Churches and Bible Apps Quietly Drop The Passion Translation

The Passion Translation is being pulled from churches and Bible apps as years of plagiarism and credential allegations gained renewed attention. In recent weeks, Bethel Church in Redding, California stopped selling its special edition, the Life Bible app removed the translation from a platform with about 1.5 million subscribers, and longtime TPT advocate Damon Thompson posted a public apology on his ministry’s website.

The wave follows an investigation released this month by the YouTube channel Minor Prophets, with contributions from apologist Mike Winger, the California-based Bible teacher who has argued for years that the translation is unreliable. The investigation alleges that lead translator Brian Simmons misrepresented his educational background and translation credentials and that portions of the translation were heavily plagiarized. Critics have framed TPT as a devotional paraphrase for years.

Churches and Bible Apps Pull Support

The platforms that have dropped The Passion Translation span Christian publishing, digital reading apps, and one of the most influential congregations in the modern charismatic movement. Bible Gateway removed TPT in 2022 after consulting translation scholars. Life Bible, with about 1.5 million subscribers, removed TPT last week, per a statement given to The Christian Post. Bethel Church in Redding, California stopped selling its special edition in the same window.

TPT’s own website still sells the translation and still hosts a video endorsement from Bethel Senior Pastor Bill Johnson. The current reversals follow a petition calling on YouVersion, the world’s most downloaded Bible app, to drop the translation, and that petition has gathered more than 17,000 signatures since the renewed attention began. Critics have pointed to the volume of exits as evidence that the criticism is moving from the margins to the mainstream. At a glance:

• Over 17,000 signatures on the YouVersion removal petition
• Approximately 1.5 million Life Bible app subscribers
• 2022: Bible Gateway removed TPT after consulting translation scholars
• 2017: The Passion Translation first published

Bethel Quietly Pulls Its Edition

Bethel’s special edition was a notable commercial endorsement of The Passion Translation. The edition featured a 16-page foreword written by Bethel Senior Pastor Bill Johnson, who leads the Redding congregation. The webpage advertising the edition remains live. The “shop now” link ceased functioning last week.

The silent takedown is consistent with how several organizations have distanced themselves from TPT. No press release has been issued. Bethel has not publicly commented on the change. The web page itself remains live, with no path to purchase. TPT’s own site still features a video endorsement from Johnson.

The defection carries weight because Bethel has long been among TPT’s louder boosters in charismatic and Pentecostal circles. Other institutions have taken similar steps. The combined weight of those quiet exits is what is making the current wave public.

A Longtime Defender Says He Was Wrong

Damon Thompson, founder of Damon Thompson Ministries and senior leader at The Homestead in Mobile, Alabama, has built much of his teaching around The Passion Translation. In a video posted on social media and a statement on his ministry’s website, Thompson announced he was withdrawing his endorsement. The reversal came after he learned that “the scholarly foundation upon which The Passion Translation was built is not what it was represented to be.” Thompson had championed TPT for years, recommending it to family, ministry students, and congregation members.

Credentials have been misrepresented, and source material has been used without attribution.

Thompson wrote the words on his ministry’s website. He had particularly relied on TPT’s treatment of Aramaic passages because of his limited knowledge of the language. “I no longer have that confidence,” Thompson wrote. His apology extended to instances in which he had repeated information from TPT that he now believed to be inaccurate.

Thompson drew a careful line between the translation’s authenticity issues and what readers had experienced through it. “I am not saying that the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those who encountered God through that translation was not real,” he wrote. “I am saying that the foundation was not what we were told it was, and integrity demands acknowledgment of that reality.” The reversal lands in the same week as the platform exits, and Thompson’s apology cites the credential and plagiarism allegations that the Minor Prophets investigation brought back into focus.

The Investigation Behind the Wave

The current wave of reversals tracks closely with a multi-hour investigation released this month by the YouTube channel Minor Prophets. The long-form investigation that triggered the reversals featured contributions from apologist Mike Winger and has driven much of the renewed attention on TPT.

Top scholars from a variety of Christian backgrounds unanimously say this is not a reliable Bible translation. And they are not just against paraphrases or persecuting the work as Brian Simmons has suggested.

The investigation alleges that lead translator Brian Simmons misrepresented his credentials and that portions of the translation were heavily plagiarized, alongside other allegations. Critics of TPT have framed the work as a devotional paraphrase for years. The video reinforced that framing by going step by step through TPT’s claimed sources.

Scholars and apologists have also challenged claims Simmons has made about the origins of the project. Simmons has described a visit from an angel he named “Passion” that he said inspired the translation. Critics across denominational lines have pointed to that account as one of the reasons they treat TPT as a paraphrase.

In 2023, Winger posted similar arguments on his account, with the broader case laid out in Winger’s 2023 thread on TPT reliability. Winger has run a playlist cataloguing academic reviews of TPT and has spent years arguing that the work contains problematic additions unsupported by the original biblical languages. Other critics across denominational lines have circulated similar arguments, and the latest reversals have come in the same window as the new video.

Years of Warnings Catch Up

Winger’s years of criticism set the table for this month’s reversals, but he is not the only voice that had raised concerns. Bible Gateway removed TPT in 2022 after consulting translation scholars, and TPT has faced sustained online criticism since. A petition calling on YouVersion to follow suit has gained more than 17,000 signatures under the renewed attention. Critics have said that what is different now is the volume of defections inside a single month.

The TPT website still describes the work as a translation that “uses Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic manuscripts to express God’s fiery heart of love to this generation, merging the emotion and life-changing truth of God’s Word.” Critics have argued for years that the work reads as a devotional paraphrase. TPT’s own marketing has not publicly addressed the wave of reversals. The arc, in order:

1. 2022: Bible Gateway removes TPT after consulting translation scholars.
2. 2023: Mike Winger publishes a post arguing top scholars reject the translation.
3. This month: The Minor Prophets channel releases a multi-hour investigation with Winger’s contribution.
4. This month: Bethel stops selling its special edition; Life Bible drops TPT; Damon Thompson withdraws his endorsement.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Passion Translation?

The Passion Translation is a Bible paraphrase first published in 2017 by lead translator Brian Simmons. Its website describes the work as a translation that “uses Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic manuscripts to express God’s fiery heart of love to this generation, merging the emotion and life-changing truth of God’s Word.” Critics have argued for years that the work functions as a devotional paraphrase.

Why are churches pulling support from The Passion Translation?

Churches and leaders cite allegations that the translation contains heavy plagiarism and that Brian Simmons misrepresented his educational and translation credentials. The reversals followed an investigation by the YouTube channel Minor Prophets, with contributions from Mike Winger. Critics have also questioned the framing of TPT as a formal translation.

Which Bible platforms have removed The Passion Translation?

Bible Gateway removed the translation in 2022 after consulting translation scholars. Life Bible, an app with approximately 1.5 million subscribers, removed it last week. A petition calling on YouVersion, the world’s most downloaded Bible app, to follow suit has gathered more than 17,000 signatures.

Who is Brian Simmons?

Brian Simmons is the lead translator of The Passion Translation. He has described the project as inspired by a visit from an angel he named “Passion,” an account critics across denominational lines have challenged. Critics have separately raised questions about his educational background and translation credentials.

Will YouVersion remove The Passion Translation?

YouVersion has not announced a removal decision as of publication. A petition asking the platform to drop the translation has gathered more than 17,000 signatures. YouVersion has not commented on the petition directly.