A Dangerous Book: One Man’s Passion unto Death

Thinking today about the power of the Holy Scriptures, I remembered something that I wrote a few years ago for our church webpage. I decided to share it today and hope you will enjoy reading it.

Spring - 2011

“Let it not make thee despair, neither yet discourage thee, O reader, that it is forbidden thee in pain of life and goods, or that it is made breaking of the king’s peace, or treason unto his highness, to read the Word of thy soul’s health – for if God be on our side, what matter maketh it who be against us, be they bishops, cardinals, popes.”  (from The Brave Old English Confessors - English Confessors - Oxford University - 1860)

This was a warning given against even reading this book. It was illegal to own this book. Printing and distributing this horrid book, cost a man his life.

The man was William Tyndale and the book is what we know as The King James Bible.

In 1380, John Wycliffe translated the Bible into English, copying the Latin Vulgate, as he couldn’t read Hebrew or Greek.

In 1456, Gutenberg invented a printing press, and the first book produced was a copy of the Latin Bible. Only learned holy men knew how to read Latin. The Bible was not in a language that could be understood by the average man, and not that many average people could read.

William Tyndale was born in Gloucestershire, England in 1494. His family were landowners and fairly prosperous. Tyndale, a priest, was educated at Oxford and at Cambridge. He was gifted in languages and before leaving Oxford University, became fluent in French, Greek, Hebrew, German, Italian, Latin, and Spanish.

At Cambridge, Tyndale became chaplain to the children of Sir John Walsh around 1521. In teaching the children, he grew frustrated that their Bible was translated in such a way as to make understanding difficult for the children.  

Tyndale became obsessed with translating the Bible, but using the Greek New Testament of the scholar, Erasmus. He passionately believed that the way to God had to be through God’s holy words. Religious scholars at the time argued against the Latin translation of the Bible, and that, “We had better be without God's laws than the Pope's.”

He was incensed that the Word of God was denied to the average man and said, "I defy the Pope, and all his laws; and if God spares my life, ere many years, I will cause the boy that driveth the plow to know more of the Scriptures than thou dost!" 

In 1523, he sought permission from the bishop of London to translate the New Testament into the common language of the day, but his permission was denied.

Sure that he was doing God’s work; he traveled through the free cities of Europe, and finally settled in the city of Worms in Germany. It was there that he translated the New Testament from Greek and Hebrew, to English – to the language of common men.  

His Bible was smuggled into England where it was denounced by King Henry VIII, Cardinal Wolsey and Sir Thomas Moore. More said it was “Not worthy to be called Christ’s testament, but either Tyndale’s own testament or the testament of his master Antichrist.”

Authorities in England bought all the copies to get it out of the hands of the populace; ironically, financing Tyndale’s additional publishing activities.

The thoughts of mere men being able to read God’s words, and not just listening to interpretations by the clergy was such a threat to England, that there was an ongoing plan to stop Tyndale. In 1536, he was finally captured in Antwerp and handed over to authorities.

He was taken to the town square, tied to a cross, given a chance to apologize for printing his version of the Bible, given a minute to pray, then strangled and burned to death. His last words were said to be, “Lord, open the King of England’s eyes!”

Finally, in 1611, the King of England; King James, signed the Tyndale Bible as the official bible of England. Although there were many versions of the Bible translated, the Tyndale Bible became the most respected of its day as it was translated from the original scriptures in Greek and Hebrew.

The Tyndale Bible is also credited with great contributions to the English language; as he used original words from original texts in his translations. “Jehovah” was a new word in his translation, as were ‘Passover, atonement, scapegoat, and the mercy seat.’

The work of William Tyndale was finally given it’s due when in 2000, the Church of England declared:

"Lord, give your people grace to hear and keep your word that, after the example of your servant William Tyndale, we may not only profess your gospel but also be ready to suffer and die for it, to the honour of your name; …"