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Red Text or No Red Text for Jesus

Discussion in 'Bible Versions & Translations' started by CoJoJax, Sep 26, 2009.

  1. CoJoJax

    CoJoJax New Member

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    Hey guys,

    Just out of curiosity..

    How many of you have Bibles with the Red text for Jesus and without the Red text for Jesus?

    Do you prefer one over the other and why?

    I personally like the red text, but I recently purchased a Bible without the red text. It kind of bothered me at first because I was so use to being able to immediately catch Jesus' words right when I turned the pages .. but I've almost grown to like my non-red text Bible more because it keeps me from just jumping to His words and reading everything as a whole.

    I know this is not as in-depth of a conversation as most of the stuff on here, but like I said, I'm just curious!

    Thanks,

    CJ
    :jesus:
     
  2. Deacon

    Deacon Well-Known Member
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    I sent a letter out to Tyndale Publishers just yesterday asking for a quality, black-text-only NLT; for some reason Tyndale is married to red-letter versions.

    If I’m to be called an onliest, call be a BTO (black-text only).

    I abhor red-letter versions. They’re distracting. hard on the eyes and close to impossible to read in small print.

    IMO, Red-Print is an artificial method of saying that one portion of text is more important than another.
    What do you mean?
    [sarcasm] Red-letter versions are heretical, an abomination!
    Those red-letter folk shouldn't be allowed to post on this board.
    Are people who use those red-letter perversions really saved?
    [/sarcasm] :tongue3:

    Rob
     
  3. TomVols

    TomVols New Member

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    Non-red letter. Every word of God is the word of God. The red ink is unnecessary.

    But my favorite Bibles tend to have it, so I'm not going to argue too much. But whenver possible, I purchase black letter.
     
  4. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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  5. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    I'm with the others - I hate red lettering.

    ALL Scripture is God-breathed, not only the words of Jesus.
     
  6. Baptist4life

    Baptist4life Well-Known Member
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    Personally, I like red lettering. Always had Bibles with it, and I'm too old to change! :smilewinkgrin: I find it convenient. Has nothing to do with Jesus' words being more important. It's just a "help" when studying. My Bible also has quotes from the Old Testament, when they're used in the New Testament, in all capitol letters. I like that too. IOW, when Jesus, or Paul, or whoever, is quoting an OT passage, it's in all capitol letters.
     
    #6 Baptist4life, Sep 27, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 27, 2009
  7. Thermodynamics

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    I have found that almost all Bibles published in the United States have the words of Christ in red, while British Bibles seem to be about 50% red letter.

    The idea of putting the words of Christ in red dates back to about 1901, before that all Bibles were black letter.

    I am not a fan of red letter Bibles (although I do own several) for at least three reasons:

    1. All of the words in the Bible are of equal value, putting some of them in red suggests that they are of greater value than the others.

    2. The quality of printing varies quite a bit and some red letter editions print the red letters very light.

    3. I am red-green color blind, when I am reading a red-letter Bible in low light I often have a very hard time seeing the red letters.

    If you are looking for a quality black-letter Bible I suggest checking out one of these British Bible publishers:

    Cambridge
    R. L. Allan & Sons
    Trinitarian Bible Society

    They all publish high quality leather bound editions with black-letter options avaliable.
     
  8. Jerome

    Jerome Well-Known Member
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    "In order to distinguish certain details in a text or manuscript the commonest practice was to write them with brick-red ink (minium, red lead). . . .Already in the carolingian period other colours besides bright red were used for display purposes: . . . [FN 62]For the early middle ages see the list in Lesne, Livres, 13ff. In Paris, BN, Lat. 257, s. IX, the words of Christ are regularly written in gold." ---Bernhard Bischoff, Latin Palaeography: Antiquity and the Middle Ages, pp. 16-17.

    "There is yet another aspect of Paris 54 that distinguishes it from virtually every other Byzantine manuscript: its ink is color coded according to the speaker in the text. Bright red ink was used for the simple narrative text, while a darker red or crimson ink was reserved for Jesus’ words, the genealogy of Christ, and the words of the angels. Old Testament passages, the words of the disciples, Zachariah, Mary, Elizabeth, Simeon, and John the Baptist are in blue, while dark brown ink was used for the speech of the Pharisees, people from the crowd, Judas Ischariot, the Centurion, the devil, shepherds, and the scribes." ---Kathleen Maxwell, Paris, Bibliotheque Nationale de France, Codex Grec 54: Modus Operandi of Scribes and Artists in a Palaiologan Gospel Book, Dumbarton Oaks Papers No. 54 (2000), p. 123. PDF
     
  9. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    I like the red lettering, in fact I like how the HCSB puts the OT text where God is speaking in red as well.
     
  10. Thermodynamics

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    Just curious, what type of Bible are you using?
     
  11. Baptist4life

    Baptist4life Well-Known Member
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  12. Thermodynamics

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  13. Amy.G

    Amy.G New Member

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    It is an excellent study bible. :thumbsup:
     
  14. Baptist4life

    Baptist4life Well-Known Member
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    It's been my favorite Bible for going on 17 years. I've been given, and purchased others, but always come back to this one. It's about worn out, I have duct tape all over it! :laugh: But it's like a familiar old friend, and I'll replace it with another copy someday.
     
    #14 Baptist4life, Sep 27, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 27, 2009
  15. Amy.G

    Amy.G New Member

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    Maybe we should take up a BB collection for you to purchase a new bible. :laugh:

    I've really enjoyed mine too.
     
  16. Thermodynamics

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    A question for either of you, was this the study Bible put out by Liberty University?
     
  17. Amy.G

    Amy.G New Member

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    Yes, I believe so.
     
  18. Baptist Believer

    Baptist Believer Well-Known Member
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    I avoid red lettered Bible for the simple fact that we often don't know when Jesus is speaking and when He isn't in the Gospel of John.

    Furthermore, while I prioritize Jesus as the fullest expression of God's nature, will, and the interpreter of the written word (He is the chief cornerstone against which everything in the New Testament church must be aligned), it is too easy for people to go overboard on that idea and ignore everything else presented in the scriptures. Certainly Paul was an apostle and disciple of Jesus, so everything that Paul says should be interpreted in light of living the lifestyle prescribed by the commands of Jesus in the gospels. Paul (like the rest of the New Testament writers) is continuing Jesus' ministry of teaching and equipping the church.

    And if we believe in the God that Jesus describes, we know that the God of the Old Testament is Jesus (as well as Father and Spirit).
     
  19. Baptist4life

    Baptist4life Well-Known Member
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    I know Jerry Falwell is a contributing editor, but I don't know that Liberty University "put it out".
     
  20. Thermodynamics

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    OK, this is the one that I was thinking it was. I've been meaning to get one for some time now.
     
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