I just checked my email this morning, and I got an email from a guy telling me about a new book praising the Spanish "GOMEZ BIBLE." (Better said, the GO-MESS Bible!)
SO, I clicked on the link, and found the book entitled, "God's Bible in Spanish." I would imagine that the author is insinuating that the GOMESS Bible is God's word in Spanish.
Well, as a Spanish Speaker, that's very hard for me to swallow!
I've followed the GOMES Bible from the very beginning, and was greatly appauled at it's foundation, it's work, and its eccumenical results. I also couldn't believe the many errors, anti-TR readings, and pro-1960 readings in that versions.
That's why I wrote a book about the GOMEZ, and put it on my website. You can still read it at:
Almost everyone I've talked to who's read it, have said the Gomez is an awful translation, and a horrible attempt to give the Spanish Speaking world a pure Bible.
However, I don't have what the Gomez has, BIG NAME FAMOUS PEOPLE ENDORSING IT!
I found on the Internet more about the modern Gomez, and those who are recommending it, and they are all big name fundamentalists. However, almost all of them are Americans, and not native Hispanics. And quite a few of them don't even speak Spanish!
To see some of those who endorse the Gomez, go to: http://www.rvg.bz/ And then click on "endorsments."
The latest news is the Gomez is now being pushed by Chick Publications. (See http://www.chick.com/articles/endorsement.asp for more.)
But even though the Gomez has such grand endorsements, nice webpages, and world wide acknowledgement, is it really "God's word in Spanish?" Would God really use such a version? And what do true Spanish Speaking natives say about it?
As a Spanish-Speaking Evangelist to Spanish-Speaking People, I'm hearing the exact opposite from Spanish Speaking people about the greatness of the Gomez.
I get phone calls all the time from people who are put out with the Gomez. They say things like, "It's street spanish, and not the beautiful old Castellan Spanish of the old 1602."
Others say, "It reads too closely to the 1960, yet it claims to be based on the old 1909!"
And even others state, "God doesn't talk to me through that version like he does when I read an older version or older revision."
You can make up your own mind, and I'm sure you will. But seeing as the SPANISH BIBLE ISSUE is about SPANISH SPEAKING PEOPLE, then shouldn't we go to them, and find out what they think about such a version?
The truth is the GOMEZ Bible, however endorsed it might be by big name Americans, is not gaining as much popularity in Spanish Speaking circles as those behind it would like you (English Speakers) to believe.
As you study the many different editions of the GOMEZ, it's incredible that that version even got off the ground. Below are just a couple of problems in the first edition of the Go-mess Bible, that I've exposed in my book, "The History and Truth About the Gomez Bible":
John 2:10 Gomez has Jesus going to a keg party, where people are drinking FERMENTED LIQUOR instead of NEW WINE!
1 Corinthians 7:36 The Gomez gives permission for a man to marry HIS OWN DAUGHTER!
How do such blazing errors even get into a version of the Bible???
Thankfully, these and many other errors were changed in newer editions, but one must ask, "Should we trust a man who introduces such doctirnal errors into the Bible?" And further, "If he changed those, how do we know he didn't change something else just as bad in other verses?"
Gomez further claims to be against the modernistic 1960 Spanish Bible. But as you go verse by verse in his version with the 1960, the old 1909, the original 1569 and 1602, and others, you find Gomez chose to make his version read closer to the 1960, many times even changing synonyms and word order in sentences to match that version! (Proof can be found in my book).
So is there a better version out there? And is there a version that Hispanics are talking about as the best?
Yes there is! It is the 1602 Purified Spanish Bible, also known as the 1602 Monterrey, the 1602 TR (in the New Testament), and the Valera 1602 Purificada.
As a matter of fact, as you study the whole Gomez movement, you see a peculiar thing. The 1602 Purified came out several years BEFORE the Gomez. But instead of getting behind it, Mr. Gomez chose to make his own translation to compete with it.
Gomez said he used the original 1909, the King James in English, and the Hebrew and Greek (by the way, he doesn't know Hebrew and Greek), and began work in 2002, finishing in 2004. (His version is still known as the Gomez '04 by many.)
Gomez' method for translation work? He claims he was "emailed" suggestions for changes, which Gomez mulled over and then changed if he thought it needed to be. (Gail Riplinger calls the Gomez a "Stop-Gap" translation for this very reason.)
Gomez' method sounds a little like those behind the 1960, who "mailed" out pages of the 1909 and asked people to tell them what they thought should be changed. Then the BIBLE SOCIETY changed what they thought should be changed.
Compare this to the Iglesia Bautista Biblica de la Gracia, who put out the 1602 Purified Spanish Bible. They worked since the early 1990's learning Hebrew and Greek. They used the original 1569, the 1602, the 1543 Enzinas, the 1556 Juan Perez de Pineda, and many more. They also used the King James and the original 1909. They further prayed and fasted as they went verse by verse in their work. They followed Valera's preface of his original 1602 Spanish Bible revision, by doing the work TOGETHER, instead of leaving the work to ONE MAN. They further believed in the importance of the LOCAL CHURCH as the body of Christ doing the work of keeping God's words, instead of giving them away to BIBLE SOCIETIES, which used the corrupt Critical Texts of men.
The 1602 Purified Spanish Bible is the purest and best Bible available today in the Spanish-Speaking world. It's based on the Hebrew Masoretic and Greek Textus Receptus texts. However, it's a true CASTELLAN Spanish Bible. It followed old PROTESTANT texts in Spanish, as well as the KING JAMES, and is not tainted with any modern 1960 readings like the Gomez.
But, what's that? You haven't heard about the 1602 Purified? Hmm, I wonder why? Could there be a reason? Could it be someone is intentionally trying to keep you from hearing about it? (Read my book for more).
As I talk to Spanish-speaking people who've read the 1602 Purified, I get amazing feedback. They all love it. It is real Spanish, and not modern spanish like the Gomez. It is much closer to the original 1569 and 1602, and thus easier to understand for most Spanish people. As the updated 1960 and Gomez chose to use modern Spanish words, instead of the long standing Reina-Valera words that God has given us for over 400 years.
Is the Reina-Valera Gomez "God's Bible in Spanish?" That's up to you to decide. But you owe it to yourself to study the issue to see if you are really getting the whole truth. Because the Bible says we are in the last days, and in the last days there will be APOSTASY.
I firmly belive we are in that time. And I can clearly see much apostasy in our ranks. Could it be the Gomez is not all it's cracked up to be? Could the Gomez be adding to that apostasy?
I'll let you decide. But would you at least be willing to look at all the facts?
For more about the Gomez, go to my book at:
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