William Tyndale – Fugitive and Martyr
Executed During King Henry VIII's Reign for Translating the Bible
Mar 30, 2009
In William Tyndale's day, it was a crime for any Englishman to sell, buy or read a translation of the bible in his own language. John Foxe, a sixteenth century Puritan preacher reported what happened when a newly converted Protestant smuggled some Bibles into Spain. “He was betrayed and burned at the stake and 800 of those who purchased the Bibles were arrested. Twenty were roasted on spits. Others were imprisoned for life, publicly whipped or sent to the galleys. A small number were acquitted”.
A Book for the Ploughboy
Tyndale loved the bible and soon realized that exposing the contradictions between church doctrine and the simple, uncomplicated teachings of the bible was dangerous indeed. Around him at the time, even priests could barely read and would mumble sermons in Latin which no-one, including themselves, could understand.
As long before as 1281 Archbishop Peckham lamented “the ignorance of the priests casteth the people into the ditch of error”. Everywhere friars traveled with their holy relics, which for a fee, could be viewed and kissed. The wealth of the cardinals and bishops was surpassed only by kings. In addition to the fear, ignorance and superstition of his day, the Roman Catholic Church elevated itself above the law and no-one dared to complain.
Seeing all of this William Tyndale determined to translate the bible into English so that even the poorest peasant would be able to read or hear God's Word in his own language. In so doing he would be educated and freed from religious error and superstition.
At one time Tyndale was debating with a cleric who could not refute Tyndale's clear, logical arguments based on the bible. The cleric, in frustration, finally remarked “We had better be without God's law than the Popes!” Tyndale was shocked but also realized this reflected the prevailing view of the Church and said in famous response: “I defy the pope and all his laws....If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the plough shall know more of the scripture than thou dost”.
Tyndale In London and in Exile
Tyndale went to London to meet with the Archbishop Cuthbert Tunstall in hopes of getting the required permission to translate the New Testament of the bible from Greek into English. But the meeting was a disaster. Tyndale was coldly rebuffed in his request and advised to seek assistance elsewhere. He realized there was no-where in England he would be able to safely complete his bible translation, and so fled to the continent, working in hiding and secret to translate, print and ship his work back into England.
Eventually betrayed by an English spy Henry Phillips for money, he was arrested in Antwerp in 1535 and remained in Vilvorde castle as a prisoner for 18 months until his trial. In 1536 he was tried by the Roman Catholic Church leaders on a charge of heresy and condemned to the stake, strangled and burned.
Tyndale and Bible Translation
The subsequent Authorized versions in English of the Old and New Testament contained approximately 90% of Tyndale's translation, accurately translated from the original Greek and Hebrew sources, without any credit given to him for his work. Joan Bridgman makes the comment in the Contemporary Review that, "He [Tyndale] is the mainly unrecognized translator of the most influential book in the world. Although the Authorized King James Version is ostensibly the production of a learned committee of churchmen, it is mostly cribbed from Tyndale with some reworking of his translation."
Bishop Tunstall, after bitterly opposing Tyndale for years and burning every copy of his translation, put his name on the Authorized version in 1540! “There are always fearful and accommodating men who revel in the liberty gained by the blood of others”. God's Outlaw, Brian H. Edwards, page 67.
References:
God's Outlaw: Brian Edwards
Watchtower Magazine 1 January 1982, page 10, WT Bible and Tract Society
Contemporary Review – Joan Bridgman
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