by
Jane Kerber, J.D., MBA
Facing, as we are, a great need for renewal within the The PC(USA), we are
presented with a temptation. The temptation is to do whatever it is, in the
name of Jesus Christ, that works. The enticing voice of evangelicalism
beckons us because, as our congregations are shrinking, many evangelical
churches are expanding at astonishing rates. On the surface, what
evangelicals are doing to bring about this growth seems harmless enough. But
a closer look reveals that warning signs are flashing everywhere.
I am not criticizing anyone who holds to doctrinal truth and lives a life of
obedient faith toward our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, whether they call
themselves an evangelical or not. As Christians, we are called to be a
living sacrifice, not a walking thesaurus. What I am saying is that the
label “evangelical” no longer provides the assurance that what is being
taught is Scriptural, and that we must be wary if we drink from this
fountain of knowledge, or point others toward this exuberant camp. And I am
saying we should be extremely concerned. In this article, I hope to shed
light on one facet of the troublesome problem that now surrounds us.
*I. Evangelicalism Lost*
In the United States, because of our culture, each one of us is now
encouraged to find truth within himself or herself, and most of us are happy
to oblige. But standing in opposition to the internal truth that misleads us
is a lamp we have been given, that shines in a very dark place (Psalm
119:105; 2 Peter 1:19). We have been given the truth, God’s revelation, and
such magnificent light! Yet some in the broad-based evangelical community
dare to tamper with it.
How do they tamper with it? They take the word of God and reinterpret it
through the eyes of a poet. Yes, of course, a poet with impressive
credentials, whose work is backed by some of the most respected evangelical
leaders of our day. Then this interpretation, which purports to give us the
Bible in the same language we use when we go grocery shopping, is taken to
press by the publishing arm of the Navigators. And J.I. Packer endorses it.
As you may be able to guess, I’m referring to The Message. And for those of
you who are not familiar with The Message, it is the attempt of Eugene H.
Peterson, of Regent College, to give us a new rendition of Scripture.
*II. Leaning Against the Wind*
We have become accustomed to relying on the labels of our teachers. If the
label is right, we listen. But the labels don’t work anymore. And with what
I am writing, I place myself in opposition to scholars and Christian leaders
whose reputations are unassailable.
I do not want to rush past this point. The Message, by its own admission,
has been carefully crafted, and carries the seal of approval of an
impressive list of religious luminaries. I have included, as an Appendix,
some of the men and women who, according to NavPress, as readers or
otherwise, endorse The Message. My purpose is not to judge the intentions of
these men and women, but to leave no doubt about the weight of authority
that stands behind this popular rendition of Scripture. But while others
support it, I stand opposed to what has been done on the basis of Galatians
1:8-9:
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel
contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we
have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a
gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! (NASB)
Perhaps The Message would not be so troublesome if it had died of its own
weight and quickly gone out of print. But The Message basks in the glow of
overwhelming popular support. As of this date, NavPress boasts that The
Message has over 10,000,000 readers (http://www.navpress.com/message.asp as
of December 17, 2002). Ten million readers is a result to be reckoned with.
And new versions of The Message keep coming out. But it changes the word of
God.
*III. Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth*
As a matter of clarification, when I use the words “deception,” “deceptive,”
or related terms, I am referring to the factual substance of a set of
teachings and their effect, and not to the intentions of the person or
persons promulgating them. What I am expressing throughout this article is,
by nature, an opinion. Only God reveals truth. I don’t want anyone to take
my word for anything. I want everyone to seek the truth, from God, for
themselves. With that having been said, let’s examine the substance of The
Message.
A. The Deity of Jesus Christ
The Message preserves some truth. That is the pattern of the entire work,
and John 1:1 is an example of it. There, the teaching that Jesus Christ is
God remains:
And the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. (NASB)
The Word was God, in readiness for God from day one. (THE MESSAGE)
But while the phrase “the Word was God” is still present, its meaning is
changed by virtue of the context in which it appears. This is what we read
in the introduction to the gospel of John in The Message, which sets the
stage for the interpretation of this verse:
In Genesis . . . , God is presented as speaking creation into existence.
