A Conversation with Eugene Peterson - 2007
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2008
- Author, poet, pastor and professor Eugene Peterson charms his audience as he recalls his effort to translate the Bible into The Message, an interpretation geared for modern readers. The book has such wide appeal that U2’s Bono began quoting from it at concerts. But when told of this, Peterson’s response was “Who is Bono?” Peterson is joined host Dean Nelson in Part 2 of the 2007 Writers Symposium by the Sea, sponsored by Point Loma Nazarene University. [4/2007] [Show ID: 12227]
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Translations: I hated the idea of someone tampering with my NKJV. I struggled through The Message's new testament, then had ti put it away-disgusted. Years later a housekeeper of mine got sick at work. So i drive her to my apartment to rest and wait for a ride. I gave her The Message as a gift...i didnt want it. Months later, she thanked me. A year later she accepted Christ. Though I lost contact with her, I heard that two years later she died of cancer. And I will forever be thankful for The Message.
You have brought tears to my eyes, Wendy. Truly, you have. She accepted Christ before she even knew she had cancer. She was saved without knowing it. This world can be so cruel, yet love and knowledge come from it. I wish for the day that hunger is not to be. That one day, there would be no need for the animals to want to eat each other. That one day, all men will not compete with each other. For now, the only thing we can do is just be ourselved followers of gods and hope to the Lord that he may come and cleanse the world from it.
The Message Bible did not bring salvation to this lady. But it is a wonderful example of how our Mighty and Awesome God can take something so sinful and use it to bring Glory to Himself. The Message did not save this women's soul... Jesus did.🕊️. Have a blessed day ❤
The Message and Living the Resurrection have been and continue to be very helpful to me. Thank you professor Peterson.
Dr. Peterson, Thank you for your incredible ability to take God's word and put it into a relevant, understandable story that has the ability to change people who are far from God into a seeker and recipient of God's truth. I have personally witnessed many who's language skills did not allow them to understand God's immense love for them using translations like KJV. The Message Bible has opened many people's eyes and hearts to God's story. Thanks be to God for brave men like Eugene Peterson.
Thank you very much for posting this interview. I am inspired to write.
His insights about the place of the imagination along with similar thoughts in Michael Card's writings are so important and powerful, just like his study of the book of Revelation has been to me-so helpful in expanding our views of how God works and the many ways He speaks to us.
One of my favorite authors on prayer and writer of the Message. What a sincere and one of my biggest blessings.
The Isaiah joke was in reference to Bono being revered in cult status. Peterson points to Isaiah as being more important than Bono in humor... but in all seriousness it's good to see a Christian that truly says what he believes. Peterson really is excited about the Bible's truths more than he is about Bono!
Not a huge fan of the Message but would hate to think of how much I would have missed if I hadn't gotten turned on to his writings--have been so enriched by all his books.
This is sooooo great. Thank you! Especially for the last question. It was a special one for me.
26:12 last question
While I can't prove or disprove it, I'm always suspected that Peterson translated from the Greek and Hebrew and paraphrased from that raw translation (if it exists). In any case, I believe it is a _very_ good idea to use The Message alongside your favorite translation, whether it's a word for word version (KJV, NASB, ESV) or a thought for thought version (NIV, NLT, GNT). May God bless all of you!
Hallelujah!!! Somebody said it!
Deferio! The Bible doe's not need to be dumbed down, people need to smarten up!
Excellent! Well said.
paulsu27 well then learn Hebrew Aramaic language if u love god so much ...that’s the way it should be read to be honest
But that’s exactly what this man did. He dumbed down and rewrote Gods inspired word and completely changed the true meaning.
I can always tell when someone is reviewing a book they haven’t read. 😎
God always works in the vernacular, or the common tongue. First it was written in Hebrew, then Greek, Latin, and English. As the dominant language changed, there was a need to communicate the gospel in an easily understood way. Thus, the need for putting the message of the Bible into the common tongue - modern English. As the English language has changed, as languages do over time, there is and always will be a need for a rewording of the text to communicate the message.
Dr. Eugene, the prolific writer most humble and Godly man, is one of my 2 favorite Petersons. The other one is Dr. Jordan.
