VERSE BY VERSE New King James Version (NKJV) - 1982. An interesting essay on how Peterson has brought the occult and New Age thought into the bible:
Turning the gem, as our Jewish friends would say. 10 Things You Should Know about the Garden of Eden. It is easy to understand, flows nicely, and is good for study. (You can see why I, with my consuming passion for Living the Story of the gospel, love this, right?). Clichd symbols are the ones that we all associate the same message with. Sermon-Based Bible Studies: Pros and Cons - Adult Ministry 1. We must be prepared to study the Bible over our lifetime, so that the Lord can deliver the full sense of thetext to our hearts when He desires. grave pleasures bandcamp Now that you know the background and history, what are the pros and cons of using The Message? 3. Having been a member of a mega mega church for six years, I left after the cons where too much to tolerate. First, some background. Pingback: Data: Use of Modern (Non-KJV) Bible Translations among Latter-day Saints - Precepts of Power, Your email address will not be published. The ESV retains theological terminologywords such as grace, faith, justification, sanctification, redemption, regeneration, reconciliation, propitiationbecause of their central importance for Christian doctrine and also because the underlying Greek words were already becoming key words and technical terms among Christians in New Testament times. But it is. 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. 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. 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!). Print vs Digital: Pros and Cons - Explore the Bible The Message adds a sentence to the end of Philippians 4:2 and Matthew 5:22; Jonah is not a prophet in Luke 11:29, God did not create man, he created "human beings" ( Gen 1:26 ). pros and cons of the message bible. But we often read and study the Bible more like a textbook.. A non-profit, non-denominational resource of free in-depth Bible teachings. Honestly, that could be a pro though . Modern Controversies #2 . 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.". Chronologically ordered but with each book in its entirety. Audio CDs are simple and easy to use. Reading The Message 100 will help us learn, live, and love in the one true story that makes sense of life the gospel! 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. Its funny looking at The Message now, and you realize Eugene Peterson was made or prepared for this exact work. These translations best preserve the words as God delivered them, so then the Holy Spirit may explain the meaning as God intended. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Bible teaches us who we are, who God is, who other people are, and what . For example, was Goliath six cubits and a span (99 feet) tall, as the medieval Hebrew Masoretic manuscripts read? All Rights Reserved. The problem for some here is prophecies that were later seen to be about Christ. First, some background. 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. It opens our eyes tothe wonder of who God is and the magnitude of what He has done through Christ. Bible Society, Stonehill Green, Westlea, Swindon SN5 7DG. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. We all need to be vigilant in testing against Scripture what we come across in our daily life. 10 Things You Should Know about Christian Ethics. Change). The entire Bible, in The Message translation. 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. If youre reading this post, Im guessing youve heard of The Message Bible and youre in one of three camps: If youre in camp #3, I cant promise that this will qualify as solid academic research. Within this framework the translation committee sought to be as literal as possible while maintaining clarity of expression and literary excellence. First of all, consider how you'll be reading the Bible You might like to start with a translation that avoids too much technical language. In our view the book The Message is not a valid translation of the Bible. In this post, we are going to review the most common versions and some pros and cons of each. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Youve heard it is NOT a good version of the Bible, that its a fake, fraud, heresy, whatever. The Message was born out of that work. From there, if you want to do specific word studies on Greek and Hebrew, you can use another translation and concordance to dive into the nuances. Wow! Secondly, the Bible itself says that if scripture is too difficult for someone to understand, it isn't . 2023 Hillside Church of God, 1415 Hillside Blvd., South San Francisco, CA 94080. (LogOut/ I really like it because its a moderntranslation and it lets me interact with the sermon better. What Is The Problem In Coraline, In each case the objective has been transparency to the original text, allowing the reader to understand the original on its own terms rather than in the terms of our present-day Western culture. To this end, each word and phrase in the ESV was carefully weighed against the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, to ensure the fullest accuracy and clarity and to avoid under-translating or overlooking any nuance of the original text. . This is especially so as the day of the Lord draws ever nearer and we know "false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect" (Matthew 24:24). The advantages of the King James Version of the Bible Chronologically ordered - but with each book in its entirety. Im a big fan of Bob Dylan and actually wrote about him 10 years ago. The Message Catholic Bibles The Watchtower version Bibles with a lot of Commentary Student Bibles What it all comes down to is whether or not you want to get someone else's idea on how the Bible should be written, or if you want to get as close to God's original text as you possibly can. Over 20 years ago, Peterson, began his labor of translating Scripture, with the intention of working the message of the Bible into the lives of the men and women with whom I worked. 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 claim that the old English form 'thou, thee' is . Home; Monday, July 4, 2016. Regular Bible reading, group study, and personal study should be out of a Bible without study . 