The Holy Bible is one of the most popular books in the world. People from all different walks of life read it for different reasons, from curious academics to the personally devout. No matter where you fall on that spectrum, you’ve probably opened a Bible or two and noticed that some publishers use red print. This red print is found in the New Testament to differentiate Jesus’s words from the other words. But why do some Bibles print Jesus’s words in red while others don’t? Why did they choose red specifically? Keep reading to learn the answers to these interesting questions.
Why Do Jesus’s Words Get Red Distinction?
Christians believe that Jesus is the entire point of the Bible. From the first words about a new world in the Old Testament to the depiction of the world ending at the New Testament’s end, everything is supposedly about Jesus. Since he’s the main character, it makes sense he’s given special distinction. But if his role is so important, shouldn’t his words stand out without needing red print?
Yes and no. Despite Jesus’s importance, he only appears and talks in the first few books of the New Testament. This short appearance in comparison to the length of the entire Bible makes his words rare and special. To honor those rare words and make them easier to find, a Christian magazine owner and editor pitched the idea of a Bible that printed Jesus’s words in red in 1900. We’ve had red-letter Bibles ever since.
So Why Doesn’t Everyone Use Red?
If Jesus’s words are rare and potentially difficult to find, why doesn’t everyone print them in red? That comes down to the personal preference of the publisher. All readers have different preferences for their Bibles, and publishers try to accommodate those, which means some continue to print Bibles with all-black ink. This also keeps the Bible accessible for people who are colorblind and can’t see the color red.
Why Did They Choose Red in the First Place?
Colored print easily stands out from black print, so why did that magazine guy suggest red? The inspiration for the color red came from the book of Luke. In one passage, Jesus talks about communion during the last supper, comparing the red wine he’s pouring to the blood he’ll soon spill to save the world from its sins. This passage made the magazine owner and editor, Louis Klopsch, realize how important Jesus’s words were and that they should stand out somehow. Since the wine and the prophesied blood were red, he suggested red, and the rest is history. We now have many different types of leather-bound Bibles and other Bibles with red print and other helpful features like footnotes.
Now you know that magazine editor and owner Louis Klopsch is why some Bibles print Jesus’s words in red and why he chose red in the first place. Next time you study a Bible, whether for a world religions class or part of your personal faith, you’ll do so with a better understanding of the Bible’s printing history.
