In 1992, after 29 years of service at Christ our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland. Eugene Peterson began his paraphrase of The Message^®. Today more than 10,000,000 people are readers of this inspiring version of the Bible. For more information about The Message^®, click on the questions below.

Who is Eugene Peterson?
What are Eugene Peterson's qualifications to translate the Bible?
How and why did work on The Message^® begin?
Why do we need another version of the Bible?
Is The Message^® a translation or a paraphrase?
What will I get from this Bible that I don't get from others?
What's so different about The Message^®?
Why do some passages sound so different?
How do you make sure The Message^® is accurately translated?
What are readers of The Message^® saying about it?
Who endorses, recommends, or uses The Message^®?
Where should I begin reading?

1. Who is Eugene H. Peterson?
Eugene was born in East Stanwood, Washington, on November 6, 1932. He soon moved to Kalispell, Montana, where he grew up. He is married to Janice Stubbs, and they have three adult children: Karen, Eric, and Leif. Eugene has written and contributed to more than 30 books. Many have called him a pastor's pastor.

After graduate study at Johns Hopkins, Eugene returned to New York Theological Seminary where he taught biblical languages and English Bible. Concurrently, he was associate pastor at the Presbyterian Church in White Plains, New York. This turned out to be a critical transition time for him because he had previously planned to be in academic work. At White Plains he discovered his pastoral vocation.

In 1962 Eugene came to Bel Air, Maryland, as the organizing pastor of a new church, which became Christ Our King Presbyterian Church. In 1991 after 29 years at Christ Our King, he felt God was calling him to devote more time to writing and teaching. He spent one year at Pittsburgh Seminary as writer-in-residence. Much of his work on The Message^® took place during that year as well as the following summer and fall. In January of 1993 he became professor of spiritual theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Colombia. Currently Eugene is a full-time writer and poet. He is Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology at Regent College. He continues to work on translating the entire Bible. He lives with his wife in Montana.

Although Eugene is best known in theological and pastoral circles, several of his books, such as A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, have extended his influence to a much broader audience. He has been a regular contributor to magazines read by pastors and scholars as well as popular religious publications. He is often in demand as a guest lecturer and speaker, but he is not an ivory-tower academic, nor does he write merely from the mind. Eugene Peterson's heart is with people.

Because of the extensive amount of time spent with people?in hospitals, over kitchen tables, in parking lots, and from the pulpit?Eugene knows how people think and talk, how they express feelings, how they communicate urgency, frustration, joy, and hope. This understanding of people, coupled with his lifetime of familiarity with Hebrew and Greek, is part of what motivated Eugene Peterson to write The Message^®. top

2. What are Eugene Peterson's qualifications?
Eugene Peterson has a passion for the gospel, a lifetime of familiarity with the Greek Scriptures, and scholarly credentials that include a Master's degree in Semitic Languages from Johns Hopkins University. He served as a pastor for 35 years, and approaches the biblical text with the kind of pastoral sensitivity the New Testament writers had for the people to whom they were writing. Peterson is a highly respected writer, with more than 30 books in print. He is currently Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia.

When Peterson began work on The Message^® project, he had only the Greek text of the New Testament before him?no commentaries, no English translations. Biblical scholars recognize his intimate knowledge and understanding of the Greek and Hebrew languages. These scholars have observed an authenticity and freshness of insight in The Message^® that comes only when a translator is not biased by the influence of English translations. In addition to being ordained in the Presbyterian Church, in 1958, Eugene holds the following academic degrees:

• B.A. in philosophy from Seattle Pacific University
• S.T.B. from New York Theological Seminary
• M.A. in Semitic Languages from Johns Hopkins University
• D.H.L. (honoris causa) from Seattle Pacific University

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3. How and why did work on The Message^® begin?
The best answer to that question comes from Eugene Peterson himself: "While I was teaching a class on Galatians, I began to realize that the adults in my class weren't feeling the vitality and directness that I sensed as I read and studied the New Testament in its original Greek. Writing straight from the original text, I began to attempt to bring into English the rhythms and idioms of the original language. 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. I hoped to bring the New Testament to life for two different types of people: those who hadn't read the Bible because it seemed too distant and irrelevant and those who had read the Bible so much that it had become 'old hat.'"

