17 William Tyndale Facts: English Scholar Who Changed The World!

Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason
Oct 06, 2023 By Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason
Originally Published on Dec 31, 2021
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William Tyndale facts will tell you more about his relationship with English King Henry VIII.

William Tyndale is one of the names spoken very often when it comes to the field of literature.

William Tyndale was born in Gloucestershire in England in 1490, and he died on October 6, 1536. The cause of his death was being burnt at the stake on orders of King Henry VIII.

But why did Henry VIII give such an order when earlier in 1528, the king had heartily approved Tyndale's publishing of the 'Parable of the Wicked Mammon.' This dealt with Luther's teaching regarding justification by faith and the Obedience of a Christian Man, which replaced papal authority with royal authority.

He is well known for his translation of the Bible into English. William Tyndale was also known to be a Protestant martyr.

He studied at the University of Oxford and later became a professor at the University of Cambridge. During his time as a professor, William Tyndale became a part of the White Horse Inn, a group of humanist scholars.

Tyndale felt that everyone should have access to the Bible and all to follow the doctrines, and every believer is entitled to read the Bible in their own language as well. Read along to learn about William Tyndale and his works related to testament translation and holy scriptures and their English translation and many such exciting topics.

Read on to know more about his translation of the Bible into English, leading to publishing the English Bible for the first time. After reading about his bible translation, also check out William Still facts and William the conqueror facts.

William Tyndale Facts For Kids

William Tyndale was highly said to be influenced by the work of Erasmus. Erasmus is the man who translated the New Testament of the Bible into the Greek Language.

In Europe, Martin Luther had begun this movement, which had inspired William Tyndale. Tyndale was the first to put in the effort and translate the Bible into English from Hebrew and Greek.

William Tyndale was arrested in 1535 and jailed outside Brussels for over a year. Before he died, he translated the entire part of the New Testament and almost half of the Old Testaments.

William Tyndale Facts About The Bible

Tyndale's first translated piece of the entire New Testament was published in the year 1526. His version was later revised in two revisions and was published in the years 1534 and also 1536. Tyndale also revised these versions of the Bible.

However, after the death of Tyndale, his work was revised multiple times. The Catholic church was not happy with this reformation that Tyndale played a significant role in.

The entire church, as well as the state of England, eventually condemned his work. William Tyndale was forced to move out of England for fear of his life. His translation of the New Testament was banned in the year 1526 in England, and the church ordered that any copy of his works be found to be burned.

Nevertheless, we cannot avoid the fact that his work is very important for being the foundation of many other English Bibles. Matthew's Bible was highly based on the translation from William Tyndale's.

This was said to be one of the first authorized versions of the English Bible itself. The reformation ideas were widely spread across England and other parts of the world as well.

Tyndale was a gifted linguist who studied his arts degree Magdalen Hall, Oxford University, England, which became Hertford College in 1874. Tyndale accepted a position as chaplain at Sir John Walsh's house. Tyndale continued with his work of translation like the great Bible. There are Tyndale's books as well, such as 'Wicked Mammon.'

In 1526, a complete copy of the New Testament was published at Worms, an imperial authorities city. Bishop Tunstall condemned the translation in October 1526.

He issued warnings to everyone who sold these books, and he had their copies burnt in public. Several colleges, schools, and study centers have been named in his honor, including Tyndale House (near Cambridge University), William Tyndale college at Farmington hills.

William Tyndale developed his case in An Answer unto Sir Thomas More's Dialogue. Tyndale's work in the bible study groups, bible translations, English language, and English translations has impacted diversely till date in English literature.

Tyndale's translation of the Bible was widely published. Tyndale preached his work. Fires of Faith, a BYUtv miniseries that aired in 2011, focused on building the King James Bible and the King James translation, emphasizing Tyndale's life.

William Tyndale left Cambridge and became the Chaplain at the home of Sir John Walsh.

Theological Views By William Tyndale

William Tyndale played a significant role in being a prominent figure during the Protestant reformation. Tyndale made a list of grievances with 95 points that were against the Catholic church.

This was also called the 95 Theses. Due to this reformation, there were massive uprisings that brought about various economic, social, and political changes. Tyndale was upset that an ordinary person couldn't have access to the Bible. The Latin Bible was translated into English by John Wycliffe.

William Tyndale was executed by strangulation, and he was also burned at the stake. This took place in Vilvoorde in the year 1536.

We know that he was ordered to be killed by King Henry III, but it is still not known that what led to his death.

Who planned or financed the plot, which eventually led to the death of William Tyndale?

Though, it is known that his killing was planned by Henry Phillips, who was known as a man who was accused of robbing his own father and eventually gambling away all his money and ending up in poverty.

He developed a good relation with William Tyndale and because a regular feature at his home and thus was able to take a look at the books and papers being written by William Tyndale.

Fun Facts About William Tyndale

Before William Tyndale died, he portrayed his zeal in his last words when he said, 'Lord! Open the King of England's eyes'.

The date of commemoration was on October 6, but it is however claimed that he died a few weeks earlier itself. William Tyndale was also married to Alice Hunt of a farm.

The Farm was called Hunt's Court at North Nibley. Tyndale was also the author of many other literary pieces like the Practice of Prelates, The Obedience of a Christian Man, etc. These books were banned because they talked against the rulers of those times.

Tyndale was also accused of being a heretic during his times. Tyndale worked in hiding when he was in Hamburg. He also worked on the revision of the New Testament, as mentioned earlier. Tyndale's writings were frowned upon because they out-rightly opposed the annulment of Henry the VIII's marriage. Many of Tyndale's works were worked on in Antwerp.

There are umpteen films that talk about Tyndale, such as William Tindale, The Story of William Tyndale, A cartoon film called the William Tyndale Story. A documentary was named Man with a Mission, Stephen's Test of Faith had scenes from the life of Tyndale.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for William Tyndale facts, then why not take a look at William Wallace facts or William Wilberforce facts?

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Written by Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason

Bachelor of Science specializing in Mass Communication.

Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason picture

Adekunle Olanrewaju JasonBachelor of Science specializing in Mass Communication.

With over 3+ years of professional experience, Olanrewaju is a certified SEO Specialist and Content Writer. He holds a BSc in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos. Throughout his dynamic career, Olanrewaju has successfully taken on various roles with startups and established organizations. He has served as a Technical Writer, Blogger, SEO Specialist, Social Media Manager, and Digital Marketing Manager. Known for his hardworking nature and insightful approach, Olanrewaju is dedicated to continuous learning and improvement.
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