Saturday, January 02, 2010

Replacing God's Word with... what?!

Colossians 2:8-10 (NKJV): "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power."

Colossians 2:8-10 The Message "Bible" by Eugene Peterson: "Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that's not the way of Christ. Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don't need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him. When you come to him, that fullness comes together for you, too. His power extends over everything."

Sounds strangely similar to "Awaiting You All" by George Harrison of The Beatles

You don't need a horoscope or a microscope to see the mess that you're in
If you open up your heart You will know what I mean...
Now here's a way for you to get clean
By chanting the names of the lord and you'll be free
The lord is awaiting on you all to awaken and see.

Funny, Peterson doesn't mention being inspired by The Beatles in his explanation for why he wrote The Message: http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/Message-MSG-Bible/.

See this link for more on The Message: http://www.crossroad.to/Bible_studies/Message.html