Question:  Dear Greg,

            What is your opinion on The Message Bible translation?

            Nita

Answer:  Dear Nita,

            Eugene Peterson is a genuine scholar, so The Message is no slapped together, subjective interpretation.  The Message is, as you know, an attempt to translate biblical language into the language of the marketplace (the “lingua franca”) of the late 20^th and early 21^st centuries.  The language of the marketplace (as opposed to that of the courts, universities and legislatures) is the way we communicate to each other.  That is Peterson’s purpose, and PTM believes he has done a wonderful job.  We do not use The Message as our research Bible or primary teaching Bible, but as a reference and additional source.  It can turn on lights that may not otherwise be illuminated.

            In Christ,

            Greg Albrecht