Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Oct/76

Contributor - Harvey Van Frowe

Title - The Struggle for the Bible

Topic - Church History

It would be difficult for most of us to imagine being without a Bible in our language. It is so much a part of our existence that life would not be the same without it. Imagine going through a week or a year without being able to open the Scriptures. Imagine your church without a copy for the layman. Yet, literally thousands of people in the Middle Ages had no first hand acquaintance with it. Martin Luther himself was an adult before. he saw a Latin copy. It would not be right for us to take our daily privilege of reading from it for granted.

The church in the Middle Ages did not look with favor upon the Bible being in the people's language. It had a mind set and prejudice against this. The historian Schaff relates that Pope. Innocent III wrote that "as in the days of Moses the beast might not touch the holy mountain" so no ordinary person might "touch the Bible". One could become decidedly critical of such logic! Moreover, there was evident pride in the religious authorities and fear that the status quo in religion would be disturbed if the masses could read the Holy Scriptures. Excuses such as the argument that the language was too -Door for the sacred Word or maintaining it was too hard to translate it into the common tongue were used, but also threats of fines and excommunication were employed.

Yet God in, His wonderful grace and providence can overcome what is restrictive and enslaving. He caused the printing press to be invented. He created a hunger in many people for Himself and His Word. It is said, for example, that "in Germany and The Netherlands there was a popular hunger for the Bible in the vernacular". There were also eloquent voices that urged that the Scriptures be in the. language of the common man. John Wyclif of England, John Hus of Bohemia, and Erasmus in The Netherlands are some examples.

Erasmus, born in Rotterdam in 1466, and said by church historian, Kenneth Latourette, to have been a sincere Christian, was all for the Bible for everybody. He wrote, "I utterly dissent from those who are unwilling that the sacred Scriptures should be read by the unlearned, translated into their own vulgar tongue, as though the strength of the Christian religion consisted in men's ignorance of it . Christ wishes His mysteries to be published as openly as possible ... I long that the husband-man, should sing portions of the gospel and the epistles of Paul to himself as he follows the plow, that the weaver should hum them to the tune of s shuttle, that the traveler should beguile with their stories the tedium of his journey" (quoted by Schaff).

Erasmus himself put out an edition of the Greek Testament and made a new translation into Latin. Yet many were critical of him and his pioneer efforts. He was verbally attacked by professor and archbishop.

William Tyndale of England was another great leader in the fight for the circulation of God's word. He loved the Word and once said to an old sea captain, "I want, above all things, to put the gospel of our God into words every Englishman can read and understand for himself". Though opposed by the king and not encouraged by others, a London merchant of means offered him a home and sufficient money that he could pursue his goal. He finished his translation and eventually found a printer in Germany, Peter Quentel, who printed it in English. It was not safe for Tyndale to return to England. In fact he had to survive for years by being "on the run". Yet he was blessed in getting out thousands of copies of his English New Testament. One edition consisted of 6000 copies. He had to smuggle Scriptures into England because of the passionate opposition of King Henry the Eighth and of Cardinal Wolsey. But this was done through the help of sea merchants who cooperated in hiding Bibles in flour sacks, in bales of cloth, and in the bottoms of butter crates.

William Tyndale paid dearly for his Christian bravery. He was imprisoned, as many brave Christians have been, and in 1536 (the same year, incidentally, that Erasmus died) he was strangled and his body burned. Before he was executed he said, "Lord, open the king of England's eyes".

Tyndale was another of the numerous,"heroes of faith". Through men like him and Erasmus many blessed results followed. Only three years after his martyrdom a English copy of the Bible was placed in all or practically all of the churches of England.

Martin Luther used Erasmus's text for his translation of the Bible and thus one act of courage led to further advance. Eventually, wrote Schaff, "the Bible, heretofore a book for priests only was made a book of the people . . . and in a few years Luther's version had more readers among the laity than ever the Latin Vulgate had among priests; and the Protestant Bible societies circulate more Bibles in one year than were copied during the fifteen centuries before the Reformation".

Certainly it is the Lord's will that men, women, and children have His own Word in their language. This is not to say that God doesn't also call leaders and pastors to teach and help explain the Word. For Philip was led to the Ethiopian eunuch who was reading from Isaiah about the Messiah and didn't understand. And Jesus Himself "interpreted" to the two individuals en route to Emmaus the things of Scripture "concerning Himself". Paul and Barnabas also instructed new believers in Antioch. But what if the eunuch had not had that copy of Isaiah and what if the two walking to Emmaus had not known "Moses and the prophets?" Also, some have come to know the "Pearl of great price" through the simple reading of the gospel through the working of the Holy Spirit.

May we not take lightly the availability of the Scriptures in our homes and churches. Many have not had this privilege. Some died for it. Many fellow Christians in Communist countries do not have the Bible today or have just a book or chapter of it. May we cherish this possession and use it daily, letting it direct our lives. And may we pray that many who are yet deprived of it or who yet don't have it in their language may also see the day when they will have this privilege.

Please click the "Back" button of your browser to return to previous page.