Archive for 1. October 2008

His Word

1. October 2008 by Bernice Davis.

Hello: 

I told you today, I wanted to share a story with you.This is a story about a 16th century Protestant reformer by the name of William Tyndale who was responsible for translating the bible into English. 

Tyndale was convinced that the way to get to God was through his word and that the bible should be available to the common person.  During Tyndale’s life, the bible was only used by the popes, bishop, and scholars and it was illegal to be read by anyone outside of the religious hierarchy.   

 

History describes an argument with a “learned” but “blasphemous” clergyman, who had asserted to Tyndale that, “We had better be without God’s laws than the Pope’s.” In a swelling of emotion, Tyndale made his prophetic response: “I defy the Pope, and all his laws; and if God spares my life, I will cause the boy that drives the plow in

England to know more of the Scriptures than the Pope himself!”  (Wikipedia) 

 

As you can imagine, this statement got him into trouble.  Tyndale sought permission from the pope and church authorities to translate the bible into English but the church leaders were uncomfortable about the idea of having the bible available in the vernacular of the people.   

Tyndale continued his work and got copies published and they were smuggled into England and

Scotland but his book was condemned and warnings were given to booksellers for carrying them and copies were collected and burned in public. 

Tyndale completed his New Testament work into English and it was then that he was labeled a heretic and a warrant was issued for his arrest. 

After he wrote a paper against the divorce of Henry VIII, the king demanded that he be captured and brought to

England.  He was later betrayed and turned over to the authorities.  Tyndale knew the risk that he was taking when he began his journey to get the bible in the hands of the common people but he was compassionate about us having the word of God to study it for ourselves that he was willing to endure the cost. 

Tyndale was strangled and then his body was burned at the stake but he was so committed to the word that while in prison this is what his last wish was: “ to have a piece of cloth so that he could patch his leggings, a warm coat for the cold and a candle and his Hebrew and Greek manuscripts so that he could study them all the way to the end.” 

I wrote this story to share with you just one of the many sacrifices that was made so that we could be able to read the bible for ourselves.   Mr. Tyndale may really be sad if he knew the startling statistics that reveal that the average Christian does not read their bible except when they take it to church and an overwhelming number reveals that most Christians have never read the entire bible from cover to cover. 

Mr. Tyndale died because of his strong conviction that the way to know God was through his word and he was willing to risk his life so that we could “know” God.  Oh!!!!!!!!!!  How powerful…. 

I hope this encourages us all to be better in the area of studying God’s word.   Everything around us is failing.  Systems that we thought would never crash are dropping off the financial radar sector daily.    God’s word never fails and God’s word can get us through these tough seasons that have come upon us.  

Stay encouraged!!!!!!!!

 

God Bless!!!!!!!!!!

 

Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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