But in the beginning of the 20th century, an awakening gushed forth from the inexhaustable fountain of sacred tradition that was distinguished by two things. In the first place, the wave of renewal, which established an international standard for the Church, had not ceased. On the contrary, it has continued developing, incorporating leaders and laity belonging to all the historic denominations and contemporary Christian circles. In the second place, this revival has not characterized itself by the leadership af any one outstanding individual who set his own agenda or imposed his own style. An historian has called the Pentecostal/Charismatic Revival of this age "a movement without a chief", to comment on the phenomenon, whose continued expansion of influence appears to be tied to this factor. The beginnings of the movement can't be precisely pin-pointed, no one can take credit for it, and who can describe it in any other words than those Peter used on the day of Pentecost, "But this is that spoken by the prophet, '...in the last days...I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh...'" (Acts 2:16,17).

     While the waves of this renovating movement expanded, the common denominator of those whom it unites is not so much a doctrinal position, as the joint-participation in a new experience. The "new" is not something innovative or without precedent, but simply the recovery of the simplicity and power inherent in the New Testament Church; Jesus' life and ministry that extends throughout his body today as it did in the story of Acts. Because of this, it has always been difficult to prepare a simple Study Bible that satisfies this great community. Its ideas about the persona of Jesus, his virgin birth, sinless life, atoning death, resurrection and majestic ascension are essential points of convergence. Its view of the authority of God's Word and its divine inspiration is basically the same. And its experience of the Spirit's contemporary activity - whose fullness, fruits, gifts and wonders are welcomed and carried out today as they were in the beginning of the Church - is something generally accepted. However, because of their different denominational roots, a great diversity characterizes these groups. All points of the theological spectrum will be found in themes such as; 1) Calvinism vs. Arminianism; 2) Dispensationalism vs. Covenant Theology; 3) Differences between premillinialism, postmillinialism and amillinialism; and even 4) about the significance of "speaking in tongues" in relation to the believer's initial baptism with the Holy Spirit.

     It's surprising, given the great diversity of the groups, that the movement, as a whole, doesn't reflect an absence of firm convictions about those aspects in which Scripture and experience are interpreted differently, but they respond to the Holy Spirit's calling that warns them to be respectful of other people's convictions. They've decided to let brotherly love prevail in the Church, seek peace and persevere in it, and recognize that the prayer of our lord Jesus, "that they be one" won't ever find the answer in the framework of theology, but upon the Table of His Testimony. When we remember his cross - his body, to which we have been called, his blood, which has redeemed, cleansed and justified us of all sin - we find unity under his lordship. Here is where we support each other, "until we all come to the unity of the faith and the full knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ...following the truth in love (Eph. 4:13-15).

     With such a great concept in mind, and in this crucial moment of God's relationship with the Church of Christ as a whole, we come to study and serve, in the hope that this Bible can contribute to thriving growth in the Holy Spirit's activity, both now and in the future. The team of specialists, pastor-teachers, writers and editors express their gratitude to God, and for the direction and editors of Thomas Nelson Publishing House for the privilege of participating in this historic project. The Biblia Plenitud is the first of its kind, which has brought together a large group representing more than twenty denominations and independent associations to produce a Study Bible that incorporates the point of view of the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement. The General Editor and his associates wish to remember the efforts that the predecessors of various Pentecostal teachers and specialists have made, and their prior contributions to this memorable occasion. Although this work is distinguished by its dimensions and the people who have collaborated on it, with gratitude and himility we salute the valuable groups who have preceded us in their effort to guide God's people toward a deeper understanding of His Word.

     As General Editor, I offer my respectful thanks, to the brothers and sisters who carried out the work of editor and published that which appears here. A special personal recognition should be dedicated to my son, Jack Hayford III, for his arduous labor on this project, and also to Janet Kemp, Susanne Mahdi, Renee McCarter and John Silver.

     May God multiply the fruit of the labor of all those who have devoted themselves to offering you the Biblia Plenitud. We dedicate this work to the Lord, repeating the words of the prayer of the psalmist, "And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it" (Psalms 90:17).

Jack W. Hayford
General Editor

(MY NOTE: These articles were translated from English into Spanish, and subsequently, back into English. Since a strict, literal translation isn't possible, I had to paraphrase. Although some of the wording is mine, the research and scholastics belong to others. Also, any mistakes that you find, whether linguistic or doctrinal, are probably due to my own mistranslation. I hope that you find these study aids to be a blessing. Catalina Emerson)