CANAMarcia, I think you missed the heart of what he was saying. He wanted a translation that the modern-day person would find relevant. "Blessed" sounds religious and churchy. If you look at the definition of blessed, it is, "highly favored or fortunate". If you were to ask someone, "Give me a word for this definition, 'highly favored or fortunate'." They would probably say "lucky". Props to Eugene for making a great paraphrase!
I am grateful to Eugene Peterson for translating the bible into the language I can understand because that encouraged me to read it all and become even stronger advocate for the atheism.
Define "real" Bible. Peterson implies in the interview his purpose for writing the Message; to whet the appetite of those who are seeking, but have not yet found the truth. Of course, if your goal is in-depth Biblical study, then you'll want a translation. However, i see the Message as a great tool for evangelism.
Smart man!
the comments @ 22:46 & 23:30 are powerful!!!
We're a telling-stelling people.
Indeed.
The bible is a story. That's true.
Re: 22:00ff.: Dr. Bob Webber, my historical theology prof at Wheaton Grad School, said the message of the Early Church Fathers was that we start innocent and immature and are expected to grow up. We miss the mark along the way. As I say in my parody "God's Got Friends in Low Places," "The cross is our pencil and eraser."
@MrRunningwolfe can you give any reference to your feelings?
It's was Bono that turned me on The Message Bible, I bought the Catholic/Evangelical kindle version and am slowly working my way through it
Thank you Lord for
the King James Bible
If it was good enough for Moses, David and Jesus, then it was good enough for us, right? I mean, where would the world be if Paul did not have his KJV Testaments to hand out to folks on his missionary journeys???
@@tmarsh0307
Right. 😂 People treat KJV as if it's the original. Kinda pisses me off, actually.
@@benireges Me too!
Would someone tell me what the Isaiah quip was? I can't make it out. Thanks.
Paul B. He chose translating Isaiah over hanging with bono for the deadline of the message
A ha! Ok, I got it. It was funny. Thanks a lot for explaining!
p.
I never got that Isaiah joke during the conversation about Bono. Anybody care to help?
He had the opportunity to hang with Bono, but chose to stay on track with his task and hang with somebody more important: Isaiah. IMHO.
@@daneumurianpiano7822 I’m not particularly sure if that was implied. 🤔 The Dean, professing his unbelief by relaying the lucid tale of how his Living Bible died, would not have considered the Isaiah joke as anything important. His vivid laughter could only be construed as a personal joke that they both could have shared behind the scenes.
@15min pt. "every language is different, so you can not lteraly translate from one language to another" YOU can't Peterson but amazingly GOD CAN! From Babylonian to every known tongue! AND back again! Awesome!
I read the KJV, the NLT and the Message, to keep me rounded, real and true. Positive imagination, hope in biblical terms, is the womb of faith. It's where it all starts for the transformation of the mind (the soul) for the control of our carnal bodies
"Too much learning has made thee mad"
13 Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. 16 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? 17 For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.
18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; 19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
From 1 Corinthians 14. (NKJV)
Yes, I did get that. But I don't understand exactly what he said at 14.08. Sounds like, "Dean, it was Isaiah", which makes no sense.
Paul B. He was translating Isaiah to finishing his message bible deadline so he meant he chose Isaiah over bono
If Bono quotes from his book (it's not a Bible based on manuscirpts), you know it's anathema to the Lord.
14:00 - "It was Isaiah!" ROTFL
8:57 There are no heroes in the Bible??? What??? David as a boy slew goliath with 5 small stones? Samson tears the city gates of their hinges with his bare hands and caries them uphill. Moses delivers the Israelites from the slavery of the Egyptians. Are these not heroes? Yes they were! And they were sinners (like us) but they worked under the Power of God. The Bible is so painfully honest as to include Davids sworded story of his affair with bathsheba AND the fact that he became King too.
Jesus is the all time hero in the Bible
please tell me what you think about my video about the flood. i appreciate it. thanks.
