"The Message"

The Greek word in Luke 4 is rhema, which doesn't mean written word (as in scripture) but rather "that which comes from the mouth". Jesus was quoting the OT (Deut 8) which says "that man doth not live by bread only, but by every [word] that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live."

Note also that in the Hebrew (Deut 8), the text is mowtsa' peh, which means "that which proceeds from the mouth".

 

That would be through the Holy Spirit. Many people, including several on this board, have gotten saved before they even set foot in a church or cracked open a Bible.

Agreed that getting to know the God of the Bible is difficult without the Bible, but we must remember that it is Jesus who saves, the Father who loves, and the Holy Spirit that lives within us.

 

That would be through the Holy Spirit. Many people, including several on this board, have gotten saved before they even set foot in a church or cracked open a Bible.

Agreed that getting to know the God of the Bible is difficult without the Bible, but we must remember that it is Jesus who saves, the Father who loves, and the Holy Spirit that lives within us. </font>[/QUOTE]I assume that those people you are writing about got saved by hearing the Word being preached.

 

The Greek word in Luke 4 is rhema, which doesn't mean written word (as in scripture) but rather "that which comes from the mouth". Jesus was quoting the OT (Deut 8) which says "that man doth not live by bread only, but by every [word] that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live."

Note also that in the Hebrew (Deut 8), the text is mowtsa' peh, which means "that which proceeds from the mouth". </font>[/QUOTE]Thanks for the Greek and Hebrew lesson Johnv. Since you don't believe in Genesis 1, how can I believe a word that you say.? Anyway, the scripture is from God's mouth, so either way, you need it to defend yourself from the devil, it is your sword.

 

You're welcome.

I believe in Gen1, I just don't come to the same interpretive conclusion you do.

Look it up for yourself.

No, scripture is God's inspiration via the Holy Spirit, not God's dictation.

I agree with you. But we should faithfully endeavor to undertand the Bible completely, not just pick a verse here and there. Having a desire to understand scripture will not bear bad fruit.

 

Point taken... We now return this thread to it's previously scheduled topic.

 

I view the Message more as a very loose commentary than as a translation. The paraphasing is way too general for my tastes. I will admit that some of it does grab your attention, but because it reads so far from the Bibles we are familiar with, it doesn't feel like the word of God, IMHO.

In Christ,
Trotter

 

I have not read the complete paraphrase "The Message", but I am uncomfortable with some of what I have read. For instance: John 1:1 "The Word was first,.." I believe that the Word always was- and not "in readiness for God from day one".- John 1:12 "...He made to be their true selves..." I am more comfortable with the truth that He made me "new" instead of the questionable translation "true".-John 1:14 "...generous inside and out, true from start to finish." I'm uncomfortable with the teaching that Christ has a start and a finish. -John 1:29 "He forgives the sins of the world" Yes- but does that give the import of the truth that He "took away" my sin?-John 3:5 "Unless a person submits to this original creation........ it's not possible to enter God's kingdom (abreviated for space)" I know a lot of people who do this- yet don't know Christ.-John 3:36"All he experiences of God is darkness and an angry darkness at that.."I'm real uncomfortable with this when I read "...that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all."(1 John 1:5). Language is fluid- but truth is not.

 

It's common for paraphrases to have some passages that convey the impact of the original in a new and more compelling way than a regular translation. It's also common for them to have other passages that are misleading, erroneous, or biased toward a particular theological bent. As long as readers keep in mind that versions like The Message are not intended for serious study, there shouldn't be any lasting damage. A paraphrase is meant to supplement a true translation like the ESV, not replace it.