Joanna Bome Kure

When I began to take the Bible more seriously in my mid-to-late teens, it did not take long for me to realise that the Bible is, in addition to being the Word of God, a literary and historical book. However, this realisation remained personal until I began to read Eugene H. Peterson’s ‘The Message Remix: The Bible in Contemporary Language’ (The Message). In this paraphrase, it was easier to see the depth and richness of Scripture. A depth that was masked in the King James Version (KJV), I was more familiar with because I was too far removed from that version’s language.

Having already developed a growing ability to read literature and history critically, it was easy to apply my rudimentary skills to the study of the Bible. Literary devices like metaphors were easier to recognise, and I started to appreciate the gospels as well-written stories. Also, with the aid of Petersen’s commentaries, I began to understand that biblical cultures, places and times mattered. Jesus’ Jewishness mattered. The oppression of the Jewish under Rome mattered and so did the crucifixion, all of which add to the historical basis of my faith. And so, I started to see that questions like whether to wear hair attachments or trousers (barring personal convictions) were a gross oversimplification of the purpose of the Laws in Scripture. The result is that I now own my faith as a literary and historical faith rooted in the fact that God’s Word to me is written with style, in different genres, by different authors who wrote for specific purposes, to people who walked and talked within a particular locale.

The Message was gifted to me by my older cousin, Aunty Lois. She had bought it for herself at first, but she gave it to me because I liked it. This Bible has been a companion since 2014 and bears the imprints of my fingers within its pages. It has formed the foundation of my devotion to the study of Scripture, my relationship with God and neighbour, and deepened my love for literature and history in general. As its author intended, reading The Message has metamorphosed into reading other translations to deepen my roots and to read the familiar with different eyes.  But the legacy of reading this life-changing paraphrase lives with me.

And so, in honour of that legacy, here are five (5) noteworthy quotations. Now, I think it is pertinent to note that every word, line, verse, and chapter of the Bible (including this paraphrase) is noteworthy. However, if I were to discuss every noteworthy scribble or dot in the Bible, I would not stop writing. I’m restricting myself to five because it is easier and more prudent. When I read The Message for the first time in 2014, three books had really caught my attention: Matthew, Romans and 1 Corinthians, so I will focus on them. I remember these noteworthy quotations because the highlighters and pens I used were distinct.

Warning: Words Kill

“You’re familiar with the command to the ancients, ‘Do not murder.’ I’m telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother ‘idiot!’ and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill.”

Matthew 5:21-22

I think it was beautifully said that words kill. Somehow, this simple fact got lost in translation, not because any of the translators of other translations failed, but because it is sometimes not easy to relate what one reads to everyday life. Over the years, having read Scripture repeatedly and listened to sermons, these verses were basic, but to an eighteen-year-old immersed in the world of Twitter, an eye-opener. Words kill, so I had to be careful how I spoke, especially on social media. This truth, said in this way, still carries weight for me, even as the world grapples with increasing threats of suicide by young people who have been pushed to kill themselves because of the comments of people on the internet. The people who we have reduced to ‘trolls’ are actual human beings, and it would not be far-fetched to say they have blood on their hands. May God help us.

A Call to Generous and Gracious Living

“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives towards you.”

Matthew 5: 43-48

The perennial instruction in many churches in Nigeria had been to pray for our enemies…to die by fire. Even though this kind of admonition was not common in the church I attended, it seeped in from other sources within my environment. But if God gave sun and rain to nourish our enemies, wouldn’t he also sustain their lives and divert any arrows sent their way? Of the entire six verses, the words that stuck out most were ‘generously’ and ‘graciously’. The idea that one could live generously and graciously seemed alien because these were not qualities the world acculturated me to possess. The world’s prescription has been ‘live greedily and scornfully – one-up others to get ahead and do not slack’. Even today, when we say, ‘no gree for anybody,’ we speak the language of the world – my way or the highway. I hadn’t, at the time, begun to work out ways to live generously or graciously. I do not think I have gotten the hang of it, but these verses have stayed with me since then, coming to mind every now and then, shaping me to live out my God-given identity.

No Shortcuts to God

“Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.”

Matthew 7: 13-14

These verses speak for themselves. I can see why I highlighted the words, “Don’t look for shortcuts to God,” in green. Staying on the straight and narrow path is not for the faint-hearted, and there are many times when I do want to take a shortcut. But I’m still trudging the route as others are. These verses set the tone for me, and I am hoping by the grace of God to continue on it.

The Call to Live Responsibly as a Citizen

“Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it’s God’s order. So live responsibly as a citizen. If you’re irresponsible to the state, then you’re irresponsible with God, and God will hold you responsible. Duly constituted authorities are only a threat if you’re trying to get by with something. Decent citizens should have nothing to fear. “

Romans 13:1-3

My growing faith and interest in government and history converged here. Since then, it has shaped my view of government and leadership. Whether a leader is democratically elected or foisted upon its citizens, the end of the matter is that such government is under God. God has allowed Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, Great Britain, and, in recent years, the United States of America to rise in power for reasons best known to him. God has used these empires, despite their great evil, for his purposes. Because the Bible has shaped my understanding of God’s sovereignty, I have grown to understand that His allowing wicked and corrupt leaders to govern does not deter His good purposes. But what role do I play in history? I am learning each day to take Jeremiah’s admonition in chapter twenty-nine seriously. Like the exiled Jews in Babylon, I am learning to play my part, pray to God on behalf of my government and learning to seek the welfare of my country.

Be God’s Fool

Don’t fool yourself. Don’t think that you can be wise merely by being up-to-date with the times. Be God’s fool—that’s the path to true wisdom. What the world calls smart, God calls stupid. It’s written in Scripture, He exposes the chicanery of the chic. The Master sees through the smoke screens of the know-it-alls.”

1 Corinthians 3:18-20

I do not remember for sure why I underlined this, but it must have meant something to me. Now, though, it means a lot more. Being God’s fool is such a taxing business because one always seems to be left behind while the whole world keeps spinning. To be God’s fool is to take the path he has chosen for me, even when I wouldn’t choose it for myself. It is learning to remember that I am not the one in control, choosing peace over burnout and remembering, whenever I forget, that the ways of the world are not always the best.

And there you have it! I pray that these verses inspire you as they continually inspire me. Thank you for reading.