I’m preparing for Pentecost Sunday. While I’m looking forward to celebrating the birth of the church, this year I’m a little more nervous than usual. Randy has been asked to preach the morning service at a neighboring church as well as preaching the afternoon service at our own church. While it’s an extra opportunity to worship God and fellowship saints of God it does add some added stress with scheduling and the extra time I will be expected to sing. A good cure for the stress seemed to be to sit down and reread Acts 2 and go over any creative art journaling I’ve already done for the passage.

Since I was already thinking about the topic and looking through several journaling Bibles I thought it was a perfect time to share with you all the already illustrated verses I found. I’m hoping that these comparison posts will make choosing an illustrated Bible (either your first or your next) easier for some of you and provide inspiration for your own journaling projects for others.

Links in the main text are to our reviews of the Bibles. The remaining links including those in the list at the end are affiliate links.

Acts 1:8

Well yes, the title of the article is Acts 2 and Creative Art Journaling but there were just so many beautiful versions of Acts 1:8 I couldn’t resist.

Besides, verse 1:8 actually tells us why the Holy Ghost part of Pentecost is so important. It’s the power we need to be effective witnesses to the rest of the world. A level of power we could never achieve on our own, it enables to witness with our whole lives, our actions and attitudes, and not just our words.

The KJV My Promise Bible and

the HSCB Illustrator’s Notetaking Bible are the two that have the complete verse in their illustration. Both are focusing on lettering with a few simple embellishments.

The illustrations in the Illustrator’s Notetaking Bible are actually noticeably lighter than the ones found in the rest of the illustrated Bibles I’ve photographed this week. This can be good or bad since it makes it a bit harder to see them through some art mediums but it also makes them less noticeable if you don’t follow them exactly and easier to cover up entirely.

This picture is of the NLT Inspire Catholic Bible. The same illustration can also be found in the  NLT Inspire Bible and the NLT Large Print Inspire Bible. I love the two doves on this one. I’m picturing a pale blue background with snowy white doves and navy or metallics for the lettering.  Now I just have to figure out which art medium I want to use.

They used the same concept and just made it a bit fancier, with more doves and a few flowers, for the NLT Inspire Praise Bible.

And a third Bible, the ESV My Creative Bible for Girls, with a dove and Acts 1:8 on the first page of the book.

At first, I was wondering why almost every illustrated Bible had Acts 1:8 on its title page. I can’t think of any other book that so many Bibles use the same key verse. But then I realized not only is that verse on that page but it’s a great summary for the work of building the church, which is what the book of Acts is all about.

The NIV Beautiful Word Bible and NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible have slightly different illustrations emphasizing the “power” aspect of the verse in them.

And the CSB She Reads Truth Bible emphasizes us being witnesses in their only illustrated verse for the book of Acts.

Symbols of the Holy Spirit

The ESV Illuminated Bible, Art Journaling Edition does a stunning job of combining the three main symbols of the Holy Spirit,(fire, wind, and a dove) on their title page. We also have the end of Acts 1:8 on the first page emphasizing how far reaching the promise is.

While the MEV Promises of God Creative Journaling Bible doesn’t have a specific verse from the first two chapters of Acts illustrated I thought this flame illustration fit the themes well enough to be included.

Acts 2:21

Acts 2:21 is such a beautiful promise about the universal availability of salvation I’m not at all surprised several Bibles chose to include it. I am only a little surprised they all chose flowers.

An illustrated version of Acts 2:21 can be found in the ESV My Creative Bible for Girls,

the KJV My Promise Bible,

and the NLT Inspire for Girls Bible (and all the versions of the NLT Inspire Bible as well.) I cannot pick a favorite between these three.

Acts 2:38, 39, & 42

A key part of Peter’s message was his answer to the crowd about what they should do in Acts 2:38.

The NIV Beautiful Word Bible and NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible have two slightly different illustrations for the first half of the verse. They chose to emphasize baptism and I like how the pre-colored version color choice hints at water.

And the shortened version of the verse in the ESV My Creative Bible for Girls focuses on the Holy Spirit using the familiar symbol of a dove and a heart-shaped gift box.

My favorite pre-drawn version of Acts 2:38 is in the KJV My Creative Bible. The main reason it’s my favorite is that it includes the entire text, but I also really like the composition. The focus on the words with simple but well done and slightly varied lettering with just a couple relevant embellishments (wave tops, gift tag).

I’m pleased that at least one Bible, the KJV My Promise Bible, includes a version of Acts 2:39. I’ve memorized Acts 2:36-41 and think we sometimes need this reminder that the promises of Pentecost stretch all the way to here and now.

The final verse from Acts 2 that I found was in the ESV Illuminated Bible, Art Journaling Edition, Acts 2:42. I great reminder to keep studying, and praying, and fellowshipping one another.

Acts 2 and Creative Art Journaling

There are a lot of great verses in Acts 2 that weren’t illustrated in any of the Bibles. Of course, that just gives us more opportunity to do our own creating and responding to God’s word. Over the next few days (it may take into next week to finish them) I plan to do my own entry for Acts 2:17 (In the last days I will pour out my Spirit on all people) that I have been thinking and praying about and color one of the three versions of Acts 2:21

I hope you all have an enjoyable Pentecost Sunday. And I hope these pictures where helpful to at least a few of you. If you like these posts and have a specific topic, chapter or book of the Bible, or artwork theme you would like me to compare please let me know.

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Links above are to our reviews for more information about the Bibles featured. Most of these Bibles should be available at your local Bible bookstore or at many online retailers. The following are affiliate links to find them on Amazon.

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photos by Lucinda Brown