Deep Dive into Who Was William Tyndale and Why Does He Matter? by Ian Hamilton

William Tyndale dedicated his life to one singular purpose: to make the word of God accessible to the English people in their own language. He famously declared he would make it possible for even a plow boy to know more of the scriptures than learned clerics. His ultimate goal was that his countrymen might encounter the Living God in his living written word and find salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

Tyndale's work unfolded during a period of immense change, shaped by three concurrent revolutions. The Technological Revolution brought the mechanical printing press, enabling wide dissemination of books. The Biblical Revolution saw the publication of Erasmus's Greek New Testament in 1516, which challenged the Latin Vulgate and revealed the true meaning of "repent" instead of "do penance." This fueled a Spiritual Revolution, an "Ad Fontes – back to the sources" movement, prompting people to question established church practices and seek direct engagement with the scriptures.

Born around 1494, Tyndale began his studies at the University of Oxford at around age 12, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1512 and a Master of Arts three years later. He became a brilliant linguist, mastering Greek and Hebrew to translate directly from the original texts, not the Latin Vulgate. His New Testament translation was completed in 1525, and he tirelessly worked on the Old Testament, facing constant danger.

It was against the law to possess any part of the Bible in English, as the church sought to maintain its authority. Despite this, Tyndale's translated Bibles were smuggled into England. He moved constantly, protected often by sympathetic English merchants, but was eventually betrayed by Henry Phillips, who used deceit to arrange his arrest in Antwerp in 1534.

Tyndale languished in a dungeon for 14 months before his execution on October 6, 1536. He was strangled and his body burned. His last wish, a prayer, was "Lord open the king of England's eyes," a testament to his unwavering commitment to his life's work, which he pursued because he believed Jesus Christ was worth it. His legacy profoundly impacted the English language and the course of the Reformation.

Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian

Patreon: patreon.com/edi_reformed