HELPING PARISHIONERS CONNECT WITH THE REAL MEANING
Peterson's parishioners simply weren't connecting with the real meaning of the words and the relevance of the New Testament for their own lives. So he began to bring into English the rhythms and idioms of the original ancient Greek?writing straight out of the Greek text without looking at other English translations. As he shared his version of Galatians with them, they quit stirring their coffee and started catching Paul's passion and excitement as he wrote to a group of Christians whom he was guiding in the ways of Jesus Christ.

NAVPRESS EDITOR NOTICED PETERSON'S GALATIANS
Later on, Peterson included some of his work on Galatians in the book Traveling Light. An editor at NavPress^® read Traveling Light and was so gripped by what he read that he photocopied the book, cut out the Galatians, passages and pasted them together in order. The flow of thought, the emotional wallop of words, and the forcefulness of Paul's letter to the Galatians motivated the editor to write to Peterson in April of 1990 to ask if he would consider translating the entire New Testament.

The idea came at an opportune time. Peterson was contemplating leaving the pastorate at Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland. He felt God was calling him to spend the latter years of his life ministering to a different congregation: readers, who over the years had appreciated his numerous books and dozens of articles. At the same time Peterson decided to make writing his primary vocation and agreed to reword the entire New Testament, Pittsburgh Seminary offered him the post of writer-in-residence.

OVER TWO YEARS SPENT ON JUST THE NEW TESTAMENT
For more than two years, Peterson devoted all his efforts to The Message^® New Testament. His primary goal was to capture the tone of the text and the original conversational feel of the Greek, in contemporary English. He hoped to bring the New Testament to life for two different types of people. The first group was those who hadn't read the Bible because it seemed too distant, irrelevant, and antiquated. The second group was those who had read the Bible all their lives but now found it "old hat,"?so familiar that they were no longer startled by the truth of its message.

INFORMAL AND FORCEFUL
The New Testament read by the early Christians was not a formal, canonized document; it was simply a collection of writings. Paul wrote a letter to Christians in a town he'd worked in. Luke gave a friend a first-person account of his involvement with Jesus. All of the New Testament was written for people in language that was both informal and forceful.

Those early readers were captured and engaged by these writings. No commentaries were required to make the authors' meanings clear. The people understood what was written. All the people who read the letters of the New Testament were dramatically transformed by what they read?not just the educated elite, but the commoners as well. They were engrossed and challenged and acted what they heard in such a way that the course of history was changed forever. That power, forcefulness, and directness of language is what Eugene Peterson has attempted to recapture in The Message^®.

PETERSON TURNS TO THE OLD TESTAMENT
Proficient in Hebrew as well as Greek, Peterson had translated portions of the Psalms for years as a means of teaching people how to pray. And so The Message^® Psalms was a natural follow-up to the New Testament. Peterson has immersed himself in Psalms for more than 30 years, including two years when he worked on a Psalms commentary. In Peterson's view the psalms sound too smooth and polished in English translation. Although they are grammatically accurate, they often don't communicate the real rhythms or "voice" of the original text as prayers. So he sought to bring out the rough and earthy voice he saw in the psalmist's prayers into "American."

Peterson is continuing to work through the Old Testament, with entire Bible scheduled for release in July of this year. top

4. Why do we need another version?
Language changes. New words are formed. Old words take on new meaning. There is a need in every generation to keep the language of the gospel message current, fresh, and understandable?the way it was for its very first readers. That is what The Message^® seeks to accomplish for contemporary readers.

The Message^® is a version for our time?designed to be read by contemporary people in the same way as the original koiné Greek and Hebrew manuscripts were savored by people thousand's of years ago. Language is always changing. That's why NavPress^® felt the time was right for a new version. When we hear something over and over again in the same way, we can become so familiar with it that the text loses its impact. The Message^® strives to help readers hear the living Word of God?the Bible?in a way that engages and intrigues us right where we are.

Some people like to read the Bible in Elizabethan English. Others want to read a version that gives a close word-for-word correspondence between the original languages and English. Eugene Peterson recognized that the original sentence structure is very different from that of contemporary English. He decided to strive for the spirit of the original manuscripts?to express the rhythm of the voices, the flavor of the idiomatic expressions, the subtle connotations of meaning that are often lost in English translations.

