Passionate for Truth: If you are a born-again Christian, do you use the JW Bible or Book of Mormon? What if I told you that Jesus appeared to me with insight into re-translating the Bible? What If I added words to the Bible and made it available for Christians everywhere?
“I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”
Revelation 22:18-19
“And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.”
Deuteronomy 4:1-2
“Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.”
Proverbs 30:5-6
In the Garden with Eve and in the dessert with Jesus, Satan used the Word of God too...
If I told you that Jesus came into my room, spoke to me, and told me that He would teach me secrets of the original biblical languages, that He gave me “downloads” to help me re-translate the Bible, and then that He even brought me to a library in heaven where I saw (and was promised to later be given) an additional book to the Bible (John 22)... you would rightly call me a heretic - we have clear biblical instruction on how to spot heretics and false teachers, how to keep God’s Word and message clear and unadulterated, how to know what the real Gospel message is, who the biblical Jesus is, and how to be saved...
What if I had translated the Bible, and made it “easier to understand” and full of “new revelations” - in fact, just the book of Psalms is 50% longer, because the words God showed me to use, have doubled the script. But that I usually (not always) use italics to show any additions/changes... would you want a copy? Would you use it as a Bible for studying and for teaching/preaching (as your main text or even as a ‘supplementary’ text)?
(Most) Christians today have the blessing, privilege, (and great responsibility) of having God’s written Word available to us, in our own languages. We have several different choices when it comes to reading the Bible in English- and now with the oldest (found) Greek manuscripts available to us (the language that the NT was written in, as opposed to translating from a ‘translation’ of Latin or Aramaic), we have both literal Word-for-Word, and also thought-for-thought translations -and I personally like to compare them for a fuller understanding.
...if you want to know more about how we got the Bible in the first place and how we can trust it, send me a note and I will send you some information... those who translate have (or must have) training and education in the original Hebrew and Greek languages, as well as in in the English language - and they MUST work as a team of scholars, (yes, we have a couple of examples of sole translators who were imprisoned or persecuted and trying to get the Bible into the common language of the people, but that is an exception, which cannot be applied today).
There are “paraphrases” of the bible, like The Message, which are NOT the inspired and authoritative Word of God, but are one man’s interpretation of it, which (might be) helpful but are not meant to be used as a sole Bible for study nor for preaching and teaching. Even popular charismatic leaders (and apologists), like Dr. Michael Brown (as written in The Christian Post), say that it is not a Bible, and while (possibly) useful, should not be used as a Bible. The publishers (NAV Press) published it originally as a “novel” not as a “bible”...
And then there are Bible “translations” used by Christian “sects”:
The New World Translation, made by Jehovah’s Witnesses for Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Mormons (or LDS, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), use the King James Bible AND the Book of Mormon (which was written by Joseph Smith as another testament of Jesus Christ, from personal revelation). An interesting note, I think, is that a lot of other religions, like Christian Scientists and even New Agers, also use the KJV.
Catholics also have their own Bible.
And there is The Passion Translation (TPT), which changes and adds to God’s Word! This is a fairly new Bible ‘translation’, which is alarmingly growing in popularity.
Here is what an expert has to say about TPT:
Andrew G. Shead is the head of Old Testament & Hebrew at Moore Theological College, Sydney, and is a member of the NIV Committee on Bible Translation. This is what he said about TPT, when only the Psalms were available:
Here is what an expert has to say about TPT:
Andrew G. Shead is the head of Old Testament & Hebrew at Moore Theological College, Sydney, and is a member of the NIV Committee on Bible Translation. This is what he said about TPT, when only the Psalms were available:
“Brian Simmons has made a new translation of the Psalms (and now the whole New Testament) which aims to ‘re-introduce the passion and fire of the Bible to the English reader.’ He achieves this by abandoning all interest in textual accuracy, playing fast and loose with the original languages, and inserting so much new material into the text that it is at least 50% longer than the original. The result is a strongly sectarian translation that no longer counts as Scripture; by masquerading as a Bible it threatens to bind entire churches in thrall to a false god.”
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It is made by a single translator, Brian Simmons (the website claims he doesn’t work alone, but he provides no published names of trained bible-translators nor scholars who work with him). Instead, he claims special revelation from God (see his interview with Sid Roth, linked below) - and, he outright lies about his credentials.
(You can do your own research to check this- Mike Winger at biblethinker.org has done some great investigative reporting - but Simmons states that he is a “linguist” and a “translator”, and that he translated the Bible (and completed the work), for the Kuna people in Panama, yet he was there in the 1980’s and according to Wycliffe, the Kuna bible wasn’t complete until 1992 -and he is not listed as a translator. He and his wife were missionaries as part of a church plant, but they were not linguists and were not bible translators - you can contact the mission organization that they worked under, which is now called Ethnos360 (was New Tribes). His doctorate is from the Wagner University...
