Would you recommend The Message by Eugene Peterson to a person who never read the bible?

I'm a baptised Protestant-Christian and I find reading the KJV and the NKJV difficult to understand. It was not until I came across at a Christian bookstore the book called The Message by Eugene Peterson. I know The Message is paraprased from the bible but to me it makes me really interested and I totally understand the bible except for some small parts.



I plan on completing The Message and eventually switching to the NKJV after I've understood the main concept of the bible. I know it's not God's word but would it not be better to understand what it's really saying before getting into the NKJV or the KJV. Is what I'm doing a good idea? I need some advice from any Christians out there. I really want to understand God's word and find it in my heart to be saved by Jesus.



Thanks for all your advice.Would you recommend The Message by Eugene Peterson to a person who never read the bible?
Yes, to get started, it is a good idea. The KJV and NKJV will be a lot easier to tackle once you have the basic concept down. ^_^ Good luck!
Hi



Thanks for your great question. I admire your desire to get into and understand God's Word. I wish more people were like you :-)



I would hesitate to recommend The Message as a suitable translation to study. It's not really a translation but it's an interpretation of the Bible which deletes, eliminates and changes the original text to mean something other than the original authors intended.



this link here shows you what's wrong



http://www.crossroad.to/Bible_studies/Me鈥?/a>



and I've listed some other resources below for you.



Instead, I would recommend reading the English Standard Version (ESV) or the New American Standard Version (NASV). They are easier to read than the NKJV and they are both very accurate translations from the original Hebrew and Greek languages.



I would also recommend getting a good Bible dictionary, Strongs for example, to help you understand some of the language.



Thanks for your question and I pray God will reveal Himself to you through the truth of His Word.



WM.Would you recommend The Message by Eugene Peterson to a person who never read the bible?
Personally I really like the message. It's easy to read. It's modern day vernacular is competely relatable. I can share it with my children and they understand it. I can share it with non-believers or maybe people who've just become Christians. It's really a great resource to add to your shelf. And I think once you read it you'll be glad you did. I also appreciate the NIV. I think anytime you read the bible you're glad you did, LOL, but this one is an easier read than some other translations.
I am a pretty recent Christian, but I can say with a passion that I have a deep love for the Lord and his works. When I want to read the bible, i usually do not read my Message, because it is basically writtten as a novel or book. It is a GREAT book to read about stories, or even passages, but to really interpret God's words, I would recommend a NIVWould you recommend The Message by Eugene Peterson to a person who never read the bible?
yes what you are doing to understand the bible is OK. but remember that's not gods words. just get the whole concept of the bible then go to the NKJV and the KJV. if you need more advice email me at keyla_brown123@yahoo.com or keyla_brown123@hotmail.com
I would say that the Message is a great addition to any Bible reading. And it's great to try to read through it. But, it is a paraphrase. It's true that I've read passages in the message that made more sense to me than from ever reading it before in another version. But, Eugene Peterson took the original text in Greek and Hebrew and tried to get the main meaning out of the text. This is much different than translating the text. So, I'd say sure, encourage someone to read it, but have them also have a version that is more easily accpetable.



May I recommend the NIV or NASB. For direct interpertpretation no version beats the NASB. NIV comes in second. I've taken Greek and Hebrew and it's true that the NASB is most exact to the original language, but it makes it a little harder to understand. The NIV is easier and is still very close to the original. I would probably not recommend the KJV unless you specifically liked the flowery language.



So basically I'd say go for it to encourage others to read it, but not to use it as their only Bible.