thrive community

Most theologians argue on behalf of a version of the Bible that they believe is closest to the “original language” but my argument is for a version that is closer to mine.

The Bible was written in the ancient languages of Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. Most of the Old Testament writings were mainly written in Hebrew with most of the New Testament written in Greek, the common language of its writers. It has been translated throughout history by different people with diverse perspectives and varying motivations, but the byproduct of their efforts created a Bible relevant to the culture of their day.

I know that many Christian leaders have concerns with certain Bible translations, and with some of these, I would find myself in agreement. But one thing we all can agree on. No matter how high the desire to uphold scriptural accuracy, if people can’t understand it, it doesn’t accomplish the purpose of why God gave us the Bible – to know Him and make Him known.

In my quest to discover how I can help people engage in reading the Bible, I’ve become a huge fan of Eugene H. Peterson, author of The Message//Remix – The Bible in Contemporary Language and other great conversation books he’s written like The Jesus Way. He has done a tremendous service to the Christ-following movement in translating the scriptures into Today’s language so the Bible can actually be read and understood on a simple level for those who need the opportunity to experience it before they would be willing to examine it.

In the middle of preparing my thoughts for this post, I stumbled upon the Preface of The Message//Remix where Eugene Peterson wrote the following:

“I lived in two language worlds, the world of the Bible and the world of Today. I had always assumed they were the same world. But these people (those disconnected and disinterested in the Bible) didn’t see it that way. So out of necessity I became a ‘translator’, daily standing on the border between two worlds, getting the language of the Bible that God uses to create and save us, heal and bless us, judge and rule over us, into the language of Today that we use to gossip and tell stories, give directions and do business, sing songs and talk to our children.

And all the time those old biblical languages, those powerful and vivid Hebrew and Greek originals, kept working their way underground in my speech, giving energy and sharpness to words and phrases, expanding the imagination of the people with whom I was working to hear the language of the Bible in their language of Today and the language of Today in the language of the Bible.

The Message is a reading Bible. It is not intended to replace the excellent study Bibles that are available. My intent here (as it was earlier in my congregation and community) is simply to get people reading it who don’t know that the Bible is read-able at all, at least by them, and to get people who long ago lost interest in the Bible to read it again. But I haven’t tried to make it easy-there is much in the Bible that is hard to understand. So at some point along the way, soon or late, it will be important to get a standard study Bible to facilitate further study. Meanwhile, read in order to live, praying as you read, ‘God, let it be with me just as you say.’”

I agree with Eugene Peterson that the Bible must be read-able if we are to get the disconnected and disinterested re-engaged with God through scripture. I’m not saying that a persons journey with Christ won’t lead them to need a better study of what’s original. What I am saying is, that if we fail to help the masses of people gain a better handhold on the book we say is essential to their journey, then we’ve missed the point and purpose of the Bible altogether.

What do you think? Share a “comment” and join the conversation.