. . . This time God’s word takes on human form and enters history as the
person of Jesus.
(The Message, NavPress: New Testament, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1993,
p. 183)
What Eugene Peterson giveth with one hand, he taketh away with the other.
Furthermore, the direct statement of the deity of Christ found in Colossians
2:9 has been removed:
For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form (NASB)
You don’t need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the
fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him. (THE
MESSAGE)
In The Message, we learned in John 1:1 (above) that Jesus Christ was not
necessarily God “in the beginning.” In 1 Corinthians 15:28 we learn that He
also may not be God “in the end”:
When everything and everyone is finally under God’s rule, the Son will
step down, taking his place with everyone else, showing that God’s rule
is absolutely comprehensive – a perfect ending! [Emphasis added.] (THE
MESSAGE)
B. The Word of God
The Message not only changes the doctrine of Jesus Christ, it undermines the
authority of the word of God itself. The change in 1 Timothy 1:8 shifts the
focus from what is said to how it is said:
But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully. (NASB)
It’s true that moral guidance and counsel need to be given, but the way
you say it and to whom you say it are as important as what you say. (THE
MESSAGE )
2 Corinthians 2:17 removes the inspired certainty of Paul’s words, replacing
it with a “best efforts” attempt at communication. Maybe Paul gets his words
from God, but The Message gives us no assurance that he manages to transmit
them correctly:
. . . but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the
sight of God. [Emphasis added.] (NASB)
We stand in Christ’s presence when we speak; God looks us in the face.
We get what we say straight from God and say it as honestly as we can.
[Emphasis added] (THE MESSAGE)
Consider 1 Peter 1:23-25 where the spoken word is replaced with something
else:
For you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but
imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God . . .
. the word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the word which was
preached to you. [Emphasis added.] (NASB)
Your old birth came from mortal sperm; your new birth comes from God’s
living Word. Just think: a life conceived by God himself! . . . God’s
Word goes on and on forever. This is the Word that conceived the new
life in you. [Emphasis added.] (THE MESSAGE)
This dangerous teaching, that the word of God is not an objective, external
reality, but something that only has meaning as it is internalized by us, is
reiterated in 1 Thessalonians 2:13:
For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the
word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of
men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its
work in you who believe. [Emphasis added.] (NASB)
When you got the Message of God we preached, you didn’t pass it off as
just one more human opinion, but you took it to heart as God’s true word
to you, which it is, God himself at work in you believers! [Emphasis
added.] (THE MESSAGE)
C. The Holy Spirit
When we are born again, we do not give birth to ourselves. It is an act of
God, accomplished by the Holy Spirit working through the word of God, which
He has inspired. The Message insidiously removes the power of the Holy
Spirit from our lives in many verses and the Holy Spirit Himself in others.
Following are some of the texts:
In Ephesians 6:12, 17 the word of God is no longer the sword of the Spirit:
Take up the full armor of God . . . . and the sword of the Spirit, which
is the word of God. (NASB)
Take all the help you can get . . . . God’s Word is an indispensable
weapon. (THE MESSAGE )
Peace and joy are no longer of the Holy Spirit in Romans 14:17:
For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and
peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (NASB)
It’s what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together,
and completes it with joy. (THE MESSAGE)
And in 2 Corinthians 6:6, the Holy Spirit disappears and is replaced with
the concept of
our “holiness.” This problem carries through to many other passages that
change the nature of references to the Holy Spirit of God.
D. Homosexuality
Perhaps it is appropriate, in view of current issues facing The PC(USA), and
our nation as a whole, to examine some of the passages on homosexuality
contained in The Message. Consider 1 Corinthians 6:9:
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of
God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the
covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the
kingdom of God. [Emphasis added.] (NASB)
Don’t you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who
don’t care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. Those who use
and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and
everything in it, don’t qualify as citizens in God’s kingdom. [Emphasis
added.] (THE MESSAGE)
How did the earth get into the picture here? We may never know. But it
appears again in Romans 15:13:
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy. (NASB)
Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy. (THE MESSAGE)
Putting greenery aside, if we look to 1 Timothy 1:10 we find that the
reference to homosexuals has been removed in the same way.
