There are different types of Bibles that are used for studies such as the Reina Valera 1960 or the Bible of the Americas. Find out why the Latin American Bible is the most widely used biblical text in recent times, and how it differs from other versions.
American bible
As we know, in the Christian community there is more than one type of review of the Word of the Lord, which have been edited over the years, the most common for the study and formation of us Christians is the American bible and the Reina Valera 1960.
That there is this variety of Bibles does not mean that one is correct and the other is not. What we must take into consideration is the translation and compare it with Bibles to see if the version we are considering is changing the meaning or removing books that were not inspired by the Holy Spirit.
We must remember that the Holy Scriptures are more than 2.500 years old, so as the different adaptations of the language have been made, as it adapts to time. It is important to emphasize that the differences that exist between the two most popular versions, the Reina Valera 1960 and the Bible of the Americas, are created thanks to translations that are made of historical scrolls.
But before understanding what the versions of the Bible are and what their differences are, it is necessary to understand what The Bible is without including any edition. Only the Christian meaning of what the word of God means and its importance.
The Bible
The Bible it is the rule that defines the life of a Christian. It is made up of sixty-six books in total, which are divided into two large parts, the Old and New Testaments. The first is the compendium of thirty-nine and the second is made up of twenty-seven books.
The word Bible is derived from the Greek word "byblos" referring to the conformation of the sacred text. When we analyze the historical context of the writing of the Bible we marvel at the wonder of God. Most of its authors did not know each other, however it tells in a detailed and perfect way what it was, what it is and what it will be.
divine inspiration
As Christians who are knowing or already know the Holy Scriptures, we must understand and understand that unlike the rest of the world's books. The Bible is a text that arises from the inspiration given by God, man has nothing to do with it since due to our conditions as human beings we cannot understand God's perfect plan in our lives.
2 Peter 1: 19-21
19 We also have the safest prophetic word, to which you do well to be attentive as to a torch that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;
20 understanding this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation,
21 because the prophecy was never brought by human will, but the holy men of God spoke being inspired by the Holy Spirit.
The first thing we have to do if we want to read the New American Standard Bible is to enter into prayer so that the Lord, through the the gifts of the Holy Spirit, He makes us understand what is the message that he wants us to have in our lives.
The Bible is sealed for unbelievers
That is one of the foundations of the Bible. In order to understand the message that the Lord Jesus Christ has within the Word, we must confess that Christ is our only God and Saved, live under his Law and try to resemble Jesus day by day. By doing this and maintaining a communion with God, we will be able to receive the anointing from the Holy Spirit and we will obtain the wisdom given by Almighty God to be able to understand the things written in the Bible.
If a person reads the Bible without the anointing of the Holy Spirit, it will be just another text. But he will not be able to understand or deduce the message of Salvation that God wants each one of us Christians to have.
Matthew 11: 25
25 At that time, Jesus answered and said: I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you hid these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to babes.
When we go to the Bible, let's do it with a humble attitude, since we must understand that without God we do not understand or know anything about the supernatural things that He wants us to know. Let us remember that our Lord is preparing us for His kingdom and it is necessary for us to know each of these things. As we have already read, there are different versions that tell us about the promises of the Bible, when we refer to versions we are categorizing the revisions that have been made over the years on the original papyri.
The study in the Bible of the Americas
It is important to define what is the goal we have when we read the Bible of the Americas. When we read the Holy Scriptures we must do it with a specific purpose where we must consider the themes they contain and the meaning by each author.
Bible interpretation
As Christians we have to be careful when reading and interpreting the Word of the Lord since we can fall into some kind of blasphemy without knowing it. The first thing we have to take into consideration when we read the Word of the Lord, we must do it using theological hermeneutics to achieve an understanding of the Holy Scriptures.
When we interpret the Bible of the Americas, we do it in the same proportion of the capacity of interpretation that we have on other texts. The difference between the Holy Scriptures and the books on economics, law or philanthropy. It is that regardless of the books that make up the Holy Scriptures and that there is an archaeological difference between them, the only author that declares the Bible is Almighty God.
When Jesus rose from the dead, one of the first things he did was interpret the Holy Scriptures with his disciples. It was based on who He was and what was the mission that he had fulfilled according to the Scriptures. Which became the foundation of the Christian church and the reason why the separation between the church and the synagogue is determined.
Luke 24: 25-27
25 Then he said to them: Oh fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have said!
26 Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things, and to enter into his glory?