Blessed is NOT JUST..."highly favored and fortunate"...in the Bible it is -Makarios- (Matt 5:3-11)...receiving GODS favor...which results in FEELINGS of fortune. God is the point of the Bibles use of blessed...God makes nobody Lucky. Luck has no person behind it. to suggest using "lucky" is an impersonal ambiguous term in place of the word "blessed" which is a God specific and God centric term...is nothing short of dumb.
The Bible does not need to be dumbed down...
people need to smarten up!
If this is the same guy that gave his stamp of approval to "The Shack" he is a rather mixed up character.
I think the message is a good book for non-belivers and people who are starting to know Christ and Jehova. But for a deaper connection with God you musg go back to the early bible translations. The message has blured things up like it has not talked about the armour of God for what it, it does not describe faith in Hebrews 11:1. And many missing things that will make us not understand God more.
2 Corinthians 10:5
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;Romans 1:21
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
The key being "...that exalted itself against God" The passage does not say that ALL use of human imagination exalts itself against the knowledge of God
Pity he did not say come see what God can do, man saves nobody, man is fallable, don't put duped men like him on a pedestal. There is a warning to men like him in the bible to NOT change God's words!
I am not a King James Only person, and I have many versions. But I have took a look at the Message (bible). I feel very uncomfortable when I read it. It almost seems Blasphemous somehow. I could never speak well of it. Thats my thoughts--I have spoken.
You are not going to be able to "study to show yourself approved"...with The Message.
It is a paraphrase and not a translation.
You need a real Bible.
Perhaps you could do like Dr. Peterson did, and learn Hebrew and Greek, the idioms, figures of speech, literary forms of the different books and chapters, to arrive at the meaning of the text. Peterson is an educated scholar as well as pastor. Peterson's paraphrase is based on the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts.
What is your real Bible?
After watching this interview, it makes me wonder if Eugene Peterson is more interested in "story" in general or in the soul-saving gospel story.
Amen
The Four Gospels follow a Format organized along the skill of Greek Storytelling. Not haphazed or threadless..but expertly edited as stories. Pastor recommended learning Storytelling is a beneficial basis for public speaking to get their Message well understood.
What Peterson forgets is that it is NOT Isaiah speaking, it is GOD through Isaiah therefore God made Himself understood then and He can do so today. God does not need man to translate for Him, the Spirit gives us the understanding not man - ask the Apostle Paul. &
2 Peter 1:21
For the prophecy came NOT in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
awatchwoman nothing we can say or write down is worthy of god
The KJV is a translation. So u have no point. Rev. Peterson' s Pastoral work must have blessed & edified him with God's Holy Spirit, to have magnified & clarified sacred scripture for millions bringing them closer to the Father.
Glad to know you are fluent in Greek, Hebrew, and Latin! 👊🏻
Are you telling me that anyone who does not know the original languages is wrong and that anyone who does know them is right?
Maybe you are in favor of substituting "Lucky" for blessed...hey why not...he knows the original languages, what's not to trust?
dividing is: Orthotemeo..to handle correctly, to guide on a STRAIGHT path.
This words usage presupposes there is one right and straight way to handle Gods word.(true)
Not to handle according to cultural whims or ones own experiences.
The bottom line is "did God commission Eugene to do this work?" Whilst nothing is wasted with God we need to be sure what we do IN His name is from Him! God has spoken to me thru the writing on a tube of toothpaste (Confidence!) but I'm not about to preach everyone goes out and buys that particular brand of toothpaste to hear God speaking! ;0)
With stones, I might add.
Then again, you could just sell her.
@sasquatchmudflaps Two problems with your analysis. First, you spelled "verses" as "versus". That doesn't make your insight very respectable. Second, if you genuinely want to see if "E.P." is "dead on" then you need to go back to the original text, not a translation. Peterson wrote his paraphrase with the intent of making it culturally understandable; thus there is little doubt that most would find his version "dead on".
You are deceived then. God has promised to preserve His word. Preserve does not mean re-invent.
Amen
Yes, he's reinvented it but there's nothing wrong about that - the KJV was a reinventation too but you don't wine a lot about that, do you? Do you also think just because it's vastly different from the KJV that it is inaccurate? How idiotic! You cannot compare translation with translation.
Actually, pornography and adultery are more popular with pastors these days.
