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William
Tyndale
(approx 1494 - 1536) |
William
Tyndale, often referred to as the "Father of
the English Bible" was the first person to translate and publish
the Bible in English, from original Greek and Hebrew texts. Tyndale
dedicated his life to this monumental task, once saying in the face
of opposition from a prominent clergyman,
"I defy the Pope and all his laws. If God spare my life, ere
many years, I will cause a boy that driveth the plow to know more
of the Scriptures than thou dost." Tyndale
faced constant opposition and spent most of his his days on the
run as a fugitive of the Church of England. In 1524, he fled from
England to Germany, where his first version of the New Testament
was published in Worms and smuggled into England. Tyndale continued
translating the Bible and writing his own impressive literary works
steadfastly until his martyrdom in 1536.
Click here
to read a brief timeline of Tyndale's life |
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Interested
in the life of William Tyndale?
Reformation Tours can take
you to sites related to this amazing Reformer, such as.... |
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| Oxford
University in Oxford, England where Tyndale received his BA in 1512
and his MA in 1515. |
Tyndale Monument
in North Nibley, near Gloucestershire, England marks one possible
birth place. |
The British Museum
in London, England houses one of only two surviving copies of Tyndale's
original New Testament printed in Worms in 1526. |
Tyndale Museum
and Tyndale Park in Vilvoorde, Belgium mark the site where he was
imprisoned for 16 months and martyred in 1536. |
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Tyndale's
Early Years
 William
Tyndale was born in approximately 1494 near Gloucestershire, England,
although some sources site his birth as early as 1486 or as late
as 1496. Very little is known about his early life, in fact, there
are several official birth sites one can visit. Tyndale attended
college at Oxford University, where he was admitted to the Degree
of Bachelor of Arts in 1512 and to the Degree of Master of Arts
in 1515. He later attended Cambridge University (see left). Back
to top
Tyndale's
Controversy
 After
completing his education, Tyndale returned to Gloucestershire under
the employ of Sir John Walsh of Little Sodbury Manor (see left)
as schoolmaster to his children. It was during this time that he
began translating a tract by Erasmus, a Dutchman whose writings
argued for personal faith: a direct relationship between the individual
and God, not one mediated and controlled by the Church hierarchy.
This study led to heated debates with local clergy. He was called
to appear before the Bishop’s court. Eventually he fled Sir
Walsh's estate, with his blessing, and moved to London. Back
to top
Tyndale in London
 Tyndale
arrived
in London hoping to receive permission from Bishop Cuthbert Tunstall
to begin translating the Bible into English. Unfortunately, his
heart-felt request was denied. He found support, however, from
Sir Humphrey Monmouth, a merchant of means. At Monmouth’s
estate, he worked and studied until under even further opposition,
he fled London for Germany. Back
to top
Tyndale's
New Testament
 After
leaving London, Tyndale visited Hamburg and Wittenberg. He is
believed to have completed translation of the New Testament in
Wittenberg,
with the aid of Martin Luther. Monmouth and other London merchants
continued to support Tyndale’s efforts in Germany and he
began printing his first version of the New Testament in Cologne.
Word got out and he barely escaped Cologne managing to save only
a few sheets of his work. He completed printing in Worms
with the assistance of Peter Schoeffer. Approximately 3000 copies
of Tyndale’s New Testament were printed. Back
to top
Tyndale’s
Success
 Tyndale
and his assitants smuggled these copies into England in 1526,
much to the outrage of the Church. There was little they could
do to stop the influx of English Bibles, in fact some of their
tactics to ruin Tyndale actually helped finance the printing of
even more Bibles. By now, Tyndale was hated by the church and
monarchy and could not return to England, the home he still loved
and missed terribly. He spent his remaining days as a "fugitive"
in Germany, where he couldn't even walk the streets in daylight
for fear of being captured. He later settled in Antwerp, where
his translation of the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Bible)
was printed in 1529. Back
to top
Tyndale
the Martyr
 In
1535 Tyndale was betrayed by Henry Phillips, an English spy who
had befriended him. Phillips turned him over to a band of men who
took him to a dark prison in the castle of Vilvorde, near Brussels,
where he lived in horrible conditions. A year and a half later,
on October 6, 1536, Tyndale was hanged and his body burned at the
stake. His dying words were, "Lord open the King of England's
eyes." His prayers were answered just three years later when
King Henry VIII published the English “Great Bible.”
Tyndale continues to figure prominently into Christianity today,
as his translations made up 90 percent of the King James Version
of the Bible published over 100 years after Tyndale's death and
75 percent of the wording of the Revised Standard Version of 1885.
Back
to top
Time
Line of Tyndale's Life
| 1494
(approx.) |
Tyndale
born near Gloucestershire, England |
| 1512 |
Receives
B.A. from Oxford University |
| 1515 |
Receives
M.A. from Oxford University |
| 1519
(approx.) |
Attends
Cambridge University |
| 1521 |
Employed
at Little Sodbury Manor |
| 1523 |
Moves
to London and requests permission from Bishop Cuthbert Tunstall
to translate Bible to English—denied |
| 1524 |
Visits
Hamburg and Wittenberg |
| 1525 |
Begins
printing New Testament at Cologne |
| 1526 |
Prints
entire New Testament in Worms;
sends to England |
| 1527-1528 |
Writes
The Parable of the Wicked Mammon and The Obedience of a Christian
Man |
| 1529 |
Prints
translation of Pentateuch |
| 1531 |
Prints
translation of Jonah |
| 1531 |
Sir
Thomas Moore begins writing against him |
| 1535 |
Betrayed
by Phillips, arrested in Antwerp, imprisoned in Vilvoorde |
| 1536 |
Strangled
and burned in Brussels
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