E. A Call To Do….What?
In The Message, 2 Corinthians 10:3 has been changed:
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,
for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely
powerful for the destruction of fortresses. [Emphasis added.] (NASB)
The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they
are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. [Emphasis
added.] (THE MESSAGE)
And in Matthew 3:9 of The Message, we learn:
Descendants of Abraham are a dime a dozen. (THE MESSAGE)
My dear friends, consider these last two verses together. Are they not
reminiscent of something dangerous that happened in Europe . . . . once upon
a time?
F. The Cost of Discipleship
The Message modifies the cost of following Christ. In the text of that book,
we are not fully and openly brought to the realization that faith can cost
us everything, including our lives. We are not told that we enter through a
narrow gate. From Matthew 7:13-14:
Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad
that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For
the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there
are few who find it. [Emphasis added.] (NASB)
Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with sure-fire,
easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your
spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do.
The way to life – to God! – is vigorous and requires total attention.
[Emphasis added.] (THE MESSAGE)
In Matthew 10:20 the risk of death is removed and replaced with a call to
survive:
Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and
children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.
You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has
endured to the end who will be saved. [Emphasis added.] (NASB)
Here, of course, endurance means perseverance in the faith. In The Message,
it means preservation of our lives:
When people realize it is the living God you are presenting and not some
idol that makes them feel good, they are going to turn on you, even
people in your own family. There is a great irony here: proclaiming so
much love, experiencing so much hate! But don’t quit. Don’t cave in. It
is all well worth it in the end. It is not success you are after in such
times but survival. [Emphasis added.] (THE MESSAGE)
G. The Destruction of Death
According to God, we live to Christ. But first we die. This truth is taught
graphically when Jesus Christ tells us that we must take up our cross
(Matthew 10:38). It is demonstrated physically when we are baptized, which
is an enactment of burial (Romans 6:4). The familiar words ring through our
ears, “I have been crucified with Christ.” (Galatians 2:20, NASB). It is
this death to self, this surrender to Jesus Christ, that is at the heart of
what is called “the obedience of faith.” If we do not understand this, we do
not have saving faith.
But this life-saving truth, that we must die to ourselves, is not to be
found anywhere in The Message. It is not a part of the new evangelical
gospel. In fact, this new gospel entices us in the opposite direction, while
allowing us to mouth the words that call for saving faith. More than
anything, The Message tells us: You must live! It does this with language
that is more emoted, more verbally compelling, more full of sensual imagery
than the words of the Bible itself. And that is necessarily so – because if
anyone is going to respond to the call of The Message, something must take
the place of the convicting work of the Holy Spirit of God.
For anyone who is interested in comparing verses for themselves, the
following list offers a good starting point: Matthew 10:38-39, 2 Corinthians
5:14-15, Colossians 3:1-3, Philippians 1:21, Galatians 2:19-20, Romans
6:3-11. In a genuine born-again believer, the old man is dead. Yet in these
verses the disciple of The Message is always alive and kicking.
Isn’t it clever? The Message takes away the one thing we are least likely to
miss – our own death. And, because we do not die, we have no need for the
indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. It is no wonder the verses about the
Holy Spirit have been changed. Why should The Message talk about something
like that, when it would only confuse us?
How many would scour this work, verse by verse (when it does not even have
verse numbering), to find the words that say we must die? Who would be so
intent on finding a teaching that is so devastating to human nature itself?
Who would complain about the absence of a truth that has the potential to
send crowds of prospective new “seekers” away from a church, rather than
drawing them in? Is it any wonder so many have missed the deception?
*IV. Shifting Paradigms*
It is easy for those of us who are grounded in Scripture to assume that
others will see The Message for what it is and use it, at most, as a
secondary reading source. But that is not necessarily so. And that is not
necessarily the intention of its author. Arguably, the most disturbing words
of all appear in the Introduction to The Message, where Eugene Peterson
claims that his verbal techniques are necessary for a proper understanding
of the gospel:
In order to understand the Message right, the language must be right -
not a refined language that appeals to our aspirations after the best
but a rough and earthy language that reveals God’s presence and action
where we least expect it. (_The Message: New Testament_, Navpress,
Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1993, p.7)
Here, in black and white, Eugene Peterson is telling us all that if we are
to understand the gospel correctly, we must abandon scholarly translations
of the sacred texts and rely on the version he has written. He has
completely pre-empted the argument that his rendition is too loose by
telling us that what he has done is the way it must be done. It is children
and youth, and women and men who do not know the truth, who are going to be
reading his words. How will they know the difference? If Eugene Peterson’s
words prevail, we, with our scholarly translations, will have won the battle
of accuracy and lost the entire war.