Of course it had nothing to do with your previous indoctrination of her.
No.
@ 8:55 approx he say that there are NO HERO's in the Bible. Really? Well I say he couldn't be more wrong, because Jesus Christ of Nazareth suffered and died heroically by any definition, and Jesus Christ of Nazareth is my Lord and Saviour and King and Hero! He paid a debt He did NOT owe, for me, and I owed a debt I could NOT pay ever. Jesus Christ is my Hero and Friend! ---- and I would not own or allow Eugene Peterson's unscriptural writing's in my home. EVER!
I think that you missed the point entirely...
The Message has its roots, like all the perversions of the Bible, in the false Alexandrian manuscripts, Septuagint,Vaticanus, etc. The true manuscripts are from Antioch where the name Christian was first used. Check out Douglas Stauffer on utube, David Daniels, Mike Hoggard, Bryan Denlinger.
You like eric ludy?
I have compared versus between N(ew)KJV & the message. I stopped because He (E.P.) is always dead on. But then again, didn't he translate it from the original Greek/Hebrew? Thats a translation, not a paraphrase. Thats all, Bye!
Amen brethern
also he is responsible for the perverted waterdown gospel
xrayhatchSteph show a verse that proves that.
Hi Moris, The blasphemous perversion of the Lord's Prayer is just 1 example. He sites the New Age satanic term of the baphomet, " As above, so below." Have a look... Matthew 6:10- 13 Message Bible
Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what’s best-
as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You’re in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You’re ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes.
What in the world is that??
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Matt 6:10 KJV
That is NOT ...as above, so below... That is satanic and I will not judge him because I do not know Peterson personally, but the Bible says, by their fruit you will know them... Soooo... if one speaks satanic verses, then one must be aligned with whom they speak.
The just as important part is the next line. "keep us alive with three square meals." this destroys the context of why Christ said bread.
Christ was transforming himself into our daily bread, as the father of the Godhead (which he was there when he gave them it) gave them bread, (manna) in the desert to physically sustain them.
BTW you are right in this case. It's why I don't rely on one translation solely.
exactly
@@createdcreated1977
Peterson seems so well meaning. I hope he's not a false prophet. God knows. But i never read "the message" precisely because it seems to not be a very accurate translation.
the Message Bible weaves lies with the truth of God. It is misleading many Christians who are new to the faith and have not studied the Word of God with the Holy Spirit as a teacher. They will stumble and fall into believing this so-called "Bible" is the true Word and it is not! Don't be deceived!
Surely evolution is our greatest story... the Bible pales in comparison
"Everytime a story has been well told the gospel has been served" WHAT? NO! Every time Christ is glorified the Gospel has been served. Jesus isn't even spoke of in this whole interview it is disgusting.
Listen again.
If the Message Bible is a translation of the Bible, and christians are reading it as such, then Satan must be laughing as his plan to rid the world of God's word takes affect.
Amen
Perhaps reading only the KJV, especially when others "haveth" a difficult time understanding it, is Satan's tool to rob the world of the Word of God.
Good grief...
@@tmarsh0307
The king james is not perfect. But there are many other transliterations more closely aligned with the original text than the message.
@@prayunceasingly2029 it's not a literal translation. It's purity is in it's translaters inspiration to align the gospel into a peoples familiar understanding.
Mr Peterson, it is a sin to add or take away from the word of God. How will you explain this when you have to stand before God? Repent of this sin called "The Message" and pray to God that he will have mercy on you on the day of Judgement
Amen
I think the meaning is what counts.. For Eg if Peterson deny that Jesus is the son of God (Acc to 1 John) then he can be term as antichrist. If there is exact such word as the Word of God then I will definitely learn that language but since God used man's language to tell His Story I think knowing the meaning of those words that is closest to those original copies is what counts the most...
Zoltron, oh goodness, how thou hast missed the point and terribly misunderstood Peterson and this conversation. Has the KJV contained the entire Word of God, or has it added (the longer ending of Mark, 16:9-20)? I guess if it was good enough for Moses and Jesus, it should be good enough for us all, including non-English speaking Christians. Hmm...
wow yawn
wow yawn