The Message
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about The Message:
"The Message Bible is heart-racing, mind-altering, and life-changing. A direct translation of the original texts, this version of the Bible in contemporary language is a version for our time. Presented as "the reading Bible," The Message brings Scripture to life, attracting people to read God’s Word with understanding and clarity."
Category: The Message
about The Message:
"The Message Bible is heart-racing, mind-altering, and life-changing. A direct translation of the original texts, this version of the Bible in contemporary language is a version for our time. Presented as "the reading Bible," The Message brings Scripture to life, attracting people to read God’s Word with understanding and clarity."
Category: The Message
posted by Wayne Leman at 7:03 AM
100 Comments:
Psalm 17:18 "Up, God, beard them!"
When my wife and I read this as part of our morning Bible reading, we did not know what "beard them" means. I thought maybe it had something to do with beards of enemies, such as tearing out their beards, something like what was done to Jesus during his trial. I later looked up the word "beard" in a dictionary and found that there is a rare use of the word as a verb meaning "to confront someone."
Hebrews 5:5 "You're my son; today I celebrate you."
"I celebrate you" strikes me as a collocational clash. We celebrate events, such as weddings and birthdays. But I don't think I've ever heard of celebrating a person.
Hebrews 6:1 "...let's leave the preschool fingerpainting exercises on Christ..."
The expression "preschool fingerpainting exercises" strikes me as an anachromism. The term "exercises" implies that there were structured preschools back then.
Hebrews 6:11 "...I want each of you to extend the same intensity toward a full-bodied hope..."
"Full-bodied hope" strikes me as a collocational clash. We describe certain women as being full-bodied, but I've never heard an abstract idea such as hope being described that way.
Hebrews 6:18 "...have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands..."
The phrase "grab the promised hope" strikes me as another collocational clash. We speak of holding on to hope, but I've never heard anyone speak of grabbing it. There is also a negative connotation associated with the term "grab".
I've never heard of anyone doing anything metaphorical in a literal way, either, but isn't that what a metaphor is? I don't hit a sack when I go to bed, but does that mean the metaphor isn't English? Now that particular expression has turned out to be a common English metaphor, enough that it's an idiom. Yet other metaphors occur for the first time every day, and people understand them, even if it means they're hearing for the first time of someone grasping something intangible. I just don't see how a lot of these criticisms of various translations are anything but a dislike of metaphor, a common part of almost all natural languages.
Gen 15:18 `That's when GOD made a covenant with Abram: "I'm giving this land to your children, from the Nile River in Egypt to the River Euphrates in Assyria--'
Peterson identifies the southern border of the Israelite terrority as being the River Nile. Whereas other translations use an indeterminate "the river of Egypt", "the brook of Egypt", or a more specific "The Shihor River", and "wadi of Egypt" (locations that the indeterminate ones give in footnotes). A Bible Atlas will show that the location of this river/wadi is roughly at the southern extremity of the present-day Gaza Strip not the River Nile, which is several hundred miles to the west.
Jeremy said: "Yet other metaphors occur for the first time every day, and people understand them, even if it means they're hearing for the first time of someone grasping something intangible."
The sun is shining upon your words, Jeremy! :-)
I think the key word you have used is "understand." To find out if people understand anything, including new metaphors, we can field test, asking people what they understand by some wording. In my own study of many English versions, there are many wordings which I do not understand, even though I have been reading and studying the Bible all my life and I attended and did well at a good Bible school and I am a Bible translator myself. I cannot fault someone for not understanding some wording which the translators of some English version assume they can understand.
There are several solutions to the problem of wordings whose intended meanings are not understood, including (but not limited to): (1) place the real (figurative) meaning in a footnote and the literal meaning in the text; (2) place the literal meaning in the text and the figurative meaning in the text; or (3) make sure that a user of the translation has some other resource, such as a commentary or Bible teacher alongside them to explain figurative wordings whose meanings they do not understand.
Oh, BTW, I love metaphors and idioms, in English, in the biblical languages, and in other languages. I have collected many metaphors and idioms in my professional career. I do not believe that we should strip the Bible translations of figurative language, creating bland, stylistically "level" writing. But I do believe that it is a necessary part of the translation process to test our intended audience to ensure that any figurative language retained will be understood with its original figurative meaning. Figures of speech are notoriously difficult to translate to other languages, in a way that keeps the beauty of the original figures and also retains the original figurative meaning so that the translation is accurate to its original meaning. Examples of inadequate translation of figures of speech abound on the Internet.
Hebrews 7:1 "Melchizedek ... met Abraham, who was returning from 'the royal massacre'..."
The term "massacre" has a negative connotation that includes the idea of killing innocent people, such as women and children. Is there evidence that Abraham did that?
Hebrews 7:28 "But this intervening command of God, which came later, appoints the Son ..."
The personification of a command appointing someone sounds very strange.
Hebrews 9:2 “…the bread of presence…”
This expression is nearly meaningless.
Hebrews 9:4 “…ark of the covenant…”
“Ark” needs to be clarified, since it is commonly associated with a large boat.
Hebrews 9:4 “…covenant tablets…”
This sounds strange and the meaning is unclear.
Hebrews 9:5 “…angel-wing-shadowed mercy seat…”
This is a complex and strange expression with unclear meaning.
Ps. 25:17
"My heart and my kidneys are fighting each other;
Call a truce to this civil war."
I do not know what it means for my heart and kidneys to be fighting each other. Peterson's wording here does not communicate the original Hebrew meaning to me.
Gen. 5:2 "He created both male and female and blessed them, the whole human race."
Inaccurate: omission of the part of the Hebrew original that refers to God naming them.
Hebrews 10:5 “This is what is meant by this prophecy, put in the mouth of Christ:”
The phrase “put in the mouth of” sounds unnatural in English.
Hebrews 10:22 “So let’s do it – full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out.”
The phrase “full of belief” sounds unnatural in English.
Hebrews 10:30 “God has warned us that he’ll hold us to account and make us pay.”
The phrase “hold us accountable” sounds more natural in English than “hold us to account”.
Ps. 37:3
"... settle down and stick to your last."
I don't know what it means to "stick to your last." It's one of a number of unique idioms in The Message which are probably not understood by a high percentage of fluent English speakers.
Hebrews 11:5 “We know on the basis of reliable testimony that before he was taken ‘he pleased God’.”
I can’t figure out why ‘he pleased God’ is in quotations.
Hebrews 11:7 “His act of faith drew a sharp line between the evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world.”
The word “rightness” is not commonly used.
Hebrews 11:7 “Noah became intimate with God.”
The expression “become intimate with” is commonly used in a sexual association, so it seems inappropriate here.
Hebrews 11:10 “Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city . . .”
If one can see an unseen city, it’s not unseen.
Hebrews 11:12 “That’s how it happened that from one man’s dead and shriveled loins there are now people . . .”
Most people would not understand the phrase “shriveled loins”.
Hebrews 11:16 “But they were after a far better country than that – heaven country.”
What or where is “heaven country”?
