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Do You Have A Red-Letter Bible?
Do you have one of those red-letter editions of the Bible? The one with all of Jesus’ words written in red? Do those words have any greater significance or greater authority than the words in black?
2 Peter 1.21 says, “For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit.” “Every Scripture is inspired of God” (2 Timothy 3.16). What the apostles wrote was not received from man, nor was it taught to them by another. It came to them “through revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1.12). Is there authority in the words the apostles received from Christ and wrote? Are they written in red or black?
Jesus promised the apostles guidance by the Holy Spirit. “He shall guide you into all the truth: for He shall not speak from Himself...He shall take of mine, and shall declare it unto you” (John 16.13,15). It is not the red print that gives these words “extra” authority. It is the fact they are of Jesus. The source brings authority to the words, whether spoken or written.
Jesus is an authoritative source because He was given authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28.18). Then, He petitioned the apostles to teach others to be disciples based on that authority. The color of the words was not important. The importance lies in the fact that those words have the power to save (Romans 1.16). They delivered to man a means of deliverance he had not received from the wisdom of the world. Fact is, the authority of man did not contain the wisdom man needed. Faith in man’s words would give you knowledge of this world, but not the knowledge of salvation (1 Corinthians 2.1-5).
Wherein does your faith lie? Is it the words in red or black? Are they not all of God? Remember this one thing: There will be a day of judgment. The standard by which judgment will be made is “according to my gospel, by Jesus Christ” (Romans 2.16). Since the gospel has the power to save, it makes sense it would have the power to judge. It behooves all of us to read, meditate on, and obey the gospel Jesus spoke and revealed by His apostles. Understand this, my friend: “If any man teacheth a different doctrine, and consenteth not to sound words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is puffed up...corrupted in mind and deprived of the truth” (1 Timothy 6.3-5).
