Why should English-speaking Christians care about the Spanish Bible?
In the first episode of the Spanish Bible Podcast, Pastor Shane Rice introduces the purpose behind this series and explains why the Spanish Bible is an important subject for pastors, missionaries, Bible college students, church leaders, and anyone interested in worldwide evangelism.
Where did the Spanish Bible come from? Was the Reina-Valera 1960 the first Spanish Bible? Who were Casiodoro de Reina and Cipriano de Valera, and why are their names still associated with the Spanish Bible today?
In this episode, we trace the history of the Spanish Bible from the original 1569 Reina Bible through the 1602 Valera revision, and then follow the major revisions of 1865, 1909, 1960, 1977, and later editions. We also explain the important difference between a translation and a revision, a distinction that is often misunderstood in discussions about the Spanish Bible.
In this episode I share the personal story that started my investigation into the Spanish Bible issue.
When I first arrived on the mission field, I was handed the Reina-Valera 1960 and told it was the Bible every missionary used. As I learned Spanish and compared it with my King James Bible, I began noticing differences that raised serious questions.
The most common Spanish Bible, the Reina Valera 1960 as well as the Reina Valera 1909 both contain things which are not in alignment with the Textus Receptus as well as the King James Bible. Since we hold to and only use the King James Bible in English, it would make sense for us to use a Spanish Bible that is in agreement with the Textus Receptus and King James Bible. For this reason I have taken a stand and am using exclusively the Reina Valera Gomez in Spanish. I have spent many hours investigating the Spanish Bibles please feel free to download my charts below and investigate for yourself. Also visit the Reina Valera Gomez Bible Society web page to read many articles about the Spanish Bible.
July 10, 2026