Hebrews 11:28 “He had his eye on the One no eye can see . . .”
This is an oxymoron. It makes no sense.
Hebrews 11:28 “By an act of faith, he kept the Passover Feast . . .”
This sounds like the Passover was an established festival -- before it had even occurred!
Hebrews 11:28 “By an act of faith, he kept the Passover Feast and sprinkled Passover blood on each house . . .”
What is “Passover blood”?
Hebrews 12:3 “When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again . . .
The expression “flagging in your faith” makes little sense to me.
Hebrews 12:23 “It is the city where God is judge, with judgments that make us just.”
The phrase “judgments that make us just” is awkward and unclear.
Hebrews 12:26 “His voice that shook the earth to its foundations . . .”
There is no antecedent for “His” in the same paragraph. The nearest antecedent in the previous paragraph is Abel, who is not the one intended.
Ps. 38:9 "Lord, my longings are sitting in plain sight"
I think there are two problems here:
1. Inaccurate: the psalmist is speaking about his longings being clearly known to God, not the more general "sitting in plain sight."
2. Collocational clash: longings are not visible, tangible entities which can sit "sit in plain sight."
Hebrews 13:24 “Everyone here in Italy wants to be remembered to you.”
The phrase “be remembered to you” sounds very strange to me.
I Corinthians 1:1
“I, Paul, have been called and sent by Jesus, the Messiah, according to God’s plan, along with my friend Sosthenes.”
This could be mistaken to mean that Jesus and Sosthenes called and sent Paul.
I Corinthians 1:2
“I sent this letter to you in God’s church at Corinth, Christians cleaned up by Jesus and set apart for a God-filled life.”
“Cleaned up” suggests a more physical than spiritual process.
I Corinthians 1:7
“. . . as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale.”
Capitalizing “Finale” doesn’t help me understand to what it refers.
I Corinthians 1:8
“. . . to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus.”
The idiom “until things are all wrapped up” doesn’t seem appropriate here.
I Corinthians 1:13
“Has the Messiah been chopped up in little pieces so we can each have a relic all our own?”
The expressions “chopped up in little pieces” and “relic” convey a physical image rather than a social/spiritual one.
I Corinthians 1:13
“Was Paul crucified for you?”
By referring to himself by name, the reader may think the author is referring to another person by the same name.
I Corinthians 1:18
“The Message that points to Christ on the cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction . . .”
The phrase “those hellbent on destruction” could be mistaken to mean the agents rather than the objects of destruction.
I Corinthians 1:23
“Jews treat this as an anti-miracle . . .”
Do people understand what an “anti-miracle” is?
I Corinthians 1:25
“Human wisdom is so tinny . . .”
I don’t understand what it means for wisdom to be “tinny”.
I Corinthians 1:31
“If you’re going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God.”
This doesn’t clearly convey the figurative meaning.
1 Corinthians 2:1 “. . . when I first came to you to let you in on God’s master stroke, I didn’t try to impress you . . .”
I have no idea what “master stroke” means.
1 Corinthians 2:5 “. . . your life of faith is a response to God’s power, not to some fancy mental or emotional footwork by me or anyone else.”
The phrase “emotional footwork” seems like an odd conceptual combination, perhaps a collocational clash.
1 Corinthians 2:7 “God’s wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes.”
To refer to purposes as having an interior strikes me as a collocational clash.
1 Corinthians 2:10 “The Spirit . . . dives into the depths of God . . .”
To refer to God (or any person) as having depths is a collocational clash. If this is meant to be de-personification of God, relating God to a pool of water, there must be a better way to express the idea more naturally in English.
1 Corinthians 3:2 “You’re . . . capable of nothing much more than nursing at the breast. Well, then, I’ll nurse you . . .”
Paul’s inclusion in the analogy of nursing at the breast seems inappropriate, since it is physically impossible for him to do so. The reader may not grasp the shift to the figurative sense of the term “nurse”.
1 Corinthians 3:4 “Who do you think Paul is, anyway?”
Paul's reference to himself in third person may lead the reader to think that he is referring to someone else by the same name.
1 Corinthians 3:10 “Using the gift God gave me as a good architect, I designed blueprints . . .”
The term “blueprints” is an anachronism, since blueprints did not exist in Paul’s day.
1 Corinthians 3:19 “He exposes the chicanery of the chic.”
The meaning commonly associated with the term “chic” makes its use inappropriate here.
Ephesians 5:23: "The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing."
If you're looking for a good example of one man inflecting his own personal views into a passage, rather than "translating" it into English, this is it! Most people do not call The Message a "translation" but rather a "paraphrase" - but this passage can't even be called that!
Suggested rewording? Anything that tries to actually translate v. 23 would be better than this. :^)
Acts 19:2 - ""Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Did you take God into your mind only, or did you also embrace him with your heart? Did he get inside you?"
The first sentence is exactly as it is in the NIV (my version of choice). The next two questions are entirely made up by Peterson. This is an example of why I feel that The Message should be accorded all the respect of a commentary and not a translation.
"Did he get inside you?" Ugh. Sounds gross.
Ps 144:1-2:
Blessed be GOD, my mountain,
who trains me to fight fair and well.
He's the bedrock on which I stand,
the castle in which I live,
my rescuing knight,
The high crag where I run for dear life,
while he lays my enemies low.
Trains me to fight fair? While this is certainly something God would want from a soldier of his, this passage says nothing of the kind.
My rescuing knight? This paints the psalmist, and anyone who identifies with this psalm, as a helpless maiden trapped in a castle tower. I have no problem with God as deliverer, but I think Peterson's taken it too far. ("Rescuing knight" also has romantic undertones, if you ask me.)
I Corinthians 5:10 “Or with crooks, whether blue- or white-collar.”
The phrase “blue- or white-collar” might be considered an anachronism, since that association didn't exist in Paul's day.
I Corinthians 6:11 “Since then, you’ve been cleaned up and given a fresh start by Jesus . . .”
The reader may not realize that the phrase “you’ve been cleaned up” is being used here in a figurative sense.
I Corinthians 7:33 “Marriage involves you in all the nuts and bolts of domestic life . . . “
The phrase “nuts and bolts” is anachronistic, since nuts and bolts didn’t exist in Paul's era.
I Corinthians 8:13 “Never go to these idol-tainted meals if there’s any chance it will trip up one of your brothers or sisters.”
Readers may misunderstand the phrase “brothers or sisters” as a reference to siblings rather than other Christians.
I Corinthians 9: 25 “They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades.”
The term “gold medal” is anachronistic since gold medals didn't exist in Paul’s day.
I Corinthians 10:23 “. . . we don’t have to dissect and scrutinize every action to see if it will pass muster.”
I’ve never heard the expression “pass muster” nor do I understand what it means.
I Corinthians 10:29 “I’m going to stride free and easy, knowing what our large-minded Master has already said.”
The expression “small-minded” is common, but I’ve never heard anyone referred to as “large-minded”.
Psalm 19:1-2:
God's glory is on tour in the skies,
God-craft on exhibit across the horizon.
