That's scary: Passion Translation plans Oct. 31 release for full New Testament

BroadSteet Publishing has announced an Oct. 31 release date -- Halloween Day -- for the controversial Passion Translation's complete New Testament.This popular New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) "translation" of the Bible is produced by the NAR apostle Brian Simmons. Simmons claims that Christ visited him personally and commissioned him to produce this new translation, where he has taken Bible verses and changed them to make them appear like they support NAR teachings. It's endorsed by leading NAR apostles and prophets, including Bill Johnson, Che Ahn, and Lou Engle.Up to now, Simmons has released the Passion Translation in installments, starting with Song of Songs in 2011. The Oct. 31 release will include the full New Testament plus Psalms, Proverbs, and Song of Songs.In preparation for the release, the publisher has announced plans to expand the secretive editorial team of "respected scholars" who are allegedly behind this translation project. I refer to the team as "secretive" because Simmons--who describes himself as the lead translator--claims that a team of respected scholars and editors evaluate his work. But, to date, he has not publicly identified any of those supposed scholars. And the publisher's latest announcement, about expanding the team, also does not identify any of the scholars. See this statement from the Passion Translation's FAQ page:

In preparation for the release of the full New Testament October 31, 2017, BroadStreet Publishing is forming an even more extensive and diverse team to review and provide critical feedback to ensure The Passion Translation is faithful to the original text and heart of God.

It'd be almost kind of funny -- if it weren't such a serious matter -- that the publisher claims to be adding more phantom scholars to the team. Do they think this translation actually gains credibility by beefing up the ghost squad? And why won't Simmons reveal who is editing his work? Could it be that these individuals don't have any more qualifications to make a new translation of the Bible than Simmons does? Read about his lack of qualifications and other serious problems with the Passion Translation in a series of posts I wrote.

In contrast to the Passion Translation, other true Bible translations--such as the New King James Version, the English Standard Version, and the New International Version--are produced by a team of scholars (not a single lead translator). And the names of those scholars are identified publicly--not shrouded in secrecy.Having a shadowy team of figures behind this disturbing translation makes it that much scarier for anyone who might be considering lending it the same credibility as reputable translations of the Scriptures.----------Holly Pivec is the co-author of A New Apostolic Reformation?: A Biblical Response to a Worldwide Movement and God's Super-Apostles: Encountering the Worldwide Prophets and Apostles Movement. She has a master's degree in Christian apologetics from Biola University.