Embracing the Spirit and the Word in Truth

A Pastoral Word on Scripture, The Passion Translation, and Why Faithful Translation Matters

By Doug Burroughs  |  Senior Pastor, Fusion Church

Over the years, I have learned that it is possible to appreciate what God has done through a person or ministry and still evaluate particular teachings or resources carefully. Honor does not require us to suspend discernment, and discernment does not require us to dishonor people.

That is the spirit in which I want to address a question that has surfaced concerning The Passion Translation (TPT). Many in the charismatic and Spirit-empowered church have read TPT, quoted it, and been encouraged by its warm and devotional language. I have used it myself. People I respect have recommended it, and I believe many sincere Christians have encountered the Lord while reading it, even as we heard a testimony about it this past Sunday from one of our dear brothers.

At the same time, significant and legitimate concerns have been raised about the way the current edition handles the underlying Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Because Scripture stands at the center of the life and teaching of Fusion Church, I believe it is important to explain where we are landing.

Our Primary Pulpit Bible: The New King James Version

Fusion Church has chosen the New King James Version as our primary translation for preaching, teaching, and public Scripture reading. That choice is intentional.

The NKJV gives us a readable contemporary English text while maintaining a relatively formal, word-for-word approach to translation. It also stands in the historic stream of the King James tradition, preserving much of its theological vocabulary and literary character without requiring our congregation to navigate seventeenth-century English. It also protects the full counsel of Scripture and honors the abundant manuscripts and codices through the years.

No English translation is perfect. Translation always requires decisions. For that reason, I regularly consult other translations and the original language resources available to me when preparing to teach. Versions such as the NASB, ESV, NET, LEB, NIV, NLT, and others can be useful conversation partners. That being said, congregations benefit from having a common biblical text, and for Fusion, that text has been and will be the New King James Version until we find something better.

Why We Are Changing Our Use of The Passion Translation

The concern with TPT is not that it is passionate, charismatic, or experiential. Those things do not trouble me. Fusion is a Spirit-empowered church. We believe the Holy Spirit speaks, heals, gives gifts, encounters people, and makes the living presence of Jesus known among His people.

The issue is a simpler and more important one: when we say, “The Bible says,” we need confidence that the words we are presenting faithfully represent what the biblical authors actually wrote.

Critics of the present edition of TPT have identified places where interpretive ideas appear to move from explanation into the biblical text itself. Every translation involves interpretation, but there’s an important difference between translating what a text says and either expanding the text or editing the text to communicate what the translator believes it means. The Bible is able to stand on its own. We just need to simply faithfully translate it.

When that line becomes unclear, it creates a particular problem in preaching. A teacher may build a point upon wording that sounds powerful in English but cannot be adequately established from the underlying biblical text. That is a risk I do not believe we need to take.

Randy Clark’s Recent Statement

Dr. Randy Clark is the leader of Global Awakening, whose ministry of healing, impartation, missions, and Kingdom ministry has influenced many of us. His recent statement through Global Awakening deserves careful attention, precisely because his concerns are coming from within deep scholarship and Spirit-empowered praxis, rather than from someone who is opposed to it or does not exercise the gifts of the Spirit.

In his statement, Randy explains that Global Awakening Theological Seminary does not permit TPT as a source for academic research and writing. More importantly, after further consideration of the translation’s methodology and specific passages, he has taken a more cautious position regarding the current edition.

I especially appreciate the principle behind his concern: Scripture must be allowed to shape and correct our thinking and our theology. We must never allow a theological idea we cherish—even a good or biblical idea—to be inserted into a passage where the biblical author did not put it.

We believe deeply in healing, prophecy, spiritual gifts, declarations of faith, the present activity of the Holy Spirit, and the already and not yet Kingdom of God, but we do not need an expanded biblical text to defend those convictions. If what we believe is biblical, we should be able to demonstrate it from Scripture, faithfully interpreted in its context, without adding to or taking away from it.

We do not need to choose between the Word and the Spirit, theological precision and spiritual passion, careful scholarship and genuine power encounters with God.

Discernment Without Dishonor

I also want to be clear about what we are not saying.

We are not attacking Brian Simmons. We are not questioning his love for Jesus. We are not suggesting that people who have been blessed while reading TPT somehow experienced something false. And we are certainly not joining the unfortunate Christian habit of turning theological disagreement into personal accusation. I have spoken with Brian and count him as a dear acquaintance. In every exchange we have had, his heart has been Christ-centered, Jesus-exalting, and full of love for the Jesus' Church.

