Concordance and other Reference guides; You can enlarge font as needed ; You can keep track of your daily reading within the app; Accountability- you can read plans with online friends; Read anytime and . With her vast knowledge of Scripture, story, and the human soul, she helps people live passionately and intentionally the unique callings God has given them. And heres the problem: no two surviving manuscripts are identical. They may want to talk about things they feel unwilling . It would be a great outreach Bible study (Such a study may be coming online to Living Story let me know if you would be interested!). The inclusive use of the generic he has also regularly been retained, because this is consistent with similar usage in the original languages and because an essentially literal translation would be impossible without it. For example, at theend of James 3:6 NIV, it says It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of oneslife on fire by hell, while in the Message it says By our speech we can ruin the world,send harmony into chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke,and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. What are the advantages of supplementing it with a more modern translation? During his intense study of the Bible, however, Luther felt there was an inconsistency in the papacy's version of worship (more specifically, repentance and . Its line drawings are iconic and help with understanding the text, Often criticised for lack of depth in its phrasing, Some feel that, occasionally, it goes too far from the original text in its attempt to communicate meaning, A Catholic Bible containing the 73 books of the Catholic canon, Literary in style with some well-known writers involved such as JRRTolkien, Some claim it is more a paraphrase than a translation (translated from French), Criticised for being insufficiently literal, Language that has influenced many phrases in modern English, Archaic language that many people do not understand. portalId: "19942286", If youre in camp #2, I can confirm you wont go to hell for touching or reading The Message Bible. Detroit Red Wings Affiliates, 2023 ~ all rights reserved, Access all of our teaching materials through our smartphone apps conveniently and quickly, scripture more accessible by modifying its meaning is, an attempt to solve a problem that doesn't actually exist. Thrive Journaling Bible. Thus it seeks to be transparent to the original text, letting the reader see as directly as possible the structure and exact force of the original. 5. If a student relies exclusively onThe Messageas if it were a Bible, that student will not experience the light of God's word in an accurate and unfiltered way. This article will address all these questions. I received my reviewers copy in mid-September, so I have not had time to read the entire book. The problem for some here is prophecies that were later seen to be about Christ. As we approach the topic of Bible reading and study, the first question that arises is which version of the Bible to use. Islamic Center of Cleveland is a non-profit organization. Began as a revision of The Living Bible but became a full translation from the original language, Kept The Living Bibles emphasis on accessibility, Changes some metaphors from the Bible into more understandable phrases (e.g. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. You can reach me at [email protected]. Ritual. We avoid or even shy away from the word, yet nearly all our acts of worship involve ritual. (Read More.) This document is not a full treatise of the deficiencies in The Message you can find plenty of internet sites that give excellent analyses. As is common among English translations today, the ESV usually renders the personal name of God (YHWH) by the word LORD (printed in small capitals). Therefore, we do not call The Messagea Bible and neither should its publisher. I give The Message 100 a huge thumbs-up as a wonderful new resource for engaging the whole story of redemption the Bible tells. Instead, the Bible says it's because the student doesnot have the Holy Spirit working in him to reveal the meaning: Is the Life Application Study Bible appropriate? First, some background. There is only one way to the Father and that is through Jesus: "I am the way the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). MINISTRY INTERNATIONAL, P.O. 22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' 23 And then will I profess unto them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you . By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. What have survived are thousands of Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic manuscripts (most of them fragmentary) from the late classical period and the medieval period (100 BC1100 AD). is doki doki literature club banned on twitch This is why we have been given the Spirit, as Jesus said: We can't "dumb down" the text of scripture hoping to take a shortcut to anunderstanding of things that only God can reveal according to His sovereign will and timing. The Message Bible translation by Eugene H. Peterson is a paraphrase of the scriptures using modern English, the author claims he is trying to make the Bible understandable to the average person. However,especially during this sermon series, I got a little confused as to where the Pastor was inthe chunk of verses that the Message has, so while I like that its broken into chunks, Ido miss the verse by verse labeling. As such, its emphasis is on word-for-word correspondence, at the same time taking full account of differences in grammar, syntax, and idiom between current literary English and the original languages. