On October 6, 1536 in England, a man was strangled and his body burned at the stake as punishment for what was considered a serious crime: making an unauthorized English translation of the Bible and printing copies for distribution. It was his vision to make Scripture accessible to the common people of his day. His passion was for everyone to have a copy of the Bible and in a language that they could actually read and understand.
His name was William Tyndale. And today he is often referred to as the Father of the English Bible. It is said that about 90% of the King James Version (1611) and about 75% of the Revised Standard Version (1951) are identical with Tyndale’s translation. Even with the emergence of newer translations, the legacy of Tyndale and others like him endures. The whole idea of making the Word of God available and accessible to everyone continues to inspire efforts to translate the Bible—not just in English, but also in many more languages.
Today, the Bible is so accessible to English speakers. Not only do we have the printed page, we now have the Bible in digital form and available through computers and smart phones. There is no reason not to have access to the Bible. But with this incredible accessibility, the sad truth is that less and less people are taking advantage of it.
In a recent conversation, someone observed how contestants in a popular TV game show often stay away from the “Bible” category. And when they do get to it, many manifest a lack of familiarity with biblical information. In other words, many are not taking advantage of the availability of Scripture. And, to make things worse, many people in the church also show the same lack of knowledge of Scripture. Somehow, even self-professing Christians are not taking the time to read and study the Word—the Bible that faithful disciples before them sacrificed even their lives just to make it accessible.
Oh that we would not take for granted this treasure that has been passed on to us; that we would recapture the desire to know the Word of God; that we would learn to delight in its riches and its value for our lives. “Oh how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands … are ever with me … I meditate on your statutes … I obey your precepts” (Psalm 119.97-100 NIV).
—Keith Y. Jainga