Bible of the Americas better than the Reina Valera!

The Bible of the Americas and the Bible Reina Valera are two translations of the Bible, currently, the Bible of the Americas is being more recommended than the Bible Reina Valera, in this article, we will comment on the differences between each one of them and you can decide if the Bible of the Americas is better than the Reina Valera Bible.

Latin American Bible

The Latin American Bible is recently being adopted by various congregations of Christian churches, which have preferred the Latin American translation to the traditional translation of the Reina Valera Bible, in its last revision in 1960. We consider it important to make known where each of the versions come from and where they arise from, so that you are the one who decides which version to use, on a solid base of knowledge of the origin of both versions and the difference between each of them.

Rather than being identified as a confrontation between believers, congregations and ministries, the fact of being able to choose between various versions of the sacred scriptures is just one more example of God’s mercy and goodness. When you decide which Bible will go God’s way, don’t feel uncomfortable, or think that your choice is discrediting the other. Personally, I believe that there is no perfect translation and there must be a consensus on this, there is no infallible standard, because there will always be an opportunity for improvement.

Commenting on the differences between the two versions has no effect on the great similarity that the two bibles have with each other. During the history of the building of the church, many translations and versions of the Word have been used, they all have the same objective, which is to build their people. Another important factor in updating translations is that language is alive and changes over time, which may require adaptation.

We have always referred to the Bible as the Holy Book, in which the word of God is found, the Holy Scriptures, however, when you analyze its content you can realize that it is not really a book, it is the compilation of many books, whose writings were inspired by the words of God the Father. Although we are talking about an updated version of the Bible, not everyone knows that there are versions of the Bible and the Reina Valera Bible and the New American Bible are one of those many versions.

The Reina Valera Bible is the most widespread and used version since the 16th century, it is a Bible that has undergone several revisions and all have been accepted by Christians and other faith groups. Where does the importance of the latest version of the Reina Valera Bible lie? In that the translation was made without taking the basis of the Latin Vulgate, which is the translation of the Hebrew Bible and the Greek Bible into Latin, which was made at the end of the fourth century, therefore, the Reina Valera Bible is the first version translated into Spanish from the original languages.

As for the Bible of the Americas, it is a new version in Spanish that is translated from Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek directly, by a group of American and European evangelizes that included theologians, and priests, among other specialists, the Translation work concluded in 1986.

Times have changed, there is no doubt about that and in today’s society, information with empirical foundations cannot be allowed because it lends itself to misinterpretation, today we are inundated with information, which also lends itself to confusion.

Therefore, it is necessary to be precise when expressing ourselves, much more so when it comes to the word of God. Based on the above, it is said that the Latin American Bible has greatly facilitated the understanding of Biblical concepts and passages, which had been misinterpreted on many occasions, which has made it very welcome in Christian groups. , congregations and ministries. Now let’s learn a little more about the Latin American Bible.

Why a new translation of the Bible?

The New American Bible is a new translation of the Holy Scriptures, using the best original manuscripts written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. It has been carried out with the aim of offering a more up-to-date version, with current language that is easy to understand and that would serve as a practical study tool for everyone.

This new version arises from the multidisciplinary work of a group of priests, theologians from different Christian denominations, where several Latin American countries, the United States and Spain were represented.

To achieve this important work, the editorial group that guided part of this work founded the process on two principles, the first that it should adhere to the original languages ​​of the Holy Scriptures and the second principle in the use of grammar, in such a way that would allow an enjoyable reading, simple with literary beauty, but with a contemporary and continental dimension, that is, current and for everyone.

Reasons for choosing the Latin American Bible

There are various reasons that can determine the choice of a particular version of the Bible, but the one that must prevail is that it be an accurate and faithful version of the original scriptures. There are several biblical versions that are reliable and faithful to the words of God and the Reina Valera Bible is one of them, however, the Bible of the Americas is considered a more accurate version than the previously named.

In many of the writings it is very close to the original text, when there are differences between the two versions, we will comment on this later, where we will show the differences and also, like the Bible of the Americas, it allows readers to obtain more information from it. accurate, allowing interpretations to take a backseat. The way in which each biblical passage is related using words that emphasize the message.