27 And beginning with Moses, and continuing through all the prophets, he declared to them in all the Scriptures what they said about him.
Methods of study of the Bible of the Americas
As emphasized above, it is essential to establish the objective of what? And the why? We want to study the Holy Scriptures. There are three types of studies that are carried out, which are:
Biblical Doctrines and Teachings
We as Christians and faithful believers of his Word have the duty to scrutinize the Bible since it is our only sure source that feeds our sound doctrine. The Bible is the only text in the world that contains absolute truths and we can deduce this in any branch that we want to study.
In theology, we learn about the person and nature of our Almighty God, if we talk about anthropology we find the constitution of human beings on earth. If we talk about soteriology we focus on the doctrine of our salvation. In Christology we study about the doctrine of the person of Christ and finally the eschatology that focuses on the study of the doctrine of the Church.
Bible stories
This is one of the most common reasons for the study of the Bible of the Americas, which focuses on learning about the historical events that are mentioned in the Holy Scriptures. Like the creation of the Universe and of the human being at the beginning of the Holy Scriptures.
Genesis 1: 2-3
2 And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God moved on the face of the waters.
3 And God said: Let there be light; and there was light.
In the same way, it teaches us about the life of the prophets who announced the arrival of the Messiah just as Isaiah did.
Christ came to Earth to completely change the history of the world. His life is reflected in the New Testament from his birth, the creation of his Ministry, his death, resurrection and ascension to heaven with the Father.
moral teachings
As Christians, the New American Standard Bible serves as a moral and spiritual guide in our daily lives. The Bible contains each one of the things that we need to travel the paths of the Earth in a correct way and pleasing to the Lord.
The ethical principle that changed the world was the institution of the Ten Commandments which were born after the liberation of the people of God from Egypt. The teachings and ethical mandates enshrined in the Bible are directed exclusively to people who have accepted God as their Savior.
Another of the moral principles that changed Christianity is the mandate established by Jesus when he was among us, which focuses on the fact that we must love our neighbor in the same way that we love ourselves.
Mark 12: 30-31
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the main commandment.
31 And the second is similar: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.
Knowing the different methods of study that we can have with the Bible of the Americas, we are left wondering what the differences are between this edition and the Reina Valera 1960, the most popular among Christian communities.
Shared aspects between the Bible of the Americas and the Reina Valera
When we analyze both versions of the translations of the Holy Scriptures, we realize that both use the form of translation known as Formal Equivalence. Which refers to the technique used by translating word by word.
Another point in common that both versions of the Holy Scriptures have is that they both share the unique principles of the Reformation Bibles. Which maintain the use of cooked italic letters (cursive), the Reina Valera version used it until 1909. While the Bible of the Americas maintains the italic calligraphy which gives a new advance with respect to the textual fidelity that the Word has .
Queen Valera 1960
Genesis 3:6
6 And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasing to the eyes, and a desirable tree to make one wise; and she took of its fruit, and did eat; and he also gave to her husband, who ate as well as her.
The Latin American Bible
Genesis 3:6
6 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 some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave to her husband that was with her, and he ate.
In this example of the same verses we can see that the difference is centered on the inclusion of the verb to be. This is because the original Hebrew expression contains only one pronoun and one preposition.
Another of the great similarities that we get between these versions of the Holy Scriptures is that the New Testament of both bases its translation on the Masoretic text which is defined as the official version of Judaism of the Tanakh (which are the books of the Old Testament) .
Difference between the Bible of the Americas and the Reina Valera Bible
One of the main differences that we find about the two publishers is that the Reina Valera Bible is the result of the revisions carried out by the United Bible Societies. These translations have the particularity that they were texts that arose from the texts of the original languages.
The Reina Valera obtained its greatest diffusion during the Protestant Reformation, making it the only Bible accepted within the Protestant church of the Spanish language for more than four centuries.
Queen Valera 1960
Acts 8:37
37 Felipe said: If you believe with all your heart, you may as well. And answering, he said: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
The Latin American Bible
Acts 8:37
37 And Philip said: If you believe with all your heart, can. He answered and said: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
For its part, the Bible of the Americas is shown as a faithful and exact translation of the translations of the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek languages into Spanish. The main characteristic of the Latin American Bible is that it translates and does not interpret the meaning of the original languages.