1. The verse numbers, which are not in the original documents, have been left out of the print version to facilitate easy and enjoyable reading. Any careful reader of the Scripture would never use this version it is errors are so great it is abominable. A reading Bible in contemporary language, The Message//REMIX also has a unique verse-numbering system, charts and maps, and a topical guide for students. There are many pros including the impact a large membership can have on community efforts for poor, abused, addictions etc. Fits in Bag or Purse. 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. On a related note, some have asked about the pros and cons of using a study Bible. If you arent sure what that means, he invested thousands of hours learning multiple languages that were around in Bible times. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. To degrade and denounce him or his work is a travesty and tragedy. KJV Only movement? }); We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. First, Eugene Peterson, the author of The Message, was a linguist of the top order. We take ancient history lessons and apply them to modern-day situations so that people can live in a way that makes more heaven on earth and less hell on earth. I was raised on the old RSV, and the inherited rhythms of the KJV are indelible parts of my consciousness, and those turns of phrase truly are timeless. John 3:17 " For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved" (KJV) becomes "God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. As the editors say in the introduction, The books of the Bible are meant to be experienced as wholes, like a novel. There are so many, it can be difficult to choose one to use and to know which one might be better for which purpose. 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. Why do we use it, and how does it work? If you want a formally equivalent translation that is similar to the KJV but easier to understand, use the, If you want a more optimally equivalent translation for easier reading, use the, If you want a translation that provides in-depth textual information and explanatory notes, use the, If you want a dynamically equivalent translation of the New Testament by a BYU scholar with notes and cross references to the JST and other standard works, I highly recommend. The goal of The Message is to engage people in the reading process and help them understand what they read. Which Bible? Translation Versions + Pros + Cons + Errors It teaches that life has a meaning. Force rank our list of pros and cons. Ultimately, he saw that using the current vernacular helped people better understand and more appropriately apply the Scriptures. Another pro is that some of the modern translationsare quite humorous, which actually makes me enjoy the Bible more. Meanwhile, we will be growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, which is the point of our study. God has already revealed Himself. Available only in a 66-book . This video discusses the pros and cons and errors of 7 English Bible Translations. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Pros and cons of both. Although the Bible says that after the flood the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat, located in . IsThe Message a good Bible translation for personal study? I imagine you are very busy, but I would be interested if you had thoughts on this comment. The ESV is an essentially literal translation that seeks, as far as possible, to reproduce the precise wording of the original text and the personal style of each Bible writer. You can also use another translation to see the passage from another angle. One of the most asked questions about the Bible is what is the best translation?. With this background, lets explore the principle reasons the King James Version continues to be (in both my opinion and the opinion of Church leaders) the best translation for general Latter-day Saint use: That said, the King James Version is by no means a perfect translation. 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 . If youre in camp #2, I can confirm you wont go to hell for touching or reading The Message Bible. 1Cor. 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. 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). There are four main qualities that distinguish modern translations from each other: Below is a quick guide to the most widely used translations. Its comforting and very beautiful. Trim size: 5 3/16 x 7 1/8 Show more It needs to be avoided. Divided into 100 readings. Therefore, we do not call The Messagea Bible and neither should its publisher. Peterson has no true understanding of Hebrew and has no Ruach to guide him in his translation. BUT youre curious and trying to figure out if its safe to read, if youll go to hell for touching it. Check out her blog and website atelizabethturnage.com. John 3:16 is completely changed and becomes meaningless by saying "This is how much God loved the world: anyone can have a whole and lasting life". Compact and lightweight. People loved it, so he kept doing it. MINISTRY INTERNATIONAL, P.O. This means that it waswritten recently. If you want to cite this article, follow your professors requirements and know you can always argue with them later if they dock you for my article. I dont mind saying Im often intimidated by Read-the-Bible-in-a-Year plans. What I have had time to do is read all of Genesis and most of Job the first two books, parts of Isaiah, Joel and Malachi, the first 8 chapters of Matthew, and parts of Revelation. See Contemporary EnglishVersion Bibles in the shop, See English Standard Version Bibles in the shop, See King James Version Bibles in the shop, See New King James Version Bibles in the shop, See New Revised StandardVersion Bibles in the shop, See Revised Standard Version Bibles in the shop. 