The Spanish Bible Issue

By Dr. Humberto Gomez

You can order Spanish Bibles online from the Spanish Bible Issue page of the Bible For Today WebSite. Click here to Order Spanish Bibles

1/14/06 Recommendation by Pastor D. A. Waite, Th.D., Ph.D.

"I am pleased to recommend the Spanish Bible of Dr. Humberto Gomez.  I have found him to be a kind, careful, humble, and able student who has spent hundreds of hours in carrying out his burden to get the Spanish Bible of 1909 (by which he was led to the Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour) in line with the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek Words underlying the King James Bible.  He has done this.  He has spoken with me about several questions he had in certain places of his translation in an effort to be both clear and correct.  He did an excellent job when he spoke at our Dean Burgon Society in 2005 concerning the need for an accurate Spanish Bible.  He has sought to correct the various errors of translation in the Old Testament as well as those in the New Testament.  His Spanish New Testament has followed the Greek Received or Traditional Text on which the King James Bible was based.  Most of the other Spanish Bibles such as the 1960 and even the 1909 have followed in whole or in part the false Westcott and Hort Critical Greek Text which gives an erroneous and doctrinal incorrect reading. 

There are over 8,000 documented differences [see BFT #3084]  between the :Received Greek Text and the Revised Critical Greek Text.  Included in these 8,000 differences are at least 356 doctrinal passages where the Revised Greek Text is in doctrinal error.  I have listed 158 of the more important of these 356 doctrinal passages in Chapter V of my book, DEFENDING THE KING JAMES BIBLE (BFT #1594 @ $12 + $5 S&H).  I have personally looked up in Dr. Humberto Gomez's Spanish Bible each one of those 158 passages in my book   I found every one of them to be in conformity to the Received Greek Text and have been made doctrinally correct.  This cannot be said of the 1960 and even the 1909 in each of these places.  Dr. Gomez has also corrected some of the places where there have been translational errors in the other Spanish Bibles such as in Psalm 12:6-7; Exodus 25:18, 19, 20, 21,22 and many other verses; John 3:5; Matthew 4:3; Matthew 26:63, and in other places both in the Old and New Testaments.

Dr. Gomez knows that there might be places in his translation where further correction is needed, and he is humble enough and honest enough to welcome suggestions in this regard from whatever quarters.  When such suggestions are received, I am certain that Dr. Gomez will  weigh them carefully, and if he feels they have merit, he will make the changes in his next printing.  What could any Spanish-speaking person wish for more?  Though I know and speak Spanish fairly well, I would never attempt to translate the Spanish Bible.  Dr. Gomez, on the other hand, has that language as his native tongue, and knows the fine differences and shades of the meanings of words that non-native speakers cannot know.  May the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour bless the efforts of this humble servant of God who is trying to get into the hands of his Spanish-speaking friends the "Words of God in Spanish" just like we have in our King James Bible the "Words of God in English."  This indeed is a noble and needed task.  Sincerely for God's Words,  Pastor D. A. Waite, Th.D., Ph.D., Bible For Today Baptist Church, 900 Park Avenue, Collingswood, NJ 08108 (Phone: 856-854-4747; Website www.BibleForToday.org; E-mail BFT@BibleForToday.org).

The Spanish Bible Issue

By Dr. Humberto Gomez

December 18, 2004

I believe that by now most of you are interested and concerned about this issue.

THE PROBLEM

All our Bibles in Spanish have textural problems, some more than others. Unfortunately most of our Spanish preacher friends are in denial concerning the several mistakes that we have in our Spanish Bibles. One of the reasons why they are in denial is because they feel that they have been insulted and attacked, and in some instances they are right.

Painfully there have been attacks from one side, and retaliations from the other. For us to reconcile (which we must do, and we will, I hope), it will take from all of us Independent Baptist preachers: time, willingness, and something that we all have lack of - "Humility". We must humble ourselves for the cause of Christ, for the good of our people and for the salvation of this lost and dying world.

