“What price for your passion” was the title of the talk given by Paul Linnell, who had travelled from Leicester for the MIRTH Main Event presentation on Tuesday October 21st.
The talk coincided with the 500th anniversary of the bible being translated into the English language. Paul told us that the early 16th century was a dangerous time for those who wanted to quote passages of the bible in English. The prevailing languages at the time were Latin and French, with English very much thought of as the language of the common man! The church had a great deal of power and influence in these times and it was difficult to go against Catholic theology. At the time, England was the only country in Europe that didn’t have the bible printed in its native language.
Change was coming, however. The natural order was being challenged. People such as Martin Luther and John Calvin were presenting their own ideas and commentaries.
Into all this came an Englishman, William Tyndale, who had a talent for languages and studied at both Oxford and Cambridge. We were told of Tyndale’s passion for communicating the true meaning of the word of God and going up against the Latin translation of the bible.
Tyndale dedicated his life to his work and paid the ultimate price. He was burnt at the stake as a heretic. His work was not in vain though. He had done enough to get much of the Old & New Testament into print and copies reached the monarch, Henry Vlll.
This was enough for the king to go against the Catholic Church and form what we now know as the Church of England. The king ordered that a bible in English be placed in every church, known as ‘The Great Bible’.
A final thought? Tyndale’s passion can be summed up in the New Testament bible verse
John 3:16 – ‘ For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life’.
MIRTH 