Bethel Church Pulls Passion Translation Bible Amid Plagiarism Allegations

Bethel Church in Redding, California, paused sales of The Passion Translation Bible in early August 2026 following mounting allegations that the translation contains extensive plagiarism and scholarly inaccuracies.

The controversy was driven largely by research from Texas pastor David Fish, who documented hundreds of instances where the text of The Passion Translation appeared to be copied from existing Bible translations and paraphrases. In his examination of the Gospel of Luke alone, Fish identified more than 300 alleged examples of plagiarized material. He estimated that in some books of the Bible, roughly 20 percent of the content was lifted from other sources, including Eugene Peterson's The Message.

Critics also raised concerns about translator Brian Simmons' use of Aramaic sources. Although The Passion Translation is marketed as being translated from original languages, investigators found that many of Simmons' Aramaic references traced back to an obscure filmmaker named Victor Alexander rather than established scholarly manuscripts. Rick Wadholm Jr., who served as a paid consultant on the project, disputed claims that the translation underwent a rigorous scholarly review.

In a statement, Bethel Church leadership acknowledged the concerns and said "skilled organizations" were conducting reviews. The church said it would pause sales until it gained "additional clarity" on the matter.

YouVersion, a major Bible app, noted that the translation was undergoing an "expanded review process." As of the announcement, neither Simmons nor publisher BroadStreet Publishing had responded publicly to the specific allegations.

Bethel Church had long promoted The Passion Translation, often featuring it in exclusive editions with forewords by senior leader Bill Johnson. Podcaster Mike Winger had raised concerns about the translation's authenticity as far back as 2018.