The Passion Translation (TPT) is a new Bible translation created by Dr. Brian Simmons. It was first published in parts between 2009 and 2018, with the New Testament being completed in 2017. The goal of TPT is to capture the passion and emotion conveyed in the original Bible languages and communicate them in a way that is accessible and engaging for modern readers.
Some key things to know about the Passion Translation:
- It is a meaning-for-meaning translation rather than a word-for-word translation. This means it focuses more on conveying the essence of phrases and passages rather than strict literal accuracy.
- It was translated from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts. However, Dr. Simmons also looked at other translations and relied on divine inspiration in the translation process.
- It uses dynamic equivalence to translate ancient terms and concepts into modern language. The goal is to make the Bible’s message relatable and understandable for today’s readers.
- It has a strong emphasis on translating the emotion and passion conveyed in the original text. Things like Hebrew idioms are translated to capture their intent rather than being overly literal.
- It aims for readability and beauty in the English phrasing. The translation uses expressive language and vivid imagery to draw readers into the text.
- It capitalizes certain pronouns and terms like “Abba” and “Righteous One” to convey theological meaning about the nature of God.
- It translates the Tetragrammaton, God’s Hebrew name transliterated as YHWH, as “Yahweh” instead of LORD as most other translations do.
- It has been translated from scratch for each book rather than relying on existing English translations. The goal is to avoid perpetuating biases or errors in earlier versions.
- It contains extensive footnotes and supplemental materials provided by Dr. Simmons to explain translation choices, textual issues, and historical/cultural background.
Translation Philosophy and Approach
The Passion Translation has a unique translation philosophy that guides how Dr. Simmons approached creating a new Bible version. Here are some key aspects of this philosophy:
- Focus on biblical passages’ passion and inspiration – The goal is to stir the same heartfelt emotions in modern readers as the original writings did for the first audiences.
- Meaning-for-meaning translation – Translating the essence and meaning of phrases is prioritized over strict literal word-for-word accuracy.
- Dynamic equivalence – Ancient terms and concepts are translated into modern language equivalents that convey the same meaning and impact.
- Readability and beauty – Creating expressive, engaging English phrasing is viewed as important for drawing readers into Scripture.
- Capitalization for theological emphasis – Certain pronouns and terms are capitalized to highlight their divine nature and theological significance.
- Fresh translation from original languages – Avoiding reliance on existing English Bible versions allows for an untainted perspective.
- Supplemental materials – Extensive footnotes and background materials help explain translation choices and provide context.
This approach prioritizes conveying the heart and spirit of Scripture in a way that speaks powerfully to contemporary readers. Accurate meaning is pursued but literary beauty and emotional impact are also viewed as critical.
Translation Process
Dr. Brian Simmons took an unusual approach to translating the Passion Translation over nearly a decade of work. Here are some key aspects of his translation process:
- He independently translated each book from the original biblical languages. Most translations rely heavily on existing English versions, but Dr. Simmons started from scratch.
- He spent extended times prayerfully meditating over each book before beginning the translation process. He asked God for guidance to capture the divine voice and passion.
- He claims portions of the translation were supernaturally revealed to him during times of worship. He would then verify the wording against the Greek or Hebrew.
- In preparing draft translations, he consulted lexicons, commentaries, and various Bible versions in the original languages and in English.
- He collaborated with other scholars who provided feedback on drafts. However, he maintained primary control over the final text.
- He extensively revised drafts over many iterations, praying over the word choice and phrasing.
- He added extensive footnotes providing commentary, background information, textual details, and explanations of the translation methodology.
This mystical, worship-fueled process results in a translation that is highly individualized to Dr. Simmons’s personal perspective. Critics argue it makes the translation subject to unsupported personal embellishment.
Features of the Translation
Some key features that characterize the Passion Translation’s English style include:
- Expressive, engaging phrasing – It uses vivid wording, imagery, and sentence structures to create immersive reading experiences.
- Dynamic language – The translation freely uses modern vernacular language, idioms, and grammar to convey sentiments in a relatable way.
- Poetic – It crafts rhythmic, beautiful English phrasing in places like the Psalms to highlight literary artistry.
- Capitalized divine pronouns/terms – Pronouns referring to God or Jesus are capitalized, along with words like “Comforter” referring to the Holy Spirit.
- Names of God – It generally uses “Yahweh” for God’s name and highlights additional Hebrew names and epithets for God.
- Explanatory alternate renderings – Footnotes frequently offer explanatory alternate phrasings to aid understanding.
- Extensive commentary and notes – Footnotes provide extensive background details and commentary on passages.
These characteristics give TPT a very different tone and style from formal equivalence Bible translations. Supporters appreciate the passion and energy conveyed, while critics argue it borders on paraphrase at times.
Praise and Critiques
The Passion Translation has received both high praise and strong criticism from Bible scholars, church leaders, and everyday readers:
Praise
- It successfully conveys the divine inspiration and passion of the original texts in engaging modern language.
- Its phrasing flows beautifully and draws readers into Scripture in a powerful, immersive way.
- It effectively translates Hebrew and Greek idioms into natural modern English equivalents.
- The translation methodology aims to unpack the meaning of passages rather than simply converting words.
- It highlights connections between God’s character and specific names/epithets for God in the Hebrew text.
- It serves an important niche for readers who want an emotionally compelling, experiential reading experience.
Criticisms
- It strays from formal equivalence at times, paraphrasing passages based on interpretive decisions.
- The capitalization of divine pronouns/terms has been criticized as unjustified and theologically questionable.
