12 Reasons Why I Use the RVG Spanish Bible

In this article, I will share 12 reasons why I use the Reina Valera Gómez (RVG) Spanish Bible. I believe that the RVG is the best version available in Spanish, and I recommend it to everyone. Here is why:

1. The RVG is 100% faithful to the Traditional Text of the Bible.

Proverbs 30:6 Add thou not unto his words, Lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

The Traditional Text of the Bible (the Received Text and the Hebrew Masoretic) is the pure and preserved text of the Bible. There are those who try to attack the Received Text by distinguishing between different editions. I respond to these attacks here: https://www.sociedadrvg.com/en/post/no-final-authority-the-dangerous-acceptable-textual-variant-philosophy. The truth is that God has preserved His Word, and we know exactly where it is, in the Traditional Text of the Bible. The Traditional Text of the Bible is also the base text of the King James Bible. I unashamedly believe that the KJV is the preserved Word of God in English.

The Critical Text goes against the Traditional Text and is the text most used in modern versions. Thankfully, the RVG is free from these corrupted readings and faithfully follows the preserved text of the Bible. For more information on this topic, I recommend this article: https://www.sociedadrvg.com/en/post/the-perfect-preservation-of-the-new-testament. You can also read the history of the Traditional Text and the Critical Text in my book Not One Jot or Tittle available here: https://a.co/d/gejayfc.

2. The RVG does not erase the name of Jesus Christ.

The omission of "Christ," "Lord," or "Jesus" is common in Bibles that follow the Critical Text. For example, in the RV1960, these omissions are found in Matthew 24:2, Mark 9:24, Mark 11:10, Luke 4:41, Luke 9:43, Luke 23:42, Acts 3:26, Acts 7:30, Acts 9:5, Acts 15:11, Acts 15:17, Romans 1:16, 1 Corinthians 9:1, 2 Corinthians 4:10, 2 Corinthians 5:18, and Ephesians 3:9.

Considering the doctrinal inclinations of those in Alexandria (where the Critical Text originated), it makes perfect sense that the Critical Text would attack the deity of Christ by omitting his name. The following examples show the seriousness of the errors. 

By Jesus Christ omitted – Ephesians 3:9b

(KJV) ...which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

(NIV) ...which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. (omitted)

(RVG) ...desde el principio del mundo en Dios, que creó todas las cosas por Jesucristo;

(RV1909) ...escondido desde los siglos en Dios, que crió todas las cosas. (omitted)

(RV1960) ...escondido desde los siglos en Dios, que creó todas las cosas; (omitted)

Lord omitted – Luke 23:42

(KJV) And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

(NIV) Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (omitted)

(RVG) Y dijo a Jesús: Señor, acuérdate de mí cuando vengas en tu reino.

(RV1909) Y dijo a Jesús: Acuérdate de mí cuando vinieres a tu reino. (omitted)

(RV1960) Y dijo a Jesús: Acuérdate de mí cuando vengas en tu reino. (omitted)

Of Christ omitted – Romans 1:16a

(KJV) For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation...

(NIV) For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation...(omitted)

(RVG) Porque no me avergüenzo del evangelio de Cristo; porque es el poder de Dios para salvación...

(RV1909) Porque no me avergüenzo del evangelio: porque es potencia de Dios para salud...(omitted)

(RV1960) Porque no me avergüenzo del evangelio, porque es poder de Dios para salvación...(omitted)    

Christ omitted – Luke 4:41a

(KJV) And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God...

(NIV) Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!”... (omitted)

(RVG) Y también salían demonios de muchos, dando voces y diciendo: Tú eres Cristo, el Hijo de Dios...

(RV1909) Y salían también demonios de muchos, dando voces, y diciendo: Tú eres el Hijo de Dios... (omitted)

(RV1960) También salían demonios de muchos, dando voces y diciendo: Tú eres el Hijo de Dios... (omitted)

Luke 4:41 is another example of the name of Christ being removed. In this verse a demon confesses that Jesus is the Christ. In the Critical Text, the word "Christ" (χριστος) is omitted. The NIV, RV1909, and RV1960 follow the Critical text reading and omit the word "Christ" as well. You can listen to an entire message I preached on this here: https://youtu.be/3iLnxNLHTYg?si=M_Egwf7zOBRyNZRc.

