Preaching from "The Message" bible
 

I am planning on using the ESV as our official version in the church I am planting.

But I am also looking at different less 100% literal versions. Does anyone read The Message? It seems very visitor friendly and easy to preach from.

Re: Preaching from "The Message" bible
 

When I preach I don't use The Message for my initial text (mostly habit I guess) but I have definitely seen situations where using it to provide a little more clarity to the reading has been a positive thing.

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When The Message Bible first came out, I didn't like it. However, I had a friend who would send me emails with scripture quotes and I started to like it.

Eventually I did buy one and have used it a few times during our worship service. It is very easy to use and understand. I like reading it during study and prayer as well to get a new perspective on scripture.

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I like the message for reading and as a "commentary" to the literal translation. Still, many passages, IMO, add to much to the text. Sometimes I feel like it is a little to simple like there is only one meaning to get from the text. With the KJV or ESV every word means something and many times more than one meaning can jump out at you from the text.

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I work with teens and I love to use it with them. I personally have a parallel version KJV and NLT. Most of my memorization occurred in the KJV and so its kind of nice to see the KJV and then read it in NLT.

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Well besides the reason that the ESV is accurate.. i can buy them by the case for .50 cents per with the New Testament.

http://www.biblesurplus.com/esv-new-testament.aspx

I plan on buying 1500 of them and having it where anyone who needs one can grab one for free or to give away. Plus if I can get everyone with the same bible I can tell them to turn to page xxx instead of the book which can confuse newbies.

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That is the way I am. I memorized scripture out of the KJV so if I am wanting to find a scripture I wouldn't know how to find it in any other version.

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Our pastor often uses the message to bring out a meaning of a scripture.

Most peopel like it, we do have one memeber who hates anything but the KJV ever being used.

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If the King James was good 'enuff for Peter and Paul its goof 'enuff for us, eh?

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This guy thinks it is the only "authorized" version.

I do believe he thinks God authorized the KJV.

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THE MESSAGE is awesome for really bringing out some passages with the vitality we know the apostles had in view.

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I like it as a commentary. It does help clarify some meanings.

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I haven't used anything but KJV in church for a long time, and all my memorization is done in KJV. But the Message and other versions are excellent for reading. When I read KJV, I tend to overlook the obvious, because I've read it so often. Reading in a different version prevents this. I tend to focus on the words and study passages more accurately and more deeply when I see the words phrased differently.

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I just commented to the church on Sunday that sometimes we are so familiar with hearing the exact words the KJV uses when we read certain passages, having heard them over and over again, that it is hard to actually get the message. It's become a cliche that lost its meaning, and we can rattle off the words, and all we hear are those old familiar words. In such instances, a another translation causes us to stop and actually GET what the message is, instead of hearing familiar words.

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Interesting approach to scripture. So the Text can have different meanings, and those meanings are subjective?

I agree The Message is on the far side of paraphrases that it can really be used as a commentary.

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The Message makes the Word come alive, trying to take the message of the verse(es) and delivering us that "message." Using it as a Bible Study tool for personal study isn't best. But I've used it many times in preaching and worship settings.

I only wish The Message was done by more than one guy. Translations done by more than person have much more credibility. Nevertheless, The Message seems to be fairly consistent with the original meaning of the Text.

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My wife doesn't like the KJV because of archaic words, but she loves to read The Message. We bought The Message: Pause, which is more of a devotional reading Bible. It has daily passages that combine a chapter or two from an old testament book with a chapter or two from a new testament book. It's great! :thumbsup

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I'm not a fan of the KJV either, except for the nostalgia I get. I find so many people feeling confident of understanding Old English, but yet sermon-after-sermon of poor demonstration to support their claims. It's tricky.

KJV sounds cool. So points for style.

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Yea, there is soo much nostalgia attached to that version. Personally I use it because there are some who only use it. Since this is the case I find it better to discuss scriptures using it so the discussion never breaks down into a kjv only discussion. I also use it because of the nostalgia.

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I guess what I mean is that sometimes passages can have multiple meanings. If someone has already interpreted their meaning into the text it might be easy to overlook something that is there.

Don't get me wrong, I love the message but I read it less now than I used to. I still love to just sit back and read the message but I also have the NLT that I read too.

I am hoping to get the ESV study bible for Christmas and then have both readability and literal text.

Re: Preaching from "The Message" bible
 

What do you mean by this? Multiple meanings?
Seems like the original author would have had one intended meaning. Perhaps multiple applications? Just curious. There are various schools of thoughts concerning Biblical interpretation. I tend to line-up more with the group that believes in finding the original, intended meaning first, then making an application. Others claim there are various meanings that can be pulled, and it's these who get mighty creative with the Text, without any safeguarding of their subjective (read "private") interpretation.

Just a thought concerning hermeneutic. Perhaps another thread.

