The Message: The Gospel of John in Contemporary Language

by Eugene H. Peterson

Read what John witnessed as he walked alongside Jesus, the man whose message of raw truth, pure love, and clear purpose just might radically change your life.

96 pages, Paperback

First published December 20, 2011

About the author

Eugene H. Peterson was a pastor, scholar, author, and poet. For many years he was James M. Houston Professor of Spiritual Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. He also served as founding pastor of Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland. He had written over thirty books, including Gold Medallion Book Award winner The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language a contemporary translation of the Bible. After retiring from full-time teaching, Eugene and his wife Jan lived in the Big Sky Country of rural Montana. He died in October 2018.

Reviews

[Scott Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an atheist, I have this weird hobby of reading different translations of the Bible. I enjoyed this one somewhat just because it is so different. The plainness of the language is appealing but there were some attributes that got on my nerves. The anachronisms for one. During the tale of the peddlers in the temple Jesus accuses them of turning the temple into a shopping mall. The word spotlight is used in another instance. Some people may be OK with instances like these but I found them jarring. There was a also a lot of uses of cliches. So, all in all, this translation was just OK. There are better ones out there.

[Andy Hickman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Message: Gospel of John in Contemporary Language, Eugene H. Peterson
A gift unmeasurable. Stunning and vivid, life inspiring. *****

[Vanessa Gonzales · Rating 3 out of 5]

It feels wrong to be rating God’s Word on a 5 star scale, but I don’t love the message translation and it made Jesus come off very sarcastic in my opinion, so that’s why I gave it 3 stars.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most compelling accounts of the life of Jesus of Nazareth, based on eyewitness evidence. Unlike the other historians of the events, Matthew, Mark and Luke, the author sets out the facts using a technique that seems very strange to us. What the author does is set out an introduction, followed by seven chapters that recount seven miracles. Then comes a long chapter of teaching, followed by the arrest and execution of Jesus and what happened afterwards.

The fact that chapter and verse numbers were added later is a major distraction, completely subverting the shape of this brilliant piece of writing. To the untrained eye it seems like a miscellaneous collection of stories, but in fact the structure of the book is deliberate, hinting at who Jesus really is, and each story provides another clue that builds a comprehensive picture. Readers from ancient times - pagans and Jews - would have recognised this. Today our own cultural bias makes it hard for us to understand, and harder for us to accept, having as we do a very fixed idea of what 'history' should be trying to do. Modern historians, however, recognise that there is no such thing as an unbiased source. That isn't the point. As the author of this book says, "these things are written so that you may believe". Whether that will be your response is, of course very much up to you, but I hope this review will help to enhance your enjoyment of what is undoubtedly a work of genius that has shaped history in a way few other books can hope to match.

[Janelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very clear way to read through the Gospel of John. It was easy to understand and follow, and it was a very quick read!

[Kaley]

Didn't finish reading in the Message translation, but it was interesting to read a few chapters in it!

[The other John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think myself much too cool for fads, so even though I heard that a number of people were reading and quoting Eugene Peterson's translation of the Bible, The Message, it's taken me over ten years to finally read a portion myself. I read The Gospel of John over a couple of lunches. The story, of course, is fabulous. I love reading about Jesus and John's Gospel contains a number of the best anecdotes from His life. About the translation, however, I have mixed feelings. I've always found it nice to hear scripture in a different "voice" than what I'm used to. Rev. Peterson certainly delivers there. Where he left me cold was in his translation of the more poetic sections, like the first chapter. His words didn't stir my heart like the older, more literal translations do. Whether that shows the superiority of those translations, or just reveals me as an old fogey, I don't know. Either way, I would recommend folks to check it out if they get a chance.