From the TeachingtheWord Bible Knowledgebase

Several readers have asked us about this particular Bible. A few key Scriptural tests provide a verdict on it.

Readers and listeners frequently ask us about particular study Bibles. One that comes up often is the Nelson Children's Study Bible, which has also been published as the Study Bible for Kids.

As I explained in another article, Christians must be exceedingly cautious and discerning on the question of study Bibles in general. Whenever we do consider a study Bible, one of the first things we should ask is, "What does it say about Christ, about salvation, and about the nature of the Bible itself?" The Nelson Bible fails these essential tests.

Their description of Jesus Christ refers to Him only as "The personal name of the One whose title gave its name to the Christian religion." There is no mention of His deity at all. Their definition of the Trinity is that God lives in a "community relationship" with Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

Their definition of "salvation" as "deliverance from evil, danger, or trouble" is exceedingly weak, as is their related definition of "savior".

As for their view of the inspiration and authority of Scripture, they say of the book of Genesis that "most people think Moses wrote it" even though Jesus plainly stated that Moses wrote it (Matthew 19:8; Mark 12:26; John 5:45-47; 7:19; cf. Acts 3:22 and Romans 10:5). 

Beyond these things, the style of the Study Bible for Kids has the essential problem of most study Bibles: On most pages the words of man, in this case in a cartoonish format, take up the vast majority of the space and command the reader's attention. And as is the case in the sample at right, the focus is on what is in fact a secondary issue at best, rather than on the main theme of the Biblical account.

It would be far better to give a young person the pure Word of God, bathe it in prayer, carefully instruct the youngster, and rely on the power of the Author to keep His promise that His Word will not return to Him without accomplishing the purpose for which He has sent it (Isaiah 55:10-11). This applies not only to the Nelson children's Bibles, but to this genre generally.

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