The Bible of the Americas is the first Bible that was produced by a team made up of various communities from around the world such as Latinos, Spanish and North Americans. Which finished the translation of the books in 1986 after approximately fifteen years of study.
The main difference between these versions is that the Reina Valera uses the editions of the Greek text which was used in what is known as the Protestant Reformation.
Queen Valera 1960
Juan 3: 13
13 No one ascended to heaven, but he who descended from heaven; the Son of Man, who is in heaven.
The Latin American Bible
Juan 3: 13
13 No one has ascended to heaven, but he who came down from heaven, that is to say, the Son of Man who is in heaven
Other differences between the Bible of the Americas and the Reina Valera
There are other more global differences that make the difference between these two versions. Which are:
Jehovah's name
In the Reina Valera version the name of Jehovah is read throughout the text, while in the version of the Biblia de las Américas the name of the Lord is not mentioned. This is because their translation of the word Jehovah focuses on the convention adopted at the Reformation. Therefore, the version of the Bible of the Americas to refer to God the Father uses LORD, every time the tetragrammaton was used in the original texts.
Queen Valera 1960
Éxodo 31: 12
12 also spoke Jehovah to Moses, saying:
The Latin American Bible
Éxodo 31: 12
12 and spoke the the Lord to Moses, saying:
Grammatical differences
Just as there are omissions and changes of text in the Latin American Bible, we find spelling differences since it does not conform to current Spanish standards. One of the main differences is that it does not accent the capitals that can be found in the Holy Scriptures.
Finally, both the Reina Valera and the Biblia de las Américas preserve the phenomenon known as leísmo, which is distinguished by the use of the pronouns le-les.
Omissions in the Latin American Bible
Although both versions are known to be from the original texts, the New American Bible makes some textual omissions. Which informs them at the bottom of the page referring to as the oldest. Here is a comparison of some of the verses that have been omitted from the edition.
Omissions relating to the teachings of Jesus
As we can see in the sentence underlined and marked in the verse extracted verbatim from the Bible of the Reina Valera version, it contains information that has been ignored by the Bible of the Americas, removing the emphasis from the mandate that Jesus leaves us to bless those who do evil against us.
Queen Valera 1960
Matthew 5: 44
44 But I tell you: love your enemiesbless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who insult you and persecute you;
The Latin American Bible
Matthew 5: 44
44 But I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
Another of the teachings that our Lord has shown us that was omitted in the version of the Bible of the Americas is the one that he left us with respect to people who do not want to hear about the message of the Gospel.
Queen Valera 1960
Mark 6: 11
11 And if in any place they do not receive you or listen to you, go out from there, and shake the dust that is under your feet, as a testimony to them. Truly I say to you that on the day of judgment, the punishment for Sodom and Gomorrah will be more tolerable than for that city.
The Latin American Bible
Mark 6: 11
11 And wherever they do not receive you or listen to you, shake the dust off the soles of your feet as you go out from there as a testimony against them.
Omissions relating to the death of the Lord
Another of the clear examples of omission from the Bible of the Americas is found in the same Book of Matthew, this time in chapter twenty-seven where the death of Christ is detailed.
Queen Valera 1960
Matthew 27: 35
35 When they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves, casting lots, so that what was spoken by the prophet might be fulfilled: They divided my clothes among themselves, and cast lots on my clothes.
The Latin American Bible
Matthew 27: 35
35 And having crucified him, they divided up his clothes, casting lots
It should be noted that the version made by the Biblia de las Américas at the end of its texts makes some small taglines of the texts that have been omitted, emphasizing that some translations use it. However as Christians these omissions constitute in this case the fulfillment of the prophecy about the clothes of the Lord.
Queen Valera 1960
Lucas 23: 38
38 There was also a title on it written with Greek, Latin and Hebrew letters: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
The Latin American Bible
Lucas 23: 38
38 There was also an inscription about Him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Omissions relating to the Our Father
When Jesus was among us, he left us various teachings such as the Our Father among many other things. Both versions of the Holy Scriptures include them but the American Bible omits them.
Queen valera
Lucas 11: 2
2 And he said to them: When you pray, say: Father ours who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as it is in heaven, so also on earth.
The Latin American Bible
Lucas 11: 2
And He told them: When you pray, say:
"Father, hallowed be your name.
Thy kingdom come.
Another of the omissions that we find regarding the doctrines that the Lord Jesus left us while he was with us is that those of us who believe in Him are saved.
