Comments on: The most significant version of the Bible today

By: Greg

Greg — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:10:13 +0000

I’m in the same boat as comment #2 by Matt- when The Message gets it right, it really does get it right, even more if we hear it instead of read it.

By: Kevin Sam

Kevin Sam — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:32:05 +0000

In seminary, I just heard one classmate praise the Message but I don’t think it would ever be used during any public readings, just because it’s not academically sound. Personally, I don’t think I would ever use it during readings but who makes the rules? Maybe it should be used once in a while just to turn the tables once in a while on our stuffy formal translations.

By: Brian

Brian — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 05:08:53 +0000

I think The Message Bible suffered from as much a disinformation campaign as the TNIV did – it is a brilliant “translation” in many respects.

I agree with others about the CEV – my OT prof in seminary always made us read from the CEV as well as the original when doing textual work.

By: David Ker

David Ker — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 15:26:24 +0000

Good post. I enjoy the Psalms in the Message but that’s about all I can handle. It just tries too hard to be iconoclastic or innovative. I agree with Tim that CEV hits it about right without being slangy (which incidentally is an occasional failing of the NLT).

By: tc robinson

tc robinson — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 22:21:00 +0000

Read it as meaning the translation that has the potential for the greatest instinctive understanding, the greatest opportunity for the message to come alive and be heard fresh, the greatest opportunity to plug into this proclamation from God we call the Bible and feel it down into your rotting bones.

Ahh…

Does the Message achieve that?

By: ElShaddai Edwards

ElShaddai Edwards — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:52:15 +0000

See Richard Rhodes' post on Better Bibles for an excellent critique of The Message on its own terms.

By: Dan Sindlinger

Dan Sindlinger — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 11:32:49 +0000

To a great extent I agree with your opinion of The Message. But I recently compiled a list of about 300 references (from less than half of the NT) in which The Message is not clear to the average reader for a number of reasons. (I would be happy to share that list with you.) That is one of the factors that motivated me to produce my own translation of the NT entitled “The Better Life Bible”, which you’re welcome to view at http://www.BetterLifeBible.com. This translation is geared to people who rarely read or have never read the Bible, so my goal was to make the meaning of every text clear and natural as well as accurate.

By: ElShaddai Edwards

ElShaddai Edwards — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 04:47:34 +0000

@All – don’t read “most significant” as “the best” or “the most accurate” or “the most popular”. Read it as meaning the translation that has the potential for the greatest instinctive understanding, the greatest opportunity for the message to come alive and be heard fresh, the greatest opportunity to plug into this proclamation from God we call the Bible and feel it down into your rotting bones.

@Damian – thanks for the advice on the Remix. I’d been twirling the idea of getting an original to read along the lines of The Books of the Bible (TNIV), but NEB-style verse numbers in the margins shouldn’t be too intrusive. I’ve seen several editions at the bookstore and have to admit that I’m impressed with the NavPress quality.

@Nathan – as long as the focus is on the message, not the words, I’m good.

By: Nathan Stitt

Nathan Stitt — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:09:36 +0000

I have been looking for a copy of The Message for several years but never wanted to pay over $20 for a paraphrase. Well I got lucky this summer and found a copy marked down to half price and promptly picked it up. I haven’t spent much time with it yet, but it has fared pretty well in a few comparisons that I have done.

I would also agree that the word of god is the message behind the words. I still prefer the more formal translations, but the modern day translations/paraphrases no longer turn me off like they used to.

By: Damian

Damian — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 21:48:59 +0000

E.S.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s the most significant, but I agree that it’s a great translation, so long as you have reference to the original. I find it incredibly easy to read from, and the one time I read the bible from cover to cover, it was in the Message, referring to other bibles if I thought ‘what the hey!’.

If you get one, get a ‘remix’ version – the message usually doesn’t contain verse numbers, but the remix does. It makes it easier to see where Peterson got his inspiration.