The Message (Bible)

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This article is about a version of the Bible. For other uses, see The Message.
The Message
The Message
Full name: The Message
Abbreviation: MSG
Complete Bible published: 2002
Translation type: Colloquial
Copyright status: Copyright 2002 Eugene H. Peterson
Genesis 1:1-3
First this: God created the Heavens and Earth--all you see, all you don't see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God's Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss. God spoke: "Light!" And light appeared.
John 3:16
This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.
The Bible in English +/-
Old English (pre-1066)
Middle English (1066-1500)
Early Modern English (1500-1800)
Modern Christian (1800-)
Modern Jewish (1853-)
Miscellaneous

The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language, written by Eugene H. Peterson and published in segments from 1993 to 2002, is a paraphrase of the original languages of the Holy Bible and "crafted to present its tone, rhythm, events, and ideas in everyday language."

The Message was written in order to recreate the spirit of the original language of scripture which was written in the street language of the day. Peterson notes that in the course of the project, he realized that this was exactly what he had been doing in his thirty-five years as a pastor, "always looking for an English way to make the biblical text relevant to the conditions of the people."

The Message was published in piecemeal over a nine year period. The New Testament was published in 1993. The Old Testament Wisdom Books were published in 1998. The Old Testament Prophets were published in 2000. The Old Testament Pentateuch were released in 2001. The Books of History came out in 2002. The entire Protestant Bible was released the same year.

Contents

[edit] Editions

Old Testament
New Testament
Entire Bible

[edit] Sample verse (1 Cor 13:1-3)

This comparison of 1st Corinthians 13, verses 1 through 3 demonstrates the difference between The Message , the English Standard Version and the King James Version.

King James Version
  1. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
  2. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
  3. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
English Standard Version
  1. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
  2. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
  3. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
The Message
The Way Of Love
  1. If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.
  2. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing.
  3. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

[edit] Sample verse (Romans 10:4-10)

This comparison of Romans 10, verses 4 through 10 also demonstrate the difference between The Message, the English Standard Version and the King James Version.

King James Version

4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

English Standard Version

4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes
5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them.
6 But the righteousness based on faith says, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down)
7 or "'Who will descend into the abyss?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);
9 because, 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.
10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

The Message

4-10 The earlier revelation was intended simply to get us ready for the Messiah, who then puts everything right for those who trust him to do it. Moses wrote that anyone who insists on using the law code to live right before God soon discovers it's not so easy—every detail of life regulated by fine print! But trusting God to shape the right living in us is a different story— no precarious climb up to heaven to recruit the Messiah, no dangerous descent into hell to rescue the Messiah. So what exactly was Moses saying? 'The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest.' It's the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—"Jesus is my Master"—embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between him and me!"

[edit] Sample verse (Psalm 23 v1-4)

This comparison of Psalm 23:1-4 demonstrates the difference between The Message and the NIV.

New International Version
  1. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
  2. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
  3. he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
  4. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
English Standard Version
  1. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
  2. He makes me lie down in green pastures.He leads me beside still waters.
  3. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
  4. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.


The Message
  1. God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing.
  2. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from.
  3. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction.
  4. Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I'm not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd's crook makes me feel secure.

[edit] Criticism

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The Message has drawn criticism on several fronts. Some Christians oppose it because it tends towards theological points of view that are incompatible with their theological beliefs. Some criticize that it distorts the relationship between God the Father and Jesus the Son, or it deletes words that imply occult spirituality and substitutes more finite and human influences. Others criticize it for being unduly influenced by New Age beliefs.

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] External links

Sites which are opposed to The Message translation
v • d • e
English language translations of the Christian Bible
Middle English Wycliffe
16th-17th century Tyndale · Coverdale · Matthew · Great Bible · Taverner · Geneva · Bishops' Bible · Douay-Rheims · King James
18th-19th century Challoner · Young's Literal · Revised Version
20th century American Standard · Rotherham's Emphasized · Revised Standard · Jerusalem · New American · New English Bible · New American Standard · Living Bible · Good News · New International · New King James · New Revised Standard · Revised English · Contemporary English · New Century · New Living
21st century English Standard · The Message · Holman Christian Standard · Today's New International · New English Translation · World English · International Standard
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