The Paraphrased “Message” & Eugene Peterson

Hello Friends!

In today’s ecumenical, post-modern, religious environment, it becomes quite clear that the true Christian must be discerning when living life from a Biblical worldview and in the reading and studying of God’s Word. Truth must be the goal – John 17:17. The following short overview is intended to encourage Bible believing Christians to be mindful of error and false teaching, especially with the ever increasing versions of the Holy Bible available today. We must be diligent to discern true translations from half-baked paraphrases; one in particular is The Message written by Eugene Peterson…

The Paraphrased “Message” & Eugene Peterson

Among the many passages of concern found throughout the Message Bible (TMB) “translation,” I would like to draw our attention to just a few. In Matthew, Chapter 6, Mr. Peterson actually changes the way Jesus taught the disciples to pray. To Mr. Peterson, prayer becomes an energy or force (Star Wars) - which is found throughout New age thought - and the prayer doctrine is also that of the Gnostic and new age contemplative prayer beliefs, in which he promotes extensively throughout his other writings. 

In TMB, Mr. Peterson wrote of his “understanding” of God's Word by changing the very words recorded as spoken by Jesus as He began to teach the disciples a model of how they were to pray. Here are just a few specific examples of how TMB compares to the King James Bible:

	KJV	TMB
Matt 6:9	After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.	...Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are.  ***same phrase in Luke 11:2, and omits Hallowed be thy name***
Matt 6:10	Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.	Set the world right; Do what's best-- as above, so below.
Luke 11:2 (parallel passage)	Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth..	...When you pray, say, Father, Reveal who you are. Set the world right.

Hallowed be thy name means Holy (Sanctified) is Your Name. As you can see in the comparisons above, the reference to God's holiness is removed from the verses. Thy kingdom come is merely 'set the world right,' removing the prophetic implications. The phrase “Reveal who you are” is a new age/Gnostic concept. It has already been revealed in the Scriptures who God is, along with His names and attributes. The need to reveal is part of the Gnostic desire to experience the perceived god's presence through contemplative prayer and its various activities, to which Mr. Peterson subscribes and endorses and is found promoted in various ways in The Message. The changing of the specific words that Christ used according to the Greek manuscripts is heretical and clearly forbidden in Scripture.

Also noted in Matthew 6:10 is the telling phrase “as above, so below” used in place of “thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven”. “As above, so below” is a eastern contemporary phrase used by the New Age, occult, satanists, hermetic magick, wiccans, shamans, and other similar belief systems/worldviews. In fact, it is confirmed on gnosis.org that many esoteric groups use the phrase, “as it is above, so it is below.” In kundalini yoga, as above is the greater force. It can become useable if it matches the so below - the persons “force” which can be controlled. The belief is that by synchronizing the two and with the right frequency, the person gains. But if the two forces are out of synchronization, the person suffers loss. Neither the concept nor the phrase is found anywhere in the Scriptures.

On a personal note:

My own mother-in-law is a self-professing shaman (witch doctor) and readily recognizes these terminologies as originating from pagan, New Age concepts. The destructive outcome this ideology has had on our family has been quite destructive and is why I am committed to expose it at every opportunity. 

Again, the Lord’s Truth must be the goal – found only in Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord!


Blessings on your studies and involvement in understanding and sharing the Truth!

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com

I love hearing from you.  Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!

Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

 

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