What’s Wrong With GALATIANS in the Passion Translation

What’s Wrong With GALATIANS in the Passion Translation ![rw-book-cover](https://img.youtube.com/vi/tdyX2eecKEg/maxresdefault.jpg) 🔗 **Source:** [What’s Wrong With GALATIANS in the Passion Translation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdyX2eecKEg) > [!note]+ Document Notes > tags: [biblical-translation, bible-scholarship, textual-criticism, aramaic-primacy, translation-methodology, charismatic-endorsements] > author: [MISSING] > source: YouTube > reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdyX2eecKEg > date created: {{date:YYYY-MM-DD}} {{time:HH:mm}} > > # 🏷️ Title: What's wrong with GALATIANS in The Passion Translation (Dr. Nijay Gupta) >  ## 🧭 Table of Contents - [📝 Summary](#-summary) - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes) - [📚 References](#-references) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#️-paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) - [❓ Questions](#-questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) - [💡 Implications](#-implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-assessment) - [✅ Logical Validity](#-logical-validity) - [🛡️ DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis) - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) ## 📝 Summary - Dr. Nijay Gupta reviewed Galatians in The Passion Translation by Brian Simmons for Mike Winger's scholarly project examining this controversial translation. - Gupta finds The Passion Translation unsuitable as an "official use" Bible due to inconsistency, amateur mistakes, and reliance on questionable Aramaic sources. - Simmons claims supernatural empowerment and access to "secrets" of Hebrew and Greek, plus argues for Aramaic primacy in New Testament manuscripts—claims unsupported by mainstream scholarship. - The translation makes theological insertions (like adding "religion" negatively, changing "slave/free" to "rich/poor") that reflect specific doctrinal viewpoints rather than faithful rendering. - Even as a supplementary paraphrase, Gupta finds it problematic due to inconsistency and theological bias, preferring alternatives like The Message or New Living Translation. ## 📖 Main Content The Passion Translation, produced by Brian Simmons, claims divine inspiration and superior access to original biblical languages. Simmons asserts that Jesus personally commissioned him and gave him "downloads" of Hebrew and Greek secrets. The translation has sold millions of copies with endorsements from influential pastors like Bill Johnson of Bethel Church. Dr. Nijay Gupta, a New Testament scholar and professor at Northern Seminary with extensive credentials in biblical languages and translation work, conducted a detailed review of Galatians in The Passion Translation. His analysis reveals significant methodological and scholarly problems. ### Translation Categories and Standards Gupta distinguishes between "official use" and "supplementary" translations. Official translations undergo rigorous committee review with checks and balances from major institutions and publishers. Supplementary translations are often single-author works intended as study aids alongside more literal translations. The Passion Translation markets itself as suitable for primary Bible study, claiming to use "the same widely used standards marked by mainstream evangelical translations." However, Gupta's analysis suggests this claim lacks merit. ### The Aramaic Primacy Problem Central to Simmons' methodology is the claim that New Testament documents were originally written in Aramaic, not Greek, and that recent scholarship has "proven" this. Simmons states: "virtually all of the new testament was originally in aramaic and then copied into greek" and that scholars are "going back to the trash can into the dusty corners of their libraries" to retrieve discarded Aramaic manuscripts. Gupta identifies this as fundamentally flawed. The scholarly consensus—99.9% of scholars—maintains that New Testament documents were originally written in Greek. For Galatians specifically, several factors support Greek primacy: 1. Paul's Diaspora background made Greek fluency normal 2. The earliest manuscripts are in Greek 3. Aramaic loanwords appear sparingly (like "Abba"), which supports Greek original with embedded Aramaic terms 4. Paul quotes the Greek Septuagint version of the Old Testament 5. Greek wordplay appears that wouldn't work in Aramaic 6. The letter addresses Gentiles where Aramaic wouldn't be primary Simmons relies on the Syriac Peshitta, a later translation, treating it as if it were an original source. ### Specific Translation Problems Gupta categorizes Simmons' choices as positive, unusual, or problematic: **Positive choices** include using "the Anointed One" instead of "Christ" and "non-Jews" instead of "Gentiles" for clarity. **Unusual choices** include inconsistency in terminology, adding negative references to "religion" and "legalism," and inconsistent translation of key terms like "slave" (sometimes "slave," sometimes "servant"). **Problematic choices** include: - Changing "slave or free" to "rich or poor" in Galatians 3:27, which eliminates slavery concerns relevant to global readers - Translating "world" as "natural realm," creating potentially gnostic implications - Adding "reward" language that reflects specific theological traditions not present in the original - Inserting imputation theology inappropriately ### Scholarly Qualification Issues Gupta identifies three reasons why Simmons appears unqualified for official translation work: 1. Single-author approach without proper committee oversight 2. Inconsistent methodology ranging from literal to heavily paraphrastic 3. Reliance on late Aramaic sources rather than earliest Greek manuscripts ## 🗒️ Notes #### ⏱️ [00:00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdyX2eecKEg&t=0) Introduction to The Passion Translation controversy - New bible translation selling millions of copies with concerning claims - Brian Simmons claims Jesus gave him "secrets of Hebrew and Greek" - Endorsed by well-known pastors despite being misleading #### ⏱️ [00:03:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdyX2eecKEg&t=225) Dr. Gupta's credentials - Professor at Northern Seminary, teaches New Testament and Greek - Extensive background in biblical languages including classical Greek - Written seven commentaries with translation work - Just completed 120,000-word commentary on Galatians #### ⏱️ [00:06:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdyX2eecKEg&t=390) Official vs. Supplementary translations - Official translations have committee oversight and institutional backing - Supplementary meant as aids alongside formal translations - No regulatory body policing translation claims #### ⏱️ [00:11:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdyX2eecKEg&t=675) The Aramaic primacy claim - Simmons claims "brand new scholarship" proves Aramaic originals - Gupta finds no scholarly support for this claim - Multiple lines of evidence support Greek primacy for Galatians #### ⏱️ [00:20:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdyX2eecKEg&t=1245) Translation methodology problems - Inconsistent approach from literal to paraphrastic - Uses late Syriac sources instead of earliest Greek manuscripts - Makes "amateur mistakes" that wouldn't pass professional review #### ⏱️ [00:25:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdyX2eecKEg&t=1530) Specific problematic changes - Changes "slave or free" to "rich or poor" - Adds negative "religion" terminology throughout - Inserts theological concepts not present in original #### ⏱️ [00:35:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdyX2eecKEg&t=2120) Recommendations and alternatives - Would not recommend for any use, even supplementary - Prefers The Message or New Living Translation for paraphrastic needs - Concerns about endorsements from pastors lacking language training ## 📚 References - [Dr. Gupta's full review paper](biblethinker.org) - linked in video description - The Passion Translation official website - Brian Simmons' promotional materials and claims - Scholarly consensus on New Testament textual criticism ## 🗣️ Paraphrase Dr. Gupta's review reveals The Passion Translation as a problematic work that fails both as an official translation and as a reliable supplementary resource. Despite claims of divine inspiration and superior methodology, the translation exhibits fundamental errors in source material selection, inconsistent methodology, and theological bias that inserts specific doctrinal viewpoints into the biblical text. The core claim of Aramaic primacy lacks scholarly support and undermines the entire translation project. Even pastors seeking a more contemporary rendering would be better served by established paraphrases like The Message. ## 📰 Newsletter **The Passion Translation Under Scholarly Scrutiny: What WordPress Users Should Know** If you've encountered The Passion Translation in your content creation or ministry work, new scholarly reviews raise serious questions about its reliability. Dr. Nijay Gupta's analysis of Galatians reveals methodological problems that go beyond typical translation debates—including reliance on late sources, theological insertions, and claims about Aramaic originals that lack scholarly support. For WordPress developers building church sites or biblical content platforms, this highlights the importance of using established translations with proven track records. While creative paraphrases have their place, core biblical content deserves the reliability that comes from committee-reviewed translations backed by institutional scholarship. Consider featuring multiple translation options on your biblical content sites, with clear labeling about each translation's approach and intended use. Your users—whether pastors, teachers, or laypeople—will benefit from transparency about translation methodologies. **Resources:** - Free scholarly reviews at [BibleThinker.org](http://biblethinker.org) - ESV API for developers - YouVersion Bible API integration guides ## ✅ Action Items #### DevRel - Create educational content about translation evaluation criteria for developer communities - Develop API documentation showing how to integrate multiple Bible translations responsibly - Host workshops on building biblical content platforms with proper source attribution #### Community - Facilitate discussions about translation reliability in WordPress biblical plugin development - Create guidelines for churches using WordPress themes with embedded biblical content - Develop resources for pastors evaluating digital Bible tools #### WordPress - Core: Consider implications for biblical content in block editor development - Documentation: Add examples for handling multiple language/translation switching - Community: Support educational resources about scholarly source evaluation ## 🧪 Hypotheses 1. **Translation marketing vs. scholarly review hypothesis**: Popular Bible translations with aggressive marketing may lack proportional scholarly oversight, leading to quality gaps that only emerge under academic scrutiny. 2. **Charismatic endorsement hypothesis**: Pastoral endorsements of Bible translations correlate more strongly with theological alignment than with translation accuracy when pastors lack biblical language training. 3. **Aramaic primacy appeal hypothesis**: Claims about "original" Aramaic New Testament manuscripts appeal to audiences seeking exclusive or superior biblical access despite lacking scholarly support. 