The goal of The Message^® is to engage people in the reading process and help them understand what they read. This is not a study Bible, but rather "a reading Bible." The verse numbers, which are not in the original documents, have been left out to facilitate easy and enjoyable reading. The original books of the Bible were not written in formal language. The Message^® tries to recapture the Word in the words we use today. top

5. Is The Message^® a translation or a paraphrase?
Since Eugene Peterson worked with the text strictly from Greek and Hebrew to English, he did what a translator does by choosing contemporary English words that best express the meaning of the original language. As all translators do, he used interpretative skill in choosing those English words. However, he "paraphrased" the original by selecting language that communicates the style and flavor of the original in Bible times rather than trying to achieve word-for-word correspondence. The Message^®, then, is a paraphrase from the original languages. Translation is generally thought of as bringing the meaning from one language to another, whereas a paraphrase is usually a rewording of a document within the same language. Yet in one sense all translation involves paraphrasing. There is no clearly distinct line that can be drawn between the two. Sometimes, it takes five English words to bring across the meaning of a single Greek word; other times only one English word is required to communicate five Greek words.

When Eugene began his work on The Message^®, he looked at how scholars had translated Homer from Greek to English. Some had tried to match word for word; others attempted to recreate the poetry of Homer in English. The Message^® leans toward the latter. Eugene's intent was to recapture the tone, to bring out the subtleties and nuances of the Hebrew and Greek languages while keeping a sense of firsthand experience for contemporary readers. He often asked himself, "If Paul were the pastor of my church, how would he say this?" or "If Jesus were here teaching, what would it sound like?"

So is it a translation or a paraphrase? It is probably most accurately called a "translation of tone" or a "paraphrase from the original languages." It is a bridging of the gap between the original languages and English, and between centuries of time and language change, to bring to us the New Testament as it originally sounded. top

6. What will I get from this Bible that I don't get from others?
It will give you a fresh perspective on the Bible. You'll begin to see passages and books as whole units of thought. You'll experience the excitement and feeling of the Bible as it sounded to its first readers. You'll be able to follow the train of thought much more easily. The Bible will seem more alive and understandable. And as you encounter passages you've read hundreds of times before, it will be like reading them for the first time. top

7. What's so different about The Message^®?
It's not meant to replace your current version of choice. Rather, it is designed as a reading Bible that can give you a fresh perspective on a familiar phrase or passage. It's written in the kind of language that you would use to write a letter to a friend. There are no formal terms or distracting verse numbers, so it's a smooth, easy read. And even though Eugene Peterson worked exclusively from the original languages, The Message^® reads like one of your favorite novels. top

8. Why do some passages sound so different from other English versions?
Part of the uniqueness of The Message^® is that it's not always comfortable reading. At times, it can even be startling. When do some of the passages in The Message^® use words that are different from those in other versions, does that mean that new ideas have been inserted into the text or others left out? No. Let's take a look at some examples.

In some English versions John 1:14 is rendered, "The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us." In The Message^® that same sentence is stated, "The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood." Why the words "moved into the neighborhood"? Eugene Peterson responded to this question by saying, "'Dwelt among us' was likely something people said in the first century. But I've never heard anybody say that except when they're quoting the Bible. 'Moved into the neighborhood' is something we would say. I wanted to use a phrase that came out of people's experience. Jesus was a master at doing this. His listeners didn't have to read a commentary to figure out what he was saying." (Christianity Today, December 13, 1993). Here's another example. The Message^® renders Colossians 2:8 this way: "Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that's not the way of Christ. Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don't need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him."

