We Do Not Believe that Souls Can Only Be Saved with the Reina Valera Gomez Bible

Written by Pastor Emanuel Rodriguez

From time to time we are accused of teaching that souls can only be saved with the Reina Valera Gomez Bible.  We are accused of teaching that if you use another Spanish Bible, like the 1960 edition of the Reina Valera, that you are not saved. 

As the President of the RVG Bible Society, I want to make an official statement, on behalf of all of our colleagues, that this is absolutely not our position.  We do not believe that one can only be saved with the Reina Valera Gomez Bible. 

Those who accuse us of having said this are lying.  They are liars.  Plain and simple.  If they were not lying, all they would have to do to prove that we have said this before is produce an example of such a statement from any of the over 300 articles we have in our website.  They could also try to provide such a statement from any one of the 300 videos we have on our YouTube channel.  We have everything we believe in writing and on video. If such a statement was ever made by any member of the RVG Bible Society, it shouldn’t be difficult to provide evidence.  However, they cannot because we have NEVER said this.

We have never said anything like this because it is not what we believe.  To say that souls can only be saved with the RVG would mean that no one was ever converted until the year 2004, the year the first edition of the RVG was published.  That would be a ridiculous position.  No one believes this.

For the first six years of my ministry, which was a Spanish-speaking ministry, I did not use the RVG.  The first Bible in Spanish I ever used was the RV1960.  I only used it for a few months.  After discovering the Critical Text problems in it, I started looking for another Bible to use.  When I discovered the 1909 Antigua edition of the Reina Valera, I found that it also had flaws.  Since it had less flaws, however, than the RV1960, I decided to use it instead until I could find something better.  I used the RV1909 for 6 years before I finally switched to the RVG.

During my first six years we saw souls saved before I ever touched an RVG Bible.  So based on my experience, I would never say that souls could only be saved with the RVG. 

I have friends and family who have been saved with other Bibles.  I have friends and family who use other Bibles, such as the RV1960.  I love them dearly and they love me and we have great fellowship with one another.

In fact, like myself, many of the members of the RVG Bible Society used other Bibles for years before they embraced the RVG.  Some of them established churches with other Bibles before adopting the RVG. 

Dr. Humberto Gomez was saved with the RV1909.  He used it for many years to win souls and plant churches throughout Mexico.  Dr. Gomez has publicly stated on numerous occasions his appreciation for that Bible.

Souls can be saved with a flawed Bible.  The reason why is because no matter how flawed a Bible is, the parts of it that are not flawed will still be effective.  If a Bible is 25% corrupt, which is a large chunk of the Bible, that still means that the other 75% is not corrupt.  Therefore, a lot of good can be done with that 75%.  All of God’s words are powerful.  There will be power in the words of God that have not been altered in any Bible version.

Our argument, however, is that since Jesus said in Matthew 4:4 that “every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” is necessary, we contend that a Bible that is more than 75% correct should be preferred.  In fact, one that is 100% correct ought to be desired.  What Bible-believing Christian wants to miss out on any of the words God inspired for our spiritual well-being?  If anyone thinks that is asking a lot, please remember that it was Jesus Himself who made it clear that even the jots and tittles, the smallest characters of the Hebrew alphabet, were important to God in Matthew 5:18.

Preachers have said for years that there is enough truth in John 3:16 alone to save the whole world.  I agree.  But does John 3:16 being correct in Critical Text based Bibles justify all the other Bible verses that are incorrect?  Does the fact that many souls can be saved with these corrupted Bibles, because at least John 3:16 is correct, exonerate all the other places in that same Bible that are corrupted?

We mentioned the 1909 Antigua edition of the Reina Valera Bible.  Hispanic Fundamentalism was built upon this Bible before the 1960 revision showed up.  The Reina Valera Gomez is a revision of this Spanish text.  Therefore, the RVG is basically the 1909 Antigua in which all traces of the Critical Text have been eliminated and consequently brought more into conformity to the Received Text.

The goal of the Reina Valera Gomez revision was to produce a Spanish Bible that has no Critical Text contamination in it whatsoever.  We wanted a Spanish Bible that is 100% based upon the Received Text.  We want a Bible that faithfully represents “every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God”.  We don’t want anything that God inspired to be missing or inaccurately translated in our Bible.  Bible purity is sacred and important.

Many souls were saved with John Wycliffe's English translation in the 1300s as well as the translations of Tyndale, Coverdale, Geneva, and the Bishops before 1611.  Yet, when the King James Version showed up, it wasn't long before objective, intellectually honest English-speaking Christians recognized its superiority.

Likewise, many Hispanic Fundamentalists are getting their eyes opened to the truth of the Spanish Bible.  It is not difficult to figure out.  A simple comparison demonstrates that the RVG is more faithful to the Received Text and more agreeable with the excellent King James Bible than any other Spanish Bible.  The evidence speaks for itself.

This is why our opponents who refuse to admit the truth must lie about our position.  They don’t have a legitimate argument against the RVG.  So they have to resort to false accusations, slander, and personal attacks.

Proverbs 10:18  “He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.”

When someone has to lie about their opponent, they have already lost the argument.  We are not concerned, however, about the lies and slander.  The truth will prevail no matter how wicked some become in their efforts to discredit us. 

One of the greatest conquerors in history, Napoleon Bonaparte, said “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake".  When our detractors lie about us, we are encouraged.  Honest and objective people, who know how to think for themselves, will see through the lies. The lies prove that our position is superior.  The lies demonstrate that the opponents have no legitimate argument so they have to invent false narratives to attack since they cannot handle the truth.  Their lies and slander will only discredit them and validate us.

Proverbs 26:27 “Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.”

No matter what our detractors say or do, the RVG movement is growing regardless.  There is nothing they can do to stop the truth.

Romans 8:31 “If God be for us, who can be against us?”

Acts 5:39  “But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.”