Two New Bible Editions Seek to Underpin Adventist Family Worship

The new volumes were dedicated to God during the recent church congress in Spain.

June 23, 2024 | Spain | Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review

Church leaders and members attending the Spanish Union of Churches Conference national congress in Fuenlabrada, Madrid, Spain, participated in a special dedication ceremony on June 15. Safeliz publishing house leaders introduced and dedicated to God two new editions of the Bible. Below, a brief description introduces of each of them, which have been published first in Spanish. English and Portuguese versions will soon follow, publishing house leaders said.

Praise and Worship Bible

The Praise and Worship Bible is an extraordinary Bible, which includes outstanding resources to strengthen faith and revitalize spiritual life, the publishers said. The volume includes 210 biblical songs whose lyrics are verses selected from the Bible. They review the passages, characters, and most well-known biblical events from Genesis to Revelation, and they are also available in video format through QR codes.

Safeliz publishers also reported that the songs, which include the scores and professional production and musical arrangements, were written by composer Liliam Martinelli using various musical styles “to help children, teenagers, young people, and adults to memorize God’s Word through song.” Also, the Bible includes an index which, among other data, allows you to find out songs to sing solo, in duet, trio, or quartet, or in a choir.

The Praise and Worship Bible also includes hundreds of devotional readings that, according to the publishers, can help make family worship “easy, attractive, and relevant.” The Bible offers five types of devotionals, including Children, Teenagers, Youth, Everyone, and Ellen G. White readings. One daily reading is included in the printed version, but the reader can find the other four for that day using a QR code.

In total, this edition of the Bible includes 1,825 special messages. “Some of them include suggested activities that can help make family worship practical and attractive,” publishers said. The edition also includes, at the beginning and also at the end, resources from the Back to the Altar initiative, suggestions to strengthen family worship, and even full-text books available through QR code technology.

“This Bible has the potential to revive your worship experience and impact the spiritual journey of your whole family,” its publisher said. “It will draw you and your church, moving them to be back to the altar and closer to God.”

Maranatha Study Bible

The second Bible edition presented and dedicated at the Spanish Union of Churches Conference national congress is the new Maranatha Study Bible.

“It has been called the Maranatha Bible because our greatest hope is the second coming of Jesus,” Safeliz general manager Mario Martinelli said. “This Bible is the result of a project that has taken more than 10 years of hard work,” he added. “More than 100 Adventist theologians have contributed not only to compiling but also developing the resources included here.”

Safeliz leaders explained that this Bible has the goal of helping church members to go deeper in the study of God’s Word. “It includes study notes and insightful articles divided in different categories.”

The Maranatha Study Bible also includes a series of infographics on the prophecies of the Bible books of Daniel and Revelation. “They combine accurate and trustworthy information with visual elements that help the student to understand the most important prophecies in the Bible,” the publishers said. “The Bible also includes maps with explanatory notes, a dictionary of Bible terms, and an outstanding chronology of biblical events and the history of the Christian Church.”

Thanks to the QR technology, the Bible includes links to a long list of articles and discussions of topics such as “God and suffering” and “Marriage in the New Testament.” “The Maranatha Study Bible is truly a lamp unto our feet,” publishers said.

At the end of the presentations, General Conference president Ted N. C. Wilson addressed church leaders and members. “This is not just about our ability of collecting Bibles on a shelf,” he told them. “The important thing is to read the Bible and let it fill your life with God’s presence.”

Minutes later, Wilson dedicated the two new editions of the Bible to God in prayer. “We put the circulation of these Bibles into Your [God’s] hands,” he prayed. “We ask that people treasure these precious words from heaven itself…. Bless the distribution of Your Word. And may these Bibles bring many people to the foot of the cross.”