In this passage, the words "empty traditions of human beings" are referred to again in terms of physical devices of scientific exploration?"telescope" and "microscope." (The Greek is kata ten paradosin ton anthropon?literally, "according to the tradition of men.") Then the words "empty superstitions of spirit beings" are reflected in the occult practice of the "horoscope." (The Greek is kata ta stoicheia tou kosmou?literally, "according to the elements of the cosmos.") The Apostle Paul was describing here the false teachers who were trying to impress Colossian Christians with a manmade religious system that relied on physical and metaphysical dimensions that went beyond the fullness already present in Christ. In Colossians 2:8, Paul is pointing out the absurdity of that kind of religious pursuit. Although the words ending in "-scope" are not found in the Greek, the concept is clearly there, and it is clearly communicated in the English in an illustrative way. top

9. How do you make sure The Message^® is accurately translated?
A team of exegetical consultants?distinguished professors from various seminaries and colleges?review the text to ensure that it accurately communicates the original Hebrew and Greek. Here is a list of both the New Testament and Old Testament consultants:

NEW TESTAMENT CONSULTANTS

• WILLIAM W. KLEIN—Denver Seminary: CHAIRMAN
• DARRELL L. BOCK—Dallas Theological Seminary
• DONALD A. HAGNER—Fuller Theological Seminary
• MOISÈS SILVA—Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
• RODNEY A. WHITACRE—Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry

OLD TESTAMENT CONSULTANTS

• ROBERT L. HUBBARD—North Park Theological Seminary (chairman)
• ROBERT L. ALDEN—Denver Seminary
• RICHARD E. AVERBECK—Trinity Evangelical-Divinity School
• BRYAN E. BEYER—Columbia Bible College
• LAMAR E. COOPER, SR.—Criswell College
• PETER E. ENNS—Westminster Theological Seminary
• DUANE A. GARRETT—Bethel Seminary
• DONALD R. GLENN—Dallas Theological Seminary
• PAUL R. HOUSE—Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
• V. PHILIPS LONG—Covenant Theological Seminary
• TREMPER LONGMAN III—Westmont College
• JOHN N. OSWALT—Wesley Biblical Seminary
• RICHARD L. PRATT, JR.—Reformed Theological Seminary
• JOHN H. WALTON—Moody Bible Institute
• PRESCOTT H. WILLIAMS, JR.—Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
• MARVIN R. WILSON—Gordon College

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10. What are readers saying about The Message^®?
"What a breath of fresh air."

—SMITHVILLE, TN

"It's tremendous, refreshing, stirring—and a splendid gift. A cool way to tell God's truth in today's language."

—LYNCHBURG, VA

"After 30 years of study I finally get it. The Message^® is so easy to read. Chapter after chapter the language relates to where I am in today's world."

—ERIE, PA

"The Message^® is great for those who have never heard the Bible, as well as for those who have heard it so many times that they cannot hear the meaning anymore."

—LAFAYETTE, CA

"I honestly couldn't put it down! It is amazingly readable and formatted without verse numbers. You just open it up and read! Wow! It really jumps out at you. I love this version. It isn't my only Bible, but it's the one that gets read the most."

—PHOENIX, AZ

"I was skeptical when I was given a copy of The Message^®. I thought I would be terribly disappointed! The opposite has been true. I have not been able to put this book down!"

—LUBBOCK, TX

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11. Who endorses, recommends, or uses The Message^®?
"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."

—J.I. PACKER, author of Knowing God and professor of theology, Regent College

"The Message^® is the boldest and most provocative rendering of the New Testament I've ever read. If you've become so comfortable with your Bible reading that the Scriptures no longer excite you, then this book is what you need."

—WARREN W. WIERSBE, author of The Integrity Crisis, Be Joyful, and Be Real

"The Message^® is certainly destined to become a devotional classic—not to mention a powerful pastoral tool."

—JACK W. HAYFORD, pastor of The Church on the Way, Van Nuys, CA

"We should thank the Lord for the ministry Eugene Peterson has performed in The Message^®. He has given the church an opportunity to read the Bible afresh."

—CHRISTIANITY TODAY

"The Message^® is exegetically sensitive yet speaks in the language of today—with the special flair for English style that has come to mark Peterson's work."

—GORDON D. FEE, author of How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth and professor of New Testament, Regent College

"I thank God for The Message^®. In it Eugene Peterson gives a fresh and authentic voice to the Scripture. I recommend it highly."

—RICHARD J. FOSTER, author of Celebration of Discipline

"Eugene Peterson's language makes the Bible exciting and strong, sweet, sharp, persuasive, painful, personal, contemporary, kind, and dramatic—and available to every reader of this age."

