Rating: 
Summary: Refresh your Bible reading
Review: If you are looking to add something fresh and new to your bible reading, I suggest The Message Bible. It was translated from the original languages into contemporary language. It really does read like a story, except the book of Numbers. But the book of Numbers is dry in any translation. I don't recommend this for deep Bible study but it will bring a freshness to your reading and often help you better understand a passage. The only complaint I have about this Bible is that it is not broken into verses. I understand that they now I have a new edition broken into verses but still in paragraph form like a "regular" book. I look forward to reading that version also. So check out the Message today and get lost in the rich stories, history and heritage of the Biblical times.
Rating: 
Summary: Danger! The Message is a Mystic Paraphrase
Review: This book is advertised as being written in today's English, so that the common person can understand it. However it is a man-centered message.Matt.6:10
KJV - Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven
Message - Set the world right; do what's best - as above, so below. What happened to God's Will? This is man setting the world right, doing what's best. The Lord Jesus Christ has been replaced by Master Jesus in the Message. Master is an occultic term New Age designation of Jesus as an Ascended Master. Acts 16:31
KJV: And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Message: They said, "Put your entire trust in the Master Jesus. Then you'll live as you were meant to live--and everyone in your house included!" The above paraphrase also changed the message of salvation into living your life, actually deleted any reference to salvation. Acts 20:21
KJV: Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
Message: urging Jews and Greeks alike to a radical life-change before God and an equally radical trust in our Master Jesus. Faith is changed to "radical trust", and repentance toward God is removed in favor of a "radical life-change". Christ's work is changed into the power of "believing in yourself". Matthew 9:29
KJB - Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
Message - He touched their eyes and said, "BECOME WHAT YOU BELIEVE." Check it out for yourself, you don't need to buy this book, just go to the online Bible Gateway ..., and you'll easily find dozens of places where the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith, of the finished work of Jesus Christ, and the holiness of God has been diluted into a soupy message of mystic works, radical life changes, and even a bath. See Titus 3:5 where the washing of regeneration is changed to a good bath. Don't be fooled by this paraphrase. The Holy Spirit will illuminate the scriptures for you, don't let Eugene Peterson or anyone else take the place of the Holy Spirit. Please stick to an orthodox Textus Receptus (Received Text) translation like the King James Version.
Rating: 
Summary: Would Jesus read this?
Review: This book was very well written- but it did not belong in the Bible section of the book store. Instead it should have been called: The Message- an INTERPRETATION. This was a rather gross interpretation of the teaching of the most famous man in history and the most famous book ever written. It was a very interesting read (if read as an interpretation) for someone who is very secure with what they believe but does not take the place of the original scripture for those seeking truth. I understand that my beliefs are quite different than many others but to take the book that many people base the way they live their lives is a very dangerous game to play. A book worth reading, not a book worth calling a bible.
Rating:
Summary: This reading Bible is simply the best!
Review: This is a must-get for everyone! I love this Bible; I use it to read the Bible through in a year!
Rating: 
Summary: My Favorite!!!
Review: I love this translation so very much. There are not words to describe how much I enjoy The MESSAGE but I do miss the numbered verses for personal study. I hope one day there will be one that comes out with numbered verses. When there is I am sure they will FLY off the shelves.
Rating: 
Summary: The Message didn't survive the translation
Review: While I love reading The Message, it didn't survive the conversion to a MS Reader format book. Unlike my NASV bible, I can only select down to the Book level in the contents, so when I select Psalms, I then have to forward through 100 pages to get to the right chapter of Psalms. Also, the individual verser numbers aren't shown. While the book itself is wonderful, its missing verse numbers make it useless for finding specific scriptures.
Rating:
Summary: The greatest Book ever written!!!!
Review: This Bible is the best I have ever read. It is altogether precious and absolutely wonderful. The secret is out and God has blessed us with the purest form of exuberant and sublime linguistic beauty. The greatest text written the way it has to be written. I have read KJV, NIV, NLT, and Amplified but they are not in the same class for readability and profundity. No Christian should go through this life without owning and reading (daily) this edition. If you love God's Word then you must have this Book.
"" So here's what I want you to do, God helping you:
Take your everyday, ordinary life--
your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life--
and place it before God as an offering.
Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.
Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.
Instead, fix your attention on God.
You'll be changed from the inside out.
Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it.
Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity,
God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. ""
Romans 12:1,2...........
""God--you're my God! I can't get enough of you!
I've worked up such hunger and thirst for God,
traveling across dry and weary deserts.
So here I am in the place of worship, eyes open,
drinking in your strength and glory.
In your generous love I am really living at last!
My lips brim praises like fountains.
I bless you every time I take a breath;
My arms wave like banners of praise to you.
I eat my fill of prime rib and gravy;
I smack my lips. It's time to shout praises!
If I'm sleepless at midnight,
I spend the hours in grateful reflection.
Because you've always stood up for me,
I'm free to run and play.
I hold on to you for dear life,
and you hold me steady as a post.""
Psalm 63:1-8
Rating:
Summary: for new and long-time Christians
Review: Before purchasing The Message for my husband, I read many reviews. Reviewers' concern about its accuracy nearly caused me not to buy it or even look at it. What a tragedy that would have been. I've been reading the Bible for at least 30 years and have, I'm sure, read every version printed in English. I still love the beauty of the King James and use that when I want to memorize. But NOTHING has spoken to me like this Bible has. I am understanding the Bible in a way I never have before. (Let me add I'm a good reader--English major and English teacher). This Bible would be an EXCELLENT gift for a new Christian, teen or child. I remember well how much I read the Bible, wanting to be interested in it and understand it as a young person, but finding it just not accessible to me despite attending three to four church services a week plus Sunday school, Christian summer camps, vacation Bible school, Christian children's clubs, etc. The Bible has always seemed remote to me, even as an adult. After reading The Message, I really don't care how accurate it is (although I am glad to read it is an accurate paraphrase). It is blessing my life and my husband's, bringing God's messages to us in a way we can easily grasp and use, and that's good enough for us.
Rating:
Summary: Good for Bible Reading Enjoyment
Review: While this version should not be used for "study" (choose a more traditional version like NIV for studying the Bible), this one is very good for reading enjoyment. This one is like reading a "novel", and it makes the Bible reading fun.
Great for reading enjoyment, but just don't use this for your personal "Bible Study time" though.
Rating:
Summary: A biased and dangerous paraphrase
Review: The problem with reading a paraphrase of the Bible is that you are getting the views of the one who is doing the paraphrasing on each individual passage, and never the unadulterated biblical text. Readers of The Message should be very aware of the fact that this is nothing less than the views of Eugene H. Peterson passed off as the Holy Scriptures. The most disturbing thing about this paraphrase is that it warps the gospel message into something entirely different. Instead of being declared righteous through simple faith in Jesus Christ for eternal life, through reading The Message one could easily get the idea that salvation is by works or by faith plus works (For a clear treatment of the Gospel and just a great book, see Confident in Christ by Bob Wilkin). Mature students of the Word could use the Message as an interesting commentary alongside the Scriptures, but not by itself. I recommend sticking to a good translation (Like the NKJV).
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