Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION

This morning we are returning to our study of the pre-Reformer John Wycliffe

Last week we were introduced to him and his work

Today we are looking again at his work but this time his greatest work, the translation of the Bible from Latin to English

The Bible, as of 2020, has been translated into 704 languages

The New Testament has been translated into an additional 1551 languages

Portions or stories from the Bible have been translated into 1160 other languages

Some portions have been translated into 3415 languages (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible_translations)

These statistics are the fulfillment of the Reformers

They wanted the Bible in the language of the people

John Wycliffe was the first person to do this with his translation of the Bible , first the NT in 1380, then the OT in 1382 (https://www.gotquestions.org/history-of-the-Bible.html)

Here’s what Wycliffe said about Scripture:

“Holy Scripture is the preeminent authority for every Christian, and the rule of faith and of all human perfection.”

(https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-3/wycliffes-england-time-of-turmoil.html).

He also said, “Christ and His Apostles taught the people in the language best known to them.

It is certain that the truth of the Christian faith becomes more evident the more faith itself is known.

Therefore, the doctrine should not only be in Latin but in the vulgar tongue and, as the faith of the church is contained in the Scriptures, the more these are known in a true sense the better.

The laity ought to understand the faith and, as doctrines of our faith are in the Scriptures, believers should have the Scriptures in a language which they fully understand.”

In other words, "Englishmen learn Christ's law best in English.

Moses heard God's law in his own tongue; so did Christ's apostles."

This was his heart and passion

He felt the people could not know the basics of the faith unless they knew their Bible

And they could best know the Bible when it was in their own language

According to Roman Catholic law, translating the Bible into a vulgar, common language was a heresy punishable by death (Nichols).

But that did not stop Wycliffe

By 1382 the whole Bible was translated from the Latin Vulgate to English

Since there was no printing press, it was handwritten as well as hand copied

4 years after his death, Wycliffe’s friend John Purvey, revised the translation

Their work prepared the way for the work of William Tyndale and the translators of the Geneva Bible and the 1611 KJV (https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/resources/john-wycliffe-the-morning-star-of-the-reformation)

“There still exist about 150 manuscripts, complete or partial, containing the translation in its revised form.

From this, one may easily infer how widely diffused it was in the 15th century.

For this reason the Wycliffes in England were often designated by their opponents as "Bible men" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wycliffe)

Last time we saw the problem Wycliffe has with the Roman Catholic Church’s teaching on transubstantiation, that in the Lord’s Supper the bread and wine literally become the body and blood of Jesus even though the elements themselves remain as seen

Wycliffe rejected this idea stating this was not taught in Scripture

He also spoke out against:

monasticism

indulgences

purgatory

papal authority

He wrote some 15 works addressing these and other teachings of the Roman Catholic Church but his greatest work was the English Bible

He recognized its authority which is why he rejected most of what the Roman Catholic Church taught

But he, as well as all the pre-reformers and reformers believed and taught that...

LESSON

I.

The Bible is God’s Word

It is called “the word” (Jas.1:21-23)

It is called “the word of God” (Lk.11:28)

It is called “the word of Christ” (Col.3:16)

It is called “the word of truth” (Jas.1:18)

It is called “holy Scriptures” (2 Tim.2:15)

It is called the “Scripture of truth” (Dan.10:21)

It is called “the Book” (Rev.22:19)

It is called “the book of the Lord” (Isa.34:16)

It is called “the book of the Law” (Neh.8:3)

It is called “the law of the Lord” (Ps.1:2)

It is called “the sword of the Spirit” (Eph.6:17)

It is called “the oracles of God” (Rom.3:2)

Because the Bible is God’s Word...

.

It is infallible (no mistakes in its entirety)

It is perfect - Psalm 19:7, “The law of the Lord is perfect...”

It is true

Jesus said in John 17:17, “...Your word is truth.”

The Psalmist declared God’s Word as truth

Psalm 119:151, “...all Your commandments are truth.”

Psalm 119:160, “The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.”

It is inerrant (no mistakes in its parts)

Every word is pure - Proverbs 30:5, “Every word of God is pure...” (NKJV)

It has been tested and found to be “pure words” - Psalm 12:6, “The words of the Lord are pure words; As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.”

One commentator says, “What a contrast between the vain words of men and the pure words of God.

While the words of men are vanity, the words of God are purity; while men speak with flattering lips, God speaks with tested lips.

The words of God and the Word of God have passed through the furnace of persecution, philosophical disputation, scientific reasoning, and literary criticism; but they have not lost one precious ounce of their purity.

God preserves and keeps those who are oppressed and needy because He keeps His word.

Even when The wicked walk on every side, as a result of vile men being in positions of authority, we may still trust the Word of God, knowing that "… all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Rom 8:28) (KJV Bible Commentary).

It is complete (nothing needs to be added to it)

Proverbs 30:6, “Do not add to His words Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.”

Revelation 22:18-19, “18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.”

“The message of the Bible is complete and needs no collaboration from anyone” (KJV Bible Commentary).

It is effective (it able to do exactly what it says)

It will do exactly what God send it to do - Isaiah 55:10-11, “10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; 11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

It will do in your life what it says it will do

When God says you can be saved from your sin and have an eternal home in heaven prepared for you – that’s exactly what it means!

You can trust His Word.

It is sufficient (is able to meet all your needs)

For salvation - 2 Timothy 3:15, “and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

For maturity - 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

For hope - Romans 15:4, “4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

For blessing - James 1:25, “But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”

It is living and powerful - Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

Since the Bible is God’s Word, it is also...

II.

The Bible is God’s Final Word

As seen by fulfilled prophecy

There are 333 prophecies about Christ in the Old & New Testament

109 were fulfilled at His first coming

.

224 will be fulfilled at His second coming

As witnessed by His apostles

Paul - 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness”

Peter - 2 Peter 3:14-16, “14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15 and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.”

As witnessed by the writer of Hebrews - Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

As witnessed by Daniel