Re: Preaching from "The Message" bible
 

:thumbsup

Re: Preaching from "The Message" bible
 

For a long time I stayed away from the KJV because I had wanted to view the scriptures through a new lens. Well, not to long ago a dear saint in our church gave our pastor her old KJV because she couldn't read the print. She wanted someone to have it that needed it and he passed it on to me. After being away from the KJV for so long I read the scriptures and wept now that I see them more clearly. It was like reuniting with a long lost friend.

We have a great treasure in the word of God and are so blessed to have so many versions available.

Re: Preaching from "The Message" bible
 

[QUOTE=Jeffrey;849833]My point being is that words mean things. With a literal translation you are supposed to be closer to what was really said and not man's interpretation of what was said, such as in the Message.

I am not a fan subjective of truth or that their is no real truth if that is what you are getting at.

All I am saying is that passages can sometimes say way more than what we initially see. When it comes to proper interpretation of the Bible I think I am conservative as it comes.

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I think he means that we can have a certain idea about a passage, something we always thought it meant.... but reading it in a different version can help us to see that maybe it didn't mean what we thought it meant. It can give clarity to certain passages.

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[QUOTE=deltaguitar;849860]I gotcha. But I don't believe that to be the case of the so-called "literal translation." There are certain inherent challenges of interpreting a word from Greek-to-English, word-by-word, without being concerned to what the message the author was conveying. This is why translators have debates over why they used one word instead of another. In other words "literal translation" sounds like you are getting the "literal, original word" but that's not the case. It's just one method of interpretation that tries to give translate word-for-word, instead of thought-for-thought. Good reading on this topic that will help to understand. This is why I don't mind the NIV, because it's a good medium. But I like using multiple translations.

(I completely agree with that last part!)

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I'd like to get a parallel bible with the KJV and either Amplified or The Message version together.

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Just read the Prophecy of the Branch in Isaiah. That has multiple meanings. Or the parable of the talents and many of the parables of Jesus... they can be spun multiple ways when he doesn't give the interpretation to his disciples afterwards.

Or when the prophets spoke of "The Day of the Lord" .. as I remember Dr. Norris at IBC teaching with a touch of cynicism "Which one are we talking about" when teaching on that subject in scriptural prophecy class (you'd have to be there to see how he says it).

I also am leery of the claim of word for word translations into English. Our syntax, sentence structure, thought patterns, and cultural understandings are different than the various periods of history that the books were written in.

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I disagree on that point, Apocrypha. The Messianic Prophecies may have a "fuller meaning," but that should always point toward Christ, and not some other private cause or concern. The talents will take some knowledge of a few contemporary customs, what Jesus said before and after (what was the message), but there is only one meaning, and that's the meaning the author intended. It's our job to discover that, not make up one and call it "multiple meanings." That's very important in the big picture. Subjective interpretation is popular right now, and it's what many OP's use to fenagle all sorts of weird doctrines. The Text can only mean what it originally meant.

I'm also leery of word-for-word. Use it, but the more moderate thought-for-thought versions tend to hit the nail on the head.

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I view The Message as fun to read, but I wouldn't use it as a doctrinal source. JMO

Personally, from a teaching perspective, I think it's best to read a more reliable version, and then have a parallel reading from The Message. (Or any similar version).

I don't have a problem with different versions of the Bible, but The Message is such a casual, broad translation, that I prefer to at least reference a more traditional version.

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What's a more traditional or reliable version to you?

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Who "authorized" the KJV?

some pervert named James (not the epitome of Christian morality and holiness)

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Maybe it's an age thing and maybe it's because I've read the KJV so long but it's still my favorite. Actually, I judge all other versions (or perversions) by it. I also like the NKJV because it is basically the KJV without some of the archaic words.

I do not believe that the JKV is the only "real" Bible. I have over 20 different versions, some NT only and some both Old and New. I have read the NLT through twice and the Jerusalem Bible through once. I have read the CJB through once and then read the OT portion through again. I am certainly open to other Bibles.

I have one New Testament called "The Contemporary Parallel New Testament." It has 8 versions. They are arranged 4 to a page so that when you have the book open you have 8 versions of the same passage open on two pages right in front of you. I have not read all the way through that book but have spent lots of time in it. It's very handy to read the same passage several times in different translations. It helps in understanding.

One favorite of mine is The Living Bible. I was very much opposed to it when it came became available years ago in sections. One day I read the testimony of the man who developed it. He told how it came about and how it has helped people come to the Lord. I've since learned to appreciate it and have preached from it a few times.

A few years ago I saw some DVD's of Sis Nona Freeman preaching a three night service at a nearby church. She mentioned how she reads the Bible through every year and some times reads it through in different versions. She mentioned that she never really understood one particular passage until she read it in The Message. I thought, if the Message is good enough for Sis. Freeman, it should be good enough for all of us.

One pastor told me a few years ago that once for a Sunday morning sermon he just read the Book of Colossians aloud to the congregation from The Message.