Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #45575 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-15
• Released on: 2007-06-15
• Format: Large Print
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 1984 pages

From Amazon.com
In this contemporary English version of the New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs, Eugene Peterson strives to convey the earthy truths of the original Greek and Hebrew texts. As he explains in his introduction, there were two levels of language in the Greek-speaking world, "formal" and "informal". The one was for use in official documents, epic poetry, and philosophy, the other for shopping lists and personal letters--the common idiom of everyday speech. "This is the language used throughout the New Testament ... a rough and earthy language that reveals God's presence and action where we least expect it, catching us when we are up to our elbows in the soiled ordinariness of our lives and God is the furthest thing from our minds."

It is in the spirit of this "soiled ordinariness" that Eugene Peterson translates John 1:14 (NIV: "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us") to "The word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood." Likewise, in Romans 8:3 where the NIV renders "For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering," The Message reads, "God went for the jugular when he sent his own son.... In his son, Jesus, he personally took on the human condition, entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all." Peterson offers no pretense of elevated language or intellectualism, only the insistence that God is relevant in 20th-century work-week and weekend lives.

This kind of translation is not a new enterprise, however. Tyndale--the man singularly responsible for our English translations of the Bible--is purported to have said in a dispute with opposing clergy, "If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the plow to know more of the Scriptures than thou dost." We're simply glad someone of our own generation chose to do the same. --Benjamin Gebhardt

From AudioFile
It seems odd to list an author for a translation of the Bible, but it's appropriate here. In addition to translating the Bible, Eugene Peterson includes an extensive explanation of how this translation differs from previous ones. He provides overviews of the individual books of the New Testament, which place them in historical context. At times, Peterson goes too far, including jarring anachronisms, but, for the most part, the translation is interesting and refreshing. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the narration. Both readers have clear voices but present far too narrow an emotional range and often strike inappropriate tones, sounding, for example, angry or petulant when the verse is about love. G.T.B. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

J.I. Packer, author of Knowing God and professor of theology, Regent College.
"In this crowded world of Bible versions, Eugene Peterson's blend of accurate scholarship and vivid idiom make this rendering both distinctive and distinguished. The Message catches the logical flow, personal energy, and imaginative overtones of the original very well indeed. It's a landmark and a triumph. Don't miss it!"

Customer Reviews

A true Bible?
Personally I think the argument over the legitimacy of "The Message" is somewhat ridiculous. Having had the great opportunity to receive formal training at a Christian college I study texts in the original language, but I would never preach or teach from a Greek edition. Why? Because few, if any, would understand it!

Perhaps the reason so many of the church attending public are biblically illiterate is because of the over-emphasis on word for word translations. These translations are good for studying, but honestly are not easy reading. Though the biblical authors were inspired, their language was not. Language is simply a tool used to communicate ideas; the goal of Peterson's translation is to "convert the tone, the rythym, the events, the IDEAS, into the way we actually think and speak" (Introduction, emphasis added.)

Not everything in the Bible can be easily understood, and until the end of this present world there will be those God has gifted with the building up of the church who are able to offer additional assistance - but this easy to read paraphrase is certainly a good avenue for the layperson to become familiar with the Bible's content.

--> NOT FOR THE SUNDAY CHRISTIAN
I keep reading reviews that say "read with a mature Christian" or "just a paraphrase" and some even harsh reviews that doubt the integrity of a Bible that doesn't sound like the King James.

I'm a youth pastor in the Orlando area and I did a test not too long ago with a decent sized group of students. We tested their ability to comprehend and grasp the main effect of a few different Bible stories from a selection of translations.

We used the ESV, NIV, NLT and MESSAGE. Although I like the ESV Bible and have, in the past, used it as my primary translation, it failed miserably with these kids (who by the way ranged from 6-12 grade, and most being pretty academically successful). They just didn't get the point--we had to stop too many times to analyze the text and try and figure out the meaning on the grammar! On to the NIV--it faired much better, but there were many places where the NIV had my kids stumped. I actually think that part of the NIV's failure was their choice of fonts...these things were so ancient. ...the lack of "red letters" wasn't helpful. The NLT...I used to really like it actually, but the more I've read it, the more it strikes me a just a front for an old idea. What I mean (and my kids echoed this) is that yes, it is easier to understand, but it seemed to us that they still fail to catch the "love story" of God's Word. In other words, it's still very systematic and verse-oriented, yet it tries to modernize the way those very things are carried out. It's like putting a new face plate on an old phone. It looks pretty cool, but essentially, the phone is the same.

Re: the Message...I've had a love-hate relationship with the Message since I first picked up the NT when it came out a few years back. Part of my cried heresy; part of me said "cool!!" and part of me didn't know what the heck to think. However, as I presented this to my students, we found that they loved it above the others and related to it far more. They found it intriguing and mystical all the while being able to understand it much more than the other translations.

The comments before said that it was heresy or it missed the meaning altogether of so many things. Let me offer this: Jesus told stories...my guess is that people re-told those stories and just like when you play telephone, you can expect that details of these stories are going to chance ever so slightly. Sometimes the whole story (as far as the cast of characters, the details etc.) changes, but if the plot and main effect remain constant, what has happened...adaptation only. Adaptation is not a negative thing in translations; it's a very positive one. I work in an Episcopal Church--we know a thing or two about liturgy and tradition. But, I allow and encourage kids to read from the Message...it breaks tradition right? Wrong--what's the tradition--the heart of Jesus. The details of a story CAN adapt--they must or Christianity will die. The plot and main effect needs to stay the same. I'm not a liberal Episcopalian--I work in a very "conservative Diocese" and I stand for truth. BUT, within truth there is elasticity for dynamic and adaptation--so please don't call heresy. Peterson faithfully interprets this. There are idioms and stories in the Message that I don't get all the time, but i haven't found anything so far that could be called heresy. If anything I think Peterson has done what we've praised C.S. Lewis for--he's magnified God in a way we haven't seen before.

GET THIS--USE IT--USE IT AS A PRIMARY TRANSLATION IF YOU WANT TO! I OFTEN DO!

(...)

The Message- what a blessing
This book gives wonderful translation to some scriptures that you may not understand. When you read a passage in the Bible then refer to 'The Message' you get a full understanding of the scriptures meaning. Great book tried to buy another copy for a gift but they do not have any copies remaining. I was also informed the printing company is not sure if and when they will be printing more.