Reviving a Faithful Translation for Spain
In 1569, the first complete Spanish Bible was published. The arrival of Scripture in the hands of the people would have an irreversible impact on the Spanish church. But those who translated the pages of Scripture did so under persecution and in exile. They believed the Bible was worth their very lives.
Four centuries later, that same commitment to bring God's Word to the people drives the work of Berea Seminary, TMAI’s training center in Spain. But today, the faithful translation that Berea and its network have relied on for years has gone out of print — and a solution is urgently needed.
Translated in 1986, the La Biblia de Las Américas (LBLA) translation is studied and exposited at Berea, its many extension sites, and in its considerable network of Spanish-speaking churches.
LBLA is a faithful, modern-language translation that uses grammar particular to Spain and is especially helpful to preachers in the exegesis of the text. Some of these distinguishing linguistic features include the use of the “vosotros” conjugation, a 2nd person plural form of “you” that is no longer used outside of Spain. But as the evangelical church in Latin America has grown, LBLA has been dwarfed by other translations used more widely outside of Spain.
This year, recognizing that LBLA has effectively gone out of print and out of stock, Berea faculty reached out to TMAI's Global Publishing Department (GPD) for help. Through its relationships with major publishers, the GPD was able to secure discounts for a special printing of 5,000 copies of LBLA. $29,000 more is needed to print and ship the Bibles to Spain.
“There is nothing more essential for strengthening a church than a sound Bible translation,”
said TMAI President Mark Tatlock. “When we heard that the LBLA had gone out of print in Spain, we were happy to help find a solution to get it back into print and support the Spanish-speaking pastors and believers that our training center in Spain serves.”
The arrival of Scripture in the hands of the people once irreversibly changed the church in Spain. Today, the ministry and impact of Berea Seminary depends on the same God-breathed Word.
Berea faculty member Heber Torres said, “Ensuring that this faithful translation remains available will strengthen both local churches and pastoral training. These efforts will aid the understanding of truth in the pews and contribute to the spread of faithful biblical preaching throughout Spain, the Dominican Republic, and other countries where we train and serve.”
The original translators of the Spanish Bible believed Scripture was worth any sacrifice. We want to ensure that believers in Spain continue to have this treasure. Please consider partnering with us financially to meet the remaining need of $29,000.