4. **Single-author translation risk hypothesis**: Bible translations produced by individuals without committee oversight exhibit significantly more inconsistency and methodological problems than committee-produced translations. ## 📊 Methodology - **Source analysis**: Comparative examination of Greek manuscripts vs. Syriac Peshitta claims - **Translation consistency review**: Systematic analysis of terminology translation patterns - **Scholarly consensus verification**: Survey of current textual criticism literature on New Testament origins - **Theological insertion detection**: Comparison with established translations to identify added interpretive content ## ❓ Questions - How do pastoral endorsements influence Bible translation adoption regardless of scholarly merit? - What responsibility do publishers have for vetting translation claims before marketing? - How can lay Christians better evaluate translation quality without language training? - Why do claims about "new discoveries" in biblical manuscripts resonate despite scholarly rejection? ## 🔮 Future Research - Comprehensive review of all Passion Translation books for consistent methodology problems - Analysis of endorsing pastors' educational backgrounds in biblical languages - Study of marketing strategies used to promote questionable biblical scholarship - Investigation of similar translation projects claiming supernatural inspiration ## 💡 Implications **For Practice**: Churches and ministries should implement multi-translation approaches with clear methodology explanations. Digital platforms should provide translation background information to help users make informed choices. **For Education**: Seminary curriculum should include translation evaluation training for pastors who will recommend Bible versions to congregations without language training themselves. **For Publishing**: The lack of regulatory oversight for Bible translations creates market conditions where misleading claims can flourish, suggesting need for industry self-regulation or clearer marketing standards. ## 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment Reading level: College level (15-16) - Technical theological discussion with specialized vocabulary #### 👀 Visual learners - Present: Transcript format, clear section divisions - Improve: Add comparison charts showing translation differences, timeline of manuscript evidence, infographic of Gupta's credentials #### 🔊 Aural learners - Present: Full video interview format with clear audio - Improve: Podcast-only version, audio summary of key findings #### 🗣️ Verbal learners - Present: Extensive definitions of terms like "Aramaic primacy" and "textual criticism" - Improve: Glossary of technical terms, plain-language summary section #### 🧩 Kinesthetic learners - Present: Specific examples to examine (Galatians 3:27 changes) - Improve: Step-by-step translation evaluation checklist, hands-on comparison exercises #### 🧠 Logical learners - Present: Systematic categorization of problems, clear evidence chains - Improve: Decision tree for translation evaluation, formal logical analysis of claims #### 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Social learners - Present: Interview format showing scholarly dialogue - Improve: Discussion questions for groups, community review process suggestions #### 🧘‍♀️ Solitary learners - Present: Written review papers for independent study - Improve: Self-assessment questions, reflection prompts on translation preferences ## 📊 Accessibility Assessment #### Screen reader semantics - Present: Clear heading structure, descriptive content organization - Improve: Alt text for any embedded charts, ARIA labels for timestamp links #### Contrast and readability - Present: Standard text formatting - Improve: Ensure video player meets contrast standards, provide high-contrast transcript option #### Media and captions - Present: Full transcript provided - Improve: Professional captions on video, downloadable transcript format ## 🌍 DEIB Assessment #### Cultural breadth - Present: Addresses global slavery concerns vs. Western "rich/poor" assumptions - Improve: Include perspectives from Global South scholars on translation impacts #### Inclusive language - Present: Explains technical terms clearly for non-specialists - Improve: Define scholarly jargon consistently, provide pronunciation guides for names #### Representation - Present: Respectful treatment of different theological traditions - Improve: Include diverse scholarly voices beyond Western academia ## ✅ Logical Validity #### Strong reasoning - **Evidential strength**: Multiple independent lines of evidence support Greek primacy (early manuscripts, wordplay, Septuagint quotations) - convergent evidence pattern - **Methodological analysis**: Systematic categorization of translation problems with specific examples demonstrates pattern of issues rather than isolated errors - **Credential assessment**: Clear articulation of expertise requirements for translation work with comparison to Simmons' qualifications #### Fallacies - **Appeal to consequences**: Gupta occasionally suggests problems might "do damage" without demonstrating specific harms - more focus on accuracy assessment would strengthen argument - **Genetic fallacy**: Some dismissal based on single-author origin rather than content quality, though this is balanced with specific textual evidence #### Tone of voice - **Academic restraint**: Gupta uses careful language ("I would say," "it seems to me") while making strong critiques - professional scholarly discourse - **Measured criticism**: Balances acknowledgment of positive elements with serious concerns about methodology ## 🛡️ DARVO Analysis **Simmons' recorded statements show potential DARVO patterns:** - **Deny**: Claims critics lack understanding of "new scholarship" that supports his position - **Attack**: Suggests critics are persecuting him and questioning his divine calling rather than engaging scholarly evidence - **Reverse victim/offender**: Portrays himself as divinely commissioned victim of academic prejudice rather than subject of legitimate scholarly review **Emotional cues**: Appeals to supernatural authority ("Jesus breathed on me") and exclusive revelation ("secrets") to deflect from methodological scrutiny ## 🎯 Conclusion Dr. Gupta's scholarly review reveals The Passion Translation as fundamentally unsuitable for use as a primary Bible, whether for personal study or congregational use. The translation's core methodological assumptions about Aramaic originals lack scholarly support, and its execution shows the kind of inconsistency and amateur errors that committee review processes are designed to prevent. More concerning than translation quality issues are the marketing claims that present this work as superior to established translations based on supernatural revelation rather than scholarly rigor. This creates a category error that conflates spiritual inspiration with textual accuracy. For churches and ministries, the practical recommendation is clear: use established translations with proven track records for primary Bible study, and if supplementary paraphrases are desired, choose options like The Message that are honestly marketed as interpretive aids rather than claiming superior access to original manuscripts. --- ## Full Transcript [00:00] there's a new bible translation that is [00:01] selling millions of copies around the [00:03] world [00:03] it's unlike any translation you've ever [00:05] seen before [00:07] but i say that in a bad way the passion [00:09] translation is produced by brian [00:11] simmons who claims that god gave him [00:14] secrets of hebrew and greek [00:16] jesus christ came into my room he [00:19] breathed on me [00:20] and he commissioned me and he spoke [00:24] to me and said i'm commissioning you [00:28] to translate the translation [00:32] project that i'm giving you to do and he [00:35] promised that he would help me [00:36] and he promised me he would give me [00:38] secrets of the hebrew language [00:41] and i felt downloads coming instantly [00:44] i received downloads it was like i got a [00:48] chip [00:48] put inside of me i got a connection [00:50] inside of me [00:51] to hear him better to understand the [00:54] scriptures better [00:55] and hopefully to translate now the [00:57] reason why this thing's selling millions [00:59] of copies [01:00] is probably because it's being endorsed [01:01] by some very well-known and very [01:03] highly respected pastors this to me is [01:06] very unfortunate because it is a [01:07] misleading translation [01:09] both in the work and in the footnotes [01:11] itself this doesn't mean it's all bad [01:12] but there are enough problems [01:14] that i think that we needed to do a [01:16] project researching this [01:18] translation so i actually hired a number [01:19] of scholars they did reviews of [01:21] different books in the passion [01:22] translation [01:23] and i'm making those reviews publicly [01:24] available totally for free i asked [01:26] nothing in return [01:27] this is one of those reviews in today's [01:29] video i'm interviewing [01:30] dr nije gupta and he reviewed galatians [01:33] in the passion translation his paper is [01:35] linked down below [01:36] you could read it right now you can also [01:38] use the time stamps to bounce around [01:39] this video get [01:40] exactly the content you need whatever's [01:42] going to help you that's the whole goal [01:43] here here's my disclaimer though i am [01:44] not anti-supernatural [01:46] and i am not persecuting brian simmons [01:48] although he talks [01:49] like the critics of this translation are [01:51] persecuting him and then he [01:52] promised that i would be persecuted and [01:55] i would be misunderstood [01:57] and he said it will get worse until the [01:58] day you die it will be persecuted and [02:01] misunderstood but i will help you [02:03] i will give you secrets and he also [02:07] promised me that i would be persecuted [02:09] i had brilliant leaders and men [02:12] of god and mighty brainiacs tell me i [02:15] had no business to translate the bible [02:17] because i was not a greek scholar [02:18] he said where are your credentials who [02:20] do you think you are that's not what's [02:22] happening here [02:23] we want to test all things and hold fast [02:25] to that which is good [02:26] well we're testing the passion [02:27] translation and as you'll see in this [02:29] interview and i do hope you have time to [02:30] watch the whole thing [02:31] there are reasons to not hold fast to [02:34] this translation [02:35] dr gupta you reviewed brian simmons [02:37] translation of galatians in the passion [02:39] translation but [02:40] for people who are just meeting you for [02:42] the first time can you tell us a little [02:43] bit about your own credentials [02:45] your focus on paul's writings in [02:46] particular and your emphasis recently on [02:49] galatians [02:50] yeah thanks mike i live here in portland [02:53] oregon i teach at northern seminary [02:55] which is in [02:55] chicagoland actually i teach new [02:57] testament i've been teaching for [02:59] over 10 years i've taught greek many [03:02] many times i [03:03] did my undergraduate miami university of [03:05] ohio i focused on [03:07] classical greek i went to seminary at [03:09] gordon conwell and i focused on biblical [03:11] languages greek hebrew aramaic [03:14] acadian ecclesiastical latin [03:16] septuagental greek so i did a lot of [03:18] language there [03:19] stayed at the university of durham [03:21] famous for names like john barclay [03:24] anti wright jimmy dunn and those kinds [03:27] of folks had a wonderful time there [03:29] i've written seven commentaries i'm [03:31] working on two or three more [03:33] i've done a lot of translation work for [03:35] those commentaries i've created so my [03:37] own translations we can talk about that [03:39] later and what that's like [03:41] i've worked on some translation stuff [03:43] with a septuagint which is the greek [03:44] translation of the old testament [03:46] for lexa i did the a version of tobit [03:50] for that so i've dabbled uh in [03:52] translation stuff but i'm really just [03:54] fascinated by it [03:56] because i i get questions all the time [03:59] from students and pastors [04:01] what's the best or what's the right [04:02] english translation to use so i've [04:04] invested a lot of time [04:05] in trying to help answer those questions [04:08] well i'm super grateful for you to [04:10] engage [04:11] in this issue and to look because you're [04:14] you're our window [04:15] into the reality of