—WALTER WANGERIN, JR., author of The Book of the Dun Cow and Mourning Into Dancing

"At last, a translation of tone. I read not only the words, but I hear a voice behind them speaking—as, in fact, all these documents were originally experienced. Peterson's translation transforms the eye into an ear, opening the door of the New Testament wider than perhaps it has ever been opened."

—MICHAEL CARD, singer, songwriter, and author of Immanuel: Reflections on the Life of Christ

"Eugene Peterson's rendering of the New Testament strikes me as wonderfully alive. It is full of surprise and excitement and the ring of authentic human speech and feeling."

—FREDERICK BUECHNER, author of The Son of Laughter and Godric

"The Message^® is so good it leaves me breathless. Eugene Peterson has done for the U.S. and the late 20th century what J.B. Phillips did for Great Britain and the middle of the century—and even more!"

—MADELEINE L'ENGLE, author of A Wrinkle in Time and A Circle of Quiet

"If the New Testament were written today, this is what it would sound like."

—LEITH ANDERSON, pastor of Wooddale Church, Eden Prairie, MN

"Time and again I would read a verse and think, 'Oh that's what it meant.' Eugene Peterson has given us the gift of a lifetime."

—REBECCA MANLEY PIPPERT, author of Out of the Saltshaker and Hope Has Its Reasons

"Eugene Peterson's work is the freshest, most dramatic treatment of Scripture since The Living Bible. I look forward to reading it regularly."

—JERRY B. JENKINS, coauthor of the Left Behind series

"In The Message^® the ideas of the New Testament writers seem to take on flesh and blood, personality, and three-dimensional authenticity, striding into our minds and speaking to us with a startling vigor, authority, and clarity. I want all my friends to get The Message^®."

—LUCI SHAW, author of God in the Dark and Horizons: Exploring Creation

"The Message^® will help many to transfer God's eternal truths to their contemporary lives."

—LEIGHTON FORD, president, Leighton Ford Ministries

"I am confident that many people will find the New Testament alive in a new way after reading The Message^®."

—JAY KESLER, president, Taylor University

"The Message^® added so much to my special retreat with the Lord. I am continuing to read it at home in my quiet time and can't wait until it is published to share it with others."

—MARILYN POLLITT, book buyer, Vine & Branches Bookshop, Naperville, IL

"WOW! What a treasure The Message^® is. I am going to carry it with me. This is a treasure that I will want to use wherever I am."

—JONI EARCKSON TADA, author

WE HOPE WE CAN ADD YOUR NAME TO THIS LONG LIST OF MESSAGE READERS:
Amy Grant, Benny Hinn, Bill Hybels, Bill and Gloria Gaither, Billy Graham, Brock and Bodie Thoene, Carol Kent, Chuck Swindoll, Cynthia Heald, Dan Quayle, Dave Dravecky, Toby-DC Talk, Don Moen, Duffy Robbins, Frederick Buechner, Gary Chapmen, Gary Smalley, Gordon Fee, Gordon MacDonald, Harold Fickett, J.I. Packer, Jack Hayford, Jay Kesler, Jerry Jenkins, Jerry Savelle, Jim Burns, Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter, John Maxwell, Joni Eareckson Tada, Joyce Meyer, Kathy Peel, Keith Miller, Kenneth Copeland, Leighton Ford, Leith Anderson, Luci Shaw, Madeleine L'Engle, Max Lucado, Michael Card, Michael W. Smith, MikeYaconelli, Newsboys, Patsy Clairmount, Pat Williams, Phil Driscoll, Rebecca St. James, Richard Foster, Rick Warren, Rod Parsley Ron Kenoly, Stuart and Jill Briscoe, Tim Kimmel, Tony Campolo, Tremper Longman, Bono of U2, Vernon Grounds, Walter Kaiser Jr., Walter Wangerin, Warren Wiersbe, Wayne Rice, Wellington Boone top

12. Where should I begin reading?
Some favorite passages are Matthew 5, Galatians 5, and James 1. However, if you have your own favorites, look at those. Or try reading a whole book. You'll be amazed at how quickly Philippians or Romans goes, for example, read as a whole unit of thought. top