Dr. Craig Blomberg Reviews The Passion Translation Book of 1 Corinthians
Jan 13, 2021
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Dr. Craig Blomberg, a renowned biblical scholar, critiques Brian Simmons' Passion Translation of 1 Corinthians. He highlights significant inaccuracies and questions the claims of divine insights accompanying the translation. The conversation tackles reinterpreting women's roles in Christianity and the implications of wealth disparities during the Lord's Supper. Blomberg discusses the impact of translational choices on understanding essential doctrines, emphasizing fidelity to original texts. He warns against the potential pitfalls of paraphrasing and the complexities involved in scriptural interpretation.
Dr. Craig Blomberg critiques Brian Simmons' Passion Translation for distorting original biblical meanings, presenting it more as a paraphrase than a translation.
The reliance on unverified Aramaic texts in the Passion Translation raises significant concerns about its authenticity and scholarly integrity.
Simmons' interpretations introduce ideological biases, particularly around gender roles, which deviate from traditional biblical understandings and doctrines.
Deep dives
Background on Brian Simmons and His Translation
Brian Simmons, who has created a new version of the Bible known as the Passion Translation, lacks formal academic credentials as a biblical scholar. Despite facing criticism for not being a trained Greek or Hebrew scholar, he asserts that he has received divine insights and revelations directly from God, claiming that these secrets provide him with unique understandings of scripture. He believes that he has uncovered mysteries within the biblical text that were previously unknown, particularly in books like Psalms and Proverbs. This claim of supernatural insight raises questions about the foundations of his translation methodology and the validity of his work.
Expert Critique of the Passion Translation
Dr. Craig Blomberg, a well-respected biblical scholar, has conducted a review of the Passion Translation, particularly its handling of key passages such as 1 Corinthians. He expresses concern over Simmons' tendency to distort or misrepresent the meaning of the original texts, presenting content as a translation when it often resembles a paraphrase instead. Blomberg emphasizes that many of Simmons' translations introduce additional interpretations that deviate from the original intent of the scriptures, leading to potentially misleading conclusions for readers. This scholarly critique stresses the importance of accurate translation versus interpretation tied to personal theological beliefs.
Misleading Footnotes and Alleged Aramaic Sources
Throughout the Passion Translation, Simmons frequently cites supposed Aramaic originals as sources for his translations, leading to further confusion regarding the authenticity of his work. Blomberg points out that many claims of Aramaic texts are unsubstantiated and may be based on later Syriac manuscripts rather than ancient sources. This reliance on non-existent texts, presented as authoritative translations, misleads readers by suggesting a depth of connection to the original languages that does not exist. Consequently, the footnotes often serve to obscure rather than clarify the meaning of the passages.
Theological Concerns and Gender Representations
The translation choices in the Passion Translation have raised significant theological questions, especially around sensitive topics like gender roles and instructions for church conduct. Simmons' interpretation of key passages related to gender often strays from traditional understandings, leading to a version of scripture that appears to endorse specific ideological viewpoints. For instance, in passages from 1 Corinthians that outline gender roles, Simmons' translation seems to introduce a lens of egalitarianism that does not align with historical interpretations of the texts. This approach to translation could potentially mislead readers about the intended meanings of scripture and its doctrinal implications.
Overall Assessment and Implications for Readers
The overall consensus among scholars is that the Passion Translation, while potentially engaging in its language, presents numerous inaccuracies and misinterpretations that could undermine the integrity of the biblical text. Dr. Blomberg concludes that its promotional claims of being a translation are misleading, and that it often adds emotional language and embellishments that were not present in the original works. Readers are cautioned to approach the Passion Translation with discernment, recognizing it as a paraphrase rather than a reliable translation. This serves as a reminder for modern readers to prioritize fidelity to the original texts when selecting a version of scripture for study and devotion.
