Further on red letter Christians and red letter bibles, see an earlier post here. I was reading the follow passage in a bible with red letters for the words of Jesus.
John 12:27-29
27 "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say?`Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
Whose voice speaks from heaven in v. 28? Presumably the same voice as spoke from heaven at the baptism of the Lord Jesus and at his transfiguration. The only voice that ever speaks from heaven is the voice of God.
Why do we colour the words of the Lord Jesus red but not the words of God? Are the words of the Lord Jesus better, more significant, more important than the words of God spoken from heaven?
It is a truly silly idea to have red letter bibles, and an even worse idea to claim to be a red letter Christian, privileging the words of the Lord Jesus recorded in Scripture over the word of God, which is the essential nature of Scripture.
Showing posts with label Red Letter Bibles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Red Letter Bibles. Show all posts
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Wednesday, 8 April 2009
Red Letter Bibles/Christians
I suppose following my blog conversation with Peter, see my earlier post, the whole idea of red letter bibles/Christians has been in my mind.
At our Holy Week service last night, led by Eric Boyle from Kirkcowan and Wigtown, we were reading in John 12. The bible I was following the reading in is a red letter edition and I noticed the following passage:
John 12:27-28 27 "Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." (ESV)
Now I understand the thinking behind highlighting the words of the Lord Jesus in red. But what about the words I've underlined? Whose words are these? Are they not the words of God? In what sense is it appropriate to highlight the words of the Lord Jesus but not to highlight the words of God?
By extension, since I believe the words of the bible to be breathed out by God, 2 Tim 3:16, I generally have a problem with red letter bibles. A passage like this one merely brings the point into sharp focus.
By using the term red letter Christians I wonder what someone using this designation would make of such a passage? Are they saying they are more committed to the words printed in red, giving them priority over the words printed in black? But what happens when the words printed in black are the words of God?
At our Holy Week service last night, led by Eric Boyle from Kirkcowan and Wigtown, we were reading in John 12. The bible I was following the reading in is a red letter edition and I noticed the following passage:
John 12:27-28 27 "Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." (ESV)
Now I understand the thinking behind highlighting the words of the Lord Jesus in red. But what about the words I've underlined? Whose words are these? Are they not the words of God? In what sense is it appropriate to highlight the words of the Lord Jesus but not to highlight the words of God?
By extension, since I believe the words of the bible to be breathed out by God, 2 Tim 3:16, I generally have a problem with red letter bibles. A passage like this one merely brings the point into sharp focus.
By using the term red letter Christians I wonder what someone using this designation would make of such a passage? Are they saying they are more committed to the words printed in red, giving them priority over the words printed in black? But what happens when the words printed in black are the words of God?
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