Madame Day holds classes every morning,
Professor Night lectures each evening.
Aside from being extremely dorky, this is a poor translation in that the translation itself is a distraction from the message of the Word. I think that fresh translations are nice, but call me stodgy, if it's too fresh people aren't going to hear the words - they'll merely go, "Huh?" and then wonder what the "real" Bible says.
I Corinthians 11:34 “If you’re so hungry that you can’t wait to be served, go home and get a sandwich.”
The word “sandwich” is anachronistic since sandwiches didn’t exist in Paul’s day.
I Corinthians 12:10 “. . . tongues, interpretation of tongues.”
Some people may not understand that “tongues” refers to “languages”.
I Corinthians 12:26 “If one part flourishes . . .”
I’ve never heard anyone use the expression that a body part can flourish.
I Corinthians 13:2 “… If I have faith that says to a mountain, ‘Jump’ …”
It sounds very strange to personify faith and make it speak to something.
I Corinthians 13:4-8 “Love never gives up …, trusts God ...”
It sounds very strange to personify love.
I Corinthians 13:6 “Love … takes pleasure in the flowering of truth.”
I’ve never heard anyone speak of truth flowering.
I Corinthians 13:10 “But when the Complete arrives …”
To whom or what does “the Complete” refer? Capitalization doesn’t help to clarify it.
I Corinthians 14:1 “Give yourselves to the gifts God gives you.”
I’ve never heard anyone use the expression that he gave himself to a gift.
I Corinthians 14:2 “If you praise him in the private language of tongues …”
I wonder how many people understand what “the private language of tongues” means.
I Corinthians 14:3 “… proclaiming God’s truth to the church in its common language brings the whole church into growth and strength.”
The expression “to bring something into growth and strength” sounds strange.
I Corinthians 14:5 “... than that you cultivate God’s presence in a mysterious prayer language …”
I’ve never heard anyone use the expression that they cultivate someone’s presence.
I Corinthians 14:13 “When you pray in your private prayer language, don’t hoard the experience for yourself.”
I’ve never heard anyone use the expression that they hoard an experience.
I Corinthians 14:15 “If I pray in tongues, my spirit prays …”
I wonder what the difference in meaning is between “my spirit prays” and “I pray”.
I Corinthians 14:33 “When we worship the right way, God doesn’t stir us up into confusion …”
The expression “to stir up into confusion” sounds strange.
I Corinthians 15:15 “… we would be guilty of telling a string of barefaced lies about God, all these affidavits we passed on to you …”
The term “affidavit” strikes me as an anachronism.
I Corinthians 15:22 “Everybody dies in Adam …”
I’ve never heard anyone use the expression that someone dies in someone else. I have no idea what that means.
I Corinthians 15:23 “Christ is first, then those with him at his Coming …”
Capitalizing “Coming” doesn't help to clarify its meaning.
I Corinthians 15:32 “Do you think I was just trying to act heroic when I fought the wild beasts at Ephesus …”
I suspect that many readers interpret “I fought wild beasts” literally.
I Corinthians 15:36 “You plant a ‘dead’ seed …”
Is a “dead” seed different from a “live” one?
I Corinthians 15:47 “the Second Man was made out of heaven …”
Since Adam was the first man, “the second man” could be thought to be his son Cain. Capitalization doesn't sufficiently clarify who the referent is. Also, what does "made out of heaven" mean?
I Corinthians 15:50 “… so how could they ‘naturally’ end up in the Life kingdom?”
What does “the Life kingdom” mean?
I Corinthians 15:54 “Death swallowed by triumphant Life!”
I’ve never heard anyone use the expression that life swallowed something.
I Corinthians 15:57 “But now in a single victorious stroke of Life …”
I’ve heard the expression “stroke of luck” but I’ve never heard “stroke of life.”
I Corinthians 16:20 “Pass the greetings around with holy embraces!”
I wonder what a “holy embrace” is. Is there an unholy embrace?
Also, I've never heard the expression "pass the greetings around."
II Corinthians 1:1 “I write this to God’s congregation in Corinth, and to believers all over Achaia province.”
The term “believers” could refer to Muslims, Buddhists, or any other religious group.
II Corinthians 1:3 “Father of all mercy!”
This sentence fragment breaks the logical flow.
II Corinthians 1:10 “And he did it, rescued us from certain doom.”
The sequence “he did it, rescued us” is a very awkward grammatical structure.
II Corinthians 1:21 “God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us.”
What is a “Yes”?
II Corinthians 2:15 “… an aroma redolent with life.”
The term “redolent” is not commonly used or understood by the average reader.
II Corinthians 3:6 “… with pages and pages of legal footnotes …”
The idea of footnotes is anachronistic, since they did not exist in Paul’s day.
II Corinthians 3:6 “It’s written with Spirit on spirit …”
How can one write with a spirit, or on a spirit?
II Corinthians 3:7 “The Government of Death, its constitution chiseled on stone tablets …”
What does “Government of Death” mean?
II Corinthians 3:8 “How much more dazzling, then, the Government of Living Spirit?”
What does “Government of Living Spirit” mean?
II Corinthians 3:9 “If the Government of Condemnation was impressive …”
What does “Government of Condemnation” mean?
II Corinthians 3:9 “… how about this Government of Affirmation?”
What does “Government of Affirmation” mean?
II Corinthians 3:13 “He wore a veil so the children of Israel wouldn’t notice …”
The reader may not understand the figurative use of the term “children” here.
II Corinthians 3:15 “… when the proclamations of that old, bankrupt government are read out, …”
I’ve never heard the expression “read out”.
II Corinthians 4:4 “All they have eyes for is the fashionable god of darkness.”
The reader may not understand the figurative meaning of "darkness".
II Corinthians 4:4 “They’re stone-blind to the dayspring brightness …”
I’ve never heard the expression “stone-blind.”
II Corinthians 4:14 “These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times …”
The reader may not understand the idiom “small potatoes.”
II Corinthians 5:14 “His love has the first and last word in everything we do.”
I’ve never heard the expression that someone’s love has a word.”
II Corinthians 5:15 “He included everyone in his death …”
What does it mean to include someone else in a person’s death?
II Corinthians 5:15 “… a new life burgeons!”
I don’t recall ever hearing the term “burgeon” used.
II Corinthians 6:3 “… throwing a question mark over everything we’re doing.”
The use of the term “question mark” is anachronistic, since that punctuation mark didn’t exist in Paul’s day.
II Corinthians 6:11 “… I long for you to enter this wide-open, spacious life.”
I’ve never heard anyone use the expression that people can enter a spacious life.
II Corinthians 6:13 “Live openly and expansively!”
I’ve never heard anyone use the expression that people can live expansively. I have no idea what that means.
II Corinthians 6:14 “Is light best friends with dark?”
It sounds very strange to personify “light” and “dark”. The reader could mistake this for light and dark-skinned people.
II Corinthians 6:15 “Do trust and mistrust hold hands?”
It sounds very strange to personify “trust” and “mistrust”.
II Corinthians 7:1 “With promises like this to pull us on …”
This expression sounds strange.