what's going on with [04:16] the passion translation you're someone [04:18] who can say [04:18] okay there's these claims that that [04:20] brian simmons was supernaturally [04:22] empowered with secrets of hebrew and [04:24] greek that he's he's sort of unveiling [04:26] things that other translations have lost [04:27] or hidden [04:29] he came into my room [04:34] and he blew on me [04:39] he breathed on me and he said i'm [04:43] commissioning you i'm calling you [04:46] to do a new translation he promised that [04:49] he would give me [04:50] new understanding and new [04:54] fresh revelation from his word [04:57] and immediately he gave me a download [05:00] immediately i began to receive a [05:03] supernatural [05:04] download of insight and revelation that [05:07] has continued to this day [05:10] god's given me a lens all i can say is [05:12] god has given me a lens [05:14] when i read the bible i see it so [05:16] differently than i ever have before [05:18] and he's revealing himself in this hour [05:20] like never before the word of god [05:23] is coming alive to us it's like we're [05:24] getting a brand new bible isn't it [05:26] we need to know what's really going on [05:28] here and to have you know here's my [05:30] theory is like when albert einstein [05:32] you know came with this theory of [05:33] relativity it was it was brilliant and [05:35] it was new [05:36] but because it was true other [05:38] mathematicians physicists could look at [05:40] it and confirm and they could go wow [05:41] that's brilliance [05:43] and if brian simmons has brilliant new [05:45] information about the bible then [05:46] other scholars can look at that and go [05:49] wow look at the brilliance and they'll [05:50] recognize it [05:51] or perhaps they'll see something else [05:53] there let's start with um [05:54] the nature of the passion translation a [05:57] lot of people think the passion [05:58] translation is a paraphrase [05:59] i've actually seen reviewers treat it as [06:02] a paraphrase [06:03] but not according to its title i mean it [06:04] says it's a translation and their [06:06] website [06:06] says the following and i'd like to get [06:08] your thoughts on this the passion [06:09] translation is a new version of god's [06:11] word [06:12] that is considered a translation because [06:14] it uses the hebrew aramaic and greek [06:16] manuscripts to translate the essential [06:19] meaning of the scriptures into [06:20] contemporary english [06:22] yeah um you know [06:26] it's a product right and as a product [06:28] they're trying to put their best foot [06:30] forward [06:30] and so if i just read that on a website [06:32] i you know the thing [06:34] mike the thing to know about this kind [06:36] of stuff is [06:38] there's no fda regulating translations [06:41] there's no [06:42] fcc out there policing translation so [06:45] anything anyone could publish [06:46] something and call it a translation and [06:48] it will be sold on amazon [06:50] you know till kingdom come so you know [06:53] it's almost like comparing it to the [06:55] word natural [06:56] right on a product um there anyone can [06:59] call any product natural there's no [07:01] regulation [07:02] and so to call something a translation [07:05] from the original languages you know [07:06] anyone can do that and if we have kind [07:09] of a free market of education that's [07:11] fine the questions that christians have [07:13] to ask is [07:15] is it faithful respectful [07:18] accurate in relationship to the original [07:21] text [07:22] and i think i've talked to you about [07:23] this before but the proof is in the [07:25] eating you have to actually test and see [07:28] does this really taste like scripture is [07:30] you know and you know most people [07:32] reading the bible [07:32] don't know greek hebrew and aramaic so [07:35] they trust [07:36] the academy and the educated you know [07:39] people in church [07:41] to really i'm not gonna say police but [07:43] really give [07:44] uh give some communal awareness of [07:48] whether these things are actually [07:49] faithful to [07:50] scripture yeah yeah we kind of look [07:52] around and you think [07:53] if this was really bad somebody would [07:54] say something right like somebody would [07:56] point out that there was some serious [07:58] flaws in this [08:00] of course that is what the passion [08:01] project that we're doing is all about [08:03] is bringing that review bringing that [08:05] information to people so um in your [08:07] review [08:08] and the paper for uh dr gupta's review [08:10] is linked below and you guys can find it [08:12] there as well as all the papers as i [08:14] release them as these interviews come [08:15] out [08:16] on my website biblethinker.org it's all [08:18] free it's all totally free just for you [08:20] guys to be helped and blessed by [08:21] and we ask for nothing in return but in [08:24] your review you start by explaining [08:26] the difference between two very [08:27] different kinds of bible translations [08:29] official use and supplementary like [08:32] these are two different styles can you [08:33] explain [08:34] what are those what does that mean yeah [08:36] i just i just thought you know [08:38] there are you know hundreds of [08:40] translations out there of different [08:42] kinds in different languages and yet our [08:45] churches tend to use [08:47] esv niv nrsv king james new king james [08:51] why are these the translations we tend [08:53] to use and then those other translations [08:55] out there [08:56] some of them you may have never heard of [08:58] and [08:59] for example new living translation is [09:01] out there you have the common english [09:02] bible you have the message [09:04] you have a whole bunch of stuff but then [09:06] even beyond that there's even more so it [09:07] got me thinking about how we naturally [09:10] um especially those of us on the other [09:12] side who are writing these things [09:14] think in terms of things that are kind [09:15] of official where they have a major [09:17] committee [09:18] and they have checks and balances and [09:21] they have [09:22] um kind of a major publisher to back it [09:25] um and they have kind of major [09:27] institutions academic institutions [09:30] um not so it can be ivory tower but just [09:32] because there are these methods we've [09:33] used for hundreds and hundreds of years [09:36] to ensure that what we're using as the [09:38] bible for [09:40] english-speaking people or [09:41] spanish-speaking people or [09:42] french-speaking [09:44] uh that this is really going to be [09:45] faithful to the biblical text [09:47] but then we have you know again in a [09:49] free market you can [09:50] make a translation just your own [09:54] publish it put it on amazon and so [09:57] i call those supplemental because most [09:59] of the people writing those [10:01] like auntie wright scott mcknight is [10:03] working on his own translation the new [10:05] testament [10:05] i know scott very well he would not want [10:07] you to use this as [10:09] the bible he'd want to use it as an aid [10:12] to for devotion for study and things [10:16] like that [10:16] so supplemental in the sense that it's [10:18] going to be used alongside [10:20] a more literal we call it [10:24] formal equivalence translation knowing [10:26] that any one person is going to make [10:28] mistakes they're not going to get it [10:30] right [10:30] and most people don't have the intention [10:33] of writing a formal official translation [10:35] i think that for most christians they [10:37] think that there really is only one kind [10:39] of bible like the supplementary kind is [10:41] not in their radar at all [10:42] and so when they see the passion [10:44] translation being presented they're [10:45] thinking of it as a [10:46] this is my bible this is like the new [10:48] version i'll use for pretty much [10:49] everything [10:50] and to add to that here's what they say [10:52] on the website because [10:54] simmons does tell people it's good for [10:56] an official use bible and [10:58] he says the following the passion [10:59] translation is an excellent [11:01] translation you can use as your primary [11:04] text to [11:04] seriously study god's word now as an [11:07] official use [11:08] translation if you were to evaluate it [11:10] in that vein as most people i think [11:12] are thinking of it what would you say [11:15] i mean i i would say it's very [11:17] irresponsible [11:18] to you know as a reader but even more [11:20] responsible [11:21] as a producer of that to say that [11:23] because any one person is going to make [11:25] mistakes [11:26] and if i were brian simmons um and i [11:30] won't and i felt the calling to do [11:31] something like that [11:33] i would actually put it before my peers [11:35] and have it kind of [11:37] evaluated in a very formal way [11:40] by a major publisher by a team of of [11:43] you know maybe even confessionally [11:45] like-minded people [11:46] uh but but people that can you know look [11:48] at things like consistency [11:50] look at accuracy look at um consistency [11:53] of method a lot of the things that [11:55] um you know i i said this in my report [11:58] but it's very amateurish [12:00] um i i've written transl translations [12:03] for [12:04] commentaries on colossians first like [12:07] thessalonians [12:08] and i have to do i have to do tons of [12:10] work on just consistency just making [12:12] sure i use the same words [12:14] in the same places because what you're [12:16] doing when you're writing official [12:17] translation [12:18] is you're trying to be as [12:21] transparent as you can for the reader to [12:23] see [12:24] the the biblical text behind what you're [12:26] writing [12:28] um and so you want that consistency [12:31] as often as the biblical writers are [12:33] being consistent [12:34] and and this just doesn't do that and um [12:37] i would never want to see it in a pew as [12:40] the pew bible [12:41] but but even to make those claims i feel [12:43] like is really irresponsible [12:47] well i appreciate your candor i i know [12:48] that generally speaking the scholars [12:50] i've interacted with [12:52] they they want to soften their terms and [12:54] soften their words [12:55] and so i just want the audience to know [12:56] that when you have scholars who are [12:57] saying things like very irresponsible [12:59] that kind of means a lot a lot with [13:02] what's meant to be gentle language [13:04] in my opinion um i'm more [13:05] straightforward and i think it's [13:07] it's it's terrible but that's [13:10] me just you know over and over i've con [13:12] you know as you brought this up to me [13:14] you know as we've dialogued throughout [13:15] the months i've thought about eugene [13:17] peterson's the message and [13:19] if i recall and you might know better uh [13:21] peterson was [13:22] very reluctant to even call it a bible [13:26] did are you aware of that i i saw a [13:28] video and i can't find it i was looking [13:29] for it actually saw a video where [13:30] peterson talks about how he went to a [13:32] church [13:32] and they were using the message from the [13:34] pulpit and he says he cringed [13:37] and i thought that that raised respect [13:40] for what he did [13:41] in my view and the original as far as i [13:43] recall [13:44] of the message was not uh versified [13:48] because [13:48] for the very fact that peterson didn't [13:51] want to be used as a bible [13:52] yeah he wanted to use as a supplement as [13:54] an aide [13:56] and so he actually said that he [13:57] reluctantly put the verses in because [13:59] the publisher demanded it yes [14:01] 100 that's true and um [14:04] i think today if he was still alive he [14:06] he would be [14:07] very concerned with if if i if i told [14:10] him hey i want to use yours as the bible [14:11] he would [14:12] i guarantee he would talk me out of it [14:14] yeah and so there's there's [14:16] something really i feel like [14:17] irresponsible and taking that approach [14:19] to