According to reporting by The Christian Post, a growing number of churches, ministries and Bible platforms are distancing themselves from The Passion Translation (TPT) following renewed scrutiny over allegations involving plagiarism, misrepresented academic credentials and disputed translation methodology.
The renewed attention follows an investigation released this month by the YouTube channel Minor Prophets, with contributions from Bible teacher and apologist Mike Winger, who has long criticized TPT. The investigation alleges that lead translator Brian Simmons misrepresented his educational background and translation credentials and that portions of TPT contained source material used without attribution.
Among the latest organizations to discontinue support is Bethel Church in Redding, California. The church has stopped selling its special edition of The Passion Translation New Testament, which included a 16-page foreword by Senior Pastor Bill Johnson.
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Life Bible, a Bible app with approximately 1.5 million subscribers, also removed TPT from its platform last week.
One of the most notable public reversals came from Damon Thompson, founder of Damon Thompson Ministries and senior leader at The Homestead in Mobile, Alabama.
In a statement published on his ministry’s website, Thompson said he was withdrawing his endorsement after learning “the scholarly foundation upon which The Passion Translation was built is not what it was represented to be.”
“Credentials have been misrepresented, and source material has been used without attribution,” Thompson wrote.
Thompson acknowledged that he had previously recommended TPT to family members, ministry students and his congregation because he believed it provided valuable insight into the biblical languages.
“My error in this was that I trusted what was written to be accurate,” Thompson wrote. “It was not my intent, but it was my responsibility, and for this I want to sincerely apologize.”
He added that his decision was driven by his commitment to “both Spirit and Truth,” writing that “integrity demands acknowledgment of that reality.”
Critics have long argued it functions more as a devotional paraphrase than a formal Bible translation. Bible Gateway removed TPT from its platform in 2022 after consulting translation scholars, and a petition calling on YouVersion to do the same has drawn more than 17,000 signatures.
Prepared by Charisma Media Staff.
