The Message has faced criticism regarding its faithfulness to original
Hebrew and
Greek Bible manuscripts and its perceived incorporation of terminology and themes associated with the
New Age movement.
New Age undertones Critics argue that
The Message exhibits New Age undertones, drawing parallels to concepts influenced by
Hermeticism and other
metaphysical philosophies propagated by figures like
Helena Blavatsky and the early
Theosophical Society, which significantly shaped New Age spirituality. One notable point of contention is Peterson's inclusion of the Hermetic phrase "
As above, so below" within the
Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:9–13. Warren Smith, a former New Age follower, highlights that this phrase, widely used in New Age circles with metaphysical connotations, replaces the traditional "heaven and earth" in
The Message. Furthermore,
The Message consistently translates the Greek word
Kyrios as "Master Jesus" instead of "
Lord Jesus" throughout the
New Testament. In Theosophical and New Age thought, "
Master Jesus" is frequently understood as one of many "
ascended masters"—enlightened beings believed to offer guidance to humanity. The phrase "the One" is also used approximately one hundred times in
The Message to refer to Jesus and
God. In various New Age belief systems, "the One" commonly denotes a
pantheistic concept of God, where
divinity permeates all things, implying a single interconnected unity. Several passages in
The Message have been identified as potentially reflecting a New Age pantheistic view of God. For instance, its rendering of Ephesians 4:6 states: While traditional
Christian interpretations of Ephesians 4:6 typically refer to God's presence in Christian believers through the
Holy Spirit,
The Message's addition of "Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness" is seen by Smith (2019) as aligning with a pantheistic understanding of God's presence in all things. "Oneness" itself is a term frequently used in New Age contexts to describe a pantheistic view of God.
Inaccuracies Critics also point to instances where
The Message significantly deviates from original biblical texts, leading to what they consider inaccuracies. An example is its interpretation of Galatians 5:22–23:
The Message's addition of "a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people" is argued to contradict the biblical perspective on human sinfulness. == Reactions to criticisms ==