Throughout the Middle Ages, the Bible was only accessible to the European church in ancient Latin – a language used exclusively by church leaders. William Tyndale, English scholar and linguist, wanted to change that injustice. Taking advantage of the invention of the printing press, Tyndale laboured for many years to translate the Bible into English – the common language of the people. A prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation, in 1536 Tyndale was executed as a heretic, his body burned at the stake. Today he is remembered as a sacrificial martyr. We honour William Tyndale and thank God the courageous faith his remarkable legacy inspires to value the Bible as sacred, and help make God’s life-giving message available to all people in languages they understand best.