Here are some examples of how TPT changes and adds to God’s Word (you can check more by going to Bible Gateway and opening 2 translations at once -then maybe write to Bible Gateway, which I did, to ask them to remove TPT):
For added clarity, I will post 3 common English Translations; English Standard Version (ESV), New International Version (NIV), and The King James Version (KJV), and then show The Passion Translation of the same verse(s).
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It is made by a single translator, Brian Simmons (the website claims he doesn’t work alone, but he provides no published names of trained bible-translators nor scholars who work with him). Instead, he claims special revelation from God (see his interview with Sid Roth, linked below) - and, he outright lies about his credentials.
(You can do your own research to check this- Mike Winger at biblethinker.org has done some great investigative reporting - but Simmons states that he is a “linguist” and a “translator”, and that he translated the Bible (and completed the work), for the Kuna people in Panama, yet he was there in the 1980’s and according to Wycliffe, the Kuna bible wasn’t complete until 1992 -and he is not listed as a translator. He and his wife were missionaries as part of a church plant, but they were not linguists and were not bible translators - you can contact the mission organization that they worked under, which is now called Ethnos360 (was New Tribes). His doctorate is from the Wagner University...
Here are some examples of how TPT changes and adds to God’s Word (you can check more by going to Bible Gateway and opening 2 translations at once -then maybe write to Bible Gateway, which I did, to ask them to remove TPT):
For added clarity, I will post 3 common English Translations; English Standard Version (ESV), New International Version (NIV), and The King James Version (KJV), and then show The Passion Translation of the same verse(s).
John 1:1,2:
ESV: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.”
NIV: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.”
KJV: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.”
(Note the Jehovah’s Witness version and how it changes this verse too! Changing even one iota of the Bible provides for the ability to create entire doctrines and religions, which differ from biblical and orthodox Christianity (which is equally true of TPT - and also happens when taking small portions of scripture out of context, like, “thou shalt not judge...”)
JW: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god. This one was in the beginning with God”
TPT: “In the very beginning the Living Expression was already there. And the Living Expression was with God, yet fully God. They were together— face-to-face, in the very beginning.”
Galatians 1:3-5:
ESV: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
NIV: “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
KJV: “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
TPT: “I pray over you a release of the blessings of God’s undeserved kindness and total well-being that flows from our Father - God and from the Lord Jesus. He’s the Anointed Messiah who offered himself as the sacrifice for our sins! He has taken us out of this evil world system and set us free through our salvation, just as God desired. All the glory will go to God alone, throughout time and eternity. Amen!”
Ephesians 5:21-25:
ESV: “...submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her...”
NIV: “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her...”
KJV: “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; ...”
TPT: “And out of your reverence for Christ be supportive of each other in love. For wives, this means being supportive to your husbands like you are tenderly devoted to our Lord, for the husband provides leadership for the wife, just as Christ provides leadership for his church, as the Savior and Reviver of the body. In the same way the church is devoted to Christ, let the wives be devoted to their husbands in everything. And to the husbands, you are to demonstrate love for your wives with the same tender devotion that Christ demonstrated to us, his bride. For he died for us, sacrificing himself...”
Psalm 18:1,2:
ESV: “I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
NIV: “I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
KJV: “I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”
TPT: “I passionately love you and I’m bonded to you, for now you’ve become my power! You’re as real to me as bedrock beneath my feet, like a castle on a cliff, my forever firm fortress, my mountain of hiding, my pathway of escape, my tower of rescue where none can reach me. My secret strength and shield around me, you are salvation’s ray of brightness shining on the hillside, always the champion of my cause.”
For this next example, look at Proverbs 31, I will put a good portion, but you can look up the whole chapter. The Passion Translation completely changes the meaning of this entire chapter! This is not a translation - Brain Simmons (or spiritual revelation) distorts God’s Word with this interpretation.
Proverbs 31:10-31
ESV: “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar. She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet. She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant. Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.”
(Bold and underline added by me, to emphasize some of the changes/additions that are not close to any other translation)
TPT:
“Who could ever find a wife like this one— she is a woman of strength and mighty valor! She’s full of wealth and wisdom. The price paid for her was greater than many jewels. Her husband has entrusted his heart to her, for she brings him the rich spoils of victory. All throughout her life she brings him what is good and not evil. She searches out continually to possess that which is pure and righteous. She delights in the work of her hands. She gives out revelation-truth to feed others. She is like a trading ship bringing divine supplies from the merchant. Even in the night season she arises and sets food on the table for hungry ones in her house and for others. She sets her heart upon a nation and takes it as her own, carrying it within her. She labors there to plant the living vines. She wraps herself in strength, might, and power in all her works. She tastes and experiences a better substance, and her shining light will not be extinguished, no matter how dark the night. She stretches out her hands to help the needy and she lays hold of the wheels of government. She is known by her extravagant generosity to the poor, for she always reaches out her hands to those in need. She is not afraid of tribulation, for all her household is covered in the dual garments of righteousness and grace. Her clothing is beautifully knit together— a purple gown of exquisite linen. Her husband is famous and admired by all, sitting as the venerable judge of his people. Even her works of righteousness she does for the benefit of her enemies. Bold power and glorious majesty are wrapped around her as she laughs with joy over the latter days. Her teachings are filled with wisdom and kindness as loving instruction pours from her lips. She watches over the ways of her household and meets every need they have. Her sons and daughters arise in one accord to extol her virtues, and her husband arises to speak of her in glowing terms. “There are many valiant and noble ones, but you have ascended above them all!” Charm can be misleading, and beauty is vain and so quickly fades, but this virtuous woman lives in the wonder, awe, and fear of the Lord. She will be praised throughout eternity. So go ahead and give her the credit that is due, for she has become a radiant woman, and all her loving works of righteousness deserve to be admired at the gateways of every city!”