a [14:19] single authored uh uh [14:22] translation translation that [14:26] hasn't been really put before peers to [14:28] say [14:29] hey this needs to be kind of respectful [14:32] of the processes we use if you're going [14:35] to give this to the people of god [14:38] now brian simmons claims that his work [14:41] actually has been reviewed by competent [14:43] scholars [14:44] and they claim this and this is this has [14:46] changed the past translation faq [14:48] on their website has altered over the [14:50] years and now they say that uh [14:52] when they got with broad street [14:53] publishing and they and they were going [14:54] to [14:55] release the whole new testament that [14:57] they actually hired an even more diverse [15:00] team of scholars to review the work [15:01] carefully for accuracy [15:03] so this is on the website these are in [15:05] the claims but and i've i've actually [15:07] reached out to broad street and said hey [15:08] can i get the names of these scholars [15:09] can i find out what their involvement is [15:11] i don't want to misrepresent anybody but [15:14] i want to recognize those claims are [15:15] there [15:16] from your perspective being someone [15:17] who's reviewed the work does it look [15:19] like it's gone through that process does [15:20] it look like the refinement of accuracy [15:22] has happened [15:24] absolutely not um i i've done a little [15:26] bit of a consulting for some kind of [15:28] major translations [15:30] and there is such a thorough [15:33] vetting and balancing process readership [15:37] um readability process this doesn't seem [15:41] i mean i'm not trying to belittle what [15:43] simmons is doing [15:45] but he makes such [15:49] amateur like mistakes [15:52] just in galatians which is the text that [15:54] i looked at [15:55] that it comes across to me as [15:57] unprofessional if if simmons had hired [15:59] someone like me [16:01] just to deal with kind of basic level [16:03] issues [16:04] i i would have a ton to work with there [16:06] to have to get it into a place to even [16:08] be readable [16:09] um i i you know we i've taught seminary [16:12] students and i [16:13] have tried to train them to to avoid [16:15] some of the very [16:16] commonplace things that he does uh in [16:19] this so [16:20] um if there is a committee it it feels [16:23] very [16:24] superficial that this committee did [16:27] anything like [16:28] accuracy readability things like that [16:30] yeah [16:31] yeah and it is tough because in fact in [16:33] my opinion from the background and this [16:35] is [16:35] what i'm saying i don't know what your [16:36] opinion on this would be because you [16:37] haven't looked into this but [16:38] it looks to me like he's chosen certain [16:40] books to try to be better with in other [16:42] books that he doesn't [16:43] doesn't work as hard at so song of [16:45] solomon is like just nowhere near [16:47] representing the original text genesis [16:49] it seems like he tried a lot harder [16:51] to um and brought in a scholar who [16:53] actually understands [16:54] the language better but just in genesis [16:57] and so he wants you to think genesis is [16:59] reliable so then you should reflect the [17:00] whole translation as being reliable and [17:02] it's [17:02] the whole thing just seems very [17:03] deceptive i mean if eugene peterson went [17:05] around [17:05] saying this kind of stuff that brian [17:07] simmons says [17:09] what would you think if if he went [17:11] around like [17:12] aggressively promoting it as a revival [17:14] bible [17:15] and promising people that they would [17:16] have special spiritual experiences if [17:18] they read it [17:19] encouraging everyone to buy it and it [17:21] really has become the bible for many [17:23] christians in many churches [17:24] it is the translation from the authentic [17:27] original hebrew [17:29] aramaic text that is going to shock the [17:31] daylights into you [17:33] amen it's going to absolutely stun you [17:37] i believe god gave me the key to the [17:38] book of proverbs [17:40] i'm telling you secrets that only come [17:42] from above [17:44] have been embedded into the proverbs i [17:47] really challenge you [17:48] is that a good enough commercial i [17:50] really challenge you to get the proverbs [17:53] the spirit of the lord came upon me i [17:54] told you i had a visitation from the one [17:56] i love he walked through my wall and [17:58] breathed on me [17:59] and released me to do this translation [18:01] project [18:02] pastors that picked it up and started [18:05] weeping can you believe that they just [18:07] picked the book up and started crying [18:09] thou shalt get the passion translation [18:12] thou [18:12] shalt buy it thou shalt really get it [18:16] oh yeah that's right we got some back [18:17] there you know i would if i were you i [18:19] would buy the translation of the book of [18:21] psalms when it comes out in just a few [18:22] weeks [18:23] i would buy it for no other reason than [18:24] what i'm telling you right now [18:26] i discovered and uncovered so many [18:28] mysteries and glory realms in the book [18:30] of psalms [18:31] it will take your breath away the [18:32] romantic poetic heart-filled words of [18:34] god will fill you with new passion and [18:36] god's revival fire [18:37] you will get to know god on a deeper and [18:39] more intimate level the very words in [18:41] this [18:42] translation will go right past the [18:43] defenses in your mind and right into [18:45] your spirit [18:46] the word of god will become so alive in [18:48] you and you will have a supernatural [18:50] encounter with the glory and presence of [18:52] god [18:52] so i think sid i believe i got baptized [18:56] in the spirit of revelation in that [18:58] library room of heaven every time i open [19:00] the bible i get fresh insight i [19:02] it speaks to me it goes beyond the mind [19:04] i i get [19:05] dreams and and revelation from from the [19:09] lord that is [19:10] clear and prophetic there is a breath [19:14] upon this work that goes beyond a human [19:17] uh translator it is the word of god it's [19:20] god breathed [19:22] and he is wanting this god-breathed word [19:25] to come alive [19:26] in this last days he wants to give us a [19:28] revival bible [19:30] and i believe the passion translation [19:32] can really be [19:34] a part of that what does all that mean [19:35] well you get my translation it should be [19:37] really clear [19:38] what i mean what would your opinion be [19:40] if say eugene peterson or somebody else [19:42] who's made a translation did that [19:44] you know about every six months you know [19:46] a student of mine or a friend comes to [19:48] me and says [19:49] you know i i discovered such and such [19:51] translation you know the source is one [19:53] i've heard of [19:53] and and and they they give it to me and [19:56] they say tell me what you think and and [19:58] my usual response is ignore it so the [20:01] thing the interesting thing about the [20:02] past translation to me [20:03] is not what brian simmons has done lots [20:05] of people have claimed they have [20:08] insight into revelation or unlocked [20:10] eschatology or whatever [20:12] the thing that surprises me is that [20:14] people are [20:16] buying into this as some kind of ultra [20:18] superior translation [20:20] um i could see you know [20:24] some kind of really idiosyncratic [20:26] churches doing that but for [20:27] denominations or or [20:29] networked bodies to do that [20:32] it's remarkable to me yeah and we'll [20:35] talk a little bit more about that [20:37] as we move forward here but you uh you [20:39] have in your paper a section [20:40] where you asked the question is brian [20:42] simmons qualified to write an official [20:43] use bible translation and you actually [20:45] give three reasons why in your opinion [20:47] he's not at least from [20:48] the evidence of his work can you walk us [20:50] through each of those [20:52] yeah you know one thing is um [20:57] normally translations have committees [20:59] and i've i've kind of [21:00] gotten insight in some of these [21:01] committees and they really discuss and [21:03] debate very vigorously [21:04] vigorously uh each of the kind of [21:08] elements of um each verse [21:11] very thoroughly and and he seems to be [21:13] even though he's mentioned as you said [21:15] that he has [21:16] people vetting it he seems to be a man [21:17] who's taken credit [21:19] for this translation himself uh and [21:22] and i think that's really dangerous and [21:24] i would recommend people [21:26] stray away from any kind of single [21:28] author-oriented translation [21:30] uh let me let me just throw this out [21:32] there because i want to make sure that [21:33] i'm putting his claims up against the [21:35] things that [21:35] that the scholars that i've brought into [21:37] this project have said [21:39] so the pastor translation website says [21:41] and i quote [21:42] dr simmons used the same widely used [21:44] standards marked by mainstream [21:46] evangelical translations to make the [21:48] passion translation an [21:50] accurate faithful clear and readable [21:52] translation for the [21:53] for 21st century english readers [21:57] and but you're suggesting that at least [21:59] the evidence of the work itself [22:01] is saying the opposite of what the [22:04] the um the by this kind of publisher [22:06] material is saying [22:08] i i mean that goes to my second point [22:11] i cataloged in my report a lot of what i [22:14] consider very unusual decisions [22:17] uh translation decisions um he'll [22:20] he will he will move from somewhat [22:23] literal to [22:24] moderate to a lot of paraphrase and [22:27] flourishes and embellishments [22:29] back and forth and i kind of feel [22:31] whiplash when i'm reading it in terms of [22:33] kind of what he's after in terms of the [22:35] style of translation [22:37] but that there's one issue mike that i [22:39] find most troubling [22:41] and that is his assumption that there is [22:43] some kind of [22:44] air make original that he's drawing off [22:47] of [22:48] even though the vast majority and [22:50] majority doesn't even cover it i mean [22:52] we're talking 99.9 [22:53] of scholars uh and seminaries [22:57] and i assume pastors agree that the new [22:59] testament documents were written [23:01] in greek and not aramaic even though [23:05] most of the new testament writers were [23:07] ethnic jews [23:09] um galatians in particular would be a [23:11] strange place to argue that [23:13] paul wrote in aramaic because he's [23:16] talking to gentiles he's not talking to [23:18] jews in a very in [23:20] an area where there probably are not a [23:21] lot there's not a significant jewish [23:23] population [23:24] and so i have a whole bunch of reasons [23:26] why it makes no sense at all to me i [23:28] just [23:29] today finished a hundred and twenty [23:32] thousand word commentary on galatians [23:35] and i i couldn't even fathom [23:38] an argument that there's an aramaic [23:41] original [23:42] text and here's here's where i need you [23:44] dr gupta [23:46] i need you to help us understand this [23:47] because i think that [23:49] you know people who don't know the [23:50] original languages they're like well [23:52] aramaic [23:52] heir makes like hebrew hebrew in fact [23:54] there's sections of the old testament [23:55] they're in aramaic maybe they're [23:56] slightly [23:57] aware of these things and then they look [23:58] in the footnotes of the passion [23:59] translation and i mean [24:01] countless times people countless times [24:03] brian simmons [24:05] translates based on the aramaic or uses [24:07] the aramaic in the footnotes to give you [24:09] like [24:09] the fuller understanding of a passage um [24:12] but [24:13] here's what i want to do i'd like for [24:14] you to respond to the following [24:16] statements from brian simmons about this [24:17] and and [24:19] i'm not making this up i was blown away [24:21] that i