For the translation of the Bible of the Americas, the best manuscripts that were available were used, the advancement of technologies also helped to obtain more precise information, these are just some of the reasons that allow us to affirm that the Bible of the Americas has a translation more exact and attached to the original writings.

Also the language used in the translation made in the Bible of the Americas, is of great help for its understanding, because a plain and updated language is used, this helps in an important way the understanding on the part of the children, as well as of the people Adults starting to read the Bible for the first time.

La Biblia de las Américas resumes the use of italics in those words or phrases that are not found in the original manuscript, but that help to make sense of the passage. This, far from being a modification or a lack of honesty on the part of the translators, shows morality, decorum, humility on the part of the translators and gives meaning to the passage, which avoids its interpretation. This technique of using italics began to be used in the Reina Valera of 1909, however, it ceased to be used in the Reina Valera of 1960, being taken up again in the Biblia de las Américas.

Most human beings instinctively present resistance to change, we could take this as something natural, because this type of response is because they fear leaving what makes them feel safe, comfortable, that is why we can find people who they cling to certain versions of the bible and do not give the least chance to new versions like the New American Bible.

With the proposal of this new version of the Scriptures, it is not intended at any time to go against the integrity of the Scriptures, on the contrary, it is intended to make them more accessible and understandable, so the work carried out should not be underestimated, with Based on this, we recommend giving yourself the opportunity to read it and compare.

In this article we will show some of the differences between both versions, to facilitate the choice. It is important to point out in advance that the differences between the two versions of the Reina Valera Bible and the Bible of the Americas do not violate any doctrine of the Christian faith. What is intended to be understood is that it is not convenient to cling to a version of the Bible by simple tradition or even worse by habit.

Differences between the Bible of the Americas and the Reina Valera

The intention is not to convince you with the reading of this article that you choose the Bible of the Americas, the purpose is that you can critically identify the pros and cons of the most used versions of the Spanish translation of the Holy Scriptures.

In some of them we will comment on the convenience of the change, in others it will not be necessary, the improvement in the reading and understanding of the passage becomes very evident. We consider it important to insist on the fact that the choice of a certain version does not imply the discrediting of the other, both are the result of hard and honest work, on original writings.

We can start the comparison by mentioning the use of the word LORD in capital letters instead of referring to Jehovah, we consider this as one of the most striking differences between the two versions of the Bible, which can be very acceptable, if we base ourselves on the fact of the constant interpretation of the name of God, in the ancient manuscripts.

Another notable difference is that of referring to Jesus as the only begotten God, this is a substantial variant between both bibles, because in the Reina Valera they refer to the only begotten Son. According to scholars of the subject, they point out that the difference is presented in the manuscript that was consulted.

We cannot forget that these texts were transcribed by scribes and changes may have been made to some of the terms. To make the version of the Bible of the Americas, the Greek manuscript of Alef, B, C, L was used, which reads “monogenës theos” which means only-begotten God.

We can also refer to the fact that the language used in the Reina Valera Bible is less accessible, it is more literary, with a more orthodox Spanish, which makes it a little more complicated to recognize the message, an example that we can highlight in reference to the Reina Valera Bible. it reads “The love of Christ constrains us”, while in the Bible of the Americas it refers to the same text as: “The love of Christ urges us”, however, on the margin of the bible it is indicated “The love of Christ constrains us”. control”.

This explanatory note allows for greater clarity in the message that is to be conveyed, avoiding the interpretation that what is meant by “constrains”. We can carry out a brief exercise, if we look for the meaning of the word constrains, we can interpret the passage written in the Reina Valera Bible, as the Love of God squeezes us, forces us, prevents us.

On the other hand, when we analyze the same passage as it is written in the Latin American Bible, we can interpret that the Love of God directs us, as we can observe this wording leads us to a more accurate interpretation of the message.

Another of the differences that can be identified is the way in which, within the writing, emphasis is placed on decisive actions, which allow the response and acceptance to be clearly evidenced, among other actions that may be somewhat left to the subjective interpretation of the reader, in the Reina Valera Bible.

An example of this can be found in the Old Testament, specifically in Genesis chapter 3 verse 6, which literally says “And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasing to the eyes, and a desirable tree to reach fruition.” wisdom; and she took of its fruit, and did eat; and he also gave to her husband, who ate as well as her.”

