William Tyndale (1494-1536)

Tyndale was a scholar who was skilled in Hebrew and Greek. He became convinced that the clergy of the time knew very little about the Bible, many were unable to speak Latin which was the only language that the Roman church allowed. Tyndale became determined to produce an English copy of the Bible that 'even a ploughboy could understand'. (It is strange that educated people in today's society find it so difficult to read!).

He was forced to Germany to work on the translation and by 1525 he had completed the New Testament. It was printed under the continual threat of discovery and persecution and had to be smuggled into England. The Roman church worked hard to stop the Bible being circulated. They burnt every copy they could and people found with them faced death.

The Roman church eventually managed to capture Tyndale and he was burnt at the stake in October 1536. He was one of the greatest Englishmen who ever lived. Through his English translation of the New Testament and the beautiful language which he used, his influence on modern day society is still very strong.

Sketches From Church History

S.M. Houghton

ISBN 0-85151-317-4