The amplified Bible can be considered in some respects to be a translation. However, it is also partly a paraphrase in that it does not claim to simply only an idiomatic rendering of the original text. In places brackets ( ) to "signify additional phases of meaning included in the original word, phrase or clause of the original language." It also adds square brackets [ ] in order to clarify words or add synonyms extra to the text. This is an attempt to
 | give a fuller explanation to some passages |
| give a less theologically confusing rendering of the passage |
Example - Ephesians 2:8-9
The Living Bible was published in 1971 and received both great criticism and great support among North American evangelicals. However, the story of Living Bible is quite interesting. As a father, Ken Taylor would read the Bible to his children and would have to explain regularly what it mean in non-theological terminology in their family devotions. So in 1955 he began to write a paraphrase of the New Testament epistles in easy-to-read language and this he entitled The Living Letters. Taylor was working for Moody Press and had some good theological training (Wheaton College & Dallas Theological Seminary) and even though no publisher would publish his work, he decided to publish 2000 copies himself in 1962 and start his own publisher, Tyndale Press. He sold a few hundred copies and gradually sold a few more and a few more until in the Spring of 1963 Mr. Billy Graham decided it would be a great piece to distribute to new believers from his crusades and ordered 50,000! After more revisions, The Living Bible was published in 1971.
The Living Bible never set out to a literal translation for Scripture study. It was designed to be readable for young ages and for new believers.
The Message is considered by some to be a Bible translation, but it is better described as a Bible paraphrase. It was published in 1993 by NavPress. The goal of the message is "not to render a word-for-word conversion of Greek into English, but rather to convert the tone, the rhythm, the events, the ideas, into the way we actually think and speak." It is based on the premise that the New Testament was written in the common language of the people so a translation should be written in common English language. The author, Dr. Eugene H. Peterson notes, this is what we do when we talk about the Bible to other people – we put it into common understandable terms or applications.
Along with Dr. Peterson, who teaches at Regent College in Vancouver, the exegetical consultants for The Message were Dr. William W. Klein (Denver Seminary), Dr. Darrell L. Bock (Dallas), Dr. Donald A. Hagner (Fuller), Dr. Moises Silva (Westminster), and The Rev. Dr. Rodney A. Whitacre (Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry, Ambridge, PA).
The main strength of The Message is, of course, its easy to read and understand accounts of stories.
The Birth of Jesus (Matthew 1)
"The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married
to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It
was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn’t know that.) Joseph, chagrined but noble,
determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced."
The Sermon on the Mount re: Murder (Matthew 5)
"You’re familiar with the command to the ancients, ‘Do not murder.’
I’m telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is
guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother ‘idiot!’ and you just might find
yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister and you are
on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill."
The Message also presents some interesting word pictures that could be useful for your Bible study or sermon illustrations.
Hebrews 6:1
"So come on, let’s leave the pre-school fingerpainting exercises on Christ and
get on with the grand work of art."
The main disadvantage of The Message (like all paraphrases) is that its theological teaching is not clear in certain places.
Sample Readings
Good – 1 Thessalonians 4; 1 Timothy 3
Poor – Romans 3:23; 6:23; 8:1
The Message also has some word equivalences that are less than helpful (in my humble opinion!). For example the "parables" of Jesus are described as illustrations which may be a clearer word to modern audiences, but parable is a specific literary genre that should be interpreted in a somewhat unique fashion.
Return to Revelation and Scripture Lectures
Return to Revelation and Scripture Home
© Copyright 2000 Prairie Bible Institute