The
purpose of this research
on Eugene Peterson is not to dispute which translations are the
"right" ones. You will notice throughout our web site
that we do not condemn or condone particular translations. However,
in the case of The Message, we believe there are mistakes that
are misleading thousands of people, especially young ones. We
also believe this is an example of the "creeping" effect
Ray Yungen talks about in his book, A
Time of Departing. The term creeping means slowly advancing
at a speed that is not really apparent until you look back over
a long time period. Heresy can creep up slowly and gradually.
The attempts by our society to minimize sin, including the sin
of homosexuality, are only aided by watering down the Word of
God. Virtually every Christian translation of the Bible condemns
the
homosexual lifestyle.
The Message does not!
EUGENE
PETERSON, THE MESSAGEAND
CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER
Riding
a spreading tide of publicity and enthusiasm, Eugene Peterson's
The Message is sweeping into Christian bookstores, homes
and churches from coast to coast. In the first four months
after its mid-July lease, 100,000 copies of this "New Testament
in contemporary English" were printed by NavPress. Seventy
thousand books were sold. Thousands were either donated
or distributed at reduced prices to youth leaders, Young
Life staff, and pastors who could share Peterson's message
with their followers. Apparently, most readers were delighted.
"The Message is so good it leaves me breathless," writes
popular author Madeleine L'Engle in her endorsement.
Considering this ground-swell of acceptance, we do well
to ponder the question: What is Peterson's Message?
"The Message is the boldest and most provocative rendering
of the New Testament I've ever read," writes Dr. Warren
W. Wiersbe, general director of "Back to the Bible" broadcast
and former pastor of Moody Bible Church. "The Message is
certainly destined to become a devotional classic - not
to mention a powerful pastoral tool," adds pastor Jack W.
Hayford.
What does Eugene Peterson himself say? In his introduction
to The Message, he tells us that "This version of the New
Testament in a contemporary idiom keeps the language of
the Message and fresh and understandable in the same language
in which we do our shopping, talk with our friends, worry
about world affairs, and teach our children their table
manners...."
This sounds like a good idea, but what if essential Biblical
concepts are not part of our everyday conversation? Should
we then rewrite God's holy Scriptures to fit today's more
shallow and worldly communications? Read
the rest of this article by Kjos Ministries.
The
Message "Bible" Omits "Lord Jesus"
The
King James Bible refers to Jesus as "Lord Jesus" about 115
times. The New King James Bible uses this term about the same
amount of times and the New American Standard about 100 times.
How many times does Eugene Peterson's The Message use
the phrase "Lord Jesus"? None! Not once. Never! (Check it
out at (www.biblegateway.com)
What The Message does refer to Jesus 77 times is the
title "Master Jesus." This is a New Age term.
Eugene
Peterson and The Mystics
"Single-minded,
persevering faithfulness confirms the authenticity of our
spirituality. The ancestors we look to for encouragement in
this business - Augustine of Hippo and Julian
of Norwich, John Calvin.... Teresa
of Avila - didn't flit. They stayed."
Eugene
Peterson and Sue Monk Kidd
Eugene
Peterson has endorsed the back cover of Sue
Monk Kidd's new edition of When the Heart Waits.
Sue
Monk Kidd, a once conservative Baptist found the "secret"
in contemplative prayer and has now become a strong proponent
of contemplative spirituality.
"As
I read her book, Sue Monk Kidd became a companion to me. I love
having her walk with me on my journey." —Eugene Peterson,
author, Reversed Thunder
As
Above, So Below
Why
Does Eugene Peterson use the phrase "as above, so below"
in his paraphrase The Message? Did he know about Ronald Miller's
book, As Above, So Below? And if he did know about this well-known
New Age title, does he agree with that book when it says:
"The
spiritual dimension of culture is not an array of dogmatic world
views ... but a spectrum of contemplative practices."(
p. 3) or when it quotes Aldous Huxley as saying that mysticism
is the "highest common factor" that unites all the
world's religions and helps people to recognize their divinity
within.(p.2)
Where
does the term As Above, So Below originate?
"This phrase comes from the beginning
of The Emerald Tablet and embraces the entire system of traditional
and modern magic which was inscribed upon the tablet in cryptic
wording by Hermes Trismegistus. The significance of this phrase
is that it is believed to hold the key to all mysteries. All
systems of magic are claimed to function by this formula.
"'That which is above is the same as that which is below' ...
Macrocosmos is the same as microcosmos. The universe is the
same as God, God is the same as man, man is the same as the
cell, the cell is the same as the atom, the atom is the same
as...and so on, ad infinitum." This message theorizes that man
is the counterpart of God on earth; as God is man's counterpart
in heaven. Therefore, it is a statement of an ancient belief
that man's actions on earth parallel the actions of God in heaven.
This pivots on the belief that "all things have their birth
from this One Thing by adaptation."
As Above, So Below
Reference
to
God's Holy Name
Occultic Spirituality
Sinful Nature
Consequences of Occultic Involvement
Homosexuality and Adultery
Obedience and Grace
Sexual Immorality
Eugene
Peterson has deleted
the word homosexuality
or homosexuals.
Unlike the KJV, which also does not use those words, The Message
changes the meaning of scriptures by inferring that it is not homosexuality
that is wrong but rather relationships that are not committed and
intimate.
more ...
The
Chrysostom Society
Who Belongs to it?
Philip
Yancey, Madeleine L'Engle, Walt Wangerin, Eugene Peterson, Richard
Foster
*The
Chrysostom Society is a limited group of writers who have formed
an association. The group was started by Richard Foster.