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! Another advantage of the King James Version is the distinction between the singular and plural - compare Lk 22:31-32 where v31 is plural 'you', but v32 is singular 'thee, thy and thou'. Each day of the week you read a different Genre. Having been a member of a mega mega church for six years, I left after the cons where too much to tolerate. Force rank our list of pros and cons. http://www.crossroad.to/Bible_studies/Message.html, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, True translations such as The New King James Bible (NKJV) or New American Standard Bible (NASB) refer to Jesus as Lord Jesus over 100 times while. The page doesn't have to be designed to accommodate a referencing system. Its in plain English, which is easyfor me to read. Honestly, that could be a pro though . This false doctrine is continued in 1 Peter 5:10 where: "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you" (KJV 1 Peter 5:10) is rendered: "It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christeternal and glorious plans they are!will have you put together and on your feet for good" (TM Peter 5:10), showing that the author has no intent of becoming Christlike. Pros and Cons of the Digital and Bound Bible. Bible Society, Stonehill Green, Westlea, Swindon SN5 7DG. All understanding, knowledge, and wisdom are laid out in this book for every human to read, understand, believe in, and use for his or her own good. There are multiple websites available that show the distortions in the Message Bible. Once we change or distort any part of Gods word, the integrity of the whole is lost. However, it is necessary to highlight to our readers that it is far better to use a Bible which is a true translation of the original language than a paraphrase that maligns the word of God. Canada Poverty Line 2020 Single Person. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Find value in my content? Before I get into the heart of my review of The Message, I want to offer an important comment regarding Eugene Peterson the man.Despite my concerns about the theology he inserted into The Message under the pretense of "translation", I have no reason to doubt Peterson is a brother in Christ Jesus. Some examples include the NKJV, the NASB, the HCSB, the NET and even the NIV, which has its detractors. Limiting the effort to only two authors advocating each position requires reading forty books that mostly contradict one another. Secondly, the Bible itself says that if scripture is too difficult for someone to understand, it isn't . Proverbs 30:5 states "Every word of God is pure" but this is altered to "Every promise of God" in, Luke 4:4 misquotes Deuteronomy by leaving out the command to live "by every word of God" and in Psalm 138:2 the word of God is no longer "magnified above Gods name.". Ive found The Message can shed new light on familiar passages, just by tweaking a turn of phrase. Fifth (but not last) officially authorized English Bible. 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. First, before The Message, the world already had access to many, good English translations of the Bible that are easy to read and usemodern vernacularwithout distorting themeaning of scripture. At best, it is a commentary on the Bible, yet unfortunatelyone masquerading as scripture itself, and no commentary is a suitable substitute for scripture. The Adam and Eve we meet in verses 7 13 are shamed and shaming, divided from one another and from God. May you dive in, enjoy, and be reinvigorated yourself! However, as I got older, I wanted a simpler version. 6055 W 130th St Parma, OH 44130 | 216.362.0786 | reese olson prospect ranking. The New Testament waspublished in 1993, and became a best-seller. I am a fantasy novelist and copyeditor with a degree in Ancient Near Eastern Studies from Brigham Young University. Dams are constructed on natural streams and rivers. All three websites also have mobile app versions. Sometimes the verses or passages are given unusual interpretations. Some think their translationshould always reflect this; others that they should be translated in such a way as the original audience might have understood them, Sometimes its choice of inclusive language obscuresconnections in the text, One of the few modern translations to originate in Britain, Aims for a mix of accuracy, poetry and comprehension, It is especially good for reading in public, It isnt widely used and so is quite hard to get hold of, Because it doesnt follow the best known translations, sometimes its phrases sound unusual, Intended to be a readable though literal translation (at the time), The Old Testament was translated to reflect Jewish interpretations of the text, Language has moved on and it is no longer up-to-date. The book'sauthor, Eugene Peterson, claims he was seeking to make the BIble more understandable. Bible Misconceptions: Diminishing the Work of Messiah- Part 1. IsThe Message a good Bible translation for personal study? This is a very thorough post! The claim that the old English form 'thou, thee' is . If the pastor is continuously pointing to Scripture and seeking to expose the author's original intent behind the passage being preached, then the pastor's words should simply be a reflection of the Bible's words. According to Bible Research, this version was written bysomeone named Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), https://omerdylanredden.com/2012/02/07/creativity-bob-dylan/. Online classes offer more flexibility . I really enjoyed your article. So, if youve been studying a passage to prepare for teaching, and youve 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. Im a big fan of Bob Dylan and actually wrote about him 10 years ago. Any careful reader of the Scripture would never use this version it is errors are so great it is abominable. I dont mind saying Im often intimidated by Read-the-Bible-in-a-Year plans. Jimmy does this bit periodically called "Pros and Cons" where he weighs the good with the bad of current events. One could rightly say he understood the mechanics, the ins and outs, the nuances of these ancient languages, especially Hebrew and Greek. Each year, millions of copies of the ESV are distributed worldwide through partnerships with hundreds of churches, ministries, and Bible societies around the worldwith many of those distribution projects supported by Crossways Global Ministry Fund. Each reading took me about 30 minutes. As the editors say in the introduction, The books of the Bible are meant to be experienced as wholes, like a novel. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. February 18, 2021 by: Crossway. Data: Use of Modern (Non-KJV) Bible Translations among Latter-day Saints, First Presidency Statement on the King James Version of the Bible. 'When my mum was pregnant with me, my parents read Psalm 121 a lot. Here is Wisdom; this is the royal Law; these are the lively Oracles of God. With these words the Moderator of the Church of Scotland hands a Bible to the new monarch in Britains coronation service. Writing straight from the original text, I began to attempt to bring into English the rhythms and idioms of the original language. Why does this matter? (Many chronological Bibles divide the books). On the site Bible Gateway, they give a testimonial from Petersonabout why he wrote this version.