For its part, the Bible of the Americas reviews the same passage as follows: “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasing to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to attain wisdom, she took from her fruit and ate; and he also gave to her husband that he was with her, and he did eat.” In the way it is written in the bible of the Americas, Adam’s consent to eat the forbidden fruit is clearly identified, due to the emphasis given to it by using “and he ate” in the sentence instead of “which he ate just like her.”

It is also very important to highlight that there are many Christians who use the Reina Valera Bible of the 1909 version, which has important differences with the Reina Valera version of the 60s, based on this, we also consider it important to make the Review of some of the differences between the Reina Valera Bible of 1909 and the Bible of the Americas.

There are phrases omitted in the Bible of the Americas that are found in the Reina Valera and these omissions can bring differences when commenting, interpreting or conceiving the strength of a phrase or passage, depending on the Bible that is being used to study the word. of God, so knowing about it, can at some point give us the answers as to why a brother or neighbor does not think the same.

One that we can review is in the book of Mark chapter 7 verse 8, where in the Reina Valera it says “Because leaving the commandment of God, you maintain the tradition of men: the washing of jars and cups; and you do many other similar things”, while the New American Standard Bible states “Leaving the commandment of God, you cling to the tradition of men”. As we can see, they omit the lifting of the jugs and cups.

In Luke chapter 11 verse 2 the Reina Valera indicates “And he said to them: When you pray, say: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as it is in heaven, so also on earth” and the New American Standard Bible only says “And He said to them: When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Thy kingdom come.”

Being one of the most important prayers and recognized by all, the express omission is not understood. In John chapter 6, verse 47, the Reina Valera indicates “Truly, truly, I say to you: He who believes in me has eternal life”, while in the New American Bible they omit the emphasis of “he who believes in me ” they only indicate “he who believes”.

One of the most notable changes occurs in Acts 2 verse 47 in which the name of the church is omitted and secondly they make the translation of “those who were to be saved” to “those who were being saved”. This translation gives a totally different interpretation because those who were to be allows for a breadth of being chosen, while those who were to be denotes a prior reduction of the believers who would be added to the church.

In 1 Corinthians 10:9 the Bible of the Americas says “Neither let us provoke the Lord, as some of them provoked him, and were destroyed by serpents.”, For its part, the Reina Valera says: “Neither let us tempt Christ, as also some of them tempted him, and perished by the serpents.” Since Christ is named Lord, it is inaccurate to make the connection between Christ and the God of the Old Testament in the New American Standard Bible.

Of course there are many more differences, we are only highlighting some of them, with the intention that they allow you to decide on the choice or not of this new version of the bible, in addition to inviting you to the comparative study of both bibles .

Criticism of the new version

As we have commented previously, the use of the Latin American Bible is not an obligation and as our purpose is that you have all the necessary information to make your own decision, on a critical and well-founded basis, we are going to paraphrase some of them below. the criticisms made of the version of the Bible of the Americas and the responses defending or explaining the disagreements expressed in some religious blogs that were consulted.

In reference to the language that is used in this new version of the Bible, there are many opinions that point out that they do not agree with the way it has been translated, because there are many passages that lose the forcefulness of the message. To this disagreement, it is said that the changes made in the language are to facilitate its understanding, because the language used in the Reina Valera is old and sometimes it is not very understandable, especially for the smallest and those who start in your study.

Another aspect that is highly criticized of the bible of the Americas is that certain prerogatives are taken that put at risk the fidelity to the inspired text, it is also said that it is a mutilated version. These indications indicate that the omissions do not affect the doctrine, being what is really important in the word of God.

To all this commotion that has caused not only the version of the Bible of the Americas but all the versions that have emerged, the very word of God refers to the consequences of omitting or adding words.

It is clearly indicated in Revelation chapter 22 verse 18, in which it indicates that if anyone adds words, God will bring upon him the plagues that are written in the book and in verse 19, it indicates that if he takes away from the words of the book, God will take away his part of the book of life, of the city and of what is written in it, is a firm order that the book cannot be changed.