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. The fourteen-member Translation Oversight Committee benefited from the work of more than fifty biblical experts serving as Translation Review Scholars and from the comments of the more than fifty members of the Advisory Council, all of which was carried out under the auspices of the Crossway Board of Directors. In that stream, faithfulness to the text and vigorous pursuit of precision were combined with simplicity, beauty, and dignity of expression. Here are the main reasons why you should not use the NIV Bible anymore! Accountability- you can read plans with online friends. However, its archaic English and outdated scholarship can impede understanding. (PDF) The Pros and Cons of "Intelligent Design" | Martin G A baby cannot do that. Moreover combining both MAN and WAN network is less expensive. 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. The value of a more dynamically equivalent translation is its more coherent and understandable in the target language. 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. The New Living Translation - A Critical Review Some examples include the NKJV, the NASB, the HCSB, the NET and even the NIV, which has its detractors. The translation was motivated by a belief that Scripture is sacred and that the words of the Bible are the very words of God. You can enlarge font as needed. Because of this I think it's important that we consider the pros as well as the cons when a group uses these. */
. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Find value in my content? I give The Message 100 a huge thumbs-up as a wonderful new resource for engaging the whole story of redemption the Bible tells. 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. 2012 - Based on Dollar Sales New International Version King James Version New Living Translation New King James Version English Standard Version region: "na1",
It did help allay some of my worries. One site is:< http://www.biblegateway.com/> (Accessed 6th December 2008), David & Judith SimonEdited 5 December 2008Corrections\Why the Messege bible should be used, Copyright David L Simon 2007 - 2023 This material may be freely distributed provided acknowledgement of the author is made www.life-everlasting.net, This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. As an illustration, compare these three translations of Isaiah 49:23: Surely to a child or to someone unversed in biblical language, the phrase humbly show their respect for you is much more understandable than the phrase lick up the dust of thy feet. But it is also less vivid, and it severely waters down the dramatic imagery that Isaiah is crafting. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. I really enjoyed your article. The Message is Not a Bible Translation: Peterson's Philosophy The Message 100 intends to engage readers inthe redemption storythe Bible tells. Now, if were squared up on that, keep reading because Im sure youll learn a thing or two. Logos is deep and rich with valuable insight and information to help any pastor better prepare for sermons, bible studies and small groups. " [The Bible] is the most valuable thing that this world affords. Using The Message vs The NIV - Hillside Church of God 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. Pros of the Digital Bible. This document is not a full treatise of the deficiencies in The Message you can find plenty of internet sites that give excellent analyses. They have books for it onAmazon, but my go-to on Sundays is The Bible app from Life.Church, and Ive used itfor quite a while now, and its easy because I dont have to bring an actual book, and itsjust on my phone. Thrive Journaling Bible. Ideas and interpretations in this blog are strictly my own and do not represent the official doctrines or teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or any other entity. 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. 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. Bible Question: What are the pros and cons of red letter Bibles? Pros: Most pure and closest to original writings. (LogOut/ Because he wasnt just a scholar in an ivory tower; he also knew the day in, day out lives of common people. . Pros and Cons of Written Storytelling. You can keep track of your daily reading within the app. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. portalId: "19942286",
Spiraling Back and Forth from Context to Text. Text-only Bibles have fewer distractions in and around the text, allowing for smoother reading, preaching, and teaching. What are the advantages of supplementing it with a more modern translation? You give some very good reasons doing so. Divided into 100 readings. Make a decision based on your pros and cons, and input gained. Personally, I feel that indeed, it is easier to understand. In the process, hereworded the text of scripture (to fit his own understanding)to such an extent that we believe itisunfair and irresponsible to labelthe product of that worka translation of scripture. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 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. Sign up for our short, weekly email about how we're inviting people to discover the Bible. Uninterrupted by a sectional heading, the two sentences convey more fully the tragic loss of Adam and Eves sin. (Many chronological Bibles divide the books). being in sorrow rather than beating their breasts), Its emphasis on accessibility sometimes makes it feel a long way from the original, The change of metaphors into more modern language often changes their meaning more than what was intended, Not one of the strongest among the accessible translations, Usesup-to-date language (in particular it usesless archaic language for God), The Old Testament reflects Jewish interpretations of the text, Used more up-to-date versions of the Hebrew and Greek text, The Old Testament was translated to reflect Jewish interpretations of the text. It all depends on who you are and what you will be using it for. 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). What is the Contemporary English Version (CEV). Click on the title to find out more about each translation. Strong's Number: 4314. This changes the meaning entirely especially the theological intent. Im not sure if youre a pastor / teacher, but based on how your thoughts and implicit question are arranged, I would guess you are. Use the book for a Book Club type study, perhaps having people read 3 to 5 readings a week and gathering to discuss.