Chapel 28 October - William Tyndale

 Today's topic is special because of the Reformation Day (Oct. 31)

In the 16th century,  Europe was in a spiritually dark time. The Roman Catholic Church held full authority over faith and society. The Bible was only available in Latin and the church taught that salvation is secured by good deed, sacraments and church tradition, rather than faith toward Christ only. The church leaders did not fear God.

They taught that sacraments save (not Sola Fide) and they also had seven sacraments, whereas in Protestantism there are only two: the Holy Communion and Baptism. These sacraments were taught by Christ and do not save. Even many priests couldn't understand the Bible because they couldn't read the original language of the Scripture. 

William Tyndale was born in 1494 in England, and studied in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. He read Erasmus who translated the Bible from Greek to Latin, and he learned the Scriptures and realized that many of the Roman Catholic teachings were not loyal to the Bible. This is only because of the Holy Spirit who let the reformers come to this realization.

Tyndale had a dream: that if God gave the opportunity, he would get the little child in the field to understand the Bible more than the priests. This was not just an ambition - it was a calling. He recognized how important it was for everyone to have a Bible in their own language so that they could know Jesus personally. 

Tyndale's effort in translating the Bible of course wasn't easy. He was opposed by the king (Henry VIII) and the church. At the time, anyone who translated the Bible was seen as a heretic and could be put to death. The church and monarchy was afraid of the common people if they could read the Bible on their own and aren't reliant on the church and the priests. While he quietly translated the Bible, he was still chased after and finally he ran away to Germany and the Netherlands.

In Germany, he met a follower of Martin Luther. There he translated the New Testament from Greek to English. In 1526, the New Testament in English was published, printed and snuggled to England. The Bible was small and easy to hide. The common people began to understand the truth, that salvation is only because of the grace of God. 

Tyndale continued the translation of the Old Testament, but he was betrayed by his own friend and caught in Belgium, where he was imprisoned for eighteen months, and in 1536 he was executed. His last words were "Lord! Open the king of England's eyes", and a few years later, Henry VIII allowed the translation of the Bible into English officially in the whole country.

Reflection: The Bible was not translated into other languages easily, so we must appreciate it, value it and of course read it, although that shouldn't be the primary reason to value it of course. The word of God is opposed by many because it is the truth.

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