phpBB forum root path: Parse error when set correctly

Once I activate the module and go to the phpBBforum settings page I start out with the errors about not being able to find the phpBB installation. So far so good. I update the "phpBB forum root path:" to the correct path and get this error:

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_OBJECT_OPERATOR in /home4/myaccount/public_html/modules/phpbbforum/includes/phpbb_api.php on line 215

The only way to get this page to load again to fix it is to rename the phpBB directory.

 // Load VBridge stuff.
  require_once($vbridge_root_path .'/PhpbbVBridge.php');

  $_vbridge = PhpbbVBridge::getInstance($bridgeData, $bridgeAppData);
  /*
  if (VBRIDGE_DEBUG) {
    $message = 'Vbridge '. $_vbridge .' v'. getBridge()->getVersion() .', Drupal App='. getBridge()->getApp(0) .', PhpBB App='. getBridge()->getApp(1);
    drupal_set_message($message);
  }
  */
  getBridge()->init(); // <--- line 215
  getBridge()->run();

If I replace the getBridge() call with $_vbridge, the it get's past these errors, but has others. This kind of seems like a php version or setting problem, but everything is green in the site status report. Something with how the 'global' command is working.

Most everything I can find where people have problems after getting this set involves copying the phpbb_api.php file around, but I saw nothing in the INSTALL.TXT that says to do anything like that. I tried a few things like that and they don't work anyway.