II Corinthians 7:1 “… let’s make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us, both within and without.”
“Within and without” of what?
II Corinthians 7:11 “… all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God?”
“Goaded” is not a commonly used term.
II Corinthians 7:11 “… you’ve come out of this with purity of heart.”
I’ve never heard anyone use the expression “purity of heart.”
After Israel left Egypt, the clan of Jacob left those barbarians behind;
Judah became holy land for him, Israel the place of holy rule. Ps. 114:1-2
I am not able to figure out who the antecedent of "him" is. For whom did Judah become holy land?
II Corinthians 8:5 “The other giving simply flowed out of the purposes of God working in their lives.”
I’ve never heard the expression that giving flows out of purposes.
II Corinthians 8:9 “… in one stroke, he became poor and we became rich.”
The reader may misunderstand “rich” in the materialistic sense.
II Corinthians 9:3 “Now I’m sending the brothers to make sure you’re ready …”
The reader may misunderstand “brothers” to refer to siblings.
II Corinthians 9:9 “… giving to the needy in reckless abandon.”
I’ve never heard the expression of giving in reckless abandon.
II Corinthians 9:9 “His right-living, right-giving ways never run out …”
I’ve never heard the expression that ways run out.
II Corinthians 9:10 “… which grows into full-formed lives …”
What are full-formed lives?
II Corinthians 9:11 “… robust in God, wealthy in every way …”
What does “robust in God” mean?
II Corinthians 9:13 “… generous offerings to your needy brothers and sisters …”
The reader may misunderstand “brothers and sisters” to refer to siblings.
II Corinthians 9:15 “No language can praise it enough!”
The immediate antecedent of “it” is “gift”. We usually praise people, not things.
II Corinthians 10:3 “We use powerful God-tools for smashing …”
I’ve never heard the expression “God-tools”.
II Corinthians 10:6 “… building lives of obedience into maturity.”
I’ve never heard the expression “lives of obedience”.
II Corinthians 10:15 “… demanding a place in the sun with them.”
I wonder if the reader understands that “a place in the sun” is used figuratively here.
II Corinthians 10:15 “What we’re hoping for is that as your lives grow in faith …”
I’ve never heard the expression that lives grow in faith.
II Corinthians 11:2 “I promised your hand in marriage to Christ …”
The reader may not realize that this is meant in a figurative sense.
II Corinthians 11:3 “… the Snake seduced Eve with his smooth patter …”
The term “patter” is not commonly used or understood.
II Corinthians 11:3 “… you are being lured away from the simple purity …”
I’ve never heard purity qualified as simple, and I don’t know what that means.
II Corinthians 11:4 “… preaching quite another Jesus …”
The expression “preaching someone” sounds odd. We preach to or about someone.
II Corinthians 11:12 “… vaunting themselves as something special.”
The term “vaunt” is not commonly used or understood.
II Corinthians 11:14 “… dressing up as a beautiful angel of light.”
The reader may not understand what “an angel of light” means.
II Corinthians 11:18 “… it’s a bad habit I picked up from the three-ring preachers …”
The reader may not understand the expression “three-ring”.
II Corinthians 11:20 “… rip you off, steal you blind …”
The reader may not understand these idioms.
II Corinthians 11:21 “you admire the egomaniacs of the pulpit …”
The term “pulpit” strikes me as anachronistic, since pulpits didn’t exist in Paul’s day.
II Corinthians 11:25 “… immersed in the open sea for a night and a day.”
The reader may misunderstand “immerse” in a literal sense.
II Corinthians 11:26 “… betrayed by those I thought were my brothers.”
The reader may misunderstand “brothers” to refer to Paul’s siblings.
II Corinthians 12:4 “… this man was hijacked into paradise.”
I’ve never heard the expression that someone can be hijacked into paradise. It sounds inappropriate.
II Corinthians 12:9 “My strength comes into its own in your weakness.”
The reader may not understand the idiom “comes into its own.”
II Corinthians 12:10 “… the weaker I get, the stronger I become.”
This oxymoron needs to be clarified. It makes no more sense than the statements “the shorter I get, the taller I become” or “the thinner I get, the fatter I become.”
II Corinthians 12:12 “… signs of portent …”
The term “portent” is not commonly used or understood.
II Corinthians 12:14 “… you won’t have to put yourselves out.”
The reader may not understand the idiom “put yourselves out.”
II Corinthians 12:18 “… sent some brothers along.”
The reader may misunderstand “brothers” to refer to siblings.
II Corinthians 12:21 “… compounded by hot tears over that crowd …”
I’ve never heard the expression “hot tears”, so I’m not sure what it means.
II Corinthians 13:5 “… that Jesus Christ is in you.”
I wonder if readers understand what “Jesus Christ is in you” means.
II Corinthians 13:12 “All the brothers and sisters here say hello.”
The reader may misunderstand “brothers and sisters” to refer to siblings.
Acts 2:19 “I’ll set wonders in the sky …”
I’ve never heard the expression “set wonders”.
Acts 2:23 “And you pinned him to a cross …”
This doesn’t sound like crucifixion to me.
Acts 2:26 “I’ve pitched my tent in the land of hope.”
What or where is “the land of hope”?
Acts 2:28 “… with your face shining sun-joy all around.”
I’ve never heard the expression “sun-joy”.
Acts 2:33 “… raised to the heights at the right hand of God …”
What or where are “the heights”?
Acts 2:37 “Cut to the quick, those who were there listening …”
I wonder if many readers understand the idiom “cut to the quick”.
Acts 2:39 “… our Master God invites.”
The expression “Master God” sounds very odd.
Acts 2:42 “… the life together, the common meal, and the prayers.”
I wonder if many readers understand what a “common meal” is.
Acts 2:44 “And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony …”
I’ve never heard the expression that people live in a harmony.
Acts 3:10 “… the one who sat begging at the Temple’s Gate Beautiful …”
“Gate Beautiful” is not normal English word order.
Acts 3:12 “When Peter saw he had a congregation …”
This is an unusual use of the term “congregation”.
Acts 3:15 “You no sooner killed the Author of Life …”
I wonder if the reader understands what “the Author of Life” means.
Acts 4:8 “With that, Peter, full of the Holy Spirit …”
I wonder if readers understand what “full of the Holy Spirit” means.
Acts 4:10 “… by means of his name this man stands before you healthy and whole.”
I wonder if readers understand what “by means of his name” means.
Acts 5:9 “… you connived to conspire against the Spirit of the Master?”
I wonder if the reader understands what “the Spirit of the Master” means.
Acts 5:12 “… many God-signs were set up among the people ...”
I’ve never heard the expression “God-signs”.
Acts 5:16 “They came from the villages surrounding Jerusalem, throngs of them …”
The term “throngs” is not commonly used.
Acts 5:16 “… bringing the sick and bedeviled.”
I wonder if the reader understands what “bedeviled” means.
Acts 5:20 “Tell the people everything there is to say about this Life.”
I wonder if the reader understands what “this Life” means.
