TYNDALE : No ! They never met or consulted with each other . They were separated by time and place .
YOU : One hardly meets someone willing to be imprisoned for what he believes ! What did they write that has so profoundly influenced you ?
TYNDALE : A variety of literature , really ... history , religious and lyric poetry . I love history and poetry .
YOU : You ’ re a very intellectual man , Mr . Tyndale .
TYNDALE : People say that . YOU : Did they write anything else .
TYNDALE : Oh , yes ! They wrote parable and allegory . They wrote all kinds of law : civil , original , ethical , ritual and sanitary laws . Then there are the didactic treatises , biographic , personal correspondences , personal memoirs and diaries , not to mention the prophetic and apocalyptic literature .
YOU : With so many different authors and conflicting points of view , Mr . Tyndale , surely there is tremendous confusion and contradiction in the Bible .
TYNDALE : On the contrary , right throughout the entire book I ’ ve found tremendous unity .
YOU : And what do you think causes that ?
TYNDALE : You see , all the authors follow one central theme .
YOU : What ’ s that ?
TYNDALE : The book begins with man ’ s basic problem of SIN . Then it traces the decline of the human race as it continued to go astray . But God is compassionate and promised a Deliverer . It recounts God ’ s plan to bring the race back to Himself through one man , Jesus Christ .
YOU : You ’ re saying that those men wrote about this ?
TYNDALE : Yes ! Every single one of them !
YOU : You think they were inspired ?
TYNDALE : It is an impossible human feat to accomplish such unity in diversity .
YOU : Mr . Tyndale , philosophers have said that if a man cannot die for what he says he believes , then he really does not believe . Would you die for this ?
TYNDALE : ( he smiles ) If I would die for it ?
Just then , the guard to his cell turns the key in the lock of the door . A black robed priest of the Church enters with a black book in his hand and behind him two armored soldiers .
PRIEST : Tyndale , you still have a chance . You may recant all that you believe . Renounce all your writings and go free this very moment .
TYNDALE : If I reject the Bible , I would be in bondage .
PRIEST : You are a very stubborn , insubordinate man , Tyndale . It is so easy to submit to the Church !
TYNDALE : The Bible is the very Word of God , priest ! And Jesus Christ said , “ Thy Word is truth , and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free .” How then could I be free if I denied the truth ?
PRIEST : You still hold to your heretical beliefs ?
TYNDALE : I believe that the Bible is the Word of God !
PRIEST : Then , you ’ ll die for it .
TYNDALE : God is my judge ! I am willing , like Paul , not only to be bound , but also to die for the truth !
PRIEST : ( makes the sign of the cross ) St . Joseph pray for us !
William Tyndale is at perfect peace as he is taken to his martyrdom in the town square . You observe the quiet look of peace upon his face . He has hidden the Word of God in his heart . His mind is fixed on Christ !
William Tyndale ( c . 1494 — 1536 ) was an English Reformer best known today for his English translation of the Bible . Tyndale was convinced that the way to God was through His Word . The established Church taught that they alone were the conservators and interpreters of God ’ s Word and that the laity had no business reading it for themselves . So , the Bible was available only in Latin , a language most people could not read .
Tyndale believed that Scripture should be available to everyone and worked tirelessly to make the Bible accessible to all , in English ; even if the Church opposed him . For this he drew the ire of the Anglican Church , the Roman Catholic Church , and other powerful entities . He famously said , “ I defy the Pope and all his laws . If God spare my life ere many years , I will cause the boy that drives the plow to know more of the Scriptures than you !”
Taken from : https :// gotquestions . org / William-Tyndale . html
Question : “ Who was William Tyndale ?” Accessed 29 / 11 / 16
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