William Tyndale - the Father of the English Bible

William Tyndale was a scholar who went to the University of Oxford. He could speak seven languages and was skilled in ancient Greek and Hebrew. He was a priest who led a disciplined life and was blessed with intellectual gifts, which could have taken him a long way in the church if he had not felt the compulsion to teach his countrymen the good news of justification by faith.

Tyndale discovered this doctrine when he read his mentor, Erasmus’s Greek edition of the New Testament. He felt there wasn’t a better way to share this message with the men and women in his country than to create an English version of the New Testament and put it into their hands. And this became William Tyndale’s passion in life.

William Tyndale’s Work and Bible Translations

Tyndale raised objection to the Catholic Church’s control of the Latin scripture and the ban against an English translation. When he sought permission from ecclesiastical authorities for translating the Bible from the original Hebrew and Greek, his request was denied. However, he left for Germany, where he worked on the Bible’s English translation.

He published his work on the New Testament and sections of the Old Testament, together with other writings, and got them smuggled into England. His work created the foundation of all other English translations of the Bible that followed until the contemporary era.

It’s interesting to note that William Tyndale is recognized as the first person who translated the Bible into English, instead of Wycliffe, because he used the original language Bibles, unlike the Latin translation that Wycliffe used.

William Tyndale’s Death

After Henry VIII called for his arrest, William Tyndale kept changing his locations to maintain safety. Though he was protected well by Antwerp’s affluent merchants, it was Henry Phillips who finally betrayed him though Tyndale considered him his friend. William Tyndale was imprisoned, followed by a torturous execution by strangulation, after which his body was burned at the stake in October 1536.

Final Words

Three years later, the Bible’s completed English version was published in England by his colleague Myles Coverdale with the king’s approval. Today, both William Tyndale and Coverdale are honored as the first to translate the Bible into English though it’s widely accepted that Coverdale mostly developed William Tyndale’s earlier work.

Original Source: http://william-tyndale.com/william-tyndale-the-father-of-the-english-bible.html

Know the Bible History Better

After the invention of the printing press in the 15th century, the publication of texts got a big boost. During those early years of printing, there were many takers for the Latin Bible. However, things changed after the Gutenberg Bible was printed in 1455. It was followed by 90+ other editions of the Vulgate, some of which came equipped with commentary, and were published by presses spread across Europe.

The 15th and early 16th centuries in Europe are marked by significant intellectual change, which had a direct impact on the Bible’s availability and accessibility in the vernacular language to the commoners. 

Tracing the Bible History

The first hand-written Bible manuscripts in English were produced by John Wycliffe in the 1380’s AD. Wycliffe was a leading theologian and scholar of his time, who believed the organized Church's teaching was in contrast to the Bible.

In the 1450s, after the printing press was invented, Johann Gutenberg printed a Latin language Bible. This became the first book ever to get printed.

Over time, the Latin Vulgate became so corrupt that it could no longer preserve the message of the Gospel. This was exactly what Thomas Linacre, an Oxford professor, stated after he learned Greek and then read the Gospels in Greek. His words couldn't be taken lightly as he was the personal doctor to England’s King Henry VII and VIII.

After he found 6,000+ mistakes in the Vulgate, Erasmus, a priest based in the Netherlands, published a new Greek translation of the Bible by using multiple sources.

In 1522, Martin Luther's translation of the New Testament into German was published, which became renowned as Luther’s September Testament. In 1526, William Tyndale published his New Testament. Later, in 1530, he published the Pentateuch. Often called the Protestant Reformation’s “father,” Tyndale’s work had a significant impact on subsequent Bible translators.

Wrapping Up

In 1539, the Great Bible was published. It was the first authorized version of the Bible in English. Some years down the line, the Geneva Bible and the Bishop’s Bible came into existence, and then came the KJV in 1611, which quickly became the most extensively published text in the English language.

Why You Should Get a Facsimile of the 1536 Tyndale New Testament, and the 1549 Tyndale Bible For Sale

Before you buy a copy of the original 1536 Tyndale New Testament, and the 1549 Tyndale Bible for sale, it’s important to know what makes it so significant. Usually, the Tyndale Bible stands for William Tyndale’s translations of different books of the Bible in the 1500s. His work is given the credit of being the first English translation from the original Greek and Hebrew texts and the first English, mass-produced biblical translation that became possible due to the new technological advances in the art of printing.

