John Wells - July 19th 2025 - The Living Word of God The Living Word of God • John 6:63 • John 8:31 • II Timothy 2:2 • II Timothy 3:13 • I Peter 1: 23 • Revelation 20: 11 The Word of God – The Bible • It’s Power and Authority – “the words are God breathed and alive” • It’s Preservation – many have tried to destroy it, distort it , change it • It’s Permanence – The Word of God stands forever - it will never pass away God’s man for translating the scriptures to English William Tyndale • Early life: William Tyndale was born around 1494 in Gloucestershire, England. He studied at University of Oxford and later at University of Cambridge, where he became skilled in Greek, Hebrew, Latin, German, French, Italian & Spanish languages. • Bible translation: Tyndale believed that ordinary people should be able to read the Bible in their own language. Since translating the Bible into English without approval was forbidden in England, he left the country in 1524 to continue his work in Europe. • Printing the New Testament: In 1526, his English translation of the New Testament was printed and secretly smuggled into England. Church authorities condemned and burned many copies, but they continued to circulate. • Further work: Tyndale continued translating parts of the Old Testament and wrote books supporting religious reform. His translations were based directly on the original Greek and Hebrew texts rather than the Latin Bible commonly used at the time. • Arrest and death: In 1535, Tyndale was betrayed, arrested near Brussels, imprisoned for over a year, and tried for heresy. In 1536, he was strangled and then burned at the stake. His reported final prayer was, "Lord, open the King of England's eyes." • Legacy: Tyndale's translations became the foundation for later English Bibles, especially the King James Version. It is estimated that much of the New Testament wording in the King James Version is based on Tyndale's work. His commitment to making Scripture accessible had a lasting impact on Christianity, English literature, and the development of the English language 1. The Original Writings (1400 BC–100 AD) 1. The Old Testament was written primarily in Hebrew, with a few sections in Aramaic. 2. The New Testament was written in Greek by Jesus' apostles and other early Christian leaders. Ancient Copies 1. Before printing, scribes carefully copied the Scriptures by hand. Thousands of ancient manuscripts have survived, allowing scholars to compare copies and identify copying errors. 3. William Tyndale's English Bible 1. In the early 1500s, William Tyndale translated the New Testament and parts of the Old Testament directly from the original Greek and Hebrew into English. 2. His work was considered illegal, and he was executed in 1536 for heresy. 3. Much of his wording was later incorporated into future English translations. 4. The King James Version (1611) 1. King James VI and I authorized a new English translation completed by a team of scholars in 1611. 2. The King James Version became the most influential English Bible for centuries and is still widely used today. 5. Modern English Translations 1. Since the discovery of many older biblical manuscripts (such as the Dead Sea Scrolls), scholars have been able to compare even earlier sources. 2. Modern translations such as the New International Version (NIV), English Standard Version (ESV), New American Standard Bible (NASB), and New King James Version (NKJV) are translated directly from the oldest and most reliable Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts available.
