Scholar Ruth Padilla DeBorst lives in Latin America, and has been involved with the publishing of the first Latin American whole Bible Commentary. Over 100 articles have been contributed by Latin American scholars about contextual issues that matter to the church and living out the Gospel.
She shares, “One of the challenges in living out faith in any particular context is if the resources that are supposed to be nourishing that faith and helping live out the Gospel are so distant and disconnected to the life of people, then they lack weight and relevance. In Latin America, too much of the literature and the teaching historically has been imported. So they don’t answer the questions of our context and the issues that our people are facing. This Bible Commentary is an incredible resource for pastors, for leaders to really be relevant in their teaching, to recognise themselves and their people in the questions that are being asked so that the answers can come from scripture for their lives.”
Societal challenges and prayers answered
The challenges in Latin America are significant. Ruth shares, “The poverty, the injustice, the inequality. Latin America is the most unequal continent in the entire world. There are places that are poorer, but the gap between wealth and poverty in Latin America is astounding and the churches and people don’t have access to resources like they do in other places.”
The commentary has been an answer to prayer, she continues, “Being able to produce together and engage and pray together about the reality of the church, and what we are called to be in the midst of migration, climate change, all these challenges that are really facing the church along with the rest of the population, is an incredible opportunity. So we’re grateful for the support of Langham.”
God’s provision filling the gap
First world countries are blessed with an abundance of Biblical resources, however in the Majority World those resources don’t exist or are sparse. Ruth shares, “There’s so many resources [in the first world]. Anybody that really wants to dig into scripture and think theologically, to build bridges between the Word and the world has resources available. That’s not the truth in the Majority World: Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The opportunity we have here to gather as scholars from around Latin America, with many countries represented, both men and women, is such a gift for us. To be able to learn together, discuss things together, produce books together and get them into the hands of people so that we are answering the questions that the church in Latin America is asking and humbly offer theological nourishment for the life of the church.”
She continues, “As a Latin American leader, I deeply value the support of Langham in giving us the opportunity to have this Commentary. A commentary that comes from Latin America, for Latin America, looking at scripture through Latin American eyes and then inviting us into living out the Gospel in all its fullness. And Langham’s had a part in that by sponsoring the writing and the publication and the distribution of this book, so that it’s in the hands of local pastors and leaders who can’t afford a huge library that doesn’t even exist. This book has it all in one, it has the whole Bible commented by Latin Americans for the sake of the growth of development and the living out of the Gospel. And so we’re so grateful to Langham for their support, and for your support.”
Prayer Points
- Thank God for Ruth and all the scholars that contributed to the publishing of the first whole Bible commentary from and in Latin America.
- Thank God for Langham Partnership publishing and distributing the commentary to pastors and Christians around the continent.
- Pray for more resources to be written and published in the Majority World to grow more disciples of Jesus.