The Message Bible: Good or Garbage?
Should anyone read The Message Bible? Let’s start by understanding what The Message Bible even is. First off, to the best of my knowledge, It was never intended to or implied by anyone to replace your main Bible. I think we should view it in the proper light, that being The Message Bible is a very useful tool. We often take a peek at a few commentaries when we are reading or studying certain passages in our Bibles. We might even look up an article or a sermon by a Pastor or brother in Christ we admire, and see their thoughts on a particular passage. Additionally, we have the opportunity to look it up in The Message Bible.
To me, The Message Bible isn't really a Bible, as it doesn't even fit on the line we see that ranks translations on a spectrum from formal to dynamic. Someone might put it on that line, but it honestly does not belong at all. It’s sort of in its own realm in this regard. It’s also not a commentary either. The best way I can explain it, is that a passage of scripture in The Message Bible is similar to a way that I would explain the scriptures to someone who is not familiar with the Bible. This could be a child, or an adult who is not familiar with the Bible at all.
Is it a paraphrase? Well, sort of, but it’s way more precise than a paraphrase. What I mean by this is that a paraphrase is usually highlighting what that portion of scripture is saying as a whole, and focusing on that. A paraphrase isn't too concerned with verse order or even flow of the scripture. It’s mainly just speaking to the main idea of what's happening in those verses.
The Message Bible is actually better than that, because it sticks to the actual verse by verse layout of the scriptures, so that it makes sense when you read it through. The language is very Colloquial. The Message Bible is worded similar to how I explain passages of scripture to someone when I am trying to keep the verse flow in tact, but am not necessarily even trying to quote word for word. Surprisingly, this is beneficial to me is because of the very fact that The Message Bible is not really trying to quote word for word in the first place. Sometimes simply rewording something can help you understand it better. In this case the rewording is vastly different when compared to the main Bible versions avialible. The modern spin it gives on the words of scripture often help me really get a grasp on what the main message of the text is saying in more modern speech. This is good not only for my understanding, but for others I may have oppertunity to teach.
Isn't this what Bible teachers already do? Don’t they break down the verses of the Bible and make them easier to understand? The thing is, sometimes because we have read the Bible as many times as we have, and have become so comfortable with it’s specific terminology and expressions, we often forget that many people out there have had zero exposure to God’s Word, and might struggle understanding the things that we see and understand clear as day.
Keep in mind, this is coming from someone who held a King James Only position for 10 years. I am well aware of the criticism I will get for writing this. I have spent my fair share of time not only bashing The Message, but anything else that is not the KJV. So I get the mindest. However, thanks to God, truth brought me away from that position. Truth matters far greater than tradition. So in conclusion, the trendy thing might be to talk down about The Message Bible, but I personally find it pretty darn useful. Do I recommend it as someone's main translation? Nope, not for a second. There is simply too much liberty taken to be considered an actual translation in my opinion. However, if you see it for what it is and do not allow others to dictate your walk with God (something I regrettably allowed in my life for many years) I think that you can absolutely benefit from The Message Bible. I recommend it to anyone to have in their Bible study arsenal.
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