The Greatest Man of English History

We who speak English owe a tremendous debt to William Tyndale (1494–1536), who spent his life and eventually lost it for the sake of the English people, and our need for a Bible that we could read and understand.

I came across a post on a social media site related to Mr. Tyndale from someone speaking well of him. Then in the comment section, there was this comment from one who was obviously a Roman Catholic trying to make him look bad:

His translation essentially propped up the Protestant narrative, which was heretical. 

He Translated “Ecclesia” as “Congregation” (e.g., Matthew 16:18)

-Vulgate “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church”.  

-Tyndale’s Translation: “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my congregation.”  

Tyndale replaced “church” (ecclesia, implying the established Catholic Church) with “congregation,” suggesting a community of believers rather than a Catholic institution.

Translation of “Presbyteros” as “Elder” Instead of “Priest”

-Vulgate: “And when they had ordained priests in every church…”.  

-Tyndale’s Translation: “And when they had ordained them elders in every congregation…”  

By using “elder” instead of “priest,” Tyndale stripped the term of its sacramental and hierarchical connotations, aligning with Protestant views that rejected the priesthood’s unique role in mediating salvation, challenging the established sacramental system.

Translation of “Metanoia” as “Repent” Instead of “Do Penance” (e.g., Matthew 3:2)

-Vulgate: “Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”.  

-Tyndale’s Translation: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  

Tyndale’s use of “repent” emphasized an internal change of heart rather than the external act of “doing penance” (e.g., through indulgences or sacramental confession). He attempted to undo the established penitential system, which was practiced by all Christian’s for the previous 1500 years. 

Translation of “Agape” as “Love” Instead of “Charity” (e.g., 1 Corinthians 13:1)

-Vulgate: “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity…”.  

-Tyndale’s Translation: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love…”  

The Church preferred “charity” to emphasize almsgiving and works, which supported its doctrine of salvation through deeds. Tyndale’s “love” shifted focus to a personal, spiritual disposition, aligning with Protestant emphasis on faith over works. 

These are just a few of the many things he did to bastardize the scripture and lead people astray. 

Tyndale’s translations were seen as heretical because they empowered laypeople to interpret scripture directly, undoing 1500 years of tradition.

Additionally, his inclusion of prefaces and notes in early editions (e.g., the 1526 New Testament) explicitly criticized Catholic practices, further provoking the Church.

In 1536, Tyndale was executed for heresy in Antwerp, and his translations were banned and burned, though they heavily influenced later English Bibles, including the King James Version.

I usually don’t get into debates in the comment section because it is generally fruitless and no one changes his mind because of a great comment. I couldn’t help myself after this one. I had to tell him that I understood that it was not his purpose, but what I just read from him made me love Tyndale more.

A few notes on the above quote:

The Vulgate is Latin. To take an educated guess, by “Vulgate”, he probably used the Douay-Rheims English translation of the Vulgate. There is a deep rabbit-hole to dive into when researching this, but I did look some of this stuff up. In Titus 1:5, the command to Titus is to ordain “presbyterous” in every city, and sure enough, if you read the Douay, it says “priests”. In the Vulgate, it says “presbyteros”, not really even changing the Greek word. We would call this transliteration. Presbyteros means elder. The eye doctor told me that I have “presbyopia”, which essentially means that my eyes are getting old. Priest is the wrong word. A priest is a go-between between God and man. There is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).

Interestingly, this is Titus 1:5 and 6 in the ROMAN CATHOLIC BIBLE:

“For this cause I left thee in Crete: that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting and shouldest ordain priests in every city, as I also appointed thee: 

“If any be without crime, the husband of one wife. having faithful children, not accused of riot or unruly.”

I don’t know what they do with verse 6, I guess that is a problem for another day.

All of us English speakers and readers do indeed owe to William Tyndale a note of gratitude, and even more a hearty word of thanksgiving to the Lord Jesus Christ for this able man who gave up his life that we today can have God’s word in our hand. It is fully accessible to us, and we can read and understand because God wrote it and preserved it for us that we may know Him. It cost Tyndale his life. We can buy a Bible at a gas station convenience store for a very low price. We can even read it free online, but we really need to realize the cost others paid for it to come to us. We have a great treasure, and we treat it as such as we hide it in our hearts, as the Psalmist said:

Psalm 119:11 — “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

Enjoy this great treasure. As the Apostle Paul told Timothy “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15).

These scriptures make you wise, but if you have not come to faith in Christ Jesus, the holy scriptures do not commend you, they condemn you. You are not wise in the way that the scriptures speak wisdom. If you know the word but have not believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross for your salvation, you are still dead in your sins. Don’t be filled with knowledge without faith in Christ. Believe in Him and be saved. No church or religion will save you, nor will either bring you any closer to Him. You know the truth. Stop rebelling against it and believe it!