It seems like one of the trendiest translations around is the Passion Translations. However, like most things, Christians will gobble up anything that has the label “Christian” slapped on it (not you though), without even verifying if it actually is. That may sound harsh or overstated, but it’s true. Most people have no clue about anything concerning The Passion Translation; besides, they can buy one at their local Christian bookstore.

However, there are some things people need to know about the Passion Translation to make an educated decision about whether or not they want to keep reading it, using it, and taking what it says as truth. Otherwise, you could be falling for lies masquerading as truth.

Here’s What You Should Know About The Passion Translation:

The Passion Translation is not a translation or even a paraphrase, but a reworded and rewritten Bible, intended to support a particular belief system within Christianity. It was “translated” by a single author, Brian Simmons, and that “translation” reflects his personal theology, and it appears to be deliberately written in order to promote it.

The Translation

The Passion Translation includes additions to scripture that do not appear in the original manuscripts, and it uses phrases meant to draw out God’s “tone” and “heart” in each passage. This might be acceptable if it were labeled a paraphrase, but it is not. It is adamantly promoted as being a translation. It is not. That is not how you translate words. It actually goes beyond the idea of “translation” and reimagines the Bible as Simmons thinks it ought to be written.

When it comes to translating, the Passion Translation is not about finding corresponding words in different languages or presenting original words in a new language that actual translations do. It is simply one man’s (poor) attempt to paraphrase the Bible to promote his own theology. Unlike many established translations, The Passion Translation has not undergone extensive peer review by a diverse group of biblical scholars. This is especially problematic because it was “translated” by a single person. For years after it was first released, there were no names associated with the “translation consultants” that supposedly oversaw Simmons’ work. After several calls for the names to be released, some were. However, there is little evidence that this team provided the academic oversight one would expect from a credible translation.

Other issues with the actual translation part of it is that it introduces unique terminology and concepts not found in other translations. Examples of this include using the word “embrace” instead of “believe,” “wine barrel” for “wineskin,” “grace reversal” for “receiving grace upon grace,” and “Passion and War” for “Jealous and Avenging God.” It even includes what it claims to be Aramaic prayers or phrases in certain passages, even though the original biblical texts are primarily in Hebrew and Greek. This inclusion is not found in most other translations and demonstrates the issue of a single translator.

One of the main original texts that Simmons translated his translation from was the “Syriac (Aramaic) Peshitta,” used by various Orthodox and Catholic denominations. This manuscript is actually from the fifth century and is in a different dialect than that which was spoken by Jesus and the New Testament church. There are many more issues with his translating, but in short, he’s using a poor translation to translate his poor translation. Many scholars even view this manuscript as a translation from a previous Greek manuscript. For us non-Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic readers, we don’t understand how good or bad the translation is or isn’t. However, for the honest scholar who does understand these languages, they clearly cite this as a terrible translation and even wonder where Simmons got some of his translations.

The Translator

What kind of qualifications does Brain Simmons have to merit being the sole translator on a Bible translation? None. In fact, during an interview, Brian Simmons stated, “I had minimal background in biblical languages, so yeah, it was something that, honestly, something the Lord has really helped me with.” He lacks the academic credentials typically expected for Bible translators. Most translators of major Bible versions hold advanced degrees in biblical languages, textual criticism, and theology. Simmons does not have formal training in any of these areas.

I’m sure he might be helpful as part of a team of translators. Actually, no, he wouldn’t. Why would I say that? Well, look at something else that most people don’t know about the single translator of The Passion Translation.

Simmons claims that Jesus personally appeared to him in 2009 and called him to create his translation. That’s plausible. It’s believable. That has happened throughout scripture, even throughout history. God can do such things. But then you get the details. Simmons said that Jesus promised to help him and give him secrets of the Hebrew language, and that he felt “downloads” coming instantly. Just so everyone knows, there are no “secrets” to the Hebrew language. Simmons has claimed to have received new, divine revelation that has given him special authority and insight to translate the Bible and to reveal new Scripture in the coming days. He claims that during this visitation, Jesus Christ literally visited him in his room, breathed on him (giving him the “the spirit of revelation”), and commissioned him to write a new translation of the Bible.

All of this was relayed to Sid Roth on his television show when Simmons was a guest in 2015. It was during the program that he claimed that Jesus revealed to him a new chapter of the Bible. This happened when Jesus took him to the library of Heaven and said that one day the Lord would take him back there and give him this book.

If that isn’t enough to make someone stop and think, what is?

Other Points

The Passion Translation is considered so bad that Bible Gateway (which offers dozens of translations on their site) has removed it from their website. They cite that critics have argued that it does not meet the rigorous standards of a traditional translation.

With so many other good translations of the Bible out there, why would someone want to include such a bad one in their library, especially if it’s their main Bible translation? The truth is that it’s not a matter of good or bad translation per se; it’s a matter of…well, truth.

Is what The Passion Translation presents as being the Word of God actually the Word of God? Does it reflect God’s original intent, and the words that were written in the original language as best as possibly can be translated from one language to another? The answer is a resounding no.

The truth is that it is a matter of truth. Again, if The Passion Translation would drop the facade and call itself The Passion Paraphrase, there might not be that big of an issue. You don’t have the publishers and editors of the Message going around declaring that it is a translation. Why? Because it is clearly a paraphrase, and they know it. So is The Passion.

However, I’m pretty sure the editors of the Message have never stated that Jesus Christ appeared to them, translated them to Heaven, and shown them glimpses of the ‘lost book of the Bible.’

There are far better choices of Bible translations to study than one created by a person who doesn’t have the skills to do the job and won’t even admit that it’s a paraphrase, not a translation.

That’s not all, though. In fact, there’s a lot more, like his theological bias. In fact, enough people have realized that bias to the point that it is now addressed in the FAQ on The Passion’s website. But there’s even more than that. So much that I put together a PDF of all the issues surrounding The Passion. You can get that free PDF at the link below.

Remember, no matter what it is in life—including a Bible translation—stay with the Word of God and the Spirit of God.

Download the Free “The Controversy Of The Passion Translation Fact Sheet” Here