LETTER: Translation of New Testament questioned

Eugene Peterson’s book, “The Message,” came into my household recently, and purports to be a “paraphrase” of Scripture. I was stopped cold when his “paraphrase” of the Lord’s Prayer changed Jesus’ own words!  

“Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed be your name, Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven...” was changed to “Our Father in heaven, reveal who you are, set the world right, do what’s best — As above, so below.” WHAT!? Mr. Peterson has the audacity to change Jesus’ own words and say he really meant to use this New Age phrase — “as above, so below”?  

According to www.themystica.com, “This phrase comes from the beginning of 'The Emerald Tablet' and embraces the entire system of traditional and modern magic which was inscribed upon the tablet in cryptic wording by Hermes Trismegistus. The significance of this phrase is that it is believed to hold the key to all mysteries. All systems of magic are claimed to function by this formula."

Quoting themystica.com, “‘That which is above is the same as that which is below’ ... Macrocosmos is the same as microcosmos. The universe is the same as God, God is the same as man, man is the same as the cell, the cell is the same as the atom, the atom is the same as... and so on, ad infinitum.”

This message theorizes that man is the counterpart of God on earth; as God is man’s counterpart in heaven. Therefore, it is a statement of an ancient belief that man’s actions on earth parallel the actions of God in heaven. This pivots on the belief that “all things have their birth from this One Thing by adaptation.”

Each person has a right to believe what they choose to believe. My hope is that each person will investigate what they are hearing and then choose. Jesus said that “in the last days, many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ, follow me..’” Jim Jones had such a following — please investigate. Choose wisely. —Glenda Brown, Kalispell