Queen Valera 1960
Juan 6: 47
47 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes In Myself, has eternal life.
The Latin American Bible
Juan 6: 47
47 Truly, truly, I tell you, he who believes has eternal life.
Some modified texts in the Latin American Bible
The modification of the texts in the Bible of the Americas as well as the omissions are several. One of the most important is when you read that God will include those who He knew would be saved.
Queen Valera 1960
Acts 2:47
47 praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added each day to the church those who were to be saved.
The Latin American Bible
Acts 2:47
47 praising God and finding favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number every day those who were being saved.
Another of the text modifications that is observed when buying the Reina Valera Bible and that of the Americas is based on the epistle written by Paul to the Church of the Corinthians where the Americas uses different verbs as we show below.
Queen Valera 1960
1 Corintios 10: 9
9 Nor let us tempt the Lord, as also some of them they tempted him, and perished for the snakes.
The Latin American Bible
1 Corintios 10: 9
9 Nor let us provoke the Lord, as some of them provoked him, and were destroyed by the serpents
Clarity and Fidelity of the Bible of the Americas
After reading and understanding the differences and similarities of the two versions of the Holy Scriptures. We can expose as it was said at the beginning of this article that both versions are very exact to the translations of the original texts.
Some may argue and claim that one or the other is more faithful or accurate to the biblical texts. We can determine according to the different clarification essays that were used for the translation of the Bible are the correct ones in the Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek languages. So we cannot say this is correct or this is incorrect.
We cannot deny that the version of the Reina Valera is the tool that the Lord used for the Gospel to reach an entire continent, being the first version of the biblical text that was translated into Spanish. We know that over the years, specifically since 1569, the Reina Valera version has undergone thousands of changes and grammatical adaptations. For which we cannot fail to be grateful for the faithful and exact revision that they have carried out to teach us the promises of God in our lives.
On the other hand we have the language forms of both versions, that of the Reina Valera is a much richer language at the cultural level which makes us understand the conceptual richness with the discourse that is handled today. Which shows that the one who inspired the Bible is Almighty God.
While the version of the Bible of the Americas uses a language that is considered more understandable. Which makes the translation of this version a little less accurate and precise than that of the Reina Valera if we look at it from a literal translation point of view. A clear example of what we are referring to is seen in the following verses where the Latin American Bible uses different verbs for a better understanding of the reader.
Queen Valera 1960
Juan 1: 1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The Latin American Bible
Juan 1: 1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
What is the best version of the Bible?
After reading and analyzing these versions of the Holy Scriptures, we realize that although no original manuscript exists. We know that there are more than XNUMX Greek manuscripts of the New Testament and thousands more of the Old Testament in Hebrew.
When we as Christians choose a version of the Bible that is pleasing to us, we must take different factors into consideration. First check with your Church which version of the Holy Scriptures they recommend. Let us not forget that there is an infinity of false doctrines that are sold as the real Gospel. So we recommend you seek advice faithful to what our needs are.
Go into prayer and ask our Lord Jesus Christ to show you with which version of the Holy Scriptures you should study his teachings. Ask the Lord to show us with his divine grace which is the Bible that meets your needs and which is the best interpretation for your benefits.
If you still have doubts about which Bible is the one that best suits your needs, we leave you several characteristics that will help you make the best decision.
More faithful translation
One of the characteristics that we have to take into consideration when deciding with which Bible we are going to study the teachings of our Lord Jesus must be the one that is most faithfully translated to the original papyri.
This, since by this very important criterion we respect the will of God, let us remember that the Holy Scriptures were the product of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so it is important to assess the fidelity of the translation.
By getting a Bible with a faithful translation we can better understand and study the Gospel of our Lord. Since omitting or substituting a word can make us lose the focus or the whole essence of the verse we are studying.
Taking into account these reasons for choosing a Bible, we find that the versions most faithfully adapted to the original texts are: the Bible of the Americas, and the versions of the Reina Valera 1960, known as Reina Valera Revised. Both handle the classic and faithful translation of the original scrolls.
Texts based on the best manuscripts
As mentioned above, unfortunately, the original texts that created the Bible do not exist. However, there are different records in different translations with which it has been possible to maintain the teachings of our Lord.
By having the compendium of books that make up the Holy Scriptures in different fragments and languages, the need arose to create a single text that includes the entire New Testament in Greek. From this need arises the first Novum Instrumentum omne which was the product of Erasmus of Rotterdam who was the first man to fill this need.