3. The RVG is not afraid to translate the word ‘hell’.

Many modern Bibles avoid translating the word “hell,” but the RVG does not. Luke 16:23 as a good example:

RVG Y en el infierno alzó sus ojos, estando en tormentos, y vio a Abraham de lejos, y a Lázaro en su seno.

RVR60 Y en el Hades alzó sus ojos, estando en tormentos, y vio de lejos a Abraham, y a Lázaro en su seno.

The word ‘Hades’ is the Greek word for ‘hell’ (‘infierno’ in Spanish) but the translators of the RV1960 decided not to translate the word. The word ‘hell’ should appear 54 times in the Scriptures. Note how many times it appears in the following versions of the Bible.

KJV - 54

RVG - 54

ASV - 13

RV1960 - 13

DHH - 13

NVI - 17

RV1909 - 30

RV-SBT - 29

RV-1865 - 43

The reader should note that even the Spanish New International Version (NVI) translates the word more than the RV1960. The RV1960 copied the ASV (American Standard Version) and translates the word only 13 times and in the same verses. The RVG is superior to these versions because it does not avoid translating the word ‘hell’ and thus does not weaken this important doctrine as these other versions do.

4. The RVG does not belong to corrupt Bible Societies.

The RVG is a special translation because it can be printed without paying royalties to a Bible society. This is not the case with most other versions of the Bible. For example, every time you buy an RV1960, you are contributing money to the United Bible Society. The UBS is an ecumenical and apostate organization. They praise and support the Catholic Church and are the same owners of other quite corrupt and Catholic Bibles such as Dios Habla Hoy.

I don't want to give my money to this society or give it any influence over my church, my Bible, or my faith. The good news is that by using the RVG, I don't have to give my money and support to these apostate organizations.

There are those who say that they will not use the RVG because they do not like someone from the RVG Bible Society. Then they go and embrace the United Bible Society and fill their pockets throughout their ministry so that they can spread Catholicism and corrupt Bibles throughout the world. I hope the reader can see the hypocrisy in this.

5. The RVG does not teach false doctrine.

Many corrupted Bibles insert false doctrine into their Bibles by following the Critical Text or using liberal translation methods. Here is an example:

Proverbs 17:8 KJV A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it:

Whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.

Proverbios 17:8 RVR60 Piedra preciosa es el soborno (bribe) para el que lo practica; Adondequiera que se vuelve, halla prosperidad.

Is bribery really good? No, this is false doctrine. The RVG correctly translates this verse and says: 

Proverbios 17:8 RVG Piedra preciosa es el don (gift) a quien lo posee; a dondequiera que se vuelve, prospera.

Other famous examples of false doctrine taught in the RV1960 are Romans 16:1, where it supports deaconesses, and 1 Peter 2:2, where it says that spiritual growth is “for salvation.” There are many more examples documented in other articles, but the point is that these errors can be easily avoided by using the RVG. 

6. The RVG contains no contradictions.

2 Samuel 21:19 KJV And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, a Beth-lehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.

2º Samuel 21:19 RVG Y hubo guerra otra vez en Gob contra los filisteos, en la cual Elhanán, hijo de Jaare-oregim de Belén, mató al hermano de Goliat geteo, el asta de cuya lanza era como un rodillo de telar.