It’s sad to note that before his execution, Tyndale never published a complete Bible. That’s because he could just finish translating the New Testament and around 50% of the Old Testament. Yet, Tyndale’s translations have significantly influenced on almost every contemporary English translation of Scripture.

Since not everyone may have the huge pile of money necessary to buy the original 1536 Tyndale New Testament, and the 1549 Tyndale Bible for sale or even a few pages of it, the next best thing is to get a facsimile. If you are considering buying a copy of the original Tyndale Bible, you should learn about the unique aspects that made the original such a prized possession.

Story Behind the 1536 Tyndale New Testament, and the 1549 Tyndale Bible

William Tyndale is often called the “Father of the English Bible.” It was his burning desire to make the Bible available to England’s common people that finally made it possible to print it.

Due to strong demand for Scriptures in the language England’s common people spoke, and the advancement in printing technology, William Tyndale took the responsibility of translating the New Testament directly from Greek. Since Tyndale could speak seven languages and was skillful in ancient Greek and Hebrew, the job wasn’t an uphill one for him. He started his translation work in 1523.

After England’s church authorities stopped him from translating the Bible, William Tyndale received financial support from London’s wealthy merchants that helped him flee to Germany in 1524. He completed translating the New Testament in July 1525. It was printed in Cologne.

He came under pressure, once again, from the city authorities, and fled to Worms. There, two more editions of his translations were published in 1525. In 1526, the first copies of Tyndale’s Bible translations were smuggled into England. However, they were immediately banned.

After finishing work on the New Testament, Tyndale started work on the Old Testament. In 1530, his translation of the Pentateuch (the Old Testament’s first five books) was issued in Marburg. Each of these five books was published and circulated separately. Though Tyndale continued working on the Old Testament translation, he couldn’t complete it as he was captured in Antwerp. In 1536, he was condemned for dissent and executed by strangulation, followed by being burned at stake in Vilvoorde.

Special Features of the 1536 Tyndale New Testament, and the 1549 Tyndale Bible

Before buying a replica of the original 1536 Tyndale New Testament, it would help you to know that it was the most elaborate and last edition done before Tyndale’s death in October of the same year. The original 1536 Tyndale New Testament, and the 1549 Tyndale Bible includes outstanding woodcut illustrations and a Gothic blackletter typeface similar to calligraphy. Rare original Tyndale Bibles from the 1500’s can sell for well into six figures.

A facsimile of the original 1536 Tyndale New Testament, and the 1549 Tyndale Bible for sale would be a lot cheaper. However, you should ensure it’s the exact facsimile reproduction of the original and features magnificent woodcut illustrations.

Some sellers of such rare books offer photographically enlarged Tyndale Bible for sale, where they photographically make the reproduction bigger to almost 125% the size of the original for ease of reading.

It’s wise to get your facsimile of the original 1536 Tyndale New Testament, and the 1549 Tyndale Bible for sale in a hardcover bound form to ensure you and others can enjoy reading it for a long time to come.

Why Is It Hard to Get a Facsimile of 1535 Tyndale’s Bible for Sale?

Though thousands of copies of Tyndale’s 1525 first edition were smuggled back into England, primarily due to the book’s small octavo format, not many are found today.
Most of these copies were confiscated and burned. A handful of those who owned them risked death. Tyndale’s translation work and printing of Bibles paved the way for new versions. Most of the succeeding English translations that took place during the rest of the 16th and early 17th centuries were largely based on Tyndale’s work. Yet, just two known copies are left of Tyndale’s 1525 first edition today, which makes it pretty difficult, if not impossible, to possess them or even their facsimile.

Final Words

The 1536 Tyndale New Testament, and the 1549 Tyndale Bible is testimony to the dawn of the reformation. Getting your hands on a replica of the original is definitely a worthy investment. So, go ahead and buy a facsimile of the original 1536 Tyndale New Testament, and the 1549 Tyndale Bible for sale from a reputed dealer.