There have been many who have been critical of this new movement. Some have said that we hold the red letters of the Bible as being superior to the black letters, and that we have propagated the “simple lifestyle” as though it is biblically prescribed. Our response is, “You’ve got us right!”
Not only do we believe that the teachings of Jesus are superior to anything else in the Bible, but that Jesus Himself said that His words were superior to what we read in the black letters. In the Sermon on the Mount, He declared repeatedly that the teachings of old have been replaced by new ones. For instance, the Hebrew Bible had been interpreted to say that when dealing with offenses the guiding principle should be “an eye for an eye” and “a tooth for a tooth”. But Jesus said that we are to overcome evil with good. While the Law of Moses stated that we should not commit adultery, Jesus raised the standard by saying that to be engaged in lustful behaviour (i.e., getting into pornography, engaging in sexually degrading conversations, viewing members of the opposite sex as “things” to be exploited) is to be judged as seriously as adultery. In referring to the law in the Torah that forbade murder, Jesus raised the ante when He declared that treating another person in such a way as to destroy the dignity and to diminish the humanity of that person should be regarded as though murder had been committed.
Furthermore, we believe that the black letters of the Bible cannot be understood unless we first come to grips with Jesus. Unless we understand who Jesus is and what He did through His life, death and resurrection, the rest of the Scriptures won’t really make much sense. Can we really understand the 53rd chapter of Isaiah or the 22nd Psalm without knowing about Jesus? Is there any way of understanding the allusions to Jesus that are found all through the writings of the prophets unless we understand what was revealed through Christ’s words and deeds?
Because Evangelicals have been steeped in the theology of the Pauline Epistles before they scrutinise the teachings of Jesus in the red letters of the Bible, they have read Jesus through the eyes of Paul. Red Letter Christians do just the opposite—we read Paul through the eyes of Jesus. There is no contradiction between these two perspectives, but there is a difference in emphasis. If we get into the red letters first, we will be committed to a new lifestyle even before we grapple with the sophisticated theological concepts set forth in Pauline teachings. Commitment to Christ and following His teachings becomes primary.
Rather than a new legalism, we Red Letter Christians are preaching a call to obedience to the radical teachings of Christ. We are not about to water down the red letters in the Bible in order to create an ethical lifestyle compatible with upper-middle class affluence. We believe that Jesus made perfectly clear what He expects of His disciples.
Across America, and even in other countries, there is a new church emerging that embraces the Red Letter Christian lifestyle. There is a new generation that no long ascribes to the “easy believism” that reduced Christianity to a mere affirmation of theological propositions. This new generation of Christians calls for obedience to the obvious teachings of Christ concerning wealth and power and what should be done for the poor and oppressed, and we are committed to live out His teachings.
Tony Campolo is a speaker, author, sociologist, pastor, social activist, and professor emeritus at Eastern University. His most recent book is "Red Letter Christians, A Citizen’s Guide to Faith and Politics". www.tonycampolo.org