The words in italics in this verse are necessary for the meaning of the original Hebrew to be correctly translated into the new language. It is true that the word “brother” is not in the original Hebrew in this verse (which is why it is in italics). But neither does the Hebrew say that Elhanan killed Goliath. We know that Elhanan killed Goliath's brother, not Goliath himself. There are two ways that we know this. First, the reading from 1 Chronicles 20:5:

1 Chronicles 20:5 KJV And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear staff was like a weaver’s beam.

Second, in the text of 2 Sam 21:19, the Hebrew grammar conveys that it was not Goliath but his brother. In 2 Samuel 21:19, the word before גלית (Galeyat) is את (“et”). This word can mean ‘with’ or ‘among’. Judges 1:16 is another example of this. With an understanding of this grammatical meaning, the Hebrew here does indeed refer to a brother of Goliath. Ancient readers of this verse were not confused because they understood Hebrew and knew that David killed Goliath. This is why the italicized words are necessary, so that modern readers in other languages understand the same thing. If we do not include these italicized words, the result is an error. For example, all these Bibles tell us that Elhanan killed Goliath:

2º Samuel 21:19 RVR60 Hubo otra vez guerra en Gob contra los filisteos, en la cual Elhanán, hijo de Jaare-oregim de Belén, mató a Goliat geteo, el asta de cuya lanza era como el rodillo de un telar.

2º Samuel 21:19 RV1909 Otra guerra hubo en Gob contra los Filisteos, en la cual Elhanan, hijo de Jaare-oregim de Beth-lehem, hirió a Goliath Getheo, el asta de cuya lanza era como un enjullo de telar.

2 Samuel 21:19 RV-SBT Y hubo otra guerra en Gob contra los filisteos, en la cual Elhanán, hijo de Jaare-oregim de Belén, mató a Goliat, el geteo, el asta de cuya lanza era como un enjullo de telar.

2 Samuel 21:19 RV1865 Otra guerra hubo en Gob contra los Filisteos, en la cual Elhanán, hijo de Jaere-orgim de Belén, hirió a Goliat Geteo, el asta de la lanza del cual era como un enjullo de telar.

Thank God for the RVG, which correctly includes the needed italicized words (just like the King James Bible). David killed Goliath and Elhanan killed Goliath's brother. With the RVG and its accurate and correct translation, we don't have these contradictions that arise from not translating God's Word properly. 

7. The RVG contains ALL the words of God.

Luke 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

The reason why the RVG is becoming so popular is because the humble heart desires to have all the words that God wrote in the Bible. Critics can mock the RVG as much as they want, but they will never extinguish this desire to have all of God's words. Many corrupt versions omit much of what God said to us believers. For example: 

Mark 2:17 KJV When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Marcos 2:17 RVG Y oyéndolo Jesús, les dijo: Los sanos no tienen necesidad de médico, sino los enfermos: No he venido a llamar a justos, sino a pecadores al arrepentimiento.

Marcos 2:17 RVR60 Al oír esto Jesús, les dijo: Los sanos no tienen necesidad de médico, sino los enfermos. No he venido a llamar a justos, sino a pecadores. (omitted)

The pastor or missionary who decides to use the RV1960 instead of the RVG is condemning his flock to not having everything that God wrote to them. I believe that pastor will have to answer to God for this one day. 

Personally, I don't want to lose anything that God told me in His Word. I don't need the United Bible Society to decide what is important and what should be deleted from the Bible. I don't want to lose anything. I want to know what my Lord told me. Thank God for the RVG, which allows me to have all of God’s words in Spanish. 

8. The RVG does not copy corrupt English Bible versions.

The Reina Valera 1960 contains so many errors because it literally copied readings from corrupt English versions. This is a documented and historical fact. Jose Flores (one of the revisors of the RV1960) wrote:

“One principal added to the first list of the RV1960 Revision Committee was that wherever the RV (1909) Version has departed from the Textus Receptus to follow a better text we did not return to the Receptus…in cases where there is a doubt over the correct translation of the original, we consulted preferentially the English Revised Version of 1885, the American Standard Version of 1901, the Revised Standard Version of 1946, and the International Critical Commentary.” - Jose Flores, El Texto del Nuevo Testamento, CLIE 1977, page 232 (emphasis mine).

This is why the RV1960 reads the same as the ASV in so many places. We have already seen how it copied the ASV regarding where to translate the word ‘hell.’ Another example is its translation of the word ‘buffalo.’ 