With this call we only want to make known that the same Holy Scriptures warn about the respect that must exist in each of the words professed there. Although these problems are not many, nevertheless, it is essential to correct them for greater adherence to the original texts.

The Textus Receptus and The Textus Criticus

One of the most outstanding differences between the Bible of the Americas and the Reina Valera Bible is the textual basis used for the New Testament, as we previously pointed out superficially. The Reina Valera Bible bases its translation on the edition of the Greek text which comes from the Protestant Reformation, which is known as the Textus Receptus, the Bible of the Americas for its part is based on the 26th edition of Nestlé-Aland, which comes from the Texto Críticus, which is the result of the work of Westcott and Hort in the 19th century.

We will comment on each of them below, the Textus Receptus or Received Text are the editions of the Greek text of the New Testament. Most of the manuscripts were compiled at the time of the Reformation of the 16th century. The Textus Receptus was edited by Erasmus of Rotterdam, the first printing was made in 1516 and then several updates were made in successive years.

This text is based on the manuscripts of the family that is called Byzantines, in which the oldest are from the 10th century, they have been used in many classic translations of the Bible, including the Reina Valera. The most recent Bibles such as the New American Bible use as a source the most recently discovered manuscripts such as the Sinaitic and the Vatican, which are older than the Byzantine ones and this is what is known as the Critical Text.

This is one of the reasons why the most modern Bibles have fewer verses than the oldest Bibles, because the Sinaitic, Vatican and Alexandrian manuscripts, that is, those that make up the Critical Text, although more recently discovered, are older. and they have no verses or passages found in the Textus Receptus. This is one of the explanations that responds to the concern of omissions, which we discussed earlier.

Where does all this controversial history between both texts come from? They arise with the appearance of the New Testament, which occurs in the first century of the Christian era, in the year 95 the writing by John about the apocalypse.

From that moment the Christian people lived under a catastrophic shadow, where they were brutally persecuted by the Roman emperors, until the year 315, when Emperor Constantine decreed the end of the persecution of Christians.

From the translation of St. Jerome called the Vulgate, the interpretation was carried out by the magisterium of the Church, that is, by the Pope and the bishops, this until the sixteenth century, when Martin Luther set the theses of protest against the church of Rome, in the cathedral of Wittenberg, Germany, beginning the history of the Protestant church.

This expanded and gave way to what is today the evangelical church, when the Reformation appears, the Bible is recognized as the Word of God. Then, with the invention of the printing press, a rapid spread of the Vulgate version was made. Since then and the division, into chapters and verses, of the Bible in Latin, the Bible has been published in practically all the languages ​​of the earth and in all these versions they derive from the Textus Receptus or the Textus Críticus.

The Textus Receptus, as we pointed out earlier, is the name given to the New Testament edited by Erasmus of Rotterdam, in Greek, in 1516, which has been the basis for many historical editions such as the Reina-Valera, in Spanish. The Textus Críticus appears in the 19th century, with Karl Lachmann, in 1831, who uses literary criticism.

Both are based on documents discovered in relation to the New Testament text, it is said that there are currently more than 24 thousand manuscripts, among which the latest findings in the Qumran caves can be highlighted.

More and more scriptures are found that feed theological knowledge. As we can see, both Textus Receptus and Textus Críticus are really important and we do not find a solid base to maintain a controversy between the trends that follow one or the other.

The word of God is unique and cannot be subject to academic discussions, the only way is to prove that one of the two distances people from the word of God and if this is proven, we are talking about a blasphemous word. The Holy Spirit was the one who guided the inspiration of the writers of the word of God, therefore we are talking about divine inspiration, if this is the basis of its origin, both are legitimate.

From the Publisher

The Lockman Foundation is a ministry created without the purpose of profit, which currently and for a long time has been dedicated to the translation, publication and distribution of the new versions of the Bible, it is not a foundation exclusively dedicated to the distribution of the Latin American Bible, this is just one of them. According to the strategies established by the foundation, the Bible of the Americas is also known by its initials such as the LBLA and the New Bible of the Americas (NBLA), as well as other biblical resources.

