Do we take owning, carrying, reading our copy of the English Bible for granted? What if it was illegal to own, transport, print or translate the Bible? As we continue to work with parents of global workers in the Care Department of Pioneer Bible Translators, and pray for the Bibleless to have Scripture in their own language, we also continue to grow in our appreciation of the work of translation and our passion for people to have access to The Word.
Have you considered the influence of William Tyndale (1494-1536) (pictured above) on your English translation of the Bible? What did he have to do with the plough boy pictured above? This year, 2026, is the 500th anniversary of the first printing of Tyndale’s complete English New Testament, translated from original Hebrew and Greek texts, the first translation to be printed on a printing press by Peter Schöffer the Younger, in Worms, Germany. You may be wondering to yourself, who is this Oxford trained linguist and scholar whose translation work got him strangled in the public square and burned at the stake? That same question crossed my mind in 1972 on the way to my first Bible Study as an intern in Flemish Belgium. As we passed the church steps in Vilvoorde, my missionary-supervisor, Roy Davison, pointed to them and said, “That is where William Tyndale was killed!” Naturally at age 19, that got my attention. I had no idea Bible study could be so dangerous!
That year, while struggling to learn Flemish, and digging deeper, I (Mark) would learn that Tyndale who grew up speaking English, also studied Latin, Hebrew and Greek and was fluent in French, German, Italian and Spanish. His longing was to make it possible that more folks would be able to read and understand Scripture. At the time, even though Luther had finished his German translation of the Bible, the English world had to know Latin to read the Word of God in the Vulgate. One of my favorite quotes about how accessible he wanted to make the Bible was his desire to “cause a boy that driveth the plough to know more scripture than the clergy of the day”. Even the clergy of his day only had access to the Latin text. Only a privileged few could read and discuss the Bible. During my year as a student/intern in Flemish Belgium, fear on the faces in the 1876 painting by Karel Ooms “De Verboden Lectuur” (or “the forbidden lesson”)(see right) became quite significant. I had never been afraid to read or teach Scripture. During that year the fear surrounding owning or reading a Bible would surface again. If “faith comes by hearing” imagine what a roadblock to faith that fear would cause.
During this year of celebrating 500 years since the first printing of William Tyndale’s complete New Testament, we invite you to learn more about this faithful servant of Jesus who has made such a difference in the provision of our English Bible. As you daily read Scripture in one of many versions in your possession – without fear, without looking over your shoulder – simply look ahead to what the Father will accomplish in Your life. Since he perceived the King of England as the roadblock to his translation work, he prayed: “Lord open the King of England’s eyes!” Just like Tyndale’s final words before he was killed, (above) may the Lord open our eyes to what He wants to accomplish in and through us.