found this clip [24:22] all of our uh bible commentaries [24:26] and our understanding of the new [24:28] testament is based on what is called [24:30] greek primacy [24:32] which is that the original manuscripts [24:34] original autographs of the new testament [24:35] were all written in greek guess what's [24:38] happened in the last five years [24:40] this is really new brand new scholarship [24:43] just like they've discovered things [24:44] archaeologically that are astounding [24:47] they have discovered [24:49] and i've i've read the scholarly [24:52] uh reports hundreds and hundreds [24:55] of examples where it's been proven that [24:58] the greek manuscripts [25:00] are second gen copies of the original [25:03] aramaic [25:04] new testament that virtually all of the [25:07] new testament there could be some [25:09] exceptions [25:10] but virtually all of the new testament [25:11] was originally in aramaic [25:13] and then copied into greek this causes [25:16] all the scholars [25:17] to freak out and go back to the trash [25:19] can into the dusty corners of their [25:21] libraries and pull out all the greek men [25:23] and [25:23] all the aramaic manuscripts and realize [25:26] that they had thrown away [25:28] the originals please tell us how crazy [25:31] that is [25:33] you know i i i became acquainted with [25:36] this idea from simmons you know in the [25:38] last few weeks just as i've been [25:39] thinking about this [25:40] this interview and so i thought what am [25:43] i missing here [25:44] so i've looked at a whole bunch of [25:46] sources to try to figure out [25:49] okay what's the latest conversation on [25:51] what we call the textual history of the [25:52] new testament [25:54] and i couldn't find even a scrap of [25:56] information that legitimizes anything he [25:58] says [25:59] but if i were to sit down with simmons [26:01] and i would love to be able to have a [26:03] conversation about this but [26:04] if i were to sit down with simmons i [26:06] would want to raise these issues about [26:07] galatians with him [26:09] related to so-called aramaic origin and [26:12] and get his [26:12] thoughts on it because i i wonder if he [26:14] hasn't really thought about some of the [26:16] some of these problems with his theory [26:18] uh number one the idea of someone like [26:21] paul [26:21] a child of diaspora being fluent in [26:23] greek and writing greek is not strange [26:25] josephus philo letter of aristeas many [26:29] of the texts of the old testament [26:30] pseudopegapha jewish writings from [26:32] around the time of jesus and paul [26:33] were written in greek that's not that [26:35] strange of an idea [26:37] that someone like paul right he doesn't [26:40] call himself saul he calls himself paul [26:43] uh someone like paul powelos would write [26:45] in greek first of all [26:46] just there it's not a strange idea [26:48] number two [26:49] the earliest versions closest to the [26:53] apostolic period [26:54] of galatians and other new testament [26:56] texts are in greek they're in greek [26:58] papyri [26:59] they're in some some other greek codexes [27:01] and manuscripts [27:03] third we sometimes have [27:06] loan words from aramaic come into greek [27:10] like abba [27:11] which is in galatians maranatha which is [27:14] you know in i think first corinthians [27:15] revelation [27:17] uh we have a few of these words right if [27:19] we had an aramaic origin [27:21] we would probably either have none of [27:23] those words in the greek manuscripts [27:25] or we would have lots of them we'd have [27:27] lots of them because [27:28] they were written in aramaic and [27:30] therefore they would want to be passed [27:31] on [27:31] the reason we only have things like abba [27:33] maranatha is because these were kind of [27:35] embedded into early christian worship [27:38] which did [27:40] vocally have perhaps in hebrew or [27:42] aramaic origin [27:43] but it makes perfect sense as written in [27:45] greek but there are two other reasons i [27:46] think that [27:47] text like galatians would have been [27:49] written in greek [27:50] one is paul quotes from the old [27:53] testament [27:53] and his quotes tend to align with the [27:56] greek version [27:57] of the old testament septuagint that's a [28:00] big conversation we can talk about [28:02] if you want to but the other one is [28:04] sometimes [28:05] paul uses word play that only makes [28:07] sense in greek [28:09] so for example he uses the word huis [28:12] which means sun to refer to [28:14] jesus and then he used hui authesia [28:17] for adoption which is a play on the word [28:19] who we us [28:20] uh it's a connected word and [28:24] i can't imagine that would work out [28:25] exactly the same in aramaic or hebrew or [28:27] another semitic [28:29] um so these kinds of oh yeah another one [28:32] is where he says [28:33] will and testament in chapter four i [28:35] think he's talking about [28:37] he's using the same word for covenant [28:39] and so he's playing off of this idea [28:41] that a covenant is also like a will [28:44] it doesn't come out the same way in [28:45] aramaic or hebrew so [28:47] um also he's talking about the pashida [28:49] which is a version of the [28:51] syriac similar aramaic a dialect of [28:54] aramaic [28:55] that comes from a later time so he's [28:56] really it's conjecture it's a guess [28:59] and the question is is a good guess and [29:01] i would say no yeah [29:02] so this is this is such a big deal [29:04] because here's what what if i could [29:06] summarize and correct me if i get this [29:07] wrong [29:08] um pretty much nobody agrees with [29:11] simmons on this his claims about [29:12] scholarship and changes in scholarship [29:14] and new views of things [29:16] don't seem to align with reality and his [29:19] statements about going to aramaic [29:20] originals when you say the [29:21] sheet is late that there are no aramaic [29:24] originals like not only do we have no [29:25] reason to think it was an aramaic we [29:26] have good reason to think it wasn't [29:28] and there are no aramaic originals he's [29:30] really looking at the syriac bushido [29:31] which is like a different thing [29:33] that confuses the uninformed [29:37] but this is foundational [29:40] this is i mean his aramaic stuff is [29:42] foundational for his whole translation [29:44] he is constantly in the new testament [29:46] constantly translating from the aramaic [29:48] the footnotes are just full of [29:49] the aramaic says that aramaic says and [29:52] it really it [29:53] as i started to realize the reason why [29:54] simmons has all these passages [29:57] with extra words with no italics is [29:59] because he [30:00] he hey he goes to the aramaic and then b [30:03] now that he's in the aramaic he finds [30:05] homonyms in aramaic [30:06] and he translates words multiple times [30:09] into a text making the verses much [30:10] longer [30:11] am i am i out of line by saying his [30:13] translation methodology [30:14] is just totally bunk well it's important [30:18] that readers of the passion [30:19] translation need to know he's using [30:22] things other than the bible [30:25] he's using source material other than [30:27] what we think of as the bible [30:31] translations in other languages like [30:33] latin [30:34] or armenian or georgian or [30:38] syriac um they [30:41] they sometimes don't line up with those [30:43] greek manuscripts that we know and trust [30:45] and i think simmons likes to find [30:48] something different in order for [30:49] i'm just guessing here but in order to [30:51] find something really interesting to put [30:52] in the translation [30:54] i think he likes that and i think just [30:56] when you mention what the translation is [30:57] all about he talks about [30:58] new he talks about kind of innovative [31:01] things you never heard before [31:02] that's a dangerous approach to bible [31:05] translation [31:06] um our goal isn't to find new things [31:08] it's really to be faithful to the [31:10] original things [31:11] and so um i if i were a publisher [31:14] i would be very very concerned with [31:18] anyone passing off as the bible [31:19] something using [31:21] uh material that comes from a later time [31:23] than our best and earliest greek [31:25] manuscripts in the new testament and [31:27] that is so i mean this is so [31:28] so clarifying and helpful because i [31:30] think this aramaic issue is at the heart [31:32] of reviewing especially the new [31:33] testament and [31:35] and it's something that i think is just [31:36] difficult to understand so having [31:37] somebody break it down so well like [31:39] i'm really excited to let people see [31:41] this and evaluate it for themselves [31:44] now what about if you just wanted to use [31:46] the bible [31:47] the passion as like a supplementary [31:49] version like say you're reading and [31:50] studying the bible in esv and iv [31:52] in asb or whatever and then you [31:55] occasionally look to this [31:56] for different understanding of different [31:58] verses what do you think about that [32:04] i i mean my my reaction is [32:07] why not just look at the message i feel [32:09] like the message does [32:10] is much more consistent i preach pretty [32:14] regularly [32:14] and what i'll do is i'll read something [32:16] like the nrsv or the niv [32:18] but then during the sermon i might i [32:20] might bring out the message and i might [32:22] read it because [32:24] uh there's some really interesting um [32:26] part of that [32:27] that gives you a kind of feel for [32:30] contemporary [32:31] uh language of that text um but [32:35] in galatians in particular simmons makes [32:38] what i feel like are [32:39] very strategic theological points [32:42] that are clearly opinions and my [32:46] question would be [32:47] are the readers going to know when that [32:49] happens are they going to be able to [32:51] know it's an opinion are they going to [32:53] be able to know there's a whole group of [32:55] people that would argue [32:56] against that that are scholars [32:58] translators translations [33:00] um it leaves it leaves a lot up to [33:03] chance [33:03] up to trusting him as an interpreter of [33:07] scripture [33:07] basically to use this as a translation [33:09] even supplement you really have to trust [33:11] that he understands new testament [33:13] theology what the bible's all about [33:16] that sort of thing and to be honest i [33:18] don't i don't feel like he has a good [33:20] interpretation of galatians here [33:23] well that's very helpful and who are [33:26] hesitant about the message and you hear [33:28] dr gupta here [33:29] forgive me if i share this right now but [33:31] you hear doctor you're just saying like [33:32] i would you know so the message is [33:33] supplementary about when this like gets [33:34] your [33:35] your hair standing up and you're like [33:36] the message i'm not a real huge fan of [33:38] the message either but [33:39] surprisingly here's the point here's a [33:42] scholar who says [33:44] the message would be okay okay [33:46] supplementary translation [33:48] and he still rejects the passion and [33:49] that's kind of the thing that i would [33:50] really want us to highlight right here [33:52] um i am surprised though that how many [33:54] of the guys i'm interviewing [33:55] think that the message is a good [33:57] supplementary translation and it's [33:58] making me wonder if i've judged it too [33:59] harshly [34:00] in the past because i've highlighted the [34:03] worst parts [34:05] well if you don't think of it as a [34:06] translation and you think of it [34:08] as an illustration um [34:11] that that's really its intent it's not [34:13] intended to be a translation [34:14] and when it's used as translation then [34:17] it is [34:18] it becomes more problematic because you [34:20] start to question the choices that are [34:22] made [34:22] um the the idea behind a paraphrase [34:26] or something like the message is [34:28] imagination [34:30] and so it comes and you don't