“Tyndale, fly! You are betrayed! The building is to be searched!” As quickly as possible, William Tyndale obeyed this warning. Who was this man, and why did he have to leave where he
was living?
William Tyndale lived over 500 years ago. In those days the Bible was a forbidden book to almost everyone, and it was only kept in churches in England in the foreign language of Latin, which many people could not even understand. But William Tyndale valued the Bible as being God’s own book, meant for everyone to read, and so he wanted to make it available to people to read in English, the language they could understand. He knew many languages, including Greek and Hebrew, the languages the Bible was originally written in, and so he started to translate the Bible into English. He was one of the first men to do this great work.
When the authorities in England found out that William was working on the translation of the New Testament into English, they were terribly angry. They even decided they would kill him! But friends found out about this and warned him that his life was in danger. He packed up the precious pages he had translated of the Bible and whatever else he could, and he fled secretly from his home in England to Germany. There, in a foreign land, he found friends who would shelter him during this important work. Thankfully he knew German, so he could pass as a German and go unnoticed as being from England, if any of his enemies were looking for him.
Once he finished translating the New Testament from the original languages into English, he had a new problem. That problem was how to find someone who would print it. This work would be as dangerous as Tyndale’s work had been. To whom could he turn?
Again, the Lord helped His faithful servant. From various secret sources, he eventually learned of a printer named Peter Quentel, living in another city in Germany called Cologne. This man was willing to risk all he had for the dangerous work of getting the English New Testament printed. Secretly, Tyndale moved to Cologne. Each night he would creep to Quentel’s printing press and check each new sheet, making sure that no errors were made on the printed page. Everyone involved in the work was sworn to secrecy, and it was kept secret as much as possible even from others working in that place.
Unfortunately, someone who didn’t love the Word of God was working there, and eventually he discovered what was happening. One night while Tyndale was at the press, a white-faced helper rushed in. “Tyndale, fly!” he gasped. “You are betrayed! The building is to be searched.”
Gathering together a few precious sheets of what was already printed, Tyndale rushed away. He was none too soon. His enemies entered, searched every possible hiding place, and destroyed all that they could find of the Word of God.
It was a man named John Cochlaeus who was the betrayer. When he found out that Tyndale had gotten away, he advised the king of England to have all the ports of England watched.
But Tyndale was not going to England. He was heading to the city of Worms, Germany, traveling on the Rhine River. Again, he found friends there who would shelter him. And hopefully he would find a printer to finish the work. What faith and perseverance he had! And his faith in God and the courage he showed in going on with this dangerous work were rewarded. Within a few months the first bound copy of the New Testament was in his hands. What a joy after all he had been through!
Now the problem was how to get this precious Word of God into England! Hundreds of copies were ready, but they had to be taken into England secretly. Can you guess how this was done? The Bibles were hidden in barrels of flour and other goods, and they were taken by merchants who were interested in helping with this great work, by boat to ports on the English coast. But enemies were constantly on the lookout for these New Testaments, and whenever they were found, they were immediately burned. Many still made it through. What joy for those who received them! At last they could read the living Word of God for themselves and understand it! What an amazing gift that is!
Tyndale continued working on translating the Old Testament until one tragic day when he was again betrayed. This time he was imprisoned and condemned to death “by burning at the stake.” His last words, before he died, were a prayer which became famous: “Lord, open the king of England’s eyes.” And the Lord answered that prayer. Within one year of his death, a whole Bible was being sold in England with the King’s approval! This was the first printed whole Bible in English. This Bible had been mostly his work, but it was partly that of another man. Even though William Tyndale had been killed, the Word of God that he had translated had survived!
Things after that changed so much that in September 1538 a Royal Proclamation stated that a Bible must be placed in every church in England. In some churches the Bibles were chained to the pulpits, and people who could not read came to hear others read it to them. Some of these Bibles still exist today.
Children, what a privilege it is to hold the Bible, the Word of God, in our hands! We hardly have any idea how much Tyndale and others suffered so that we could have this wonderful Book! Have you believed the message the Bible tells about the infinite love of God? In the Bible we read this verse: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)).
And if you have received Christ as your Lord and Savior, are you reading His precious Word daily and letting it teach you how to live in this world for Him? It is written for you, no matter how young you are. “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:1212Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. (1 Timothy 4:12)).
Messages of God’s Love 3/14/2021