Acts 5:21 “… the Chief Priest and his cronies … sent to the jail to have the prisoners brought in.”
The verb “sent” requires an object, but there is none here.
Acts 5:28 “Didn’t we give you strict orders not to teach in Jesus’ name?”
I wonder if the reader understands what “teach in Jesus’ name” means.
Acts 5:31 “God set him on high at his side …”
I wonder if the reader understands what “set him on high” means.
Acts 5:36 “… Theudas made something of a splash …”
I wonder if the reader understands what “made something of a splash” means.
Acts 5:37 “… the people following him were scattered to the four winds.”
I wonder if the reader understands what “scattered to the four winds” means.
Acts 5:41 “… they had been given the honor of being dishonored …”
This oxymoron needs to be clarified.
Acts 5:42 “… teaching and preaching Christ Jesus …”
The preposition “about” should follow “preaching”.
Acts 6:6 “Praying, the apostles laid on hands and commissioned them …”
The preposition “on” is out of its normal order, which could confuse the reader. If “laid on hands” is the verbal idea, the reader may not understand what that means.
Acts 7:2 “… the God of glory appeared to our father Abraham …”
I wonder if the reader understands what “God of glory” means.
Acts 7:5 “… God gave him nothing, not so much as a foothold.”
This strikes me as an unusual use of the term “foothold.”
Acts 7:42 “… worship every new god that came down the pike …”
The term “pike” strikes me as anachronistic since I associate it with a turnpike, which didn’t exist in Stephen’s day.
Acts 7:48 “Yet that doesn’t mean that Most High God lives in a building …”
I can’t recall ever hearing anyone use the expression “Most High God”.
Acts 7:52 “… killed anyone who dared talk about the coming of the Just One.”
I wonder if the reader understands to whom “the Just One” refers.
Acts 7:53 “You had God’s law handed to you by angels – gift-wrapped!”
The expression “gift-wrapped” strikes me as anachronistic. Did people wrap gifts in Stephen’s day?
Acts 7:54 “… a rioting mob of catcalls and whistles and invective.”
The term “catcall” strikes me as inappropriate. Were cats common in that area at that time?
I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone use the term “invective” so I’m sure most readers would not understand it.
Acts 7:56 “… the Son of Man standing at God’s side.”
I wonder if the reader understands what “standing at God’s side” means.
Acts 9:2 “… if he found anyone there belonging to the Way …”
I wonder if the reader understands what “belonging to the Way” means.
Acts 9:3 “He set off.”
The verb phrase “set off” sounds incomplete without an object/complement.
Acts 9:4 “… why are you out to get me?”
I wonder if the reader understands that “me” refers to Jesus’ followers.
Acts 9:9 “He continued blind for three days.”
The phrase “continued blind” strikes me as an odd usage. Inserting “to be” between the two words would help.
Acts 9:17 “… placed his hands on blind Saul …”
The phrase “blind Saul” strikes me as an odd collocation.
Acts 9:17 “… so you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
I wonder if the reader understands what “filled with the Holy Spirit” means.
Acts 9:24 “They were watching the city gates around the clock …”
The term “clock” is anachronistic, since clocks didn't exist when Luke wrote this.
Acts 9:25 “Then one night the disciples engineered his escape …”
The use of the term “engineer” strikes me as anachronistic.
Acts 9:39 “They took him into the room where Tabitha’s body was laid out.”
The expression “laid out” conveys the image that her arms and legs were spread out.
Acts 10:2 “He had led everyone in his house to live worshipfully before God.”
I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone use the expression that they live worshipfully before God.
Acts 10:2 “… was always helping people in need, and had the habit of prayer.”
I’ve never heard anyone use the expression that they had the habit of prayer.
Acts 10:11 “He saw the skies open up.”
I wonder if the readers understand what “skies open up” means.
Acts 10:32 “I want you to send to Joppa to get Simon …”
It sounds awkward for the verb “send” not to have an object here.
Acts 10:46 “… they heard them speaking in tongues …”
I wonder if the readers understand what “speaking in tongues” means.
Acts 11:2 “… called him on the carpet …”
The use of the term “carpet” is anachronistic, since carpet didn’t exist at that time.
Acts 11: “I’ve never so much as tasted food that wasn’t kosher.”
Many non-Jewish readers may not be familiar with the term “kosher”.
Acts 11:18 “… opened them up to Life.”
The reader may not understand the figurative meaning of “Life” here. Capitalization really doesn’t help.
Acts 12:3 “… all this during Passover Week, mind you – and had him thrown in jail …”
I’ve only heard the expression “mind you” used in direct address, which this is not.
Acts 12:4 “… putting four squads of four soldiers each to guard him.”
This sounds like 16 soldiers were guarding him all at one time.
Acts 12:5 “… the church prayed for him most strenuously.”
I’ve never heard the expression that people pray strenuously.
Acts 12:15 “She stuck by her story, insisting.”
It seems awkward for “insisting” not to have a complement.
Acts 12:17 “Tell James and the brothers what’s happened.”
The reader may misunderstand “brothers” to refer to James’ siblings.
Acts 12:21 “… Herod, robed in pomposity …”
I’ve never heard the term “pomposity” used.
Acts 12:23 “Rotten to the core, a maggoty old man …”
I’ve never heard the expression that someone is maggoty.
Acts 13: 1 “… blessed with a number of prophet-preachers and teachers.”
I’ve never heard the term “prophet-preacher”.
Acts 13:3 “In that circle of intensity and obedience …”
I’ve never heard the expression “circle of intensity” or “circle of obedience”.
Acts 13:3 “… they laid their hands on their heads and sent them off.”
I wonder if the reader understands the purpose/meaning of laying hands on other people’s heads.
Acts 13:6 “He was as crooked as a corkscrew.”
The term “corkscrew” strikes me as anachronistic, since I doubt that they existed in that day.
Acts 13:8 “… (that’s the wizard’s name in plain English) …”
The term “English” is anachronistic, since the English language didn’t exist in that day.
Acts 13:10 “… You bag of wind, you parody of a devil …”
I’ve never heard the expression “parody of a devil”, especially in direct address.
Acts 13:22 “He’s a man whose heart beats to my heart …”
I’ve never heard the expression “whose heart beats to my heart”.
Acts 13:31 “… to those who had known him well in the Galilean years …”
I wonder if the reader understands to what “the Galilean years” refers.
Acts 13:33 “My Son! My very own Son!”
I wonder if the reader understands the figurative meaning of “Son” here.
Acts 13:35 “… You’ll never let your Holy One see death’s rot and decay.”
I wonder if the reader understands to whom “your Holy One” refers.
Acts 13:38 “… everything that the Law of Moses could never make good on.”
I wonder if the reader understands to what “the Law of Moses” refers and the way it is personified.
Acts 13:47 “You’ll proclaim salvation to the four winds and seven seas.”
I wonder if the reader understands the figurative meaning of “the four winds and seven seas”.
Acts 13:51 “Paul and Barnabas shrugged their shoulders and went on …”
I doubt that the expression “shrugged their shoulders” conveys the meaning of “shaking the dust off their feet”.