The Lockman Foundation is the brainchild of F. Dewey Lockman and his wife Minna who, in the early 1940s, decided as a life purpose to dedicate themselves to the task of promoting evangelization and Christian education. Beginning with a Bible study program for military personnel stationed at El Toro Marine Base in Southern California, the Lockman Foundation later expanded and was able to include children through summer Bible schools.

They then turned their attention to Bible translation and in 1958, the Amplified New Testament was the first Bible produced by The Lockman Foundation. Since the 1950s they have always dedicated themselves to translating the Word that was inspired by God from Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, adhering precisely to the original documents, bringing the scriptures into the English and Spanish languages. Based on the evolution of the language, the foundation offers multiple versions that use different language styles to meet the broad reading preferences of today’s people.

They edited the Bible of the Americas with a format specially designed to be used as a study Bible, which is characterized according to the description provided by the publisher in a text that is a book divided into verses in precise and simple language. .

It is made up of more than 14,000 notes and comments, it is also composed of an index in which it indicates almost 20 thousand topics and subtopics, it has a Biblical Dictionary in which more than 2 thousand terms are shown, more than almost 100 thousand references, Explanatory maps and graphs.

They also published the Bilingual Americas Bible, which is written in a precise and harmonious language, this bible includes maps of the biblical lands, translation principles that are directed to both biblical texts, in the text it is used to facilitate its reading black font and a font size of 11 points.

Another of the literary resources offered is the so-called New Latin American Bible, known by its acronym as the NBL, it is a Biblical translation that was generated from The Bible of the Americas, to respond to the growing demand of the new generations. Hispanic Americans.

One of the variations that can be identified between both bibles is that the New Latin American Bible uses the Spanish form “Vosotros”, while the New Latin American Bible uses the Spanish form “You”, also includes certain qualities that contribute to the understanding of the text by the reader. It is also a version attached to the translation of the manuscripts, written in a clear and understandable Spanish for young people, the grammar and the structure of the sentences allow easy understanding.

Lastly, we would like to comment on the edition of an “ultra-thin compact” Bible of the Americas that facilitates its transfer, no longer the excuse that it is a large and very heavy book. The Americas Ultra-Fine Compact Bible is designed to serve as a gift.

It includes the full text of the New American Standard Size Bible, so you don’t have to worry about missing text or passages to make it smaller and easier to carry. It is characterized by being portable and attractive, the font size is 6 points, they have a page separator ribbon, the word of the Lord Jesus Christ is edited in red, it proposes a reading plan, it has verses for reflection and more.

How to choose a Bible?

The article has taken us through the pros and cons of the Bible of the Americas, we already have enough information to decide the choice of the bible that will accompany your spiritual development, however, we consider it important to leave you some tips, which allow you to make the best decision if you have any doubts.

As we know the Bible is a book that means a lot and is many things at the same time, but the main thing that we must recognize in the Bible is that it is a manual that will guide us and show the principles for decision-making and to the extent that you deepen your reading and understanding, your decisions will be more and more successful.

Therefore, based on the above, the Bible is an extremely important book. The first thing to do then to choose a Bible is that it conforms to our beliefs, therefore, they must be very clear about their religious tendency if it is evangelical, catholic, or messianic, among others. It is also very important that the Bible meets your needs, so you should select a Bible with a font size that you can read comfortably, for example.

The language used in the bible should also be to your liking and understanding, therefore, make sure you purchase a bible that is written in a language you understand and lastly that fits your budget, perhaps you consider it the most important, But if the bible that meets all the above recommendations is beyond your budget, we can save a little more to purchase it or simply continue the search.

We are going to make a little emphasis in reference to the second point recommended for the election, as we indicated the Bible must cover your needs, since we consider that this is one of the broadest and most important points when selecting the bible, we indicate that must be answered is why do you want it: to study? To share? To have an enjoyable read?

Why should we ask ourselves these questions, because bibles are not equally suitable for all, for example a study bible will include comments that make our daily life easier, others do not bring comments.

Based on the need identified above, then you can decide on its size, if it will be just a bedside book for reading at home, a large size would not matter, but if it is to take it to church, a lighter one will be more comfortable. Additionally, we give you the following tips: if the problem focuses on the fact that the font size is very small, children’s bibles have a font size of 12 to 14 points, this could help you.