The Surprising History Of The Red Letters In Your Bible
The tradition of printing the words of Jesus in red, known as the “Red Letter Bible,” is a relatively modern Evangelical innovation that was introduced by Louis Klopsch, a German-born journalist and editor. Klopsch, who immigrated to the U.S. as a child, became involved in the Christian publishing world through his work with The Christian Herald. He took over the publication in 1898 and became its proprietor in 1899. During this time, he developed the idea of printing the words of Jesus in red ink after reading Luke 22:20, where Jesus speaks of the New Testament in His blood.
Klopsch’s decision was influenced by the ancient practice of rubrication, where certain words or passages were highlighted in red in medieval manuscripts, though it was not commonly used in Protestant printed Bibles. He believed that using red ink would help readers more easily identify the spoken words of Jesus, especially since the King James Bible, the primary version at the time, did not include quotation marks to differentiate speech. After testing the idea with a 60,000-copy print run in 1899, the first Red Letter New Testament was produced, followed by the full Bible in 1901.
The Red Letter Bible became very popular, with Klopsch emphasizing that it would meet the needs of those seeking spiritual guidance. It has since become an established tradition in many Evangelical circles. Some Red Letter Bibles only highlight Jesus’ words in the Gospels, while others extend the practice to portions of Acts and the epistles, wherever Jesus’ words are quoted by others.
While the Red Letter Bible is widely appreciated for its ability to help readers locate the words of Jesus more easily, it also has some drawbacks. For one, it implies a certainty about where speech begins and ends, a challenge given that the original Greek texts lacked punctuation. Different editions may vary in what they mark in red, leading to inconsistencies. Additionally, some critics argue that the red letters might be viewed as more important than the black text, potentially diminishing the significance of other parts of the New Testament.
Despite these criticisms, the Red Letter Bible serves a practical purpose, especially in older translations like the King James Version, where it helps identify Jesus’ words more clearly. It also offers an aesthetically pleasing way to break up large blocks of text, making it easier to read and study. Klopsch’s idea has endured well beyond his death in 1910, with Red Letter editions remaining popular among Bible publishers to this day.