William Tyndale's Last Words
- Ashley Durand
- May 4
- 6 min read
Updated: May 19
Medieval times are synonymous with Knights of the Round Table, jousting tournaments and giant turkey legs, adventure, lore, castles, and ladies in waiting.
But what you might not know, is that during that time period in England, reading and speaking the Bible in English was illegal. People were actually burned at the stake for doing so.
One researcher reported that, "in 1408, Parliament passed the "Constitutions of Oxford," which forbade anyone from translating or reading a part of the Bible in the language of the people without the permission of the ecclesiastical authorities. Men and women were even burned for teaching their children the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments in English."
Can you imagine! It wasn't the actual content that got them in trouble, but the language it was spoken in.
Bibles in England were read and taught only in Latin. The Roman Catholic church of that time believed that translating the scripture into a common tongue would make it lose some of its true meaning.
Most of the common English people were not trained to speak Latin fluently, and so were uneducated in the words and stories of the Bible. Because of this, many of the Roman Catholic priests were able to take advantage of the illiteracy of the people and began making people pay money for indulgences, forgiveness of sin or a space in heaven.
Thanks to the reformer Martin Luther, people began to question some of these corrupt practices...including a young priest named William Tyndale.
Tyndale read the Bible for himself after being educated as a priest at Oxford. The Holy book completely transformed his life. He was deeply disturbed by the differences he saw from what he read in the Bible, and what was being practiced in the church.
The common people lived without the transforming truths that God had given them in the Bible.
He couldn't shake the sense that it was wrong.
William Tyndale would eventually pay the ultimate price for his convictions. His story inspires me so deeply, because he was motivated by love for God and the belief that the Bible was worth dying for...but I am getting ahead of myself. Stay tuned ... it's worth the read!
Tyndale eventually became an instructor at Cambridge University. While he was there he became convinced that the Bible should be accessible to every man.
Once when speaking with another priest he is reported to have said, "If God spares my life, ere many years pass, I will cause a boy that driveth the plow shall know more of the Scriptures than thou dost."
Risky Work Begins:
He determined to translate the Bible from Latin into English. Some wealthy benefactors agreed to sponsor his project, and he left England to work on the translation in Germany.
Thanks to the invention of the printing press a 100 years earlier, He was able to produce his translated New Testament in masses never before seen. They were then smuggled into England and handed out to the common people.
At the time King Henry the VIII was trying to divorce his wife Catherine and marry his new love, Anne Boleyn. (Not to be confused with the band Anberlin... rock on fellow music lovers) However the Pope and the Catholic church would not allow him to do so because of their view that marriage is a holy sacrament.
As Tyndale's New Testaments made their way into England, Anne Boleyn got her hands on one copy. Apparently, one of her ladies in waiting, Anne Gainsford, began reading the english New Testament. Her beau George snatched it from her hands and began reading it for himself. So enthralled, he refused to give it back. He took it home and continued to read it. He brought it to a church service, distracted by reading it rather than listening to the sermon. Since the dean of the chapel was on lookout for renegade books, the New Testament copy was confiscated and made its way into the hands of King Henry.
King Henry read it for himself, and is reported to have liked the book.
He decided to offer Tyndale a proposition: He would guarantee safe passage back to England if Tyndale would be his personal writer and scholar. Presumably, King Henry was hoping for someone to write his propaganda who might convince people not to follow the Pope, so that he could move forward with his divorce.
Tyndale refused the offer, boldly saying he believed King Henry should stay with his wife Catherine. Tyndale also said he would not return to England until he finished translating the entire Bible.
Sentenced as a heretic:
He began working to translate the Old testament, and completed five books before he was betrayed by a false friend who brought the English authorities to arrest him.
Tyndale was brought to Vilvoorde Castle.. imprisoned in a towering cell known for its brutal jail master. According to Bruce Fish, author of William Tyndale's biography, "Vilvoorde Castle was an imposing structure, with 7 towers, a moat, and three drawbridges. It had been
built in 1374 and was patterned after the Bastille in Paris. In Tyndale's time it was the state prison of the Low Countries." (pg 172)
William Tyndale faced brutality for being a "heretic" because he wanted to bring the words of God to the common people. He was publicly stripped of his priesthood and humiliated, and likely tortured.
Though he was given many opportunities to recant, he never did.
On October 6, 1536, Tyndale was publicly strangled and burned at the stake. His final words were, "Lord, open the eyes of the King of England."
And amazingly, God did.
The Fruit of Tyndale's Labor:
Shortly after, King Henry VIII declared that every man should have access to the Bible. In 1537 he declared that a copy of the English Great Bible be chained in every church. According to Bruce Fish, "Within two years (of the King's decree) complaints were pouring in about the crowds of people standing around the Bible during services and reading the words so loudly that it was disrupting church. In response Henry ordered that people refrain from reading the Bible during church." (page 201)
Can you imagine! Having to restrain people from their excitement to read the Bible in church. Wow. How I would love to experience that type of hunger for God's Word.
This excitement for the Bible sparked rapid growth in literacy among the English people.
But Tyndale's legacy went even farther. Tyndale's work became the foundation for the King James Bible, which followed in 1611. The King James Bible is in fact, 80 percent translated by Tyndale. It is still used today, and has impacted millions of people over the centuries.
His Bible translation work from latin to english made it possible for the Bible to eventually be translated into hundreds of other languages, bringing God's words to people in a way that they could understand.
Tertullian, an early church leader, had it right when he said in 197 AD, "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church."
It is amazing what God can do with one faithful, obedient person.
What About You?
As I read this story, I was challenged by the lengths that Tyndale went to bring the Bible into the hands of the people around him. He believed so deeply, in the power of biblical words, that he was willing to give everything to share them.
How many of us have dusty bibles sitting on shelves, as we make excuses not only for why we can't share the the truths therein, but also why we can't find time to read them for ourselves?
How different would our homes, churches and workplaces be, if we were disturbed by a lack of biblical truth and knowledge?
If we don't read the Bible for ourselves, we won't see the lies, corruption, or legalism around us. We will just continue cycles of self-reliance.
But the true words saturating the Bible change everything when they soak into our lives.
Three Questions to Bring it Home :
What price are you willing to pay for the truth? Will you lose a job rather than compromise your convictions? I've actually been faced with that choice--and it is not easy. Would you lose friends, a reputation, comfort (sleep?) or freedom to ensure that the truth goes forward? Would you give your life for it?
Do you believe that God will make his purpose for your life prevail, even in the face of hardship? Do you trust His power enough, that you would refuse an "easy way out" like the one that King Henry offered Tyndale, and instead choose to follow the calling that God has placed on your life, knowing that He will make His plans come to fruition in his time? Or would you have been tempted to take that escape, compromising in the name of "a means to an end?"
Would your last words be a prayer for your persecutor if you were Tyndale ? Do you believe in the power of prayer to change the hearts of even Kings?
Bibliography:
"William Tyndale: Bible Translator and Martyr" by Bruce and Becky Durost Fish, Barbour Publishing 2000
"The Queen's Smugglar" by Dave and Neta Jackson, Bethany House Publishers 1991
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