Acts 14:2 “… unbelieving Jews worked up a whispering campaign against Paul and Barnabas …”
I’ve never heard of a “whispering campaign.”
Acts 14:2 “… sowing mistrust and suspicion in the minds of the people in the street.”
I wonder if the reader understands the expression, “the people in the street.”
Acts 14:15 “… to persuade you to abandon these silly god-supersitions …”
I’ve never heard the term “god-superstitions.”
Acts 14:22 “… putting muscle and sinew in the lives of the disciples …”
I’ve never heard the term “sinew” used in a figurative sense. I wonder if the reader understands its meaning here.
Acts 14:22 “Anyone signing up for the kingdom of God …”
I wonder if the reader understands the figurative use of “signing up” here.
Acts 15:1 “If you’re not circumcised in the Mosaic fashion …”
I wonder if the reader understands what “the Mosaic fashion” is.
Acts 15:10 “So why are you now trying to out-god God …”
I’ve never heard anyone use the term “out-god”.
Acts 15:12 “… you could hear a pin drop.”
This strikes me as anachronistic, since I don’t think pins existed at that time.
Acts 15:16 “… I’ll rebuild David’s ruined house.”
I wonder if the reader understands that “rebuild David’s ruined house” is meant in a figurative sense.
Acts 15:38 “… he wasn’t about to take along a quitter who … had jumped ship on them …”
I wonder if the reader understands that the expression “jumped ship” is meant figuratively.
Acts 15:41 “… went to Syria and Cilicia to build up muscle and sinew in those congregations.”
I’ve never heard the expression “to build up muscle and sinew” used figuratively.
Acts 16:14 “As she listened with intensity to what was being said, …”
I’ve never heard the expression that people listen with intensity.
Acts 16:15 “… she said in a surge of hospitality …”
I’ve never heard the expression that people talk in a surge of hospitality.
Acts 16:25 “… Paul and Silas were at prayer and singing a robust hymn to God.”
The expression “were at prayer” sounds strange.
I’ve never heard a hymn described as robust.
Acts 16:26 “The jailhouse tottered …”
To say that the jailhouse "tottered" doesn’t seem to fit the context.
Acts 17:8 “The city fathers and the crowd of people were totally alarmed …”
I wonder if the reader understands that “fathers” is meant figuratively.
Acts 17:19 “… to make a public presentation over at the Areopagus …”
I wonder if the reader understands what the “Areopagus” was.
Acts 17:28 “We’re the God-created.”
I’ve never heard the expression “the God-created”.
Acts 17:34 “… among them Dionysius the Areopagite …”
I wonder if the reader understands what an “Areopagite” is.
Acts 18:5 “… to persuade the Jews that Jesus was in fact God’s Messiah. But no such luck.”
I didn’t realize that luck was a factor in sharing the Gospel!!!
Acts 18:8 “… put his trust in the Master.”
There is no indication who “the Master” is here. Capitalization is not sufficient to identify him (or her).
Acts 18:17 “Now the street rabble turned on Sosthenes …”
I’ve never heard anyone use the expression, “the street rabble”.
Acts 18:18 “… but then it was time to take leave of his friends.”
I’ve never heard anyone use the expression, “to take leave of” someone.
Acts 18:23 “… one town after another, putting fresh heart into the disciples.”
I’ve never heard anyone use the expression “fresh heart”, unless they were eating it.
Acts 19:4 “If you’ve been baptized in John’s baptism …”
I’ve never heard anyone say that they’ve been baptized in a baptism.
Acts 19:5 “… they were baptized in the name of the Master Jesus.”
I wonder if the reader understands what “in the name of” means here.
Acts 19:6 “… they were praising God in tongues and talking …”
I wonder if the reader understands what “tongues” means here.
Acts 19:8 “… doing his best to make the things of the kingdom of God real …”
I wonder if the reader understands what “kingdom of God” means.
Acts 19:13 “They pronounced the name of the Master Jesus over victims …”
The phrase “the Master Jesus” sounds awkward.
Acts 19:16 “Naked and bloody, they got away as best they could.”
The reader may misunderstand “naked” as nude.
Acts 19:18 “Many of those who thus believed came out of the closet …”
The figurative use of “closet” seems anachronistic, since I don’t think closets existed at that time.
Acts 19:23 “… huge ruckus occurred over what was now being referred to as ‘the Way’.”
It is not clear what “the Way” refers to.
Acts 20:2 “… lifting their spirits and charging them with fresh hope.”
The use of “charging” seems anachronistic since it relates to the idea of charging batteries, which didn’t exist at that time.
Acts 20:3 “… the Jews cooked up a plot against him.”
I don’t think I’ve ever heard the expression that people cook up a plot.
Acts 20:7 “to worship and celebrate the Master’s Supper.”
It is unclear who “the Master” is.
Acts 20:10 “Paul went down, stretched himself on him …”
I’ve never heard the expression that someone stretches oneself on someone else.
Acts 20:15 “The next day we put in opposite Chios …”
I’ve never heard the expression “put in” used in this way.
Acts 20:19 “… by Jews who wanted to do me in.”
I wonder if the reader understands what “do me in” means.
Acts 20:22 “I do know that it won’t be any picnic …”
The use of the term “picnic” seems anachronistic, since I doubt that they had picnics back then.
Acts 20:28 “… both for yourselves and your congregation of sheep.”
I wonder if the reader understands what “congregation of sheep” means.
Acts 20:32 “… in this congregation of holy friends.”
I wonder if the reader understands what “holy friends” means.
Acts 21:9 “Philip had four virgin daughters who prophesied.”
I wonder if the reader understands what “prophesied” means here.
Acts 21:24 “… that you are in fact scrupulous in your reverence for the laws of Moses.”
The term “unscrupulous” is commonly used, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone use the term “scrupulous”.
Acts 21:32 “His soldiers and centurions ran to the scene at once.”
I wonder if the reader understands what “centurion” means.
Acts 21:33 “He first ordered him handcuffed …”
The term “handcuffed” strikes me as anachronistic, since handcuffs didn’t exist at that time.
Acts 22:1 “My dear brothers and fathers …”
I wonder if the reader understands that these are not blood relatives.
Acts 22:3 “… educated here in Jerusalem under the exacting eye of Rabbi Gamaliel …”
I’ve never heard anyone use the expression “exacting eye”.
Acts 22:4 “I went after anyone connected with this ‘Way’ …”
I wonder if the reader understands what “Way” means here.
Acts 22:4 “… went at them hammer and tongs, ready to kill for God.”
I’ve never heard the expression “hammer and tongs”.
Acts 22:12 “… a man with a sterling reputation in observing our laws …”
The use of the term “sterling” strikes me as anachronistic, since I don’t think sterling silver existed at that time.
Acts 22:14 “You’ve actually seen the Righteous Innocent and heard him speak.”
I wonder if the reader has any idea who “the Righteous Innocent” is.
Acts 22:16 “… get yourself baptized, scrubbed clean of those sins …”
This sounds like baptism includes scrubbing, which I’ve never observed.
