BEING AND BECOMING AN UNPARALLELED ARMY: IT’S AT A COST – THE WILLIAM TYNDALE STORY EFFECT!
“. . . 6 As ye have therefore RECEIVED Christ Jesus the Lord, so WALK ye in him: 7 rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8 beware lest any man SPOIL you through PHILOSOPHY and VAIN DECEIT, after the TRADITION of men, after the RUDIMENTS of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are COMPLETE in him, which is the head of all principality and power . . .” Colossians 2:1-23
Being born of God in Christ Jesus stead is always exciting; but becoming whom you believe in truth and spirit – to serve Him acceptably and worship Him worthily is at a cost in becoming that UNPARALLELED ARMY. And especially in dealing near you – the religious norms setting of creeds, bylaws and dogmas of the established denominationised, traditionalist and culturalised doctrinal sectarians – that contradict the TRUTH of God’s WORD to suit the norms of the day – in order to keep everyone happy, by appealing extremism and or to sentiments, prejudice and dissimulation (hypocrisy) – knowing it’s CONTRARY and or AGAINST the WORD of God.
We know in the days of humanity how our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ told the religious sectarians – Pharisees , Sadducees, Herodians and such like – that they make the word of God of no effect because of their traditional and doctrinal dogmas. And the emboldening of standing up to the then atmosphere sectarianism came at a cost, however resulting our SALVATION. Mark 7:11-12; 1 Timothy 3:16.
For such cost of being and becoming UNPARALLELED ARMY, is what William TYNDALE embarked upon to ensure today you have the Holy writ in English, in your hand by dealing with the religious sectarians of His days. And when I came across this beautiful piece of writ concerning him, I resolved to share it with you as you can thoughtfully read now below.
Know for sure I don’t own the writ, it’s Copied and Author unknown. Be INFORMED and TRANSFORMED, it’s my prayer for you now as you read the writ:
HOW TYNDALE WAS KILLED: THE MAN WHO TRANSLATED THE BIBLE INTO ENGLISH – BURNT ALIVE ON OCTOBER 6, 1536.
William TYNDALE, the man who TRANSLATED The Holy Bible into English and was burnt alive at the ridiculous young age of 42 years old, for his efforts. (Google search – FOXE’S BOOK OF MARTYRS by John Foxes.)
Nearly 500 years ago, this week, William Tyndale, fondly called ‘Father of the English Bible’ was strangled and burned at the stake after being tried and convicted of heresy and reason for translating the Bible into English.
HIS OFFENSE:
He translated the Greek Bible into English.
That you have a Bible in a language you can read is largely due to his labours, and many of the very phrases you read in it retain the flavour of his understanding of the Greek and Hebrew.
A graduate of Oxford and Cambridge, Tyndale had a powerful desire to make the Bible available even to the common people in England, in order to correct the ‘Biblical ignorance of the priests.’ At one point Tyndale told a priest, “If God spares my life, are many years pass, I will cause a boy that driveth the plow, shall know more of the Scriptures than thou dost.
Today, 90% of the King James Version of the Holy Bible and 75% of the Revised Standard Version are from the translation made by Tyndale, a man to whom you owe more than you’ll ever know.
A nice dream, but how was Tyndale to accomplish his task, when translating the Bible into English was ILLEGAL at the time?
He went to London to ask Bishop Tunstall if he could be authorised to make an English translation of the Bible, but the bishop would not grant his approval.
However, Tyndale would not let the disapproval of men stop him from carrying out what seemed so obviously God’s will. With encouragement and support of some British merchants, he decided to go to Europe to complete his translation, then have it printed and smuggled back into England.
In 1524 Tyndale sailed for Germany. In Hamburg, he worked on the New Testament, and in Cologne, he found a printer who would print the work. However, news of Tyndale’s activity came to an opponent of the Reformation who had the press raided.
Tyndale himself managed to escape with the pages already printed and made his way to the German city Worms where the New Testament was soon published.
Six thousand copies were printed and smuggled into England.
The bishops did everything they could to eradicate the Bibles. Bishop Tunstall had copies ceremoniously burned at St. Paul’s; the Archbishop of Canterbury bought up copies to destroy them. Tyndale used the money to print improved editions!
Tyndale continued hiding among the merchants in Antwerp and began translating the Old Testament while the King’s agents searched all over England and Europe for him.
A copy of Tyndale’s “The Obedience of a Christian Man” fell into the hands of Henry VIII, providing the king with the rationale to break the Church in England from the Roman Catholic Church in 1534.
In 1535, Tyndale was arrested and jailed in the castle of Vilvoorde (Filford) outside Brussels for over a year.
Tyndale’s work was denounced by authorities of the Roman Catholic Church and Tyndale himself was accused of Heresy.
Tyndale, 42 was finally found by an Englishman who pretended to be his friend but then turned him over to the authorities. After a year and a half in prison, he was brought to trial for heresy — FOR BELIEVING, among other things, IN THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS and that THE MERCY OFFERED IN THE GOSPEL WAS ENOUGH FOR SALVATION. In August 1536, he was condemned and was executed [burned alive at the stake] publicly on October 6, 1536, in a small town in Belgium.
As he burnt to death, Tyndale reportedly said “Lord, open the king of England’s eyes.”
