Page 16 - FOUNDATIONS FOR LIFE

Foundations of Faith 4

William Tyndale

1494 - 1536

‘Bible Translator’

Tyndale found Christ through reading Erasmus’ Greek New Testament at Cambridge.

As a student, he learned of the corruption of the Church: -

i. A succession of corrupt popes
ii. Many of the clergy were ill-educated and immoral
iii. Extortion in the form of indulgences was widespread.

iv. The whole church was riddled with superstitions, particularly the worship of relics.
v. Priests owned numerous livings.
vi. The Church was above the law.

But nothing was done! Tyndale became very critical of the failings of the clergy (similar to
Ezekiel 34:1-9). He became convinced that the only way to cure the ills of the Church was to
give English people the Scriptures in English, even if it meant opposing the Pope.

He once said to an ignorant priest, “I defy the Pope and all his laws. If God spare my life, ere
many years I will cause a ploughboy that driveth the plough to know more of the Scriptures
than thou dost.”

By his death (1536), Tyndale had translated two-thirds of the Bible. The King James version
has 90% of Tyndale’s words.

He lived the last eleven years of his life as a fugitive. Before his death, he prayed, “Lord, open

the King of England’s eyes.”

By 1939, Henry VIII had ordered every parish in England to have access to an English Bible.

Tyndale’s legacy: -

i. He caused the English Bible to be readily available.
ii. His books spread many Reformed ideas in England.
iii. He wrote theology in the language of ordinary people.

(Foundations for Life) 14