want [34:31] imagination in regular [34:37] yeah i react to it as a translation [34:40] perhaps more than as a paraphrase [34:41] because [34:42] i guess for some of us we're just not [34:43] super excited about paraphrases in [34:44] general although i do like the new [34:45] living translation [34:47] on a personal level um which is kind of [34:49] like somewhere between the two i guess [34:51] isn't it [34:52] yeah it is and again [34:55] i tend to use those things uh for [34:57] inspiration rather than [34:59] you know kind of hardcore bible study [35:01] when trying to define the passion [35:02] translation [35:04] it is difficult to define because [35:05] there's what the publisher and the and [35:06] the author is saying about it [35:07] but scholars seem hesitant well [35:09] definitely hesitant to call it a [35:10] translation [35:11] but they even seem hesitant to call it a [35:13] paraphrase it seems to be much looser [35:14] than a paraphrase typically is like [35:16] dr longman said it's a highly highly [35:18] highly interpretive [35:20] paraphrase because he just didn't feel [35:21] like it was okay to just call it that [35:24] now both you and dr longman actually [35:26] compared this to what's called a targum [35:28] can you walk us through that yeah [35:31] targum you know so so it's kind of a [35:34] it's kind of a paraphrase that leans [35:37] into [35:39] explanation sermonizing or [35:42] kind of breaking something down for kind [35:44] of modern [35:46] uh you know contemporary explanation so [35:50] it kind of breaks the boundaries of a [35:52] translation it moves [35:53] more into kind of unpacking the theology [35:58] unpacking kind of the contemporary [36:00] relevance [36:01] and so you you might want to say it's [36:03] kind of a [36:04] trans translation paraphrase mixed with [36:07] poetry or mixed with sermonizing [36:09] that that would be one way to explain it [36:12] and that and the passion fits that [36:13] because [36:14] some of the choices that are made kind [36:16] of burst out into [36:17] almost like a little sermon um and and [36:20] if it matches up or theology maybe [36:22] that would be helpful for you but i find [36:25] it again so inconsistent [36:27] and i find it historically inaccurate on [36:29] a number of levels that i [36:30] i would not recommend it for that use [36:33] well i think this is a huge thing that i [36:36] think that you don't notice [36:37] as much if you're not from charismatic [36:39] circles as i [36:40] have had some experience there um and [36:42] i'm i still believe in the gifts the [36:44] spirit and the work of god through those [36:45] things so this is not at all some kind [36:46] of skepticism or cynicism on my part [36:48] but as i read through the passion i [36:50] realize that the targum-like elements [36:51] are very frequently preaching points [36:54] for charismatic or hyper charismatic [36:56] communities [36:57] which i think is why it's been endorsed [36:59] by pastors like bill johnson or [37:01] um over some of the hillsong leadership [37:04] has endorsed it tremor bobby houston [37:06] endorsed it and official endorsement so [37:09] they're [37:09] promoting it as this great amazing bible [37:11] translation and i think it's because [37:14] it has added those preaching points it's [37:16] less about the translation and more [37:17] about the preaching points [37:18] which to me is the worst part because [37:21] it's adding [37:22] things to the text that aren't [37:23] necessarily there in some cases are [37:25] incorrectly changing it so let's dig [37:28] into some specific examples you [37:29] mentioned verses in your paper [37:31] and you gave like three kinds or [37:32] categories of decisions that were made [37:34] in the translation [37:35] you talked about positive choices [37:36] unusual choices and problematic choices [37:39] let's start with positive choices we're [37:41] not trying to say nothing good about the [37:42] passion here [37:43] what would you say are some positive [37:45] choices you found um you know [37:47] over and over again he he deconstructs [37:50] christianity's language and tries to [37:52] find um [37:54] other ways of using uh biblical language [37:57] so for example the anointed one or i [37:59] think the messiah he [38:00] i think he alternates but i think that's [38:03] reasonable and i think it's helpful [38:05] often to get us away from thinking of [38:06] christ as jesus's last name [38:09] i mentioned that he refers to gentiles [38:11] as non-jews because many [38:12] moderate of the bible that aren't church [38:14] don't know that gentile means non-jew [38:16] i like that as well that kind of stuff [38:18] yeah i pointed that out and i thought [38:20] yeah that's that's actually a really [38:21] helpful [38:22] way to translate gentiles yeah so [38:25] so those are choices that i i find [38:28] helpful and he puts a little more [38:30] emotion into [38:32] the text in places that i feel like are [38:34] appropriate [38:35] um i didn't love what he did with the [38:37] fruit of the spirit but i do think he [38:38] added a little more emotion to it than [38:41] our traditional translations do which [38:43] are okay um [38:45] you know off with these kinds of things [38:47] it's [38:48] you know there are good parts you know [38:50] and and [38:51] in the sense that i i i would accept it [38:54] as kind of a paraphrase [38:56] um so so there were there were enough [38:58] things in there that to say okay there's [39:00] something good here [39:01] yeah all right let's talk about some of [39:03] the unusual choices [39:05] um that you found as you were reviewing [39:07] this work [39:12] so a big part of it is really [39:14] inconsistency [39:15] just um sometimes he'll use brother and [39:19] sister language sometimes he uses [39:21] friends when the scripture text uses [39:23] brothers and sisters [39:25] um he does weird things like [39:28] converting a rhetorical question to [39:30] indicative statement as he does in 110. [39:32] um one thing i thought was really [39:35] strange [39:36] was um he keeps referring to things like [39:40] legalism and the doctrines of judaism [39:42] and the jewish religion [39:44] um and i found that kind of strange as [39:47] if [39:49] paul's current uh experience was not [39:52] religion [39:53] yeah um which i it would be hard to [39:56] prove but this is a listen [39:57] i got it i got to tell you this because [39:59] you looked at galatians not james [40:00] so the passion translation adds the word [40:02] religion a great number [40:04] of times where uh like other [40:06] translations just don't have that word [40:07] it's just added into the text [40:09] it's every time and i looked up a bunch [40:10] of them every time it's in a very [40:12] negative connotation religion's a bad [40:13] word [40:14] but in james where it says that religion [40:16] that god likes right [40:18] you know is approved by god he he [40:21] changes that [40:22] and he won't put the word religion there [40:23] even though he translates [40:25] that same word as religion in the verses [40:27] prior you think you're religious [40:28] and so in other words he's added a bunch [40:30] of negative connotations with the word [40:32] religion he's removed [40:33] the one that should most obviously be a [40:35] positive connotation of the word [40:37] religion and [40:39] this is just to confirm what you're [40:40] suggesting here when you're like he adds [40:42] religious [40:43] to this like and it's a negative thing [40:45] this is pervasive this is his [40:46] his preaching points put into the text [40:49] yes [40:50] and this idea of legalism that the [40:52] problem is legalism [40:53] um that's kind of a modern imposition [40:56] uh it's the issue's a little bit more [40:58] delicate than that and so i felt like [41:00] that was really really forced [41:02] um his use of faith language is kind of [41:04] all across the map and it was unclear [41:06] sometimes human faith sometimes the [41:08] faithfulness the messiah [41:11] his translation of doulas which means [41:13] slave sometimes translates slaves tells [41:15] times as servants but it wasn't clear [41:16] why he would translate one way or the [41:18] other [41:18] so this is where i would want to step in [41:21] and say hey [41:22] you need to be clear about what the [41:24] consistency of what you're doing because [41:27] it does matter to just a coherent [41:29] reading of of the bible [41:31] this is stuff that would get weeded out [41:33] in that checks and balances that [41:34] normally takes place [41:36] absolutely so what are some examples of [41:38] what you called problematic [41:40] choices yeah well a lot of this has to [41:43] do with his use of [41:44] his kind of syriac aramaic [41:47] inclusions but some of the things you [41:50] know i i rewrote some of these down as i [41:52] read it again today the past [41:53] translation um so for example in [41:57] galatians 3 27 [41:59] where paul says neither june or gentile [42:01] slave or free [42:02] he actually changes the text there to [42:04] say rich or poor [42:07] and i feel like this is one of the most [42:09] egregious [42:11] problems uh with his approach [42:14] because it privileges a particular [42:18] region or time period in a way that you [42:20] really shouldn't do [42:22] i think you can let the people of god [42:24] decide how they want to apply that text [42:26] for themselves rather than change it to [42:28] another social status [42:30] category i feel like it would neglect [42:33] those places in the world or even in the [42:35] us today where there is slavery sex [42:37] slavery or in other places in the world [42:38] where there's actual slavery [42:40] so it's really privileging his own world [42:44] view his own conception of social status [42:46] he also [42:48] talks about the natural realm he he he [42:50] translates [42:51] let me i'm so sorry to interrupt you [42:53] before you move on i'd like to just [42:54] mention [42:55] this issue of slavery of like removing [42:57] the concept of slavery and replacing it [42:59] with something else [43:00] uh perhaps because he just thinks it's [43:02] not important or not relevant to people [43:04] yet yet he's pushing the translation [43:05] worldwide he's selling it worldwide [43:08] and it also appears the same egregious [43:10] error appears in [43:11] first corinthians and ephesians you know [43:13] where in ephesians it says [43:15] slaves now it says employees and where [43:17] it says masters [43:19] like don't threaten them he it's instead [43:21] he changes this to shepherds of the [43:23] flock and now it's a teaching of [43:24] to leaders and it's about forgiving [43:26] people not not threatening them [43:28] and then in first corinthians it's this [43:30] is something that was pointed out with [43:32] uh [43:32] a rece the interview i just did a couple [43:34] days ago in first corinthians he removes [43:36] the the clarity of the statement that if [43:39] a slave [43:40] can be set free then they should and [43:41] they should use that for the lord all of [43:43] a sudden it looks [43:44] in his translation like they should just [43:45] stay that way [43:47] yeah so there's a we recognize there's a [43:49] lie you can cross [43:51] from contemporizing the language to [43:53] actually changing it [43:55] um and and this is one of those [43:57] boundaries i think you shouldn't cross [43:59] i think he does that with how he [44:00] translates world as the natural realm [44:03] um this is creating an almost gnostic [44:06] approach to theology to say that [44:09] the world is only the natural realm [44:12] because um when paul talks about the [44:15] flesh he's also talking about evil [44:17] spiritual forces too so [44:19] i i don't like the equation of world [44:21] with natural [44:22] natural realm it can create a kind of [44:25] escapist spirituality that i can [44:28] i think is very dangerous a lot of the [44:29] things that this translation does [44:32] is not going to reach the level of [44:33] pricking anyone's [44:35] conscience immediately especially for [44:37] kind of lay people [44:39] it has a cumulative effect i think on [44:42] kind of creating all these potholes and [44:45] problems [44:46] that can do a lot of damage some of [44:47] things are more obvious but it's a lot [44:49] of the subtle things that can kind of [44:51] let certain historic heresies creep in [44:54] to the text things that uh would never [44:57] make it into major translations ever [45:00] uh they would be stopped at like door [45:01] one you know um [45:03] so those are very troubling yeah [45:06] yeah well i'm i'm just smiling because [45:09] i'm glad [45:09] you're saying it out loud because [45:12] they're just [45:12] you know up until we did this this [45:14] project there was very few people [45:15] reviewing this work and when they did [45:17] review it their reviews weren't getting [45:18] well [45:19] like well read they weren't being pushed [45:20] around very much and this is gonna [45:22] hopefully god willing it's gonna change [45:24] that and it'll be a [45:26] something that will push the church [45:27] towards loving god's word even better [45:30] so i'd like to get now um oh i'm sorry [45:32] did you have any other of the problem [45:34] problematic choices that you wanted to [45:35] mention um [45:37] we talked about the religion one um oh [45:40] he puts the word reward [45:42] um people kind of seeking a reward [45:45] in language in the galatians that isn't [45:47] are already there [45:49] and this is kind of the imposition of [45:51] especially kind of [45:53] imputation of christ righteousness [45:55] theology and there's nothing wrong with [45:57] imputation [45:57] theology uh many you know god-honoring [46:01] christians follow that theology but it's [46:03] the kind of artificial [46:04] insertion in it into the text that i [46:07] find troubling [46:08] which puts it more in the category of a [46:10] kind of long sermon rather than [46:13] what we might think of as a official [46:15] used translation yeah that's a great [46:16] example because i because i [46:18] i that was one of the things i noticed [46:19] in galatians was the imputation stuff [46:20] and i was like man i mean i i hold to [46:22] imputation of christ righteousness [46:24] but that doesn't mean you could just [46:26] artificially throw it into a passage [46:28] or force a force it to say it where [46:31] perhaps it [46:32] isn't the verse that's teaching that [46:33] issue that kind of thing so [46:35] yeah um all right let me i like to get [46:37] some quick fire responses at this point [46:39] i'm gonna i'm gonna read some [46:40] statements to you these are from the [46:43] pastor translation website [46:44] this is in their promotional material [46:46] it's also in in some cases in the past [46:48] translation itself the new 2020 edition [46:50] and for those who are like [46:52] oh wait he just came out with a 2020 [46:53] edition it's true that dr gupta reviewed [46:56] the previous edition [46:57] but we double checked all of his [46:59] criticisms with the 2020 edition [47:01] actually hopeful [47:02] that they would have changed but [47:04] actually he's just added more footnotes [47:05] that make things more problematic [47:07] for the most part but at any rate here's [47:09] the quotes [47:10] the first one is from page 8 of the new [47:12] edition the passion translation is [47:14] committed to bringing forth the potency [47:16] of god's word in relevant [47:17] contemporary vocabulary that doesn't [47:19] distract from its meaning [47:21] or distort it in any way [47:26] quick fire responses i'll be okay that [47:28] if you take out the word translation [47:31] all right what do you think about it [47:32] doesn't distort it in any way [47:36] if you take out the word translation it [47:38] is an opinion [47:40] and he's welcome to his opinion my [47:41] opinion is [47:43] uh he's he's thrown himself off by [47:46] depending on the aramaic [47:48] later peshita syracita he's already [47:52] kind of thrown himself off of mainstream [47:55] historic christianity [47:57] so if he if he's going for that niche [47:59] you know go for it [48:01] but he's he's going to miss out on on [48:03] the majority of christians that follow [48:05] the creeds and so forth great and then [48:07] here's the next quote [48:08] the text was interpreted from the [48:10] original language [48:12] carrying its original meaning and giving [48:14] you an accurate reliable expression of [48:16] god's original message [48:19] again i'm trying to think if i were [48:20] talking to brian what would i say so i [48:22] i would want to say um [48:26] the original texts as far as we know [48:28] were written in greek [48:30] not aramaic especially galatians which [48:33] is what i looked at [48:34] and so um i i think you'd have to make [48:38] an academic case [48:40] first that uh the aramaic's original [48:43] don't refer to [48:44] whatever someone else has written write [48:45] your own book have it published in a [48:47] peer-reviewed [48:48] uh space and then you can [48:51] you can try to create a translation [48:53] based on that i'd love to see him do [48:55] that that would be exciting to [48:57] just i guess it's like my version of [48:59] watching a boxing match [49:01] i want to see those ideas battled out um [49:04] and see him try to promote in in a [49:06] scholarly circle what he promotes when [49:08] he's preaching in front of charismatic [49:09] crowds [49:10] all right here's one more this is from [49:12] uh bill johnson he's the pastor of [49:14] bethel church and he is a [49:15] very very influential pastor amongst [49:17] especially the more [49:20] extreme charismatic fellowships and he [49:22] says [49:23] the pastor translation is quote one of [49:25] the greatest [49:26] things to happen with bible translation [49:28] in my lifetime [49:31] um you know mike i will say um [49:34] what's happening in seminaries over the [49:36] last 20 years is [49:38] fewer and fewer seminaries are requiring [49:40] the biblical languages there's a variety [49:41] of reasons for that [49:42] economic our education and grade school [49:45] and things like that [49:46] but i'm discouraged to think about how [49:49] many pastors out there don't know the [49:50] biblical languages [49:52] i went to gordon conwell we spent many [49:54] many hours in biblical languages [49:56] and it's one of the most important [49:58] things i've ever done in my life is [49:59] learn greek and hebrew arabic and so [50:01] forth [50:02] um i i'm guessing that some of these [50:05] pastors endorsing this [50:07] they don't know [50:10] much about the textual history of the [50:11] bible and yet it's it's a precious thing [50:14] that we guard [50:15] as academics and as people that work at [50:18] seminaries [50:19] that we guard that textual history [50:21] regard what the scribes have passed on [50:23] over the years so [50:24] it's really discouraging to hear that [50:26] people are considering this kind of a [50:28] new [50:28] innovative and reliable translation when [50:31] we have really wonderful things already [50:33] through the translations we have [50:36] yeah wow okay in your opinion [50:40] should the passion translation be in [50:41] bookstores bible apps and places like [50:44] bible gateway [50:44] alongside other bible translations [50:48] again i believe in kind of a free market [50:51] economy of [50:52] of education so i tell people um read [50:55] whatever you want we're not in the [50:56] business of book burning but [50:59] i will say hopefully you have good [51:02] pastors mentors [51:04] that you trust that can tell you how to [51:06] sort out [51:07] the most beneficial things from the less [51:09] beneficial [51:10] if someone walked in my office and said [51:12] hey what do you think of the past [51:14] translation i would say ignore it [51:18] there you go all right now for those who [51:21] do want like a paraphrase they're [51:23] looking for something [51:24] a supplemental you know translation what [51:26] would you recommend what's an [51:27] alternative to the passion translation [51:29] where they feel like it just [51:30] helps things be more simple or more [51:33] lively to them [51:35] that's a good question um i mentioned i [51:37] mentioned the message which not [51:38] everybody loves but i do [51:40] uh we mentioned the new living [51:41] translation i'll say a good [51:43] devotional commentary for example [51:46] zonovan has a series called the story of [51:49] god [51:50] bible commentary i just finished [51:52] galatians as i mentioned [51:54] and scott mcknight for example is [51:55] written on summer on the mount [51:57] and lynn kohick has written on [52:00] philippians i think [52:02] it's great because they give you the niv [52:03] text but then they kind of walk you [52:05] through devotionally kind of the meaning [52:06] of the text [52:07] and those kinds of resources are [52:10] wonderful the niv application commentary [52:12] similar tyndale new testament commentary [52:13] there's [52:14] a whole bunch of really good stuff out [52:16] there that's supplemental [52:18] i think my biggest concern mike is um [52:22] it's being called a translation in terms [52:25] of kind of a [52:26] homological spiritual information thing [52:28] i don't agree with it [52:29] but there's lots of stuff out there i [52:31] don't agree with i think it should be [52:33] recognized that it is [52:34] a sarmonic uh interpretation of the new [52:37] testament [52:39] and as far as that's concerned it can be [52:40] used by whoever finds it helpful [52:42] i would recommend people to ignore it [52:44] but but that's my opinion [52:47] yeah i like that i like the clarity [52:49] you're giving us i do really appreciate [52:50] it [52:50] let's pretend that a christian turns to [52:51] you and says i'm getting the passion [52:53] translation [52:54] my pastor said it's the best thing [52:55] that's happened to bible translation in [52:57] our lifetime [52:58] and this person loves the passion [52:59] translation they feel like it's [53:01] really blessed them if you had just 10 [53:03] seconds to tell them what they needed to [53:04] know [53:05] about the passion translation what would [53:06] you say [53:08] i'd say it it is idiosyncratic and it [53:12] uses [53:13] uh innovative but not uh [53:16] not historically credible approach to [53:19] bible translation [53:20] uh it's not a translation at all that's [53:23] a misnomer it's really more of a [53:25] of a amplification from the opinion of [53:28] the translator [53:30] i would say if you're going to use it [53:31] make sure you're using a lot of other [53:33] resources to compare it to you [53:35] if you can learn greek and hebrew all [53:36] the better to really compare it [53:38] in a healthy way to what scripture says [53:41] right on [53:42] now i have to apologize ahead of time [53:44] for the question i'm about to ask [53:46] it's just a little awkward but uh but [53:48] it's important and it's [53:49] this is how the translation is being [53:51] sold amongst large numbers of people [53:53] uh brian simmons has said that god has [53:56] supernaturally given him [53:57] secrets of hebrew and greek the god it's [53:59] like god put a chip in his head and gave [54:01] him downloads that have given him [54:03] knowledge of greek and hebrew and it [54:05] gives him knowledge into the true [54:06] meaning of scripture he talks about how [54:08] his translation of different books will [54:09] unlock your relationship with god you'll [54:11] fall in love with god all over again [54:12] all these all these different statements [54:15] also [54:16] in 2009 jesus [54:19] enters the room you're in and gives you [54:22] an assignment tell me what that was [54:25] what a wonderful night that was again i [54:28] was in my room [54:29] and the presence of the lord became [54:32] tangible [54:33] heavy thick so powerful that i [54:36] slipped out of bed and knelt there by my [54:39] bed [54:39] and the one i loved came and