But we felt that it would take more than that in order to solve the issue. We had to produce: "A good, solid translation or revision of our Spanish Bible," one that will rise to the challenge; that has to be better than all the revisions we now have; a Bible pure to the text, and also, perfect in our language. One that will make us stand tall and proud, one that will allow us to say without an apology: "These are the Words of God in Spanish," an accurate Spanish translation of the inspired, inerrant, infallible, preserved, and perfect Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek Words that underlie it. A revision that will unite us. By the Grace of God we believe we have produced one.

THE SOLUTION

We believe that we can have both a good solid Bible translation, 100% pure to the text, "The Textus Receptus" and also have it written in a good perfect language.

This has been our goal. We have put both together. Not one at the expense of the other.

Let me tell you of how we became interested in doing a new revision of our Bible. I was saved in the year 1971 and was lead to the Lord by a man that used the 1909 Bible, the one that I have proudly used for 33 years.

About 20 years ago, a preacher friend (Dr. Jack Woods of Houston) asked me to read Daniel 3:25. My Bible read: "And the fourth, is like the son of the gods". Then he showed me that the KJV read "and the form of the fourth is like The Son of God".

Then later on I read Ephesians 2:1, "And from her ye received, who were dead in trespasses and sins". Then Psalms 68:11, in my Bible and all Spanish Bibles it reads: "El Senor daba palabra, de las evangelizantes habia grande ejercito". Would you like your KJV to read: The Lord gave the word; great was the host of the evangelist ladies."? And the mistakes kept piling up one after another.

Years back I heard about somebody making a revision that was going to solve this issue, and I was very happy to hear about it. Unfortunately when I read it the language was terribly ridiculous and even painful. The same can be said of some other new revisions. We waited, and waited with much prayer until finally we could wait no longer.

With fear and much prayer in the year 2000 we ventured to do a revision of our Spanish Bible. This was a very difficult decision because we feel that we are not worthy of such a sacred task, or equipped to do a job of such great magnitude. But we also know that we can not limit the Holy One of Israel.

HOW WE HAVE DONE OUR REVISION

To accomplish this work we have put parallel the Textus Receptus, the 1909 Spanish Bible, and King James. We have gone verse by verse making sure first of the purity of the text and then comparing the 1909 with the Authorized KJV. Every single verse that did not line up with the TR or the KJV we immediately corrected. Because not all the words mean the same in every language we have used the best words available in our Spanish language, the words that have the most meaning, never contradicting the TR or the KJV.

THE PRINCIPLES OF OUR REVISION

1. First and foremost 100% Loyalty to the Pure Text, Textus Receptus for the New Testament, and to the Masoretic Text for the Old Testament.

2. Apply all the beauty of our Spanish language with all its romanticism, prose, and elegance. (The more I studied my language, the more I am convinced that in heaven we all are going to be speaking Spanish.) 2. Apply all the beauty of our Spanish language with all its romanticism, prose, and elegance. (The more I studied my language, the more I am convinced that in heaven we all are going to be speaking Spanish.)

3. Apply all the beauty, and accuracy of the King James Bible that can be applied to our language, with our having to butcher, or distort, or destroy our language.

3. Apply all the beauty, and accuracy of the King James Bible that can be applied to our language, with our having to butcher, or distort, or destroy our language.

CONCERNING PURITY OF TEXT

We have attempted to correct every mistranslation. We have attempted to correct every verse that was not in line with the TR and the KJV. We added all the words that were omitted, and we have removed all the words that were added, and we feel we have a perfect text.

CONCERNING LANGUAGE

Here are some examples of the poverty of the translations of our Spanish Bibles, and how we have improved it and made it better, using the terminology of the King James Bible.

The 1602, 1865, and 1909 use the word "salud" (health) instead of "Salvacion" (salvation); The word "cubierta" (lid) instead of "propiciatorio" (mercy seat); The word "parte" instead of (portion), and many more.

Our Bible reads much better by removing the words "salud, parte, cubierta," and using the words "salvation, portion, mercy seat," and the word "hell" instead of hades. There are more than 2000 examples that I can give you concerning the betterment of our language in our revision.

