Iglesia de Cristo

"Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?" (Acts 2:8, NIV).

Last week, I noticed a poster in the hall of our church building. It was apparently advertising the formation of a new congregation (I say "apparently" because the poster was in Spanish and I can read very little Spanish). The Park Plaza Church of Christ (which started the Contact Church) has started the Iglesia de Cristo Park Plaza. I was glad to learn of the formation of a new Spanish-speaking church in Tulsa, because we have many Hispanics but few churches that speak their language. More information about the new congregation can be found at http://www.iglesia-de-cristo-park-plaza.org.

Later in the week, I asked a Hispanic co-worker, "What is the most common version of the Bible that Hispanics read?" He told me that they read one that would be equivalent to the English King James Version, one that few truly understand because of the out-dated language. I was a little surprised, because I know that the International Bible Society and World Bible Translation Center have produced translations in more modern Spanish. I expected one of those translations to be more popular.

My co-worker's answer reinforced how I felt about the establishment of a new Spanish-speaking congregation. It is certainly needed. From the beginning of the first church in Jerusalem, God has been concerned that the good news be presented in people's native languages. Hispanic people need Bibles that they can read and churches that speak their language. (By the way, English-speaking Christians can help the Iglesia de Cristo by volunteering to teach Hispanics the English language. Information is on the church's web site.)