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William Tyndale, the man who translated the Bible into English, was tragically executed at the age of 42 for his efforts. Nearly 500 years ago this week, Tyndale, fondly called ‘Father of the English Bible,’ was strangled and burned at the stake.
His crime? Translating the Greek Bible into English. Tyndale’s translation made the Bible accessible to English-speaking people, preserving the essence of the original Greek and Hebrew texts. A graduate of Oxford and Cambridge, Tyndale aimed to correct the ‘Biblical ignorance of the priests’ by making the Bible available to the common people in England. He famously declared to a priest, “If God spares my life, many years from now, I will cause a boy that driveth the plow to know more of the Scriptures than thou dost.”
Today, 90% of the King James Version and 75% of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible come from Tyndale’s translation. His work profoundly shaped these versions, impacting countless readers.
Translating the Bible into English was illegal at the time. Tyndale sought authorization from Bishop Tunstall in London, but the bishop denied his request. Undeterred, Tyndale moved to Europe with support from British merchants. In Germany, he completed his translation and had it printed, despite numerous obstacles and opposition.
In 1524, Tyndale went to Hamburg to work on the New Testament and later to Cologne to print it. An opponent of the Reformation discovered his activities, and the press was raided. Tyndale escaped to Worms, where he published the New Testament. Six thousand copies were printed and smuggled into England, despite the efforts of bishops to destroy them. Tyndale used funds from confiscated copies to print improved editions.
Tyndale continued his work in Antwerp, translating the Old Testament while evading capture. In 1535, he was arrested and imprisoned near Brussels for over a year. He was accused of heresy by the Roman Catholic Church for his beliefs in the forgiveness of sins and the sufficiency of the Gospel for salvation.
Betrayed by an Englishman pretending to be his friend, Tyndale was executed in October 1536 in Belgium. His last words were reportedly, “Lord, open the king of England’s eyes.” His prayer was answered when, three years later, Henry VIII required every parish church in England to provide a copy of the English Bible.
The scholars who produced the King James Bible in 1611 drew significantly from Tyndale’s work. His legacy lives on, challenging us to value the Bible, a book for which he gave his life.
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