I'm currently reading from The Message, but the links will be to the NIV.
Romans 1:14 - Well, I think I may have had enough of The Message. Why? Take a look at Romans 1:14 in The Message:
Everyone I meet--it matters little whether they're mannered or rude, smart or simple--deepens my sense of interdependence and obligation.The same passage in the NIV says:
I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.The meaning is too different for me. On the NIV I get a sense of importance, seriousness, commitment. In the Message, it's touchy-feely, everyone teaches me something. In the NIV his obligation leads him to action, in The Message human interactions make him feel more obligated. I know that the NIV isn't a perfect translation, but it is know to be fairly true to the original Greek. I'm sure the message has a place for some, but not for me.
Romans 1:18-32 - Maybe I spoke too soon. It's passages like this that bring new life to the verses and make you smile at the imagery. Look at verse 22-23:
They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand.That arguable speaks with more force than the NIV. So does 30b-32:
Bullies, swaggerers, insufferable windbags! They keep inventing new ways of wrecking lives. They ditch their parents when they get in the way. Stupid, slimy, cruel, cold-blooded. And it's not as if they don't know better. They know perfectly well they're spitting in God's face. And they don't care--worse, they hand out prizes to those who do the worst things best!So it's not without merit. I do think I am going to try something else, however. My Bible reading time is a bit of a challenge for me adn reading The Message is too distracting from the text for me. I need to read God's word and get something out of it, not be distracted by the version I'm reading.
I would not call The Message Bible a translation, but rather a paraphrase. It is almost in the category of a commentary rather than a Bible. So, like a commentary, it can give you a useful perspective, but it cannot replace the real thing. Even the publishers themselves say it is not intended as a study bible. I'd advise being sure you are quite familiar with a passage from several good translations before looking at it in The Message, to avoid being misled.
I prefer the New American Standard version, English Standard version, Revised Standard version, and the Modern King James Version for study. I use the NIV for reading but am careful to study in the other versions because even the NIV can lead you astray.
Paul and I have been reading out of the English Standard Version - it is relatively new - but is a great translation.
Here here!
Oh, and the New King James also has a great translation also.
For about 13 years, I used the NIV, but over the last few years I have been reading primarily with the Revised Standard version (and the Greek New Testament) and it has been very helpful. I am just
glad to see God's word in another light.
Patrick, thanks for the comment and welcome. I hope you'll come back & comment some more.