Red-Letter Christianity
A year or so later another teacher, T. B. Maston, answered this dilemma. “Although the entire Bible is inspired and from God, there is a progressive revelation in Scripture of God’s will for humanity. As Hebrews 1:1-2 clearly reveals, God ‘bit by bit’ and ‘piece by piece’ spoke to humanity through the prophets and other Old Testament writers, but in these last days God has fully revealed Himself in the life and teachings of Jesus.”
As Jesus himself declared, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill [fill full]” (Mt
This truth is not only basic to biblical interpretation, it is also crucial for understanding the ethical teachings of the Bible. “What Would Jesus Do?” is not just a teen-age motto that oversimplifies the gospel—it is actually the key question for Christian discipleship.
In recent days, a growing number of evangelicals identify themselves as “Red-Letter Christians,”[1] believers who focus on Jesus’ words and example. As Jim Wallis noted, “We Christians have a serious problem. Most people have the idea that Christians and the Church are supposed to stand for the same things that Jesus did.”[2]
Last year when I asked rhetorically “Did Jesus Mean What He Said?” (after quoting several of Christ’s non-retaliation teachings), I was amazed at the number who disputed the obvious meaning of Jesus’ commands. They reminded me of ancient “eisegetes” who also sought to soften Jesus’ words about wealth.[3]
If Jesus did mean what he said, and Christ intended his disciples to be “Red-Letter Christians,” how does this premise impact our understanding of the Christian life?
First, Jesus Did Not Bring Us Rules, But A New Relationship.
Legalism is a constant threat to serious discipleship. Last year I visited the Western Wall in
During another visit to
Nor are evangelicals immune to legalism. When discussing legalistic ethics during my seminary teaching days, I often illustrated with the “Rules” of Falls Creek (a summer youth camp in
Legalism always fails because the list is never long enough!
Jesus did not come to earth to bring us a new list of rules. He came to establish a new relationship between God and humanity. “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (Jn
Red-Letter Christianity is based on a new relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Second, Jesus Did Not Establish An Earthly Kingdom, But A Spiritual One.
Visits to
Today, Israeli officers are commissioned atop
Yes, the
Red-Letter Christianity is composed of citizens under God’s rule, a spiritual kingdom.
Third, Jesus Did Not Teach Hatred And Retaliation, But Love And Forgiveness.
The Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5-7) seemed unrealistic to that first-century audience. Most felt it was too radical and idealistic. At best, naïve and impractical. To respond to evil with love and forgiveness would be foolish!
And 21st century Christians struggle with the same questions. Did Jesus really mean what he said? Is forgiveness and love possible in a world full of hatred and retaliation?
If we are honest, we know most Christians simply ignore these ethical ideals, believing they are impossible to obey in the real world. Other followers of Jesus try to interpret them as historical exaggerations or literary hyperbole. But for those disciples who accept the veracity of the Scripture, these teachings cannot be so easily dismissed.
The lex talionis—“an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”—was the common law of retaliation in the first century. But Jesus countered, “Do not resist an evildoer . . . turn the other cheek . . . walk the second mile” (Mt
The accepted rule in Jesus’ day was “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy,” but Jesus abolished that rule by commanding, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Mt
Later Jesus told Simon Peter that Christians are to forgive not just seven times (the Law required three times), but seventy times seven (Mt
So again the crucial question, “Did Jesus really mean what he said?” If he did, then is not our response as children of God, as citizens of the
Red-Letter Christianity is not only possible, it is imperative.
[1] Tony Campolo, Red Letter Chrisitans (
[2] Ibid., 9.
[3] Commentaries are replete with the fabricated story about a certain entrance called the “eye of the needle” that required a camel to kneel to enter, to diminish Jesus’ statement that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich person to enter the kingdom” (Mt
[4] Small leather cases holding Scripture passages from Deuteronomy 6.
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