One of the more significant moments in my faith development was when I learned about Eugene Peterson's book, The Message. I was in college at the time, and I was unfamiliar with a paraphrase of the Holy Scriptures. But what I did know was two-fold: First, when I read from The Message, well-known stories of the faith leaped off the page in a way I'd never experienced before; and second, what I was reading was not scripture.
When you paraphrase something, you put it in your own words. A paraphrase of a text is not a translation. When we read and study the Bible, we are reading a translation of the Hebrew or Greek texts that have been passed down and canonized by the Church over the centuries. The work of translating is an exacting endeavor (trust me, you don't want to see my Greek Workbook from seminary). Translation seeks to replicate—in its most literal form—that which was written, passed down and preserved for us.
However, a paraphrase of the text happens when the translated text is put into words that are easier to read and understand. There's a good chance that you are familiar with some of the better-known paraphrases, such as The Good News Bible and The Living Bible. The Good News Bible was written to make God's Word accessible to everyday readers. The Living Bible emerged from one man's desire for his children to understand Bible stories that they shared during family devotions.
See if you notice the difference between a word-for-word translation and a paraphrase of the scripture:
Psalm 77:1-5 from The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (a translation of the original texts)
I cry aloud to God,
aloud to God, that he may hear me.
In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;
in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying;
my soul refuses to be comforted.
I think of God, and I moan;
I meditate, and my spirit faints.
You keep my eyelids from closing;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
I consider the days of old,
and remember the years of long ago.
Psalm 77:1-5 from The Living Bible (a paraphrase of the texts)
I cry to the Lord;
I call and call to him.
Oh, that he would listen.
I am in deep trouble and I need his help so much.
All night long I pray, lifting my hands to heaven, pleading.
There can be no joy for me until he acts.
I think of God and moan, overwhelmed with longing for his help.
I cannot sleep until you act.
I am too distressed even to pray!
I keep thinking of the good old days of the past, long since ended.
Psalm 77:1-5 from The Message (a paraphrase of the text)
I yell out to my God, I yell with all my might,
I yell at the top of my lungs. He listens.
I found myself in trouble and went looking for my Lord;
my life was an open wound that wouldn't heal.
When friends said, "Everything will turn out all right,"
I didn't believe a word they said.
I remember God—and shake my head.
I bow my head—then wring my hands.
I'm awake all night—not a wink of sleep;
I can't even say what's bothering me.
I go over the days one by one,
I ponder the years gone by.
I strum my lute all through the night,
wondering how to get my life together.
Why should we care about translations and paraphrases of the Bible? Well, here are a few reasons:
1.) Ignorance does not honor God. When we study the Bible, we must be clear about what God's Word says. Using a well-respected translation for our Bible Study is a must.
2.) If we cannot understand God's Word, it's of little use. In and of itself, a Bible has no value if it only resides on our bedside tables without being opened. The best Bible is the one that we can understand and that we will frequently read.
3.) If your faith feels worn down and stale, consider reading a paraphrase to hear God's Word in a different voice. When we read scripture as a devotion—that is, to make the stories personal and spark our prayer life--a paraphrase invites us to put the scripture in our own words.
As followers of Jesus, we are called to put God's Word into our own words. Just as Jesus is the incarnation of God, our lives become the incarnation of God's Good News. Whether in line at Ingles or online on Facebook, we are paraphrasing (or not, as it were) God's Word all the time. Just as the Early Church shared God's stories at the table, on the road, and around the evening fire, we are called to incorporate God's Word into our lives so that it flows naturally and authentically to others.
In that way, we are all called to paraphrase. We are all called to put Jesus in our own words.