- Its poetic language occasionally obscures literal meaning and historical context.
- The lone translator creates an individualized, idiosyncratic result compared to committee translations.
- It lacks acceptance from mainstream Bible scholars, without peer-reviewed oversight.
- The extensive commentary in footnotes can be distracting and directs interpretation.
These criticisms lead some to characterize TPT as a personalized paraphrase rather than a standard Bible translation. However, it remains popular with many readers.
Translation Examples and Analysis
Looking at examples from the Passion Translation provides a helpful window into its unique characteristics as a Bible version. Here are a few notable passages and analysis:
John 3:16
For this is how much God loved the world-he gave his one and only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life.
TPT amplifies the emotive language around God’s love, calling Jesus his “one and only, unique Son” rather than only begotten. The last clause is also more experiential, speaking of those who believe “experiencing” everlasting life rather than the more abstract “having” it.
Exodus 3:14
Then God answered Moses, “I Am Who I Am. This is what you must say to the sons of Israel: ‘I Am has sent me to you.'”
TPT preserves the mysterious first-person phrasing of God’s self-description as “I Am Who I Am,” staying close to formal equivalence translations here. The note “I Am” conveys the idea of eternal self-existence implied in the Hebrew.
Psalm 23:1
Yahweh is my best friend and my shepherd.
I always have more than enough.
Calling the Lord “my best friend” is a boldly interpretive choice aimed at relevance and emotional impact for modern readers. Some argue it strays too far from formal equivalence for a standard Bible translation.
Song of Songs 2:3-4
The voice of my lover speaks so sweetly to me,
“Arise my dearest, my fairest one, and come away with me.
For now the winter is past. The cold is over and gone
from the land. The flowers are springing up
and the season of singing birds has come.”
TPT amplifies the emotive, poetic language of this love song. It takes a freer approach to phrasing than formal equivalence translations, which is appropriate to the genre but arguably loses some historical precision.
These examples illustrate TPT’s strengths and weaknesses. At its best, it powerfully conveys the divine inspiration of passages in relatable language. However, many argue its bold interpretive choices should disqualify it as a standard Bible translation.
Popularity and Influence
The Passion Translation has become popular in charismatic and experiential streams of the Christian tradition. Its popularity is due to factors like:
- Its emotional, evocative language resonates with worship-focused Christians desiring a “divine encounter” in Scripture.
- It is endorsed by prominent charismatic leaders like Brian Houston, Patricia King, and Bill Johnson.
- Its phrasing aims to stir passion and wonder at biblical truth, which aligns with charismatic spirituality.
- Its theatrical public readings create immersive experiences favored in Pentecostal-influenced settings.
- Its books are formatted artistically with engaging fonts and imagery, providing an aesthetically compelling product.
However, the translation has limited use in many mainstream denominations and formal Bible education. Some caution against replacement theology undertones in its messaging about Israel. It remains a niche, supplemental version praised by devotees but viewed skeptically in much of the wider Church.
Status as a Translation
There are differing opinions among biblical scholars and church leaders regarding whether The Passion Translation should be considered a legitimate Bible translation:
Reasons suggesting it may not be a translation:
- It strays significantly from formal equivalence translation at times.
- Its capitalization of divine pronouns is unprecedented and difficult to justify from the source texts.
- It contains numerous interpretive embellishments not clearly derived from the original languages.
- Its emotive language occasionally obscures literal/historical meaning.
- It lacks acceptance and peer-reviewed oversight from mainstream biblical scholars.
These factors lead some to conclude TPT is better categorized as a personalized paraphrase or commentary rather than a standard translation.
Reasons suggesting it still qualifies as a translation:
- It was translated directly from Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek source texts for each book.
- It utilizes formal equivalence frequently, while also drawing on dynamic and paraphrase approaches as warranted.
- Its meaning-based translation approach is reasonable, if imperfectly executed.
- Translation requires countless small judgments, always involving some degree of interpretation.
- It aims to convey the divine inspiration behind the text, which could justify heightened language.
By this perspective, TPT falls within the range of what can be considered a legitimate translation, if an idiosyncratic one rejected by many scholars.
Ultimately, there are reasonable arguments on both sides of this debate. The status of The Passion Translation remains disputed within the Christian community.
Copyright and Availability
Copyright on The Passion Translation is owned by Passion & Fire Ministries and BroadStreet Publishing Group. They control publication and distribution of the text. Availability includes:
- Print editions – Multiple print formats of individual books and the full Bible are available for purchase.
- Mobile app – TPT has an official mobile app for Android and iOS providing access on smartphones.
- Website – The full text and many supplemental materials are available free online at www.thepassiontranslation.com.
- Digital editions – It is available in digital formats like Kindle, Nook, Word, and Logos Bible Software.
- Audio editions – The Bible is available as an audio book. Public readings by Simmons are also popular.
These many formats provide easy access digitally or physically for those interested in reading The Passion Translation. However, availability remains limited in many churches and Christian retailers compared to major translations.
Conclusion
The Passion Translation provides a unique, emotionally stirring Bible reading experience that resonates with many Christians today. However, significant critiques of its methodology and fidelity to the source texts prevent it from being accepted as a mainstream translation. It offers insight into a passionate, experiential approach to Scripture, but should be read with discernment and compared to more formal equivalence versions. TPT will likely remain controversial but popular in charismatic circles where its transformational approach inspires devotion. Whether viewed positively or critically, The Passion Translation’s bold aim of communicating divine passion merits ongoing examination and dialogue within the Church.