Jackson Gordon

6 How We Got the Bible in English

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  1. Introduction
    1. Key Figures: John Wycliffe, William Tyndale, and the King James translators.
    2. Core Theme: The struggle to make the Bible accessible to ordinary people.
    3. Wycliffe’s Story:
      1. Posthumous Punishment: Bones dug up, burned, and ashes thrown into a river.
      2. Heresy Charges: Denied the power of the Pope and held a strong view of predestination.
      3. Unpopular Act: Oversaw the translation of the Bible into English.
      4. Church View: The Bible was seen as the property of the clergy, not the laity.
      5. Wycliffe’s View: Ordinary people should be able to read the Bible themselves.
        1. “Englishmen learn the law of Christ best in English”
    4. Wycliffe’s Translation:
      1. Latin Basis: Translated from the Latin Vulgate, not the original languages.
      2. Word-for-Word: Initially a very literal translation of Latin.
      3. Improved Translations: Later editions were much better (smoother and truer to meaning).
      4. Dissemination: Sent out “Bible men” (later called “Lollards”) to share the scriptures.
      5. Cost: Bibles were very expensive, copied by hand.
  2. The Impact of the Printing Press and the Greek New Testament
    1. Wycliffe’s Legacy:
      1. 170 portions of his NT survive.
      2. Condemned Posthumously: Made illegal to read the English Bible.
      3. Yan Huss: Influenced Huss, who was also condemned to die.
      4. Martin Luther: Influenced by both Wycliffe and Huss.
      5. Luther’s Translation: Luther translated the Bible into German, directly from the original languages.
    2. Key 15th Century Developments:
      1. Gutenberg’s Printing Press: Made mass production of texts possible.
      2. Fall of Constantinople: Scholars fled, bringing Greek manuscripts with them.
      3. Renaissance Interest in Ancient Languages: Greek classes started appearing in Universities.
    3. Erasmus’s Greek New Testament:
      1. Primary Purpose: To showcase his new edition of the Latin Vulgate.
      2. The Result: He created the first published Greek New Testament.
      3. Poor Edition: His 1516 edition was poorly done (called a “most poorly edited book”).
      4. Luther’s Transformation: The Greek New Testament impacted Luther profoundly.
        1. Key Understanding: Realized that we are put right before God because of our faith, through grace.
      5. Improved Editions: Erasmus continued to revise and improve his work.
        1. Manuscript limitations: only 7 available, not the oldest or best.
      6. Widely Distributed: The “textus receptus” was widely distributed and widely copied.
    4. Stephanus’s Edition:
      1. Basis: Based on Erasmus’s Greek New Testament.
      2. Key Contribution: Introduced verse divisions into the Bible.
  3. William Tyndale and the English Bible
    1. Tyndale’s Task: To translate the Bible into English from the original languages.
      1. His Importance: He is often called “the father of the English Bible.”
      2. His Scholarship: Brilliant scholar fluent in 8 languages.
    2. Clash with the Church:
      1. The Church’s View: Scripture authority was with the church.
      2. Tyndale’s View: Every person should have access to scripture.
        1. Quote: “If God spares my life, I will cause a boy that driveth the plow to know more of scripture than you do.”
    3. Tyndale’s Translation:
      1. Location: Had to leave England to translate the text in peace.
      2. 1526 Publication: Published 6,000 copies of his New Testament.
      3. Persecution: The English Bishops bought and burned copies of his Bible.
      4. Tyndale’s Response: Tyndale published even more revised editions.
      5. Tyndale’s Language: Coined many common words (beautiful, Passover, peacemaker, etc.)
    4. Tyndale’s Death:
      1. Betrayal: He was captured by King’s soldiers.
      2. Charges: Accused of corrupting the Bible.
      3. Last Words: “Lord, open the King of England’s eyes.”
    5. Aftermath of Tyndale:
      1. Matthew’s Bible: Completed edition of Tyndale’s work was published under Matthew’s name.
      2. Great Bible: A revised edition of that was placed in every church in England.
      3. Legacy: Tyndale’s translation influenced many English translations.
  4. The King James Version
    1. Geneva Bible : Used in England, but with study notes.
    2. King James: Wanted a translation without marginal notes.
    3. Hampton Court Conference:
      1. The Puritans: Sought reforms to the Church of England.
      2. King James’s Response: Rejected almost all requests, but agreed to a new translation.
    4. King James Translation:
      1. 47 Scholars: Organized into six teams (Old Testament, New Testament, Apocrypha).
      2. Rules: No theological or political notes, only those helpful to understand original meaning.
      3. 1611 Publication: The first edition was released and went on to become the most successful translation in English.
      4. Tyndale’s Influence: 70% of the King James Version came from Tyndale’s translation.
    5. Later Revisions:
      1. 1769 Oxford Revision: The version we generally use today.
    6. New Discoveries.
      1. Older Manuscripts: More ancient texts than those used by Erasmus were discovered.
      2. 1885 Revised Version: A new translation resulted, based on those manuscripts.
      3. 1901: Published in the US as the American Standard Version.
      4. Hundreds of Translations in English now exist.
    7. Global Need:
      1. Vast Need: 180 million people lack any scripture in their language.
      2. Focus: at least 1,860 languages still need translation.
      3. Prayer: “Lord open our eyes to the need around us.”
  5. Conclusion
    1. The English Bible owes a huge debt to dedicated men over centuries.
    2. God’s word has been made available (and will be) to those who want it through those centuries of work.

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