In this divisive political climate, one group of Christians that has tried to make its voice heard is the so-called Red-Letter Christians (RLC). The group gets its name from the fact that some English Bibles print the words of Jesus in red letters to differentiate them from the surrounding text (even though, amusingly enough, New Testament Greek does not utilize quotation marks). RLCs do not officially deny the inspiration or inerrancy of all Scripture (though some do), but their leaders like Tony Campolo explain that they want to emphasize Jesus’ words with this question: What if Jesus really meant what he said? This search for a “canon within a canon” almost inevitably leads them to a kind of progressive Christianity that denies that gay relationships are sinful, that denies penal-substitutionary atonement, that advocates far-left politics, etc.
There are several problems with this movement, two that are worth mentioning here. One is that, as many have observed, the color that seems to really unify them is blue rather than red: The things RLCs advocate are often in-line with the Democratic Party platform, an ironic development given their constant criticism of conservative Christians being too beholden to the Republican Party. Granted, I agree with that, but they have proven to be no less partisan and politically driven, just for the other side of the aisle. Two, and more importantly, the question “What if Jesus really meant what he said?” carries the presupposition that other Christians just ignore Jesus. This is another irony: Because RLCs de-emphasize the “black letters,” their interpretations of Jesus’ words lack context and nuance. In other words, in their very attempt to highlight the words of Jesus, their methodology leads to gross misinterpretations and blatant fallacies such as the argument from silence (ie: “Jesus wasn’t against gay relationships because he never specifically addressed it”). Even Campolo admitted that his movement has failed to catch on with many evangelicals because it is filled with people who know very little about Scripture.
Paul in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 states this: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (NASB). This is one of the few times I like how the NIV translates a verse better: It literally states that all Scripture is God-breathed. All Scripture. Not just the parts that we like or find convenient, as tempting as that is to believe. For sure, many parts of Scripture are difficult to interpret, but that does not mean that they can be safely ignored. In reality, because of Jesus’ triune relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit, we can even safely say in one sense that the “black letters” are also the words of Christ. Christians who want to mature in theology and practice should seek to have a deep knowledge of the Bible, and this will actually lead to a greater understanding of the words of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels. -Isak Lee
One Light Church 