Open description for time stamps. I've hired a number of scholars to review Brian Simmons' seriously flawed Bible version. This is my "Passion Project". Today's video features Dr. Craig Blomberg and his thoughts after reviewing the book of 1 Corinthians in The Passion Translation. Scroll down for links to Dr. Blomberg's paper. This same link will have ALL the reviews and papers as they are published. You should see a total of 5 uploaded by the beginning of January. After that I will need to wait a while for more scholars to finish their papers and do interviews. I hope to have it all done in the next few months. What's was my goal with this? I want the people of Christ to know the truth about this "translation" so that they can love what God has said without Brian Simmons altering it in unjustified ways. However, in the course of researching for this project I've uncovered some other very concerning things about Brian Simmons' teachings including false prophecy and various extreme claims regarding his own spiritual experiences. I'll be sharing some of this in future videos as well since I have realized that he is not just styling himself as a Bible translator but as an inspired Bible interpreter who is going to release a last days transformation in the people of God so that "everything that can be said about Jesus can be said about you". Yeah, it's weird.
LINK to all interviews AND papers as they are uploaded. https://biblethinker.org/index.php/the-passion-translation
Dr. Blomberg’s book – Can We Trust The Bible? https://www.amazon.com/Can-Still-Believe-Bible-Contemporary/dp/1587433214
For even MORE content on TPT here is a playlist of my own research into this translation. I think it’s even worse than many of the scholars have said, but that’s not because of a failure on their part. They restricted themselves to reviewing the translation text of a single book each, and only glancing at the footnotes, whereas I looked at the work as a whole and found various other issues of concern including misleading statements from Brian about his own experience as a translator for the Paya Kuna Bible, his degree of education and even stunningly false prophecies he has given. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHvXha4rjCj1Po0WLQc_jGGW
My website https://BibleThinker.org
*These timestamps will work after the video has premiered.
0:00 Intro
0:17 Why this video is important: Brian Simmons wild claims.
1:55 What my Passion Project is.
2:35 Who is Dr. Blomberg and why is he reviewing TPT?
4:52 Dr. Blomberg's attitude toward paraphrases.
6:41 Dr. Blomberg is not driven by bias against TPT but by credible concerns.
7:51 Is TPT misleading people when it calls itself a "translation"?
9:27 A great example of why TPT isn't a translation.
10:07 The "glaring, recurring error" in TPT's footnotes (the "Aramaic").
12:38 This is REALLY bad. Brian Simmons is deceiving people about what "all the scholars" think.
17:37 Simmons' knowingly misuses Mike Bird's scholarship even after Dr. Bird rebuked the misuse.
19:42 Brian Simmons claims that his FOOTNOTES in TPT are the result of God's inspiration.
23:50 Why we should reject Simmons' claims.
24:53 Why the "lack of italics" in TPT is deceiving people.
27:29 1 Cor 1 vv. 11-12 that show TPT is inconsistent with italics.
30:38 How Simmons messes up the "gender role" passage in 1 Corinthians.
35:07 Simmons has an axe to grind on the topic of women which he seems to be wrongly forcing into his translation of the Bible.
38:48 The one place where Simmons translation seems complementarian.
43:26 What attracts people to The Passion Translation?
45:03 Examples of Simmons adding "passion" to the Bible where he shouldn't.
46:08 TPT is named after and angel that Brian saw, according to Brian Simmons.
46:38 How Brian represents TPT as if it's a quality work without bias.
47:42 But Brian sometimes admits his translation is very much a sectarian work.
52:03 Simmons "reverses Paul's meaning" in 1 Cor 10 v. 13.
56:05 TPT perpetuates a "long standing mistranslation" in 1 Cor 11.
1:01:11 Dr. Blomberg thinks TPT can cause a doctrinal problem with the Trinity.
1:04:11 An example of hyper-charismatic alterations in TPT.
1:10:35 TPT once again mishandles a passage related to slaves.
1:13:39 Quick recap of other places TPT does this.
1:14:32 1 Cor 7 v. 36 is "particularly confused."
1:17:18 The best parts of TPT are also the worst parts.
1:18:11 1 Cor 13 shows us TPT's style.
1:21:21 Don't use TPT as a serious Bible.
1:22:13 Dr. Blomberg responds to Bill Johnson's quote.
1:23:33 TPT distorts the meaning of the Bible?
1:24:19 Misleading claims from TPT web site.
1:25:23 Should TPT be in apps and sites?
1:27:21 Did Brian really get secrets from God?
1:29:15 Brian's abuse of homonyms in the name of God.
1:33:29 Dr. Blomberg's advice to someone who loves TPT.
1:34:34 A Surgeon General's warning.
1:36:02 Can We Still Believe The Bible?
1:37:40 Last things.
1:39:56 "Cameo" from Brian.
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