Red Letter Bibles & Black Letter Bibles: What Is the Difference, and Why [Brochure]

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Subject & Definition

This article deals with Red Letter Bibles and shaded background Bibles. Red Letter Bibles are Bibles which feature the words spoken by God or by the Lord Jesus Christ printed in red. Shaded background Bibles feature gray or colored shading behind selected parts of the Bible text.

History

In recent years, it has become apparent that some people think that a Bible is not all it should be unless it features red print. I have been surprised to discover that some people apparently think that the KJV Bible originally had red letters. It did not. Red letters are nothing more than a very successful marketing gimmick—a novelty introduced by Louis Klopsch in 1899. It is certain that red letters were not intended by the translators of the KJV, nor is there any suggestion of such a distinction in any of the original Bible manuscripts in any of the original Biblical languages—Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek.

Advantages

The Large Print New Testament which was my first "Bible" as a young child had red letters. No doubt the red print caught my eye and my attention and invited me to read. And, I recall that the differences in print color helped me a little in finding and remembering certain passages. So, we recognize that red print has these two advantages—attractiveness and help in locating and remembering what Jesus said.

Disadvantages

However, red print also has two distinct disadvantages:

First, red print is distracting and actually tends to cause more eye strain. Most people who read much red print will find that their eyes will tire sooner. Red print is particularly difficult to read under low-light conditions and virtually impossible to read in red-light situations, such as on naval vessels at night.

Second, and more serious, is the real potential for red print to subtly suggest that the words of Christ (and other words similarly rendered in red print) are somehow more holy or more inspired than the rest of the Word of God. That does not necessarily mean that all people who like red print are inclined to so regard the words in red print; but we feel rather responsible to repudiate the suggestion. We are also inclined to believe that the popular use of Red Letter editions may have significantly contributed to the erosion of the practical recognition of Scriptural authority and to the noticeable general increase in Scriptural ignorance in this country (and elsewhere) over the past century.

“God ... spake ... by the prophets.” Hebrews 1:1. How many Bibles have ALL of the prophetic utterances in red print? If they don't, aren't they in-consistent? The Apostle Paul said, “The things I write are the commandments of God.” Are Paul's epistles printed with red letters? If not, why not? “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” 2 Timothy 3:16. It is quite obvious that the Apostle Paul did not make such a distinction, and neither did the Apostle Peter (see 2 Peter 3:16).

In recent years, there have been other editions of the Bible which we have felt should be avoided for similar reasons—such as the Rainbow Bible, the Promise Bible, and the Precious Promises New Testament. These are highlighted editions which feature shaded text blocks and which we fear may tend to influence the interpretation of the text and so may hinder the liberty of the Spirit of God to bring home the Word of God to the reader in a manner other than that suggested by the editor who introduced the shading.

However, there is nothing here to discourage any reader from highlighting or underlining special portions of his or her own Bible. God has given us wonderful woodlands; and for man’s millenniums it has been an approved and practical practice to blaze trails through those woodlands by marking specific trees as landmarks. We hope you find many landmark Scripture passages in your journeyings in God’s Word, and we encourage you to mark them.

There are many ways to mark your Bible, but there are a couple of things to keep in mind: Pencil marks (black or colored), most pen ink, and a lot of highlighter marking will tend to smear with time and use. Moreover, the significant use of a bright or strongly colored highlighter may prove as distracting and detrimental as red print. We recommend the use of a fine-point art or drafting pen for notes and for under-lining. Underlining tends to be helpfully noticeable without being so distracting as highlighting. And, above all, let your Bible mark you.

This is not written to condemn or to discourage any who are already using a Red Letter Bible. Thank the Lord for what you have and for what He has used for your blessing in your life. But, when you decide to get another Bible, you may want to consider these things.

J.A. Kaiser