WAS HIS PRAYER ANSWERED? YES! The prayer was answered first in part when three years later, in 1539, Henry VIII required every parish Church in England to make a copy of the English Bible available to its parishioners. Today, Tyndale’s prayer is fully answered, not only are the King’s eyes opened, but the Bible a universal instrument.
In 1611, the 54 scholars who produced the King James Bible drew significantly from Tyndale, as well as from translations that descended from his.
In 2002, Tyndale was placed at number 26 in the BBC’s poll of the 100 Greatest Britons; but in heaven he surely would be before the preceding 25.
A very important and interesting piece of history worth knowing and appreciating by all believers.
And may it challenge us to spend quality time in this same glorious book that this great servant literally gave his life for.
Today it’s hard to imagine the world without an English Bible, and there could now be as many as 900 of such translations in existence – but before Tyndale it had never happened. He’s known as the Father of the English Bible, since the later, epochal work of the King James Version of the Bible largely consisted of Tyndale’s scholarly and accessible translations.
The English language, as with scholarly understanding, continues to evolve – and so the work of Bible translation continues today.
But without the courage and genius of men like Tyndale, who challenged the status quo before them and died for doing so, it might never have been possible.
Do you remember the firebrand man of God, Archbishop Benson Idahosa, who declared that the planned meeting of Witches and Wizards in Benin cannot hold while he was alive.
People like Kathryn Kuhlman, Billy Graham, Smith Wigglesworth and those great men and women of God . . . ASK THOSE WHO SAW THE REVIVAL OF 1930s,1970s AND 1980s, THEY WILL TELL YOU WHY WE ARE CRYING OVER THIS “FIRE-LESS-NESS” WE ARE SEEING IN OUR GENERATION OF BELIEVERS.
John Knox prayed: “Lord, give me Scotland or I die”.
St Patrick, a rugged Believer that brought even dead animals and trees back to life Prayed: “God, Give Me souls or Give Me Nothing Else”
Brethren, The Hebrides revival prayed: “Lord, if you will not use us, please, kill us”
The brethren from England who brought the Fire from Azusa Street revival gathered everyday under the terrible cold and their only prayer topic was: “Lord, give us Men that will spread Your Fire in the streets of England”.
During the Indonesia Revival, those Hungry Hearts were seen Praying day and night, saying: “Lord, the harvest is ripe . . . If it pleases you, please use us”.
One prayer that was common during the days of William J. Seymour was: “Lord, this is another day that hell must lose men and women. Please, we are here use us”.
Paul said: “Woe unto me if I preach not the Gospel”
Rachel said to her husband, Jacob: “Give me children or I die”.
But unfortunately, our churches are filled today with people who are not ashamed of spiritual barrenness. We are asking “God give me money. God give me spouse. God give me Visa”.
Where do we see believers again that will be praying and fasting, and when you listen to them, you will be hearing: “Lord, let Your Fire fall in my community and let there be revival?”
When Paul encountered Christ, he fell and rose. What He asked was: “Lord, what will You have me do”. But today, when we fall under anointing, we start expecting marriage proposals, Visas and Employment letters. This generation of members in our Churches have not had a genuine encounter with the Man of Calvary.
No generation has carried Bibles like us without opening it.
No generation is materially driven like ours and we expect the land to obey us.
Jesus said, pray to the Father that He brings His Kingdom on Earth.
GOD help us to get it on time. Amen.
Let’s build up our spiritual life because it’s very necessary.
If you miss heaven, you can never miss hell. Think about it. Hell isn’t a pretty place.
Do the work of an Evangelist now by sharing this message with all your contacts. Have you ever wondered what would have happened if we treat the Holy Bible the way we treat our Mobile Phone?
And we really can’t live without the BIBLE.
Don’t send later, send now.
Keep Spreading this message!
Copied – Author unknown.
SCRIPTURAL THOUGHTS WORTH PONDERING IN CONTEXT:
“This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest WAR A GOOD WARFARE; 19 holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: 20 of whom is Hymenæus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme” 1 Timothy 1:18-20.
“For though we WALK IN THE FLESH [as mortal men], we are not carrying on our [spiritual] WARFARE according to the flesh and using the WEAPONS of man. 4 The WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our WEAPONS are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ, 6 being ready to punish every act of disobedience, when your own obedience [as a church] is complete” 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 Amplified.
“Finally, my brethren, be STRONG in the Lord, and in the POWER of his might. 11 Put on the WHOLE ARMOUR of God, that ye may be able to stand against the WILES of the devil. 12 For we WRESTLE not AGAINST flesh and blood, but AGAINST principalities, against powers, AGAINST the rulers of the darkness of this world, AGAINST spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the WHOLE ARMOUR of God, that ye may be able to WITHSTAND in the EVIL day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to QUENCH all the FIERY DARTS of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; 19 and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may OPEN MY MOUTH BOLDLY, to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an AMBASSADOR IN BONDS: that therein I may speak BOLDLY, as I ought to speak” Ephesians 6:10-20.
“And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. 18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. 19 Behold, I give unto you POWER TO TREAD ON SERPENTS AND SCORPIONS, AND OVER ALL THE POWER OF THE ENEMY: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven” Luke 10:17-20.
REV. CHUKIE MORSI