uh [54:43] commissioned me he says i i'm [54:45] commissioning you [54:46] to do this translation project and he [54:49] breathed on me [54:50] just blew his breath upon me i'll never [54:53] forget that experience [54:55] and he promised me that that he would [54:58] give me help that he would stand with me [55:00] and give me secrets of the hebrew [55:04] language secrets of the bible that would [55:06] be for this last day's awakening [55:09] and uh that was the beginning of the [55:11] passion translation project [55:12] i have to tell you when i read your [55:14] translation [55:16] it's like so i mean i've read every just [55:19] about every translation [55:21] but there's something fresh do you think [55:23] it has [55:24] anything to do with the lord blowing on [55:26] you when you had your visitation [55:29] that he wanted his breath on the words [55:32] i would say that humbly that there is a [55:36] breath [55:36] upon this work that goes beyond a human [55:40] uh translator he breathed on me so that [55:43] i would do the project [55:45] and i felt downloads coming instantly [55:48] i received downloads it was like i got a [55:51] chip [55:52] put inside of me i got a connection [55:54] inside of me [55:55] to hear him better to understand the [55:58] scriptures better [55:59] and hopefully to translate so based on [56:02] your examination of galatians [56:04] what do you think of those claims does [56:06] it look [56:07] like this is the result of supernatural [56:09] empowerment [56:11] you know the apostle paul says don't [56:13] reject prophecy [56:15] and if this is a form of prophecy we [56:17] can't outright reject it [56:19] but then paul says test it [56:22] and so that's what we do we test it we [56:24] test it against the historic uh [56:26] transmission of scripture [56:27] through scribes through translations [56:29] through translators for hundreds and [56:30] hundreds and hundreds of years [56:32] um i have a lot of academic training [56:35] i've spent a lot of time [56:36] uh fine-tuning my greek i spent a lot of [56:39] time in galatians and just from the [56:40] exercise that you've helped me [56:42] undertake to to criticize this uh [56:45] i found that his claim for having [56:48] revelatory knowledge and [56:49] interpretation uh i would consider that [56:52] false [56:53] um and i would caution people against it [56:55] thank you [56:56] the last thing was just this i'd like if [56:58] you would just to read the closing [56:59] paragraph [57:00] from your review i think that this just [57:02] succinctly put it all out there [57:03] if people haven't got the point yet then [57:06] this [57:07] closing paragraph would really help [57:08] people get the idea yeah [57:11] uh overall i found the passing [57:12] translation of galatians [57:14] occasionally thoughtful but largely [57:16] haphazard and amateur in its translation [57:18] techniques [57:20] it lacks a consistent translation method [57:22] and does not take into account major [57:23] trends and agreement [57:24] in galatians biblical scholarship many [57:27] of the additional flourishes and [57:28] interpretive glosses that the passion [57:30] translation includes are misleading and [57:32] overly speculative [57:34] overall i take classroom translations [57:37] galatians [57:38] as the personal opinion of a missionary [57:40] which may have [57:41] some value in its own right rather than [57:44] a consistently accurate translation [57:46] of the greek text of galatians for [57:48] serious use [57:51] dr nije gupta thank you so very much and [57:54] you did [57:54] i just want people to know if they were [57:56] interested in your insights and they [57:57] found these things valuable [57:58] then they can look for your commentary [58:00] in galatians you just finished it when [58:01] does it actually come out [58:02] probably 2022 but oh wow okay well [58:05] what's something else you [58:08] uh yeah i've written a commentary on [58:11] first second thessalonians [58:12] and on colossians and the lord's prayer [58:15] and i can i can send mike links to those [58:17] and people can find them [58:19] i'll put them in our description down [58:20] below as well for people who are [58:21] interested [58:22] so thank you so much doctor i am like [58:24] really [58:25] i'm so excited about this because i feel [58:27] like it's [58:28] it's going to impact people by bringing [58:30] them back anchored to the scripture in [58:32] the word of god and [58:33] the revelation that was already [58:34] sufficient before brian simmons showed [58:36] up [58:37] well you know you know what's [58:38] disappointing to me mike is um [58:41] you know i i i keep my ear to the ground [58:43] i'm an academic but i try to keep my ear [58:45] to the ground and i i [58:46] i only occasionally hear about the [58:49] passion translation [58:50] and yet uh you've helped communicate to [58:52] me that has a massive [58:54] influence and growing and [58:57] this is just one of those ways that i'm [59:00] discouraged [59:01] that people in my position are not [59:04] regularly listening to people [59:06] in the churches uh to know what they're [59:09] wrestling with and thinking about [59:10] and vice versa the people in the [59:12] churches aren't looking to us [59:15] for advice on translations except [59:17] through intermediaries like you so i [59:19] thank you for your ministry for that [59:20] yeah well hey i'll be the bridge i'll be [59:22] the bridge [59:24] bring bring you all together and so yeah [59:26] many people [59:27] are just they just didn't know they [59:29] literally didn't know that there were [59:31] scholars who like professionally worked [59:32] in these things that aren't just like [59:33] stale spiritually dead religious [59:36] hypocrites which is actually [59:37] i think that brian simmons tries to [59:39] present things like this he [59:41] he says things like angry translators [59:43] make angry translations [59:44] you know angry translators are going to [59:46] have angry translations [59:47] why why don't we get translations to [59:49] give us [59:50] the royal deal and even in his own [59:54] translation he he calls describes like [59:56] religious scholars like because it's [59:58] it's as though he's preparing the [59:59] audience for the criticism that you [60:01] might bring [60:02] at any rate when they hear you they [60:05] realize that's not what you are [60:08] and we appreciate that so thank you so [60:10] much [60:11] thanks mike now i loved that interview [60:14] and i'm really grateful for [60:15] dr gupta to be part of this project i'm [60:17] actually loving how the passion [60:18] project's coming together [60:19] now behind the scenes i've actually done [60:22] a bunch of these interviews already and [60:23] i'm editing them and putting them up [60:24] about one week at a time for the first [60:26] five interviews what i will then do [60:29] is continue the project long term you'll [60:31] see some more stuff coming out in the [60:32] future [60:33] i'll let you know as things become [60:35] available reminder every single paper is [60:37] totally free [60:38] every single video is totally free [60:39] there's a link down below where you can [60:41] get all of the content [60:42] and use it to your heart's content i [60:45] think we're making a real difference [60:46] right now [60:46] the passion project that we're doing is [60:48] going to stop the spread of [60:49] misinformation that's coming out of [60:51] brian simmons [60:52] coming in the pastor translation itself [60:53] in the translation in the footnotes and [60:55] also [60:56] from the website and broad street [60:58] publishing this information [60:59] seems to be misleading and as we have [61:01] scholars review it and share their [61:02] honest opinions [61:04] it seems to confirm that very much so [61:07] i'm interested in the other reviews that [61:08] are coming but in the meantime keep your [61:10] eyes out for a video i'll put up coming [61:12] soon [61:12] on brian simmons false prophecy this [61:15] isn't [61:15] something a scholar is doing something [61:17] i'm doing brian simmons has actually [61:19] a track record of prophecy i wasn't [61:21] expecting to find out about this [61:23] but as i reviewed his videos as i was [61:24] looking into his content trying to [61:26] gather information for this project [61:27] i actually found statements that are [61:30] clearly [61:31] erroneous and they're big major [61:33] prophetic statements now why would i [61:34] cover this [61:36] because if i can show that the man [61:38] claims to hear from god [61:39] and prophetically fails which means he's [61:41] not hearing from god [61:42] and that means all the claims of secrets [61:44] in in insight and holy spirit [61:46] inspiration that he's [61:47] giving regarding the translation all [61:49] those claims are now brought into [61:50] question [61:51] we don't have a reason to believe those [61:52] things even though i do believe god can [61:54] speak to you like that [61:55] i just don't think he spoke to brian [61:56] that way i'm hoping that each of these [61:58] interviews [61:58] acts like a mini bible study to you as [62:00] well that that in addition to [62:02] enlightening you on this translation it [62:03] just edifies you and builds you up and [62:04] if you like this kind of thing [62:06] you might want to subscribe because i [62:07] have hundreds and hundreds of videos [62:10] giving us basically how to think [62:12] biblically about everything or at least [62:13] the best of my ability [62:14] trying to help enable you to understand [62:16] scripture to be able to think things [62:17] through to be able to reason things [62:19] through in a biblical fashion [62:21] so yeah if that sounds fun subscribe  📄 **Full text:** ![[Full Document Contents/Articles/What’s Wrong With GALATIANS in the Passion Translation.md|What’s Wrong With GALATIANS in the Passion Translation by YouTube]] ## Highlights - so the passion translation adds the word religion a great number of times where uh like other translations just don't have that word it's just added into the text it's every time and i looked up a bunch of them every time it's in a very negative connotation religion's a bad word but in james where it says that religion that god likes right you know is approved by god he he changes that and he won't put the word religion there even though he translates that same word as religion in the verses prior you think you're religious and so in other words he's added a bunch ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ksvc1g1w24kkv65z8mnkd3xw)) - Note: Gupta catches Simmons inserting "religion" as a negative across Galatians where Greek doesn't have the word, then NOT translating it as "religion" in James where Greek does have it (because James talks about "religion God likes" — which would contradict Simmons' framing). The translation choice is theologically motivated, not philologically driven. - Tags: james-inconsistency, nijay-gupta, atom/literature/h1, religion-insertion - slave or free he actually changes the text there to say rich or poor and i feel like this is one of the most egregious problems uh with his approach because it privileges a particular region or time period in a way that you really shouldn't do i think you can let the people of god decide how they want to apply that text for themselves rather than change it to another social status ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ksvc1t59c3sx9m9hbfcf4htk)) - Note: Gupta calls the slave/free → rich/poor swap one of the MOST egregious problems with Simmons's approach. Gal 3:28 is doctrinally load-bearing (no Jew/Greek, slave/free, male/female in Christ) — swapping the historical category for a contemporary one privileges a specific reading-community context Simmons is preaching to, not the text. The "let the people decide how to apply" line is Gupta's translation-philosophy commitment: stay close, don't pre-apply. - Tags: atom/literature/h1, slave-to-rich-poor, nijay-gupta, galatians-3-28, most-egregious