William Tyndale: Lesson 9 - Legacy
NBBC CLUB Christian History Study: Spring 2023 William Tyndale • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 2 viewsThough captured and eventually executed, William Tyndale's English translation of the Bible paved the way for other modern English translations of God's Word.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
When we last left William Tyndale, he had just been betrayed by Henry Phillips.
Henry Phillips led William down a narrow street where William was surrounded by men who wanted to capture him.
Would William be captured?
He managed to escape before when others tried to capture him.
He had lived his life on the run in order to avoid capture and be able to translate and print the Bible into the English language.
Would William be able to escape now?
What would happen to the translation of the Bible into English if William was captured?
As William Tyndale faced the men who wanted to capture him, it was obvious that there was no way to escape.
In May of 1535, William Tyndale was taken into custody as the man who betrayed him, Henry Phillips, stood back and watched.
William Tyndale was taken to a prison that was actually a castle, Vilvoorde Castle in Belgium (picture).
What do you think that the prison was like?
Prisons during these days were cold.
Prisons were also not kept very nice at all.
While William was in prison, he wrote a letter asking for several things.
What do you think that he asked for?
He asked for a better coat since it was so cold.
Also, William asked for his copy of the Hebrew Old Testament and his Hebrew Grammar that would give him the meaning of Hebrew words in English.
Why do you think that William would ask for these things?
William still wanted to translate the entire Bible into English!
Can you imagine that?!
William is in the worst of places: a big, cold, nasty prison!
But William still is committed to getting God’s Word to the people of England in their language, English!
This kind of faithfulness and in such a difficult place is only something that the Lord can produce in William and all of His children.
We have the confidence that God can produce this kind of faithfulness to please the Lord based on God’s Word.
Ephesians 3:16 “16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,”
While William was in prison he was eventually taken to a court of religious authorities.
In the presence those authorities, William was accused of saying the worst kinds of things about God and translating the Bible into English.
Was it true that William said wrong things about God?
No!
William was just being faithful to teach and share the Scriptures with others in their language!
How long do you think that William was imprisoned for?
William spent a year and a half in prison.
He was captured in May of 1535.
He would eventually be punished by being put to death in October of 1536.
When the day came for William to receive his punishment, do you know what William said just before he died?
He saidd a prayer out loud to God.
Can you imagine praying out loud to God in front of everyone just before those people would kill you?!
What do you think that William prayed for?
William stated in his prayer, “Lord, open the King of England’s eyes.” (BDE)
What do you think that William meant by praying that prayer?
William was praying that the King of England would see the need to have the Bible in the English language.
If the King of England, Henry VIII, could see the need to have the Bible in English, then William was certain the people would have the Bible in English.
Guess what happened only 3 years later?
The King approved for the first time to have the entire Bible printed into English from the original Hebrew and Greek.
The Bible was worked on by Miles Coverdale, who was a friend of William Tyndale.
Do you know where Miles got most of the translations for the New Testament and for part of the Old Testament?
He got if from the translation work of William Tyndale!
Coverdale was able to secure William’s translation work and incorporate it into the first widely published English translation of the Bible and all with the King’s permission.
Can you believe it?!
The King of England who had wanted to imprison William Tyndale was now using William’s translation work, through Miles Coverdale, in the first widely published English translation all under official authority!
Did the Lord open the King of England’s eyes as William had prayed?
He sure did!
King Henry VIII give permission to translate and print this English Bible.
He also required that a copy be made available to every member of the church.
This meant that even a farmer running a plough could have the Bible in the English language.
William Tyndale’s desire that he stated at the dinner with the Walsh’s and the Roman Catholic priest had come true!
The people got the Bible in its entirety in English!
Conclusion:
Do you know what else?
One of the most popular English Bible translations of all time, the King James Version, used most of William Tyndale’s work.
The King James Version was published in 1611.
William began translating in 1525.
That’s nearly 100 years and William’s work was still used.
Friends, we are still benefitting from William’s sacrifice to translate and publish the Bible into the English language.
Today, there are still people who do not have God’s Word in their own language.
Some missionaries are even now seeking to translate God’s Word into these people’s languages.
May we ever be grateful to the Lord for those that He used to spread abroad God’s Word, even at the expense of their life.