Job 39:9–10 RVG ¿Querrá el unicornio servirte a ti, o quedar en tu pesebre? ¿Atarás tú al unicornio con coyunda para el surco? ¿Labrará los valles en pos de ti?

Job 39:9–10 KJV Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, Or abide by thy crib? Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? Or will he harrow the valleys after thee?

The word “unicorn” appears six times in the Bible. It probably refers to the rhinoceros or even a dinosaur that still lived in ancient times. The point of the verse is that this animal is strong and wild and cannot be tamed. But the RV1960 and RV-SBT call this animal a ‘buffalo.’ 

Job 39:9 RVR60 ¿Querrá el búfalo servirte a ti, O quedar en tu pesebre?

Job 39:9 RV-SBT ¿Querrá el búfalo servirte a ti o quedar en tu pesebre?

This translation is incorrect because a buffalo is an animal that can be domesticated. They are very happy to live in a barn as demonstrated in the photo below.

It is very likely that the decision to use ‘buffalo’ was made to follow the ASV, as Jose Flores said.

Job 39:9 ASV Will the wild-ox be content to serve thee? Or will he abide by thy crib?

The RVG is not ashamed to have consulted the King James Bible along with the Greek and Hebrew in its revision. The RV1960 should be ashamed of having consulted and copied corrupt English Bibles.

9. The RVG does not use liberal translation methods.

Daniel 3:25 KJV He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

Daniel 3:25 RVG Respondió él y dijo: He aquí yo veo cuatro varones sueltos, que se pasean en medio del fuego, y ningún daño hay en ellos; y el parecer del cuarto es semejante al Hijo de Dios.

Daniel 3:25 RVR60 Y él dijo: He aquí yo veo cuatro varones sueltos, que se pasean en medio del fuego sin sufrir ningún daño; y el aspecto del cuarto es semejante a hijo de los dioses.

In the Reina and Valera Bibles of 1569 and 1602, we see the translation “son of God” rather than “son of the gods.” This is the correct translation of the verse, and the RVG reads the same. Modern Bibles that use liberal translation methods change this reading, as we see in the RV1960. Thank God for the RVG, which does not use these liberal translation methods and translates the Bible accurately. 

10. The RVG uses beautiful, accurate, and understandable Spanish.

When we compare the Spanish used in the RVG with other Traditional Text Bibles in Spanish, we see that the RVG wins in terms of accuracy. For example: 

Efesios 6:23 RVG Paz sea a los hermanos, y amor con fe, de Dios el Padre, y del Señor Jesucristo.

Efesios 6:23 1602P Paz  sea a los hermanos, y amor con fe de Dios Padre, y del Señor Jesús Cristo.

The 1602 Purificada says “Jesús Cristo” 80 times instead of “Jesucristo.” The RVG uses correct Spanish and says “Jesucristo.” It is not enough to translate from the correct text; a Bible must also translate accurately and in an understandable way so as not to cause confusion and thus hinder the message. Another example of the RVG's good Spanish when compared to the 1602 Purificada is found in 2 Samuel 11:7:

RVG Y cuando Urías vino a él, le preguntó David por la salud de Joab, y por la salud del pueblo, y asimismo de la guerra.

1602P Y como Urías vino a él, preguntóle David por la salvación de Joab, y por la salvación del pue­blo, y asimismo de la guerra.

In the RVG, David is asking how Joab is doing. In the 1602P, David is asking if Joab is saved. There is no doubt that the RVG is the most accurate Bible in terms of translation and exactness compared to other translations that exist in Spanish. For more information on the RVG compared to the 1602P please see this article: https://www.sociedadrvg.com/en/post/my-thoughts-on-the-valera-1602-purificada-spanish-bible.

11. The RVG comes from the belief that the Bible has been preserved.

Psalm 19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

The RVG Bible was translated and revised based on the belief in the doctrine of the perfect preservation of the Bible. The translators and collaborators believed that we know exactly what God's perfect words are. 

