William Tyndale: Lesson 1 - Education and Conversion

Introduction:

What is this that I have in my hand? (hold up Bible)

A Bible, that’s correct!

When you open up your Bible, what language do you see?

English

The Bible was not originally written in English!

What language do you think that the Bible was originally written in?

The Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. (Flash the letters on the screen with the name of the letter)

In order to get the Bible from those languages into another, someone had to do the work of learning those languages and then write it all down in their own language.

We call this kind of person a translator (Say that with me: “Translator”; Flash “translator” on the screen)

Now the Bible is a big book!

Translating the Bible from Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek would take a lot of work to know those languages and then put the Bible in words that everyone spoke and understood.

But also, we’re going to learn that there were many people who did not want the Bible to be translated into English.

Why do you think that someone would not want the Bible to be put into English?

Around 1519, there was a group of people in England who were punished just for saying the Lord’s Prayer in English!

If someone in England was going to translate the Bible during this time period, they would do so knowing that they would risk their life!

Is it worth it to risk your life so that the people can have God’s Word?

It sure is!

God’s Word is precious, a treasure beyond any other!

Tonight we’re going to learn about a man that God used to translate the Bible into the English language for the first time from the Hebrew and Greek languages.

His name is: William Tyndale (name on screen with picture)

William Tyndale was born around 1494 to a wealthy family of farmers and had at least two brothers.

William’s family’s wealth meant that William would be able to get the best kind of education during that day!

William studied at Oxford University in England where he showed a great talent for languages while he completed a Bachelor of Arts.

How many languages can you read and speak?

How many languages do you think that William Tyndale could read and speak?

He could read and speak: English, Latin, French, German, Italian, Greek, and, eventually, Hebrew (DMBI).

That’s 7 languages!

People said that William Tyndale learned and spoke different languages so easily that it was almost like he had grown up speaking those languages! (Lawson)

William not only earned a Bachelor’s degree at Oxford but also a degree from Cambridge University, but this time it was a Master’s degree!

While attending school at Cambridge, something really important and special happened to William.

He started attending a Bible study that met at a place called the White Horse Inn.

While we might think of an Inn as a place where you can only sleep and get a quick meal, most inns at this time provided a large room for many people to eat, like a restaurant!

What a wonderful place to study God’s Word!

Not only did they get to discuss God’s Word but they could eat a delicious meal too!

When you sit down at the dinner table with your family, do you normally talk about things important to you?

Well, these men wanted to talk about the most important book in the world: the Bible!

At this Bible study, they would read God’s Word for themselves!

What kinds of things do you think that they were learning from God’s Word?

They would learn about Jesus and that it’s only through Jesus that anyone can have their sins forgiven and be made one of God’s children.

During this Bible study, William Tyndale believed in Jesus as his only Savior from his sins and became one of God’s children.

Sometime after William Tyndale believed in Jesus as his Savior, he decided that he needed to leave the life of a student and do something else.

So, William Tyndale left Cambridge.

But, where would he go?

What would William Tyndale do now that he believes in Jesus as his Lord and Savior?

How would God use William’s skills with languages?

Conclusion: Next time, we’ll look at what William Tyndale decides to do and consider how the Lord was working in his life. Friends, William Tyndale received a lot of schooling and God will use William’s education in a way that glorifies the Lord and will benefit us, ultimately. God has give you the opportunity to learn! Use this opportunity for His glory!