But maybe I am being too harsh. Maybe, in view of our distaste for
disagreement, The Message can be salvaged. Maybe we can find our answer in
the positioning of this book. Do the marketing materials for The Message put
it in its place? Are we told, in big red letters on the cover, that it is
nothing more than one man’s loose, story-like interpretation of the
Scriptures? Are we given a warning, or are we at least gently informed, that
this is not a Bible? Can we redeem it in this manner, among ourselves, if we
are absolutely intent on finding a way of maintaining harmony, within the
Christian community at large, in the face of this book? Let’s look at an ad:
Remember that moment that left your heart racing, your mind reeling, and
your life permanently changed? That defining instant in your life where
everything made sense? The Message has that same power. Why? Because
it’s the Bible that reads like a direct letter from God – to you. The
entire Bible is now available in The Message. It’s a life-defining
experience. (Advertisement for The Message, _Christianity Today_,
October 7, 2002, p.35)
What do you think? Can we redeem The Message because of its advertising
humility? On the basis of the quoted advertising copy, my answer is no.
*V. The Nature of Deception*
The Message is not a Bible, not a translation, not even a paraphrase or a
masterpiece of alleged dynamic equivalence. It is a writing in which we hear
the inner voice of Eugene Peterson. And if you read the Bible and consider
its spirit and its tone and then read The Message it will become apparent
that the spirit of the Bible glorifies God and the spirit of The Message
glorifies man. This is a visceral reality that transcends the verbal
dissection I have attempted to provide. How is it that this devastation has
escaped the attention of so many?
In the past, when I have talked to pastors about The Message, I have been
told that they see correct doctrine in its various passages. But that is
precisely the problem: They already know the truth. With their education and
training, they can look at many of the verses and, without even realizing
it, superimpose, on them, accurate doctrine. When they do this they will not
necessarily find a glaring conflict. It will seem as though The Message just
says things a bit differently. Maybe that is how it seems to you. But the
absence of obvious error is not the same as presence of inspired truth. That
is the nature of deception – it is a subtle alteration of the truth, not a
frank denial. It counts on the fact that we will hold our own judgment in
higher esteem than we ought. It depends on our pride.
Deceptive teaching allows someone who knows the truth to read it into a
passage, while allowing someone else, who lives in darkness, to remain
uncorrected. Our concern, therefore, is not primarily for ourselves, but for
those who do not know the truth. That is why we must be so particular about
our translations, although it does not mean that The Message is suitable as
a study Bible for the mature.
VI. A Time for Everything Under the Sun
The Message attempts to undermine the authority of Scripture itself. It
propagates false teachings about homosexuality. It poisons us with a false
salvation that knows nothing of death to self, a narrow road, the cost of
following Christ, or the power of the Holy Spirit working in us. And these
errant teachings, among others, are being disseminated to millions under the
guise of a document that tells us we are saved by faith. Sadly, even with
that, this discussion of The Message barely begins to address the breadth
and depth of the problems we face today with the “evangelical” gospel.
What has happened, in evangelical circles, that such blatant error is taught
with such vigor? What do we do, ten years from now, when young people who
are accustomed to these deceptions come to our churches thinking they
comprehend the gospel and will listen to nothing else? If proclaiming the
truth of God means anything to us at all, then what is happening should stop
us dead in our tracks.
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also
be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive
heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift
destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and
because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their
greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long
ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.. (2 Peter 2:1-3,
NASB)
There is a time to laugh, and a time to dance. I think supporters of The
Message would tell us that’s what time it is now. But in my heart, I think
it’s time to mourn. And then, God willing, it will be time to speak.
(Ecclesiastes 3:4-7)