Critics and translators of many other Bibles do not believe this. For example, a critic who defends the RV1960 and preaches in KJV-only churches named Calvin George said the following about the Bible:

(Statement in Spanish) “Ahora, como criaturas caídas, tenemos un deseo y una necesidad innata de certeza, y eso es normal. Dios nos creó con tal necesidad. Sin embargo, no se debe abusar esa necesidad de certeza.” - Calvin George, Fuegos de Evangelismo, 19 de junio, 2025.

(Translation) “Now, as fallen creatures, we have an innate desire and need for certainty, and that is normal. God created us with that need. However, that need for certainty should not be abused.” (emphasis mine).

These people believe that it is wrong for the believer to want to know everything that God said with certainty. In his article published on his website where he attacks one of my sermons in which I denounce the RV1960 for removing the name of the Lord, George wrote:

“…some seem to insist that nothing less than absolute certainty in every non-doctrinal technicality is acceptable in preservation. On one hand, such a desire is admirable, but we must be realistic and transparent with what has indeed been preserved for us, which provides adequate, wonderful, trustworthy certainty, even though it may not meet the threshold of absolute certainty in every non-doctrinal technicality as in the original autographs." (emphasis mine)

He also said in his book:

“What is essential is that we have the Word preserved collectively among all the manuscripts, and in a reliable (though not perfect) form in the editions of the Textus Receptus.” (La Contraversia Reina-Valera en el fundamentalismo (2023), pg 154. Translated from Spanish.) (emphasis mine).

I am sorry Mr. George, but the Bible says that law of the Lord is indeed perfect. The problem for these critics is that their argument is one of hopelessness and uncertainty while the RVG stands for certainty and hope.

The argument of those who defend the RVG is as follows:

God inspired the Scriptures

God preserved the Scriptures.

We know exactly what God said.

Every translation in every language must follow this preserved text of the Scriptures.

The argument of those who defend the RV1960 is as follows:

All the Bibles we have today contain errors (including the KJV) (yes they say this).

We have no certainty about what God said, we only have a reasonable idea.

If you want certainty, this is bad.

Therefore, stop complaining about the errors in the RV1960.

You will never hear these people using a Bible verse to support their argument that we only have an adequate but not accurate idea of what God said. They will only say that we must be “realistic.” I recommend this article for more information: https://www.sociedadrvg.com/en/post/no-final-authority-the-dangerous-acceptable-textual-variant-philosophy.

Thank God for the RVG, which was not made in accordance to these philosophies of modernism and liberalism that are so common in modern liberal academia. 

12. The RVG does not need to defend itself with foolish arguments.

Proverbs 12:19 The lip of truth shall be established for ever: But a lying tongue is but for a moment.

I love RVG because I can defend it with manuscript evidence and honest academic arguments. I don't have to defend it with logical fallacies such as personally attacking those who hold the opposite position. A famous preacher recently said about gringos like me who defend the RVG:

(Statement in Spanish) “La ignorancia y la insistencia de verdad aferramiento, y una vez voy a decir a lo seco, a veces simplemente discriminación y racismo. Ellos piensan que nosotros no podemos ni tener Biblias sin ellos.” - Ezekiel Salazar, Conferencia de Pastores, Brownsville TX, septiembre, 2025. (énfasis mío)

(Translation) “The ignorance and stubborn insistence, and I'll say it bluntly, sometimes just plain discrimination and racism. They think we can't even have Bibles without them.” - Ezekiel Salazar, Pastors Conference, Brownsville, TX, September 2025. (emphasis mine) 

I assure this brother that I do not work to defend textual purity in Spanish because I am racist. I am happy with the fact that I can defend my Bible with logical, academic, and biblical arguments. I do not need to call my opponents racists. Many of the arguments used by critics have nothing to do with the text of the Bible. Thank God I can present arguments for the RVG that come from the text and not from logical fallacies. 

Conclusion

The RVG is undoubtedly the best version of the Bible in Spanish. I love it and am so grateful to have this reliable Spanish Bible in my hands. 

Proverbs 23:23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; Also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.