Articles From Our Bulletins
Black, Red, and Redder Letters?
The level of credence we give to some statements is often determined by who said or wrote them. If the author or speaker is someone we consider wise, successful, or in perhaps the worst case scenario, popular or famous, we listen to and consider their words. In short, we pay more and better attention because of the source. Such is not necessarily bad. But of course, the value of this process is dependent upon the inherent quality of our basis of evaluation. If we give credence to what someone says because they’re famous instead of understanding and wise, we’re setting ourselves up for disappointment and misery. Statements should stand on their own merits- they are either “true” or “false” regardless of who said them. However, that’s not our reality since “who” made them often supersedes what is written or said in our evaluations.
Unfortunately, we take this same flawed system of evaluating validity into our reading and applications of Scripture. Some people only pay attention to the “red letters” in the Bible. The “red letters” are the recorded words of Jesus. Obviously, we should pay close attention to the statements made by the Son of God and Savior of the world, but do those “red letters” really deserve more consideration than the “black ones”?
Consider a “red letter” statement in John 14:26 about the then future inspiration of the apostles by the Holy Spirit, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” If the Spirit’s mission was to remind the apostles of everything Jesus said, should we give less attention to the things they wrote by the Spirit’s inspiration- even if recorded in “black letters”? Notice also John 16:13 on this same point, “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak of His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” When Jesus said (in “red letters”) that His apostles would be guided “into all truth” by the Spirit, can we really devalue what they wrote in “black letters”? Paul said he wrote by the revelation of the Spirit so that “when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,” Ephesians 3:3-5. Again, this begs the same question as before: Can we diminish that which God revealed by the Spirit to the inspired writers of the New Testament because they are in “black,” rather than “red,” letters? Certainly not, but these things do lead us to an additional consideration.
Not only do we tend to distinguish and devalue the “black” letters in favor of the “red” ones in the sacred text, we evidently have an additional, though perhaps subconscious, line of demarcation: apparently there are “red” and “redder” letters. Even within the “red” letters, there are some passages that we are inclined to accentuate more heavily than others- or there are some that we apt to overlook completely in favor of others. Note an example. Jesus indeed said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” in Mark 16:15; but He also said, “Do not give that which is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine” in Matthew 7:6. We tend to ignore that He was speaking specifically to His apostles rather than “us” in the first case, and that “we” are expected to use some discretion and judgment in our efforts to spread the word in the second instance. Matthew 15:14 is similarly often ignored, though recorded in “red” and on the same point.
How about another example? Jesus clearly taught that those who would be His disciples should be concerned with, and help, their fellowman, Luke 10:25-37; Mark 10:21; et al. But are you also familiar with His statement in Mark 14:7? There He said, “For the poor you always have with you, and whenever you wish, you can do them good…” If we emphasize the first set of statements, and deemphasize or ignore the other one, we could become so involved in the physical needs of our fellowman so as to forget that his spiritual needs are actually more important, cf. John 6:26-27.
So, what’s the solution to our tendencies with regard to “black” vs. “red” vs. “redder” letters? The answer is found in 2Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” Understand that no passage of Scripture contradicts another; and therefore the correct view of any passage (or principle) is found through harmonizing it with everything else the Bible says on the subject- whether it is found in “red” or “black” letters!
- Black_Red_and_Redder.pdf (70.64 kB)
