Customer Reviews

The Message: The New Testament in Contemporary Language

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The Message is a good read. Easy to read chapter after chapter because the language relates to where I am in todays world. After 30plus years of study I finally get it. Thanks to Peterson for allowing God to use him to get through to me.

This is an enjoyable new read of the N.T. The young people in my congregation began calling it the "Yo-Dude" version of the Bible. Most importantly, they READ it, and enjoy it. Thank you, Eugene Petersen

What a fresh, alive, delightful paraphrase of the New Testament! Wakes up some passages that might feel tired to those who have studied the Bible for many years. The perfect choice to introduce a young person to the Bible, or to add to a Bible reader's personal library. Author Eugene Peterson's phrasing and word choices are so fresh, so full of life and energy and love, that you'll find yourself smiling as you read it! Reviews have compared him to North America's answer to J.B. Phillips. I have purchased many copies for friends and even for my Pastor, as gifts.

I have scanned over the Message version of the NT, and find it not quite as offensive as I had feared.

For those who are worried about the "jots and tittles," they will find no solace here. But then again, if we are to believe the critics, generations of scribes and scholars had already purée the true Word of God, centuries ago.

Peterson had decided to connect the remaining dots, but by using a rather wide brush. You lose the details, but the overall picture turned out pretty good.

But what should you do with it? It is not literal enough to be used as a study bible. You can't even find a specific verse, at least in this paperback version. If you need a simple version to use in a real bible study, may I recommend the NCV?

I think I would consider giving it to a young person, tween-aged-to-twenty-something, who has had no significant biblical exposure, but a mild, or potential, interest in knowing who Jesus is, and what He wants him or her to do with their life. Yeah, give them the book, with, perhaps, a tract on how the NT is laid out, and let them read it at their own pace, offering to answer any questions that might come up. If it sparks their interest, then they can eventually move up to a more literal translation. But if not, I don't think it would be the fault of this book.

As to some of the criticisms I have seen from other readers:

Yes, if you think calling Jesus "Master" is "New Age," then I guess it is. But guess what? If that young person has watched Saturday Morning cartoons during the last ten years, they already have been exposed to more "New Age" doctrine than you could ever imagine.

There have been those who say that this version is soft on sin, particularly on homosexuality. They apparently had not checked out its first chapter of Romans.

And yes, if you insist that we are saved by "faith alone," then this is definitely not the book for you. For example, in John 3:16, Peterson has resisted the trend in modern translations to escalate "should not perish," up, and out, to "will not perish."

Instead, he wrote: "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."

I cannot find any more "serious" faults in this version of the Bible than I can in most others.

If it can get someone into Heaven, I will not stand in its way.

But I only gave it three stars because I think it has limited appeal, like bikes with training wheels.

During the summer of 2000, I was given this book by a Bible study leader just before I left for an inner city mission trip.
I have a few different versions of the Bible. And while I love them all, this one is my favorite. It's written in what a lot of people call "street English,"... It's a good book for the average lay person to refer to when they're explaining things of their Christain faith to others. It's laid out in regular story form and is very easy to understand, too. I'd recommend it to anyone.
To Eugene Peterson, nice job!!!

"The Message draws you to embrace the truth of the New Testament in a way that it is applicable to your life right now! An easy read for new Christians and ideal for the youth, quite entertaining. Change your perspective of the Bible through reading this book, change your life! Great Gift, anytime!" - Angelina Musik, Christian recording artist.

The great Christian novelist Walker Percy once lamented that the words of Christianity had become devalued and almost meaningless: "The old words of grace are worn smooth as poker chips."

Walker Percy, as always, was right. The story of Christ still carries the news of salvation, but if nobody can hear that story anymore because the words sound so worn out, there's not a lot of hope.

That's why I love Eugene Peterson's efforts in The Message. Our Christian language has become so old that it's nearly impossible for a large section of the culture to hear it. In The Message, however, Peterson is breaking down that barrier. He is contributing to the great, ongoing project of resurrecting the language of Christianity so that the word of God may live again.

This is one of the two bibles that I read. The Mass Market Edition is great for just flipping thru and randomly reading passages. It feels great in the hands and the pages move very smoothly. It's very readable and relateable to living life today. If you want to know how the bible was ment to be read this is it. It's so personal and down to earth. I can't have things beat around the bush and this goes right to the point. Get it and sit back and enjoy.

Peterson's paraphrase can be a little "folksy" in places, but essentially provides a rendition of the New Testament that is shed of spiritual fluff and the amazingly strong message of the writings comes through with clarity. I keep it on hand to read with other English translations and it gives a good perspective.

What can i say, this is a translation that has been out for quite some time now. It's a very good bible, the quality of the book is great. nothing negative to say. If you know this translation and like it, you will love this book. Just be aware this is New Testament Only, not the whole bible.