We have traveled to different countries, Chile, Argentina, Peru, USA, and of course Mexico. We have gathered the priceless opinions of many men of God concerning the language in their country, and have taken every opinion into consideration. We have been very careful not to insult Men, Bibles, or Ministries; we are trying to unite not to divide; if the truth divides so be it, but we must not divide because of our stubbornness or stupidity.

In our opinion, our Bible is perfect and ready to be preached. However we have an open heart, and mind. If a godly person has an opinion regarding text, or grammar, we will take a serious consideration because we want the best for our people.

CONCLUSION

Here are some of the things that we will love to see and hear.

We would love that when our Spanish speaking preacher friends read their Bible they will read the word salvation, instead of salud; that when they read their Bibles, they will read: "and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it", not the gates of Hades, but the gates of hell. "The rich man also died, and in hell, he lift up his eyes being in torments". Not in hades, but in hell.

If a church has a printing ministry, and wants to print the word of God, to be given freely, they don’t have to ask permission to do so. Neither do they have to pay royalties to ecumenical groups, nor to us. They will be able to print it and give it to the people without paying us royalties, not now, not ever.

In Conclusion I will call on all my Spanish Speaking Brethren to get together around this extremely serious matter. Let’s put aside personal ambitions or personal offences. What I am presenting to you, in my opinion, is the perfect word of God. But here it is for you to read and examine; if you can find anything in it, that is not Textus Receptus , or if you can find anything that is not written in a good and perfect Spanish, we will immediately correct it, for the good of our people and for the glory of the Lord. If any of you come up with a revision that proves to be better than ours, more perfect, more accurate, we will move aside and rally around it because this issue is not about me, or you. It is about The Word, and for the benefit of our people and for the salvation of this lost and dying world.

Palms 12:6-7. 6, "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times." 7, "Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever."

Verse Comparisons of The Reina Valera Bibles

Introduction

Most of us believe that the new-testament Greek text that God has used for the centuries of the church is the one called "Textus Receptus". If you agree with this principal, you will use a Bible with the name "Reina Valera" (but not the "Reina Valera Actualizada", a Bible based in the corrupted text known as the "Alexandrian Text" or the "Critical Text".) But, ¿which edition of the Reina Valera should we use? There have been many revisions of it. The Evangelical Christians have mainly used either the Antigua Version of 1909 or the Revision of the 1960. The 1865 Revision was printed in great quantities until about the year 1950, and lately by an independent Baptist church. Also the Trinitarian Bible Society of England did a Revision of the Antigua Version in 2001 that corrected several discrepancies in the Antigua Version de 1909.

The study consists of verses in the New Testament where one or several of the versions of the Reina Valera deviate from the Textus Receptus. In this study I have not included the Revisions of 1977 y 1995, which have many corruptions (the 1977 more than the 1995). If you are interested in a more profound study, request of us the analysis called "Análisis De Las Biblias Españolas". In it I have compiled a list of 1,100 verses where there are differences between the Textus Receptus and The Critical Text. I have compared 16 versions against the list of the "Análisis De Las Biblias Españolas."

If you are trying to decide which Spanish bible is the best, and if your criteria is faithfulness to the Textus Receptus, this study may be of help to you.

1569 Casiodoro de Reina

1602 Revisión por Cipriano de Valera

1862 Reina Valera (Revisión de Lorenzo Lucera Pedrosa)

1865 Reina Valera (Revisión de Mora y Pratt)

1909 Reina Valera (Antigua Versión)

1960 Reina Valera revisada por las Sociedades Bíblicas en América Latina

Revisión de la Antigua Versión por la Sociedad Bíblica Trinitaria

2004 Revisión de la Reina Valera por Dr. Humberto Gómez Caballero (RVG)

√ Good

O Omission

C Changed (follows another Greek text that is not the Textus Receptus)

A Adittion

D Different (but not necessarily a change of the Textus Receptus)

[ ] In brackets

F Falta (omisión)

C Cambio A Adici D Diferente (véase las notas a pié de página)