Randy Clark makes a similar distinction in his statement. That is important. We can evaluate a translation rigorously while continuing to treat its translator as a brother in Christ with dignity and honor.

At Fusion, I want us to learn this kind of maturity. We should be able to say, “I appreciate this person, but I disagree with this conclusion.” Or, “God has used this ministry in my life, but I do not accept everything it teaches.” Discernment and honor belong together.

So, Can I Still Read the TPT?

Yes—with an important qualification.

At Fusion, we are not going to use the current edition of The Passion Translation as a primary or secondary translation from the pulpit, nor will we use its distinctive wording as the basis for doctrine. When we are teaching Scripture publicly, we want our people anchored in translations with a strong and transparent relationship to the Hebrew and Greek texts.

At the same time, I understand why people have appreciated the TPT devotionally, including myself. Its language can be warm, prayerful, and evocative. If you choose to read it devotionally, I recommend reading it alongside a reliable translation such as the NKJV rather than using TPT by itself as your primary Bible. In that setting, think of its expansive language more like devotional reflection or commentary: something that may prompt prayer and meditation, but something that should be checked against the biblical text.I would encourage you to have an open Bible with anything you read, listen to, or watch. That is the Berean spirit. Acts 17:11 tells us that the Bereans received the word eagerly, but they also “searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” They were both receptive and discerning. That is the posture I want us to have at Fusion.Biblical discernment does not mean becoming suspicious or cynical. The Bereans eagerly received what Paul taught—and then checked it against Scripture. We can be open to what the Holy Spirit is saying and doing while remaining deeply rooted in what He has already spoken in His Word.

This is a somewhat more permissive posture than Randy Clark takes in his current statement, and I want to acknowledge that openly. I respect Randy’s caution. Our pastoral position at Fusion is that devotional use can still be beneficial when the reader understands the limitations of the present edition and keeps a reliable translation open alongside it.

We Are Also Willing to Reconsider

There is another reason I do not want our present decision to become a permanent judgment.

Brian Simmons and BroadStreet Publishing continue to work on The Passion Translation. The publisher currently estimates completion of the full Bible in 2029, while noting that the date is subject to change as the work continues.

Dr. Clark has also indicated that his concerns are directed toward the editions presently available rather than prejudging a future revision. I think that is wise.

So when the substantially revised work becomes available, we can evaluate it on its own merits. If concerns have been corrected, we should be willing to say so. Good scholarship requires the humility to correct errors, and Christian charity requires the willingness to recognize those corrections when they are made.

Why This Matters to Fusion

Ultimately, this is about something much larger than one Bible translation.

At Fusion, we want to be Kingdom-centered, biblically grounded, Spirit-empowered, and deeply committed to the presence of God. I do not believe those commitments compete with one another.

We can worship passionately and study carefully. We can expect the Holy Spirit to move and still ask what a Greek word actually means. We can pray for the sick, prophesy, practice the gifts of the Spirit, come to the Lord’s Table, confess the historic faith of the Church, and carefully exegete the Scriptures.

We do not need less passion. We need passion rooted in truth.

We do not need less of the Holy Spirit. We need the Spirit who inspired Scripture to illuminate that Scripture.

We do not need to be afraid of careful examination. Truth has nothing to fear from honest study.

For those reasons, the New King James Version will remain the primary biblical text used from the pulpit at Fusion Church. We will gladly consult other responsible translations, we will continue to learn from scholarship across the Church, and we will remain open to what future revisions of The Passion Translation may bring.

Above all, our desire remains simple: to love the Word of God, live the Word of God, and encounter the living Christ to whom the Word of God bears witness.

As always, I welcome dialogue given with love and respect.

— Doug BurroughsSenior Pastor, Fusion Church

Sources and Further Reading

Dr. Randy Clark / Global Awakening, “Statement on The Passion Translation.” Read the statement

The Passion Translation, official FAQ. Translation philosophy and current 2029 completion estimate

Acts 17:11. Scripture quotation in the article is from the New King James Version (NKJV).

Editorial note: This article addresses the editions of The Passion Translation currently available as of September 2026. Fusion Church is open to reevaluating future substantially revised editions when they are published.