Editorial (by J.L. Torres)

There is no doubt we live in the latter days. Apostasy has become rampant in nominal Christian churches. Compromise has become the common denominator among pseudo-Fundamentalists. The Catholic Church has gained major concessions from prominent Evangelical leaders, and the world is moving faster than ever towards a one system, both politically and religiously.

Voices that once resounded with the whole counsel of God have been silenced by the desire of being popular and accepted, or have defected to the world, loving themselves more than God. It is a time for crying out, exposing the error, preaching the truth, and proclaiming the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

APOLOGIA was founded in June of 1991, with the strong and sincere desire to be one of those resounding voices among the Spanish people. We were and still are disgusted by the media in our Latin-American countries of always promoting the Catholic Church and putting down true Christianity and Protestantism, labeling them as bigots and cultic extremist groups. We decided that it was time a voice from among us would rise up and speak up the truth, without apology, for the whole counsel of God, standing unashamedly for the historic Fundamentals of our Baptist faith. We took our name from Philippians 1:17 where Paul states: I am set for the defence of the gospel. The word "defence" comes from the Greek word apologia, and that is from where we took the name for the present publication.

We have not been afraid to speak up for the truth against either the Roman Church, or the ever growing cults among our circles. We will not hesitate to point out the errors in them, and will always do whatever is on our part to promote, defend and preach the truths found in God's blessed book, the Bible, regardless of the consequences. We are not trying to please anybody, nor are we trying to shape our ministry after another, or to be popular.

However, in the last few months, we have been forced to speak against a group of men, who called themselves Fundamental Baptists, who are casting a shadow of doubt over the Spanish Bible, claiming it is polluted, unreliable, and full of errors.

It all started with a newspaper called The Baptist Scribe, published only in English, edited by Mr. Kent Rabe, and funded by Rev. Clyde Thacker, under the sponsorship of Broken Arrow Baptist Church of Pearce, Arizona, and devoted solely to undermine the Word of God in Spanish. A copy of its first issue can be obtained from this editor, or you may write or call directly to Broken Arrow Baptist Church. P. O. Box 469, Pearce, AZ 85625; (602) 826-3347 to ask for your own original copy.

We are not out to get anyone, or to put down the King James Version of the Bible, or the men defending it. We are only trying to demonstrate that our Spanish Bible is as reliable a copy of the Word of God, just as much as the King James is. As we point out the "problems" with the KJV, is only because this group of arrogant Anglo-Americans have done so with our Spanish Bible in order to call it unreliable, and polluted; and therefore, we have had to refute some of the so called corrupted texts, by necessarily pointing out that some of the "problems" with the Reina-Valera Spanish Bible are either no problems at all, or can be explained the same way other "problems" with the KJV are explained. Someone wrote to me,

saying that the "problems" with the KJV are to be treated in a God, Bible honoring way. May I ask, is it too much to ask the same thing for the Spanish Bible? Or only the KJV deserves such a distinct treatment?

Many Baptist Fundamental preachers admit that there are some difficulties, problems, or translation mistakes (whatever you want to call it) in the KJV. Some would admit it publicly, some would not. Others, do not even have the slightest idea of the issue at hand, but blindly parrot the words that they stand for the absolute authority of the Word of God, meaning the KJV only, just to be branded as true Fundamentalists. While still others, while saying publicly they believe the KJV is the only Word of God, in private they use other versions, and even admit privately, those same versions are even better translations than the KJV. All of this for fear of being branded Neo-evangelicals, or compromisers or liberals. Still others, have fallen for the Ruckmanite heresy (or something very close to it) proclaiming they believe in the KJV 1611, whereas in actuality, they have never seen one, they do not realize it had the Apocrypha in it, and if they ever see one, they will not be able to read the old English style in which it was written

I do not believe the KJV is the only extant Word of God today. I certainly do think it is the best English translation, but will not stick my head for it simply because English is not my native language, I am not a Bible scholar, and frankly I do not care whether the KJV is the Word of God as much as I care whether the Reina-Valera is the Word of God for the Spanish speaking world today, as I strongly and factually believe it is.

We just want to stick with the purpose of our publication since its inception, of defending the Word of God and His Gospel from all others who attack it, even Fundamental Baptists. If, in so doing, we are called Neo-evangelicals, or liberals, or whatever any other derogatory name they want to call us, fine. We are trying to please God, not man. This is (I trust) the only issue of APOLOGIA, it will ever be printed in English. I feel there are a good number of sincere and godly men doing a fantastic job in defending our faith in the English language, and certainly do not need us with that kind of work. Besides, we are so limited, and so busy in doing our job in our language, that we could not successfully do a better job than the men doing it already.

We are not trying to persuade anybody to our position. We are just presenting the facts, as they have been available to us, and as they have been conceited from the English people by the detractors of the Spanish Bible. We want to let you, the reader, be informed. Please read this material over carefully, prayerfully, and thoroughly before jumping to any conclusions. Give us a hearing. If you agree, support this cause and let us hear from you. If you disagree, you are also welcome to let us know. We are open to discuss the matter with anybody who honestly has a burden for the Spanish people, and has a particular interest in this matter.

This present issue is more than a simple translation of its corresponding Spanish original version. For one reason, the original was written having in mind the average unguarded Spanish believer, to provide him with some facts to strengthen his faith in the only book he has grown to love and treasure as the Word of God. Second, because this present English version has been re-edited having our English speaking brethren in mind. However, the position, the facts presented, and the determination to present an intelligent Bible believing God honoring defense of our precious copy of the Word of God, remain the same.

ADDENDUM

Since this particular issue of APOLOGIA was first published in Spanish in February of 1994, several major events have taken place surrounding the men involved in this issue (as this editorial is being amended, today's date is December 08, 1994).

1. First of all, as far as we know, the The Baptist Scribe magazine has not been published again this current year.

2. Pastor Clyde Thacker was assassinated on June 29, 1994, apparently for robbery motives.

3. Mr. Kent Rabe and Broken Arrow Baptist Church have parted ways, and Mr. Rabe is now associated with pastor Will Zeiler of Highway Baptist Church of Florence, Montana.

4. Right before departure from Broken Arrow, Mr. Rabe published a book entitled Double Exposure [certainly an appropriate title, for it exposes the blind unscholarly bigoted bias in presenting "facts" and misquoting authors, as well as the double standard on the Spanish Bible the author has held prior, during and after the publication of his book], in which he "refutes" what it is now being presented in this present English edition of this publication. It is interesting that the current pastor of Broken Arrow, though, agreeing with Rabe on the Spanish Bible issue, refuses to release any copies of said book, because they do not want the name of the church be associated with Mr. Rabe.

5. Bible Conferences have been held to undermine the Reina-Valera, and to promote the so called "Enzinas Bible."

6. A true 1543 Enzinas New Testament seems to have been procured, but it is not likely that it would solve the issue, since Enzinas must have worked with a much older edition (and therefore, more faulty) of the Textus Receptus, than the one used by Casiodoro de Reina for his 1569 Biblia del Oso; or the several ones later used by the KJV translators.