The Kingdom Come

Okay, you've heard sermons where the speaker takes a bit of liberty in applying a text to you personally, even ignoring the actual context of the passage. But this Personal Promise Bible version actually will replace pronouns like you, we, my, and us with your own name. Ummm, I don't think this is what the phrase "the Bible is written not to you but for you" means.

I would feel rather narcissistic having this Bible version, not to mention how it distorts context. I am however curious if whatever program they use to convert the pronouns has been tweaked enough to watch out for pronouns associated with Satan and Judas so that your name won't be inserted there. Or, maybe our names should be inserted in places where we feel uncomfortable seeing ourselves; such as Job 13:23 -

"How many are [Roderick's] iniquities and sins? make [Roderick] to know [Roderick's] transgression and [Roderick's] sin."

So, while I don't think I would actually want a Bible that has my name replacing pronouns, perhaps it is good to at least sometimes, although knowing the original context think of ourselves in the stead of some of the biblical accounts. I mean it humbles us to think that if we had been Peter, in the situation where Jesus rebuffed Peter for not seeing the purpose in Jesus' coming crucifixion.

"Then [Roderick] took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, 'Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!' But He turned and said to [Roderick], 'Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.'" -- Matthew 16:22-23

And as we see, Peter had to feel pretty humbled if not a bit dejected for the rebuke from Jesus. Sometimes we might think we would have behaved differently if we had been in some of the various situations in the Bible accounts.

I guess to each their own. If this Bible translation helps a person grasp the basics of the Bible message, then so be it.