The Message Bible (True or Not?)

The Message Bible
Does it hurt? Hinder? Or help your spiritual growth?
The Message: The Bible In Contemporary Language is one of more than

30 books written by Eugene Petersona retired Presbyterian minister and former
professor of spiritual theology.
As a lover of storytelling, Peterson often quotes and references writers of
fiction in his own books and sermons.
The comparison of the Lords Prayer between the King James Version of the
Bible and The Message book should be enough to make any Christian shudder:
THE MESSAGE
Yes. Yes. Yes.
Our Father in heaven,
KING JAMES VERSION
Reveal who you are.
Our Father which art in heaven,
Set the world right;
Hallowed be thy name.
Do whats best
Thy kingdom come.
as above, so below.
Thy will be done in earth,
Keep us alive with three square

meals.
as it is in heaven.
Keep us forgiven with you

and forgiving others.
Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the

Devil.
And lead us not into temptation,
Youre in charge!
but deliver us from evil:
You can do anything you want!
For Thine is the kingdom,
Youre ablaze in beauty!
and the power, and the glory, for ever.

Amen.
With the cut of just four wordsHallowed be Thy namePeterson removed

the believers acknowledgement of Gods holiness and reverence for His name.
With the addition of four wordsas above, so belowPeterson replaced
Gods all-important will being done with a well-known occult term.
The author of The Message decided that the curse word damn should be used
frequently as well as these crude and sexually explicit terms throughout his book:
Scent of sex, sex orgies, slut, spreading your legs, and hell-raisers.
These are words used by secular novelists, not by someone inspired by the
Spirit of the living God.
Much more could be said about this book that is believed by so many to be an
actual translation of the Bible.
Again, The Message is not a translation of Scripture; it is just a book that has
gained popularity by being endorsed by ministers of seeker-sensitive churches,
who are aligned with the same type of agenda as outlined in the Purpose-Driven
Life.
TWELVE RULES FOR INTERPRETATION OF THE BIBLE

1. Improve your ability in the tongue in which you read the Bible. For example,
master the English language if the English Bible is to be used.
2. Accept the literal meanings of words. Apply to the Bible the same rules
(grammar, figures of speech, types, symbols, allegories, parables, poetry, prophecy,
history) that you would to any form of human expression found outside the Bible.
3. Learn the manners, customs, and peculiar idioms of the periods during
which the Bible was written.
4. Get acquainted with the geography of all Bible lands.
5. Acquire a general knowledge of the history of the Bible peoples and
kingdoms so that you can understand Bible history as a whole.
6. Recognize the overall plan of the Bible: the ages and dispensations; the
ultimate purpose of God to defeat Satan and restore mans dominion, rid the world
of rebellion, and establish an eternal kingdom on earth ruled by God, Christ, and
the resurrected saints.
7. Recognize the three classes of people dealt with in Scripturethe Jews, the
Gentiles, and the church of our Lord Jesus Christ.
8. Keep in mind the historical background of each book and the circumstances
under which it was written.
9. Never change the literal meaning of Scripture to a spiritual, mystical,
symbolic, or figurative meaning unless this is done by God Himself. Take
everything in the Bible literally unless this could not possibly be the meaning.
When the language used is symbolic, dig out the literal truth conveyed by it.
10. When studying the Bible, keep a complete concordance to look up any
subject that confuses or compels you, and to unearth the true definition of any
Greek or Hebrew word where there is a question of proper translation.
11. Be as analytical and honest with the Bible as with any other book. Study it
not to disprove it, but to master its secret contents and to conform to its teaching.
When approached in this manner, you will find it to be in unity.
12. It must be settled once and for all that the Bible does not contradict itself,
and all Scriptures on a subject are in harmony. It has a way of confusing its
enemies and blessing its friends.
The only thing difficult about the Bible is that it is a very large book, and it will
take time to master its contents to the point where you get a general understanding
of it. Read it over, and over! Practice its teachings, and it will soon become a
simple and practical book.
Pilgrim Outreach Ministries

. . . go ye into all the world and preach the gospel .. .
www.pomitaly.homestead.com
www.thewilltosucceed.homestead.com

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The Message Bible

Does it hurt? Hinder? Or help your spiritual growth?

The Message: The Bible In Contemporary Language is one of more than

Yes. Yes. Yes.

Our Father in heaven,

KING JAMES VERSION

Reveal who you are.

Our Father which art in heaven,

Set the world right;

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done in earth,

Keep us alive with three square

Keep us forgiven with you

Give us this day our daily bread.

Keep us safe from ourselves and the

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil:

You can do anything you want!

For Thine is the kingdom,

Youre ablaze in beauty!

and the power, and the glory, for ever.

With the cut of just four wordsHallowed be Thy namePeterson removed

TWELVE RULES FOR INTERPRETATION OF THE BIBLE

Pilgrim Outreach Ministries

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