Tremper Longman, a renowned scholar, dives deep into the controversies of The Passion Translation, scrutinizing its interpretations. He challenges whether it's fair to label it a true 'translation' and outlines his biggest concerns with its take on the Song of Songs. Longman critiques Brian Simmons for historical inaccuracies and misleading claims, emphasizing the risks of altering original texts. He also discusses the dangers of the etymological fallacy in translation, reinforcing the importance of maintaining scripture's integrity and poetic intent.
Dr. Tremper Longman critiques The Passion Translation for its misleading interpretations, particularly in the Song of Songs, highlighting its deviation from accurate biblical translation methods.
The podcast emphasizes the scholarly consensus that The Passion Translation serves more as a subjective paraphrase than a legitimate translation, raising concerns about its reliability.
Deep dives
The Popularity and Controversy of the Passion Translation
The Passion Translation, authored by Brian Simmons, has gained significant popularity among various churches and has been widely endorsed by notable pastors. Its emergence in Bible applications and its use from church pulpits have sparked concerns due to Simmons' lack of traditional qualifications for biblical translation. While Simmons claims divine insight into Hebrew and Greek languages, many scholars argue that his methods lead to questionable interpretations rather than accurate translations. As such, the discussion centers on whether the Passion Translation truly fulfills the role of a translation or if it serves primarily as a subjective paraphrase of the biblical texts.
Scholarly Evaluation of Translation Techniques
Scholars have raised serious critiques regarding the methodology Simmons employs in the Passion Translation, particularly in relation to the Song of Songs. Dr. Tremper Longman, a seasoned expert in the field, expresses that Simmons' use of allegorical interpretation diverges from the text's love poetry, thereby obscuring the crucial message of intimacy within human relationships. Furthermore, the evaluation reveals that Simmons' choices often reflect personal interpretations rather than a faithful rendering of the original languages. The consensus among scholars is that the Passion Translation can be categorized as a highly interpretive paraphrase, rather than a legitimate biblical translation.
The Allegorical Interpretation Issue
The interpretation of the Song of Songs as an allegory, as presented in the Passion Translation, has been contested by many scholars who argue that it misrepresents the text's true nature. Most contemporary scholars view the Song of Songs as a celebration of human love and intimacy, which has theological implications for understanding the relationship between God and humanity. By imposing an allegorical interpretation that is not explicit in the original Hebrew, the translation potentially diminishes the significance of the literal love poetry intended by the authors. Such a significant alteration raises concerns about the reliability of the Passion Translation, particularly regarding the key themes it conveys to readers.
Concerns Over Factual Accuracy and Reliability
Numerous factual errors and misleading interpretations within the Passion Translation have been highlighted by scholars as they scrutinize specific translations of biblical passages. Examples include misdefining the word 'Ngedi' and inaccurately rendering descriptive phrases in the Song of Songs, which misrepresents the original meaning and context. Simmons' tendency to impose contemporary theological concepts onto ancient texts further complicates the accuracy of his translation. As a result, many argue that the Passion Translation lacks the necessary academic rigor and adherence to historical contexts that characterize standard biblical translations, fostering skepticism about its overall credibility.
Dr. Tremper Longman tells you what's up with The Passion Translation. My name is Mike Winger and this is my "Passion Project". A project where I've hired a number of scholars to do reviews of different books Brian Simmons' seriously flawed Bible version. Scroll down for the links you are looking for!
0:00 The glorious intro
1:50 The reviewer’s credentials
3:30 Is it honest to call TPT a “translation”?
5:45 Dr. Longman’s BIGGEST issue with TPT’s Song of Songs?
8:19 How big of a deal is this really?
10:01 Simmons is wrong about church history.
16:25 Simmons blames DEMONS for people not agreeing with him.
18:57 How much alteration is taking place in TPT’s Song of Songs?
20:01 Is Dr. Longman bothered by translations that aren’t word for word?
20:51 Does Brian Simmons mislead people about The Passion Translation?
22:20 How Brian Simmons uses the etymological fallacy to translate.
25:00 An example of Simmons adding words to the text.
26:52 Simmons’ use of homonyms is unjustified and misleading.
29:34 How you CAN see Christ in the Song of Songs without altering the text.
30:25 How Simmons misuses the Greek Septuagint and Aramaic.
33:36 Footnotes in TPT may mislead people about scholars.
35:31 Should we trust Simmons’ wild claims?
38:47 Factual error #1 – En Gedi means goat, not lamb.
41:15 Factual error #2 – Sharon does not mean “his song”.
44:32 Factual error #3 – Seal does not mean “prison cell”.
46:50 Where does Dr. Longman think Simmons is getting this stuff from?
48:01 How the way TPT was made is different than how most translations are made.
50:52 What degree qualifications does Brian Simmons have?
51:43 Are people opposed to TPT just spiritually dead religious scholars?
52:55 Are most translations bad?
53:56 Should TPT be in churches, bookstores and Bible apps?
55:21 Do you have anything NICE to say about Song of Songs in TPT?
55:44 A deceptive quote from Simmons’ web site.
56:21 Bill Johnson’s endorsement of The Passion Translation
56:54 A misleading quote from the 2020 edition of TPT
57:28 What Dr. Longman would say to a Christian who loves The Passion Translation
58:19 My FAVORITE part of Dr. Longman’s review!
58:55 What you can expect from my Passion Project.
59:22 Special “cameo” from Brian Simmons
You can download Dr. Longman's paper as a Microsoft Word document for free right here. https://biblethinker.org/images/Notes/FINAL_Longman_TPT_-_Song_of_Songs.docx
If you want to read it on my website instead of downloading it, this link will work. https://biblethinker.org/index.php/our-media/message/review-of-tpt-song-of-songs-by-tremper-longman/read
This is the playlist where I will eventually upload all the interviews as they become available. There should be 5 coming over the next couple months and I hope to eventually add more as I'm able to get more scholars involved in the project. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHuv-ISp_iIw1WL8zaEm86L8
I want to give thanks to those who have donated to this ministry to not only enable me to continue teaching regularly online but to go above and beyond by doing this special project and to make everything I do totally free.
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