SEEING JESUS. The Case Against Pictures of our Lord Jesus Christ by Peter Barnes. Banner of Truth Trust, Edinburgh. 50p.
The Author of this booklet of thirteen pages is a minister of a Presbyterian Church in New South Wales, Australia. He makes out a good case against pictures of Christ on Biblical grounds, with frequent Scripture references. His quotes are not from the A.V. Pictures of Christ are dependent on the imagination, are a means of introducing much error concerning Him, necessarily dishonour Him, and are in contravention of the Second Commandment.
However the author undermines his case in dealing with those who claim that God has used pictures of Christ to speak to them, using Count von Zinzendorf, a Moravian, as an example. The reply given in the booklet is as follows:- “It only means that God is so gracious that He will occasionally give blessing where the method employed is contrary to His revealed will.” He takes the same line with reference to altar calls in evangelism — the method is unbiblical and does much harm but there are many cases of Christians whose testimony is that they were converted when they walked forward at the appeal.” One can only ask here what sort of Christians these are, and what kind of theology are we being invited to accept in the first quote above. It is the reviewer’s opinion that when writers on theological subjects, and preachers, go outside the A.V. of the Bible for their Scriptural quotes, then sooner or later defective theology by Westminster Confession Standards will appear. (See Review F.P. Magazine, August 1985, “Milk of the Word”).
R.K.M.
THE OLD IS BETTER by Alfred Levell. Gospel Standard Trust Publications. £1.20. 61 pp.
This booklet by the President of the Trinitarian Bible Society is a defence of the Authorised Version of the Bible as the most trustworthy version of the Bible in the English language. In nine chapters it covers such topics as the main English versions, the Hebrew and Greek texts, thoughts on translations, “Thou” or “You”, and the New King James Version. It brings out very clearly why it is our duty to continue to use the Authorised Version notwithstanding the multiplicity of versions of the Bible produced in recent times. We are glad to commend this booklet to readers of the Magazine.
D.B.M.