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I received The Picture Bible Anniversary Edition compliments of David C. Cook in exchange for my honest review.
The Picture Bible Anniversary Edition is an updated version of this graphic novel style Bible that was released in 1973. It contains helpful resources that have been added to help children better understand the fuller contexts of many biblical accounts. While I think this book is a fun resource for familiarizing children with Scripture, I do have some minor reservations about it.
First, it contains no reference to Genesis 3:15, which is referred to as the protoevangelium, or first gospel. This important verse sets the trajectory for the meta-narrative of Scripture, so its exclusion from The Picture Bible is disappointing.
Second, while the illustrations offer fun vintage vibes of comic books from decades past, they lack diversity. The pictures only feature people of Caucasian descent, which is not biblically accurate. I do think the illustrations do a nice job of giving readers an idea of what life would’ve looked like during biblical times, but the lack of diversity is also disappointing, especially considering God’s kingdom consists of people of all tribes, tongues, and nations (Revelation 7:9).
Third, while The Picture Bible may be useful for introducing kids to biblical accounts, I think it’s best to view it as a loose paraphrase. I do think it’s a fun resource, and I love the idea of having resources that help draw kids into the story of Scripture. However, the biblical accounts conclude with an overview of Revelation spanning only a few sentences, which includes the lines, “The Romans had arrested John and sent him as a prisoner to the island of Patmos. There he saw a vision of Heaven and he heard Jesus say: ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come inside.”
This text is accompanied by an illustration of Jesus knocking on a door. My concern with this is that I’ve often heard of this verse used to communicate that Jesus is knocking on the door of someone’s heart, waiting for them to accept Him. In context, Revelation 3:20 is a call to repentance to the church at Laodicea, which was characterized by its lukewarm love for Jesus. This isn’t a call for repentance unto salvation; it’s a call to repentance for believers who have grown apathetic in their love for Christ.
I feel that not presenting it in context loses the sense of urgency that its full context communicates. Jesus isn’t standing outside the door knocking, hoping someone will accept Him. He is so powerful that if He wants to save someone, He will, and absolutely nothing can stop Him. I’m sure the book’s authors believe this; however, it’s difficult to determine based on the illustration and caption. The cover of this book states, “Pioneer to The Action Bible.” I own The Action Bible, and it does a much better job of presenting the context of this verse.
I do think The Picture Bible is a fun resource, and I’m hoping it will be one means of piquing my children’s interest in Scripture. However, I think it’s best for adults to have read the Bible and understand how to rightly handle it so they can help young readers accurately know the Bible and love God and worship Him rightly as a result.
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