The Message NT with Psa/Prov (Paperback)

by Eugene H. Peterson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
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 --This text refers to the Bonded Leather edition.

Review
"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!" -- J.I. Packer, author of Knowing God and professor of theology, Regent College. --This text refers to the Bonded Leather edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 816 pages
• Publisher: NavPress; Later Print edition (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576831205
• ISBN-13: 978-1576831205
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (346 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #575,166 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

257 of 259 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Message: Numbered Edition is Joy to Read, October 29, 2005

By	S.A.M. "izzylea" (Anaheim, CA, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language : Numbered Edition (Hardcover)

This latest edition of the paraphrased Bible "The Message" is wonderful! The full title is "The Message: Numbered Edition, The Bible in Contemporary Language". It seems that with each new edition, The Message titles get longer!

I have enjoyed chapter after chapter since I received this edition a couple of weeks ago from Amazon. I keep my New American Standard Bible (NASB) and my HarperCollins New Revised Standard (NRS) Study Bible close at hand while I read The Message. Thus, if needed, I can look up a passage to make certain I am understanding the full context of the Message translation. This research in comparing passages is increasing my understanding of the Bible.

The Message makes clearer, in today's language, what many biblical passages mean. I find this wonderful paraphrase to be full of "aha" moments when a passage I may have glossed over or didn't fully understand, in the past, finally comes to life.

One of my favorite examples: The NASB gives Matthew 5:13-14 (a portion of the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus is explaining how things are to his disciples) as:

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;...."

I have heard and read these words many times, but the complete meaning was not there (for me).

Now, read it in today's language. Here is The Message translation/paraphrase for the same passage:

"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be the salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. Here's another way to put it: you're here to be the light, bringing out the God colors to the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill....."

Amazing! In my view, at least, The Message offers a more immediate sense of the meaning of the passage.

ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR: Eugene Peterson, a retired pastor and professor, is a superb translator, as well he would be after years of teaching Biblical languages at the University level. In addition, he is very much in tune with the language of American society today. His paraphrased translation was overseen by a large number of Bible scholars to ensure it's reliability.

ABOUT THIS EDITION: Many reviewers have discussed how wonderful The Message Bible is to read. So, I would like to address some of the features of The Message Bible itself. If you bring up The Message Bibles, either on Amazon or at the publisher's (NavPress) site, there are now so many editions, it gets a little crazy trying to sort them all out! Here is a little clarification:

1.) "The Message" (original) does not include verse numbers because it is meant as a reading Bible, rather than a study Bible.

2.) "The Message:Remix" DOES include verse numbers.

3.) The edition I am reviewing here, "The Message: Numbered Edition, The Bible in Contemporary Language", offers the verse numbers plus several new features over the Remix editions.

This edition I am reviewing is one of the less expensive of the new numbered editions, and I thought I had settled for one of those slick hardcover editions because of my low budget. However, much to my surprise, it comes in a beautiful navy blue, padded, hard cover that is wonderfully nice to the touch. The title is in silver. At Amazon's low price, I feel it is a great bargain!

The new Numbered Editions come with several updated features over the older The Message:Remix Bibles.

Though the font is a bit fainter than I would like (at age 62!), I DO find it to be surprisingly readable! The pages are of a very nice French paper, in a lovely cream color that is easy on the eyes. This edition is apparently one-half pound lighter than the older Remix editions. It's still hefty, so I will say that I am happy that the publisher managed to lighten it up a bit!

As mentioned above, The Message: Numbered Edition is much more a reading Bible than a study Bible. You will definitely want to keep your regular study Bibles on hand!

In all, I am very happy with this wonderful edition of The Message. I recommend it to anyone who wants to read the Bible with a more immediate sense of understanding and with great enjoyment! :)

313 of 337 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not the Word of God? God might disagree!, September 6, 2002

By	Bradley Morehouse "Lover of Truth" (Cape Girardeau, MO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language (Hardcover)

While reviewing the various comments about this work, I kept thinking about my initial experience when the Message New Testament was being prepared for its introduction a few years ago. I was working the Customer Service desk at NavPress (the books publisher) at the time. Because of my religious training, I didn't consider this a Bible either, I thought of it as a devotional work, or a cute little paraphrase. It wasn't the authoritative "Word of God," however. Then something profound happened.

When the book was released, calls started coming in...incredible calls! People who would never read a Bible read The Message and made new commitments to walk a life of faith. Others who had experienced stagnation in their walk were renewed and strengthened. Because of this, I began to read the work, and experienced new depths in my Christian experience. In fact, several of the encounters I personally experienced were so powerful and life changing that to this day I can't discuss them without tears. Then, instead of putting my other translations into retirement, I began to study and appreciate them more fully, and I now read the KJV and NJB regularly.

I've shared the above because I've read recent reviews that accuse The Message of being a watered down Gospel, a failed rendering, or a comic book edition of the scripture. Maybe so, but the Holy Spirit uses it to change peoples lives. I know this from listening to hundreds of stories, and experiencing it first hand.

My suggestion is that you read "The Message" and see if the Holy Spirit speaks to you through it. If the Spirit does, continue to read it, if the Spirit doesn't, put the book down and find something else. It's that simple...and there's no need to berate it if it doesn't suit your spiritual temperament.

By the way, I no longer work for NavPress or the Navigators, and I have no book to sell you on Bible translations. Sorry!

51 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Message gets even better with numbers!, October 15, 2005

By	C. Martin (Georgia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language : Numbered Edition (Hardcover)

Since the complete Message Bible was introduced in 2002, I have enjoyed its translation but have often wished for numbered verses. I found that I was unable to use my Message translation in church or in Bible study.
I was thrilled to see the new numbered edition on my store shelf. It is just what I was looking for!
The Message is a wonderful translation because it helps the reader to relate today's events and language with what the Bible is saying. I find often that after I read The Message translation, I am better able to understand and more likely to read again the more complex translations.