Baptist History, Heritage and Distinctives – William Tyndale and the English Bible – PART FIVE.

Thomas E Kresal – (5) Facebook

Baptist History, Heritage and Distinctives – William Tyndale and the English Bible – PART FIVE.

In 1535 Tyndale was betrayed by a fellow Englishman, Henry Phillips, a financially struggling agent sent out by King Henry His MISSION: to befriend Tyndale, work his way into his inner circle and set him up to be captured & arrested. Tyndale was taken to the state prison in the castle of Vilvorde, near Brussels. For 500 + days, Tyndale suffered in a cold, dark & damp dungeon. But he kept editing scripture! This reminds me of Paul in similar circumstances. At the end of his imprisonment, he was DECLARED A HERETIC by the established state government church and turned over to the civil authorities to be sentenced to death. The charges against Tyndale were: 1) Faith alone justifies. 2) Forgiveness of sins 3) To embrace the mercy offered in the Gospel was enough for salvation 4) He DENIED the existence of purgatory 5) He DENIED that men should pray to Mary or the saints. Just before he was murdered in Antwerp on 10/6/1536, 487 YRS AGO at the tender age of 42. Tyndale gave his last words: “LORD, OPEN the KING of ENGLAND EYES!” The noose was tightened Tyndale was STRANGLED. His body was burned, and the spectacle was made more gruesome by the fact that the GUNPOWDER EXPLODED. William Tyndale met with a martyr’s death for the CRIME of bringing the Word of God to England.

Prepared by Thomas E. Kresal from my sermons on Wm. Tyndale