Bethel Church has quietly hit pause on selling The Passion Translation (TPT), the controversial Bible version long championed by Senior Leader Bill Johnson, as fresh allegations of plagiarism continue to swirl around the work of lead translator Brian Simmons.
The influential Redding, California, megachurch confirmed that it has stopped selling TPT in its stores while concerns surrounding the translation are being reviewed.
"As a leadership team we have been in discussions regarding concerns around The Passion Translation," Bethel said in a statement. "We understand reviews are underway by skilled organizations and recognize these will take some time. Until we have additional clarity, we are pausing the sale of The Passion Translation in our stores."
It is a notable move for a church that has been closely associated with TPT for years. Bethel previously sold a special edition featuring a 16-page foreword by Johnson, who has frequently quoted from the translation while preaching and publicly endorsed it.
The decision comes after Texas pastor David Fish raised allegations that portions of TPT were copied from other Bible translations and paraphrases. According to The Roys Report, Fish claims that roughly 20 percent of one biblical book he examined appeared to have been copied from other versions and that he identified more than 300 alleged instances in the Gospel of Luke.
Fish has also challenged some of Simmons' claims regarding Aramaic sources, alleging that certain sources cited to support unusual renderings cannot be verified. His research has reignited longstanding questions about Simmons' translation methodology and the scholarly oversight behind TPT.
Neither Simmons nor publisher BroadStreet Publishing had publicly responded to the specific plagiarism allegations cited by The Roys Report at the time of its August 7 report.
That silence is particularly striking given TPT's commercial success. BroadStreet previously announced that the 2020 edition of The Passion Translation New Testament surpassed one million copies sold, earning an Evangelical Christian Publishers Association Platinum Award.
Meanwhile, YouVersion currently states that TPT is undergoing an "expanded review process." Exactly who is conducting the reviews referenced by Bethel, and whether they are specifically investigating the plagiarism allegations, remains unclear.
Questions have also followed previous claims that TPT underwent a "rigorous review" involving respected scholars. Rick Wadholm Jr., a former Old Testament professor at Assemblies of God Theological Seminary and Evangel University who consulted on the project, previously told The Roys Report that he would not characterize his involvement that way. He said he provided paid feedback and suggestions but understood that Simmons was free to accept or reject them.
For now, Bethel has stopped short of withdrawing its endorsement of TPT altogether. Johnson's endorsement also remains displayed on The Passion Translation's website.
Still, pulling the Bible from Bethel's own shelves represents a significant shift. After years of enthusiastic support, the church that helped give The Passion Translation considerable visibility is apparently waiting for answers before it is willing to keep selling it.
Whether the pause becomes permanent-and whether Johnson or Simmons will directly address the allegations-remains to be seen.
