To the readers of 『Message』
Prologue to the Gospel of Mark
Gospel of Mark

“The message is the Bible you read!
“700,000 readers have read The Message, and they continue to do so.”

In addition to the Global Village Church, Sarang Church, Onnuri Church, Samil Church, Bundang Woori Church, Nampo Church, Seoul Yeongdong Church, Seoul Eunhyeon Church, Seoul Dream Church, Basic Church, Hyangsang Church, Oryun Church, Suyeong-ro Church, Manna Church, Ulsan Church, Ansan Dongsan Church, Jesus Village Church, Ilsan Eunhye Church, Bundang Dure Church, Gwacheon Church, Seomun Church, Busan Bujeon Church, Dongan Church, Jangseok Church, Incheon Juan Methodist Church, Gangnam District of the Christian Holiness Church of Korea, missionary organizations IVF, CCC, JOY, ESF, UBF, YWAM, Far East Broadcasting, Ministry of National Defense Military Chaplaincy, BBB (Workplace Bible Study Group), and G&M Cultural Foundation, many churches and organizations recommend or use 『The Message』 as a Bible to be read, and use it as a reference text for sermons, Bible study, and personal meditation.

The Message is a readable Bible written in everyday language.

The Message began with a pastor's passion to get his congregation reading the Bible.
“How refreshing it would be if church members could read the Bible in its original text…” I thought to myself, and began translating the book of Galatians into the everyday language used by church members so that they could get closer to the Bible.
Those who read the translation, which took a year to complete, found that the Bible was a book that could be read, understood, and read without any help.
Because the Bible was written in the language we use on the streets, in the marketplace, and at the dinner table, the everyday language we use with our families, friends, and colleagues.

The Message is a Bible that faithfully translates the original text of the Bible.

"The Message" is the culmination of a lifetime of experience by Eugene Peterson, a scholar who has spent his entire life reading, studying, and teaching the Bible in its original language, and who has also served as a pastor for 35 years.
Rather than a direct translation, of which there are already many good translations, he paraphrased the original text in contemporary language to convey its meaning more vividly and impressively.
I spent 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, on this translation project for 10 years.
In this way, The Message is a personal translation based on one person's theological, pastoral, and historical background, but it has been academically verified through the review of trusted Old and New Testament scholars in North America.

The Message is a Bible that follows the tradition of Bible translation.

William Tyndale, one of the greatest Bible translators of the 16th century, said he would translate the Bible so that “a boy who plows the field may read it.”
Following the tradition of translation that requires everyone to read it in the language of the time, the Bible has been constantly retranslated to suit new times and readers.
It was because of this precious tradition that everyone could access the gospel message through the Bible, which everyone could read.
The Message also follows the long history and tradition of Bible translation.

The Message is the Bible chosen by 10 million readers.

Since the publication of the New Testament in 1993 and the complete translation in 2002, 10 million readers in the English-speaking world alone have chosen to read The Message.
As a "Bible beside the Bible," not only supporting and superbly complementing the existing Bible, but also bringing the meaning of the text to life, The Message is the most widely read and cited of all the Semantic Bibles.

The Message is the Bible for you.

Whether you are a first-time Bible reader or someone who has been reading for so long that it feels so familiar that it feels unfamiliar, someone who wants to study the Bible or someone who wants to meditate deeply on the Word alone, a preacher or Sunday school teacher who teaches the Bible, a seeker or non-believer who feels the need to read the Bible… The Message is the Bible for you.