Acts 22:25 “… Paul said to the centurion standing there …”
I wonder if the reader understands what a “centurion” is.
Acts 22:29 “… and come within a whisker of putting him under torture.”
I wonder if the reader understands what “come within a whisker” means. That’s not a common expression.
I’ve never heard the expression that people “put someone under torture”.
Acts 23:11 “That night the Master appeared to Paul …”
It's unclear who “the Master” is referring to.
Acts 24:5 “He’s a real bad apple …”
The use of “apple” strikes me as inappropriate, since I’m not aware that people in that area ever saw an apple. I also wonder if the reader understands the figurative meaning of “bad apple”.
Acts 24:14 “In regard to the Way, which they malign as a dead-end street …”
I wonder if the reader understands what “the Way” refers to, and what “dead-end street” means in relation to the Way.
Acts 24:22 “Felix shilly-shallied.”
I’ve never heard the expression “shilly-shallied”, nor do I know what it means.
Acts 25:8 “… nothing wrong against the Jewish religion, or the Temple, or Caesar. Period.”
The use of the expression “Period” is anachronistic, since the period punctuation mark wasn’t in use at that time.
Acts 25:10 “I’m standing at this moment before Caesar’s bar of justice …”
The term “bar of justice” is not commonly used.
Acts 25:11 “If I’ve committed a crime and deserve death, name the day.”
I wonder if the reader understands the expression “name the day” in this elliptical sentence.
Acts 25:16 “Just because a man is accused, we don’t throw him out to the dogs.”
I wonder if the reader understands what “the dogs” is referring to.
Acts 25:23 “The next day everybody who was anybody in Caesarea …”
I wonder if the reader understands what the expression “everybody who was anybody” means.
Acts 26:7 “… I’m being called on the carpet by the Jews.”
The use of the term “carpet” is anachronistic, since carpet didn’t exist at that time. I also wonder if the reader understands what the expression "called on the carpet" means.
Acts 26:14 “Why do you insist on going against the grain?”
I wonder if the reader understand what “going against the grain” means here.
Acts 26:15 “The voice answered …”
I can’t recall hearing someone say that a voice answered them.
Acts 26:29 “… become like me – except, or course, for this prison jewelry.”
I wonder if the reader understands what “prison jewelry” is referring to.
Acts 27:15 “It was a cork in the storm.”
I have no idea what this means.
Acts 27:16 “We came under the lee of the small island …”
I wonder if the reader understands the term “lee”.
Acts 27:17 “… managed to get a lifeboat ready and reef the sails.”
I wonder if the reader understands what “reef the sails” means.
Acts 27: “But rocky shoals prevented us from getting close.”
I wonder if the reader understands what “shoals” are.
Acts 27:28 “Sounding, they measured a depth …”
I wonder if the reader understands what “sounding” means.
Acts 27:40 “They cut the anchors, loosed the tiller …”
I wonder if the reader understands what “loosed the tiller” means.
Acts 28:3 “… snake, roused from its torpor by the heat …
I’ve never heard the term “torpor”.
Acts 28:4 “… that he was a murderer getting his just desserts.”
I wonder if the reader understands the expression “getting his just desserts”.
Acts 28:5 “Paul shook the snake off into the fire, none the worse for wear.”
I’ve never heard the expression “none the worse for wear”.
Acts 28:27 “They screw their eyes shut so they won’t have to look ...”
I’ve never heard the expression that people screw their eyes shut.
Revelation 1:5 “… who blood-washed our sins from our lives.”
I’ve never heard the expression “blood-washed”.
Revelation 1:8 “I’m the Sovereign-Strong.”
I’ve never heard the expression “sovereign-strong.”
Revelation 1:12 “I saw a gold menorah …”
I wonder if the reader understands what a menorah is.
Revelation 1:14 “… Eyes pouring fire-blaze …”
I’ve never heard the expression “fire-blaze”.
Revelation 1:15 “… His voice a cataract …”
I wonder if the reader understands what “cataract” means here.
Revelation 1:16 “… his face a perigee sun.”
I had no idea what “perigee” means.
Revelation 1:17 “… I am First, I am Last …”
I wonder if the reader has any idea what this means.
Revelation 2:1 “The one with Seven Stars in his right-fist grip …”
I’ve never heard the expression “right-fist grip”.
Revelation 2:1 “… striding through the golden seven-lights circle …”
I wonder if the reader understands what a “golden seven-lights circle” is.
Revelation 2:2 “I know you can’t stomach evil …”
I wonder if the reader understands what “can’t stomach evil” means.
Revelation 2:5 “A Lucifer fall!”
I wonder if the reader understands what “a Lucifer fall” means.
Revelation 2:7 “Are your ears awake?”
I’ve never heard the expression that people’s ears awake.
Revelation 2:7 “Listen to the Wind Words …”
I have no idea what “Wind Words” means.
Revelation 2:7 “… the Spirit blowing through the churches.”
I wonder if the reader understands what this means.
Revelation 2:7: “I’m spreading a banquet of Tree-of-Life fruit …”
I wonder if the reader understands what “Tree-of-Life fruit” means.
Revelation 2:10 “I have a Life-Crown sized and ready for you.”
I have no idea what a “Life-Crown” means.
Revelation 2:11 “Christ-conquerors are safe from Devil-death.”
I wonder if the reader understands what “Christ-conquerors” and “Devil-death” mean.
Revelation 2:12 “… out come the sword words.”
I wonder if the reader understands what “sword words” means.
Revelation 2:14 “… by throwing unholy parties.”
I wonder if the reader understands what “unholy parties” means. Do some people throw holy parties?
Revelation 2:17 “I’ll give the sacred manna to every conqueror;”
I wonder if the reader understands what “sacred manna” means.
Revelation 2:18 “God’s Son, eyes pouring fire-blaze …”
I’ve never heard the expression that eyes pour fire-blaze, nor do I understand what “fire-blaze” means.
Revelation 2:23 “The bastard offspring of their idol-whoring I’ll kill.”
I’ve never heard the expression “idol-whoring”.
Revelation 2:23 “I x-ray every motive …”
The use of the term “x-ray” is anachronistic, since x-rays didn’t exist at that time.
Revelation 2:24 “… the Devil that gets paraded as profundity …”
The term “profundity” is not commonly used, and I’ve never heard the expression that someone gets paraded as profundity.
Revelation 2:27 “… your Shepherd-King rule as firm as an iron staff …”
I’ve never heard the term “Shepherd-King”, and the syntax doesn’t make sense.
Revelation 3:10 “Because you kept my Word in passionate patience.”
I’ve never heard the expression “passionate patience”. It almost strikes me as an oxymoron.
Revelation 4:3 “… suffused in gem hues of amber and flame with a nimbus of emerald.”
The terms “suffused” and “nimbus” are not commonly used.
Revelation 4:4 “… white-robed, gold-crowned.”
I don’t recall ever hearing either of these expressions.
Revelation 4:6 “… it was like a clear crystal sea.”
