omitting “grace” and “faith” from the text

I was searching for verses on “grace” for a project I’m working on, and I came upon a verse that many have heard before:

• Eph 2:8-10

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.  (ESV)

I need to use a version of the verse that is easy to understand, but I don’t want to use one that twists the meaning to something “more fitting” to what I’m doing.  That would be misusing Scripture.  My two default translations happen to be the New American Standard Bible and the English Standard Version, but I was curious to see what other translations had to offer.  Here’s a broad look:

• Eph 2:8-10, New International Version 
  
  
  8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

• Eph 2:8-10, New King James Version
  
  
  8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

• Eph 2:8-10, The Message
  
  
  8 Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! 
  9 We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing! 
  10 No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.

I was completely stunned when I read these verses in The Message.  He deliberately removes the words “grace” and “faith” from the text.  I understand that Eugene Peterson is trying to get away from “church jargon” to make the Bible easier to grasp, but I will not support his version as being Scripture.  God is not a teacher that waters down His “lessons” to the students’ level.  He is God Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth!  His ways are above our ways, and its our wonderful privilege to seek out His truth and His ways, to long for bigger things, deeper truths.  Any teacher will admit that in order for her students to learn, they need to be offered knowledge that is beyond their grasp—something they need to work at attaining.  It’s not cruel—on the contrary, it’s extremely loving. 

I suppose what bothers me the most is that the general public regards The Message as any other Bible.  New believers are encouraged to read it as if it is a literal translation. It’s not.  It’s a paraphrase… mortal man’s summary of God’s words.  I’m sorry, Eugene Peterson, but the TRUE Message belongs to God, and, whether you intended it or not, people are being deceived into exchanging the immortal God with “images” or “thoughts” brainstormed by humans.  In our own study of the Bible, we may be led to think about the text in some of the same ways that The Message states it, but I am completely content with relying on the Holy Spirit for that understanding.  The LORD is faithful, and His word never goes forth without accomplishing that which it was sent out to do.  That is HIS role, you know. God is a jealous God, and He jealously guards His Word.   The words of other translations of Scripture are completely understandable—we just need to actually apply our minds and rely on the Holy Spirit for understanding. 

One final thought…

I find it interesting that the world has so readily accepted this paraphrase in place of versions such as the NKJV or NASB, or even the NIV.  I doubt a re-write of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice in contemporary language would be so well accepted as the Message.  And that’s a sad thought.