The Message Remix (Bible in Contemporary Language)

Rating:
Summary: Not good
Review: This book (it is not a translation or a Bible) is an abomination to say the least.


The meanings of many many verses have been changed as anyone who has read a real Bible would know if he/she compared them side by side.


ABOMINABLE

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: the Remix
Review: To put it simply, the Remix edition of The Message flat out ROCKS! The addition of chapter and verse numbers as well as subject headings makes this edition a wonderful tool when you want to study and cross reference between translations. I am not going to go into the great spiritual debate of our time as to whether Eugene Peterson's paraphrase of scripture is on par with the NIV or King James translations of the Bible. I will say that I own both an NIV(New International Version) and an NASB(New American Standard Bible) and yet at times neither one has been able to illuminate Christ's words like Peterson's work.

Rating:
Summary: A vivid PARAPHRASE
Review: When my church began using The Message in sermons, I didn't like it. It was too loose to use in preaching. But last year I bought my own copy, and now I'm really starting to relish Peterson's literary skills. This paraphrase - it's not a translation - is rooted in scholarship and really aims to bridge the cultural gaps between 700 BC Israel or AD 60 Turkey to today's hearers.

While I can't approach this as I would an actual translation such as the ESV, it's refreshing to hear how Peterson phrases much of the Bible. His renditions of Galatians and Romans 6-8 are nothing short of amazing. I also like that unlike older versions of The Message, this retains the paragraph format but has added verse numbers in the margins. The printing and binding quality are top-notch, even if the print is a bit small (about a size 8 font).

Any cons? First, this is not a translation, and title "The Bible in contemporary language" is a misnomer. Also, Peterson's accuracy and vividness is sometimes spotty; certain books or passages are quite accurate and enlivening, but others are rather dull feeling. The Psalms, of which Peterson is a notable scholar, feel rather blunt and choppy.

Also, check out Peterson's other books. He is committed to helping people deeply experience God in all of real, human life. He is rooted in the nitty gritty of daily human existence and spirituality on planet Earth.

Rating:
Summary: The Bible?
Review: While Peterson's paraphrase of the Bible does an adequate job of rendering the writings of the ancients into 21st Century, American language, this is not a Bible.

And to those of you suggesting that if we really want to read the Bible, we should put this down and turn to the King James Version or the New Living Translation, you are misguided. If we really want to read the Bible as God intended, we would all learn to read Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. These are the languages that the inspired authors wrote in. The simplest of people can learn these languages in only a few short years and when we read the Bible in its original languages, we will not be dependent upon any mediators (translators/interpreters) in hearing the Word of God.

All sarcasm aside the KJV, NIV, and similar translations are not accessible to everybody, nor are they flawless renderings of God's Word. If you struggle with the language of the normal versions, read the NLT, or if you want to read the Bible in extremely accessible language, read the Message. Don't be fooled into thinking that this is not the Word of God.