I’ve heard the expression “crystal clear”, but not the reverse.
Revelation 4:6 “Prowling around the Throne were Four Animals …”
I suspect “prowling around” conveys the wrong image here.
Revelation 4:8 ‘Is God our Master, Sovereign-Strong …”
I’ve never heard the expression “Sovereign-Strong”.
Revelation 4:8 “The Was, The Is, The Coming.”
“If anyone understands this, I’d be very surprised.”
Revelation 4:9 “… thanks to the One Seated on the Throne – the age-after-age Living One …”
I wonder if the reader understands what “the age-after-age Living One” means, or to whom it refers.
Revelation 5: 5 “Look – the Lion from the Tribe Judah, the Root of David’s Tree, has conquered.”
I wonder if the reader understands to whom this is referring.
Revelation 5:6 “So I looked, and there, surrounded by Throne, Animals …”
I wonder if the reader understands to whom “Throne” is referring.
Revelation 5:10 “… Priest-kings to rule over the earth.”
I’ve never heard the expression “Priest-king”.
Revelation 7:11 “All who were standing around the Throne – Angels, Elders, Animals – fell on their faces …”
I wonder if the reader understands to whom “Animals” is referring.
Revelation 8:4 “Smoke billowed up from the incense-laced prayers of the holy ones …”
I’ve never heard the expression “incense-laced”, and I wonder if the reader understands who "the holy ones” are.
Revelation 8:11 “The Star’s name was Wormwood.”
I don’t think the common person understands what wormwood is.
Revelation 10:10 “… but when I swallowed, my stomach curdled.”
I’ve never heard anyone use the expression that their stomach curdled.
Revelation 11:17 “We thank you, Oh God, Sovereign-Strong …”
I’ve never heard the expression “Sovereign-Strong”.
Revelation 11:19 “… loud shouts, peals of thunder …”
I’ve never heard the expression “peals of thunder”, and the term “peal” is not in common usage.
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Revelation 12:14 “… and comfort for a time and times and half a time.”
I wonder if the reader has any idea what “a time and times and half a time” means.
Revelation 13:4 “The whole earth was agog, gaping at the Beast.”
I’ve never heard anyone use the term “agog”, and the expression “gaping at” is not very common.
Revelation 13:7 “It held absolute sway over all tribes …”
I’ve never heard anyone use the expression that they hold absolute sway over someone else.
Revelation 13:12 “It was a puppet of the first Beast …”
The term “puppet” strikes me as anachronistic since I doubt that puppets existed in John’s era.
Revelation 14:2 “… the sound like a cataract, like the crash of thunder.”
I’ve never heard the term “cataract” used in this sense.
Revelation 14:4 “… lived without compromise, virgin-fresh before God.”
I’ve never heard the expression “virgin-fresh”.
Revelation 14:6 “He had an Eternal Message to preach …”
I wonder if the reader understands what “an Eternal Message” means.
Revelation 14:11 “Smoke from their torment will rise age after age.”
I’ve never heard the expression “age after age”.
Revelation 14:12 “Meanwhile, the saints stand passionately patient …”
The expression “passionately patient” strikes me as a collocational clash, or possibly an oxymoron.
Revelation 14:13 “Blessed are those who die in the Master from now on …”
I wonder if the reader understands what “die in the Master” means.
Revelation 14:13 “… and blessed rest from their hard, hard work.”
I’ve never heard anyone use the expression “blessed rest”.
Revelation 14:16 “The Cloud-Enthroned gave a mighty sweep of his sickle …”
I’ve never heard the expression “Cloud-Enthroned”.
Revelation 16:5 “… and your judgments are righteous, The Is, The Was, The Holy.”
The expression “The Is, The Was, The Holy” is extremely unnatural in English and practically meaningless.
Revelation 16:14 “… on the Great Day of God, the Sovereign-Strong.”
I’ve never heard the expression “the Sovereign-Strong”, nor do I know what it means.
Revelation 17:3 “In the Spirit he carried me out in the desert …”
I wonder if the reader understands what “In the Spirit” means here.
Revelation 17:4 “The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, festooned with gold …”
I’ve never heard the term “festooned” used.
Revelation 17:5 “A riddle-name was branded on her forehead …”
I’ve never heard the expression “riddle-name”.
Revelation 18:13 “… spice, incense, myrrh …”
I wonder if the reader understands what “myrrh” is.
Revelation 19:20 “… into the Lake Fire and Brimstone.”
I wonder if the reader understands what “Brimstone” is.
Revelation 20:10 “… in torment around the clock for ages without end.”
The use of the term “clock” is anachronistic, since clocks didn’t exist at that time.
Revelation 20:11 “Nothing could stand before or against the Presence …”
I wonder if the reader understands to whom “the Presence” refers.
Revelation 21:8 “But for the rest – the feckless and faithless …”
I’ve never heard the term “feckless” used, nor do I know what it means.
Revelation 21:9 “I’ll show you the Bride, the Wife of the Lamb.”
I wonder if the reader understands what “Wife of the Lamb” means.
Revelation 21:10 “… descending out of Heaven from God, resplendent in the bright glory of God.”
The term “resplendent” is not in common usage. I’ve never used it and I rarely hear others use it.
Revelation 21:16 “… twelve thousand stadia …”
I wonder if the reader understands what “stadia” means.
Revelation 21:17 “… 144 cubits …”
I wonder if the reader understands what “cubits” means.
Revelation 22:15 “But outside for good are the filthy curs: sorcerers …”
I’ve never heard the term “cur” used before, nor do I know what it means.
I Peter 3:6 in the message has Sarah saying:
Sarah, for instance, taking care of Abraham, would address him as "my dear husband."
Which is an... interesting translation of the word other translations translate as:
(amplified) 6It was thus that Sarah obeyed Abraham [following his guidance and acknowledging his headship over her by] calling him lord (master, leader, authority). And you are now her true daughters if you do right and let nothing terrify you [not giving way to hysterical fears or letting anxieties unnerve you].
Peterson's intro into the Lord's Prayer is, I believe, a good example of his penchant for inappropriately interpretive paraphrase. He translates Matthew 6:9 as follows:
"With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this: Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are. "
Several things are wrong with this verse in Peterson's version. First, where does the phrase "With a God like this loving you" come from? Almost every other version I've seen (English or otherwise) says something like "Therefore pray in this manner" or This is how you should pray." Adding the phrase about a loving God, while it may be inspirational, simply does not reflect the text as it really is. Next, while talking saying "you can pray very simply" may be true and descriptive of the simple quality of the Lord's Prayer, adding the adverb is unnecessary. The reader can see the simplicity of the prayer without Peterson's editorializing. Finally, I don't think "Reveal who you are" is a very accurate rendition of the phrase commonly rendered "Hallowed be your name" or "May your name be holy." Revelation and holiness, though perhaps related theologically, don't seem to have much common ground semantically. Once again, Peterson is indulging in over-interpretation.
I think this verse is an excellent example of the weakness of The Message, which is often touted as a more accurate version, but is clearly nothing of the sort.
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