We need to be discerning, and warn and protect the sheep from wolves that “sneak in unnoticed”. If you use this translation, it is important to be informed about where it came from...
Here is a link to the transcript of Brian Simmon’s interview with Sid Roth for those who prefer to read, though I highly recommend actually watching the interview (from about 5 yrs ago), and here is a link to the same interview, in full and with reenactment, on YouTube. - which clearly show that this translation is equal in validity to the Book of Mormon, as it comes from a spiritual encounter that he claims to be with Jesus- some doubt his visions, especially given how he has lied about his credentials and how his timeline for providing a Bible to the Kuna people does not line up with Wycliffe and Ethnos360. I personally do not actually doubt the visions and “downloads”; he has written this translation in the same way that so many other books are admittedly written, and in the same way that other religious information, like the Enneagram were written ...
The TPT website states:
“The Passion Translation (TPT) is a new, heart-level translation, using Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic manuscripts, that expresses God’s fiery heart of love to this generation, merging the emotion and life-changing truth of God’s Word.
Many wonderful versions of our Bible now grace our bookshelves, bookstores, software programs, even apps on our phones. Why add one more? The reason is simple: God longs to have his Word expressed in every language in a way that unlocks the passion of his heart.
The goal of TPT is to trigger inside every reader an overwhelming response to the truth of the Bible, revealing the deep mysteries of the Scriptures in the love language of God, the language of the heart. If you’re hungry for God and want to know him on a deeper level, TPT will help you encounter God’s heart and discover what he has for your life.”
Common words that Simmons has added (or multiplied), are those used in the New Apostolic Reformation movement (keep reading) especially words like, “realm”, “empower”, “supernatural”, “anointed”, “religious” (as a negative term, ie ‘religious spirit’), and “Passion”. (Here is an example, made by Mike Winger, comparing only equal portions of scripture):
One of my next blogs will give more information on the NAR, on some definitions of terms, and then some links to some good books, blogs, and channels, but the main objective of this blog post is to warn against the use of the Passion Translation (TPT) - any translation based on special revelation, which changes the Word of God needs to be avoided by born again Christians, and calls for pastors everywhere to clearly warn about/against!
WAIT! ARE WE JUDGING? ISN’T JUDGING A SIN? ARE WE ALLOWED TO JUDGE BRIAN SIMMONS OR THE NAR OR THIS BIBLE TRANSLATION?
CLICK HERE TO READ MY BLOG POST (FULL OF SCRIPTURE!), THAT SHOWS THE MANDATE THAT WE HAVE AS CHRISTIANS TO, YES, JUDGE.
And here are some links to more or similar information about The Passion Translation:
- Alisa Childers Blog (& podcast): https://www.alisachilders.com/blog/heres-why-christians-should-be-concerned-about-the-passion-translation-of-the-bible
- Wycliffe on the Kuna: https://www.moodybible.org/news/education/2015/wycliffe-presents-first-edition-of-kuna-bible-to-moody/
- Peer-Review by Andrew Shead, the head of Old Testament and Hebrew at Moore Theological College, Sydney, and is a member of the NIV Committee on Bible Translation: https://themelios.thegospelcoalition.org/article/burning-scripture-with-passion-a-review-of-the-psalms-passion-translation/
- Got Questions re: TPT: https://www.gotquestions.org/Passion-Translation.html
- Holly Pivec, Spirit of Error Blog (also check out her books- she is a researcher and co-author of books that clearly explain the NAR): http://www.spiritoferror.org/2018/06/important-facts-about-the-passion-translation/7962
- Mike Winger has done a lot of research, and talked to those who worked with Simmons (and tried to talk to Simmons), and has a number of YouTube videos (some with transcripts): https://biblethinker.org/~biblethinker/index.php/search?searchword=The%20Passion%20Translation&ordering=newest&searchphrase=all
- 5.20 on this YouTube video, shows the word comparison that I posted above: https://youtu.be/ZcRNFqUXLUQ
11 I wish you would bear with me [Paul] in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! 2 For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 3 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. 5 Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. 6 Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.
7 Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God's gospel to you free of charge? 8 I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. 9 And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way. 10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia. 11 And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
12 And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do.13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. (2 Corinthians 11)