Thanks to this achievement, it was possible to make translations of the New Testament into different languages such as English, French, Spanish and German. It should be noted that this new compilation of texts came with only eight manuscripts. The most complicated text to translate was the Apocalypse, which was not complete, and Erasmus used the fragments of the Latin Vulgate to complete the New Testament.
At the end of this last translation, the Textus receptus is born, which are all the Greek papyri and Erasmus, based on the critical text. This compendium was used by Casidoro de Reina for the biblical translations that emerged until the XNUMXth century.
From that moment, archaeological advances brought us closer to the Word of God, with the discovery of new manuscripts from the fourth century. In addition to this, the preparation regarding the language has been better and it has been possible to translate in a more optimal way each of the original texts around the Word of God. Currently the most widely accepted text is that of Nestle-Aland, known as the Novum Testamentum Grace.
Based on what we have read, which is the Bible that best approaches the original daddies. The most literal translation of the texts is the Latin American Bible. For its part, the Reina Valera is based mostly on the Textus Receptus.
easy understanding
When choosing a Bible we must look for a Bible that we can understand when reading. Why? Simply because if we do not understand the text, we will not understand the message that God has for each one of us Christians.
At this point, the Reina Valera and the Bible of the Americas work with a lexicon and expressions that have lost validity over the years. A clear example is the use of "vosotros" instead of "ustedes"
In the version of the Bible known as the New International Version, he has managed to handle the language in a more modern way, making it easier to understand and read, one of the examples we refer to is:
Queen Valera 1960
Genesis 5: 1-2
1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God he made him.
2 Male and female he created them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, the day they were created.
New International Version
Genesis 5: 1-2
1 This is the list of Adam's descendants. When God created the human being, he made him in the likeness of God himself.
2 He created them male and female, and blessed them. The day they were created he called them "human beings.
better memorization
This is one of the most important categories since we must choose a Bible that is easy to memorize to remember each of the Lord's teachings and commands for each of us.
To achieve an accurate and devotional communion with the Lord, it is necessary that we understand the good news that He has for each one of us. We can only achieve this by being constantly united to the Word of the Lord. We must make a habit of reading it and accepting God's will in our lives.
This point is very subjective, familiarity wins since for many generations we have heard the version of the Reina Valera, so in our homes and in our reader's eye it has become familiar with this reading.
the best bible
Taking the above criteria we realize that the different versions of the Bible have their pros and cons. For example, the best word-for-word translation is found in the Bible of the Americas and its way of writing is easier for the reader to understand.
On the other hand we have the Reina Valera, it is the classic version and the one that helped the Evangelization of an entire continent. She is the one we know and recognize mentally.
As we have already learned by reading the Bible no matter what version it is, it is a compendium of wonderful books that has unique characteristics and absolute truths. Choosing the best Bible for us is of the utmost importance since the Word of God not only shows us the teachings of God, but thanks to the anointing that the Bible has through the Holy Spirit, it transforms our lives in a supernatural way.
As Christians, one of the things we learn very quickly is that the world does not understand our way of life, since we try to lead a holy life in order to please the Lord. However, we also know that on Earth we will be presented with turbulences that move us and that have the objective of making us faint in Faith. That is why it is of the utmost importance to strengthen our spirit constantly and firmly day by day. How is this achieved? Well, reading the Bible, it can be the Reina Valera, the New International Version or the Bible of the Americas, the important thing is that you study it, read it, scrutinize it and learn it in order to fulfill the Lord's mandate to evangelize.
Queen Valera 1960
Acts 13:47
47 For thus the Lord has commanded us, saying:
I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
So that you may be for salvation to the ends of the earth.
Let us have Faith and the conviction that the Holy Spirit will make us make the best decision regarding the version of the Bible that we choose. Since in these Holy Scriptures are the hidden messages that God has for us true Christians. As are the Law, its Commandments, the meanings of Fear of God, the judgment with the nations and above all it teaches us everything about the end times.
However, so that you can choose the best Bible for your style, we recommend that you enter into a process of prayer and direct communion with the Lord. Ask him to show you which Bible suits your needs and taste.
What we have to look for in the Bible is the real Gospel and not fall into false doctrines. That is why we must ask in prayer that God guide our decision. Let us remember that the Bible is His inspiration, so we have to be very careful if we take another doctrine.