William Tyndale: A Legacy

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William Tyndale has been called “the hidden father of the English language.” He was the first person to translate the Bible into the English, and in doing so, he changed the English language forever. Before Tyndale’s translation some English words had three different spelling. Tyndale helped to formalize both the spellings and speech patterns of different words and phrases. Tyndale spoke seven different languages, and he was proficient in both Hebrew and Greek. He was a priest who worked his whole life mastering his intellectual gifts and making use of them. Tyndale was disciplined and efficient. He could have went a long way in the church had he not worked so hard to defy the current authority, but he did all of this to make sure men and women were able to read the Bible in their own language. Tyndale translated all of the New Testament and most of the Old Testament. His translation paved the way for the publishing of the Geneva Bible in 1560, which became the main Bible used throughout Britain into the 17th century. In William Tyndale’s lifetime, access to the Bible was severely limited. The Church only approved the Latin Vulgate Bible, so even when someone did obtain a Bible they were usually unable to read it. Therefore, the Bible became a divider between the Church and the Reformers who advocated for more access to the Bible. Tyndale leaves both Christians and English speakers with a legacy of defying authority in order to spread God’s word. He is the perfect example of sacrificing oneself to live a life fully dedicated to God and His ministry.

William Tyndale was born into a family of farmers sometime around the year 1494; the exact date is unknown. He decided to part ways with the agricultural life to work in the c...

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