Jordan Paul

Reveal to us thy saving word, O God, that like thy servant William Tyndale we might hear its call to repentance and new life. Plant in our hearts that same consuming passion to bring the scriptures to all people in their native tongue, and the strength to endure amidst all obstacles; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Dear Friends,

Today, the Church celebrates the life and work of William Tyndale. An English reformer, he’s best known as the first person to translate the Bible into English and the first reformer to distribute the English Bible via the printing press.

As Tyndale’s translation was the first in English, significant portions of later translations, most notably the KJV, were drawn from his work. He also coined many of the words and phrases that are now familiar to us, including “stranger in a strange land,” “eat, drink, and be merry,” “beautiful,” and “Jehovah” as a name for God.

Because his work was a key part of spreading Reformation ideas across the British Empire, he drew the ire of the Catholic Church. He eventually fled to what is now Belgium and was captured and executed by the Holy Roman Empire in 1536.

Today, it’s easy to take for granted both the number of biblical translations and the availability of the Bible generally. I think that the amount that we take it for granted is exemplified by a quote, commonly misattributed to St Francis: “Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words.”

The intent, that we should be living our lives in such a way as to be unmistakably Christian—is good! But I’d argue that it’s not enough. There’s a reason that, especially within Anglicanism, there’s such an emphasis on the language of the service—from Cranmer’s collects, to the language of the BCP, to the centrality and number of readings from scripture.

Now, I don’t want this to be interpreted as advocating for Anglicans to transform into people that hand out million dollar bill Gospel tracts or people that seem constitutionally incapable of having a conversation not about our faith. What it does mean is simply being open about who we are and what we believe.

It means inviting someone to church who might not otherwise come and being ready to answer if someone starts to come to you with questions. And it means having the humility to know that you might not always be successful.

As we commemorate William Tyndale today, it’s imperative that we remember the great, and often deadly, lengths that the reformers went to in order to spread the Gospel and ensure the survival of the Church. It’s imperative that we do the same.

In Christ,

—Jordan