How We Got Our The English Bible

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The English Bible

How did we get it?


Timeline500 BC: Completion of All Original Hebrew Manuscripts which

make Up The 39 Books of the Old Testament. 200 BC: Completion of the Septuagint Greek Manuscripts which

contain The 39 Old Testament Books AND 14 Apocrypha Books.

1st Century AD: Completion of All Original Greek Manuscripts which make Up The 27 Books of the New Testament.


Timeline390 AD: Jerome's Latin Vulgate Manuscripts Produced which

contain 80 Books (39 Old Test. + 14 Apocrypha + 27 New Test).

500 AD: Scriptures have been Translated into Over 500 Languages.

600 AD: LATIN was the Only Language Allowed for Scripture. 995 AD: Anglo-Saxon (Early Roots of English Language)

Translations of The New Testament Produced.


Timeline 1384 AD: Wycliffe is the First Person to Produce a (Hand-Written)

manuscript Copy of the Complete Bible in English (80 Books). Wycliffe had no access to Greek or Hebrew manuscripts and was thus totally reliant on the fourth century Latin translation of St. Jerome.

1455 AD: Gutenberg Invents the Printing Press; Books May Now be mass-produced Instead of Individually Hand-Written. The First Book Ever Printed is Gutenberg's Bible in Latin.

1516 AD: Erasmus Produces a Greek/Latin Parallel New Testament. 1522 AD: Martin Luther's German New Testament.


Timeline 1526 AD: William Tyndale's New Testament; The First New

Testament to be Printed in the English Language. (Worms edition)

1530 AD: Tyndale's translation of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament is Printed.

1531 AD: Tyndale's translation of the Book of Jonah is Printed. 1534 AD: Tyndale's revised New Testament is Printed.


Timeline1535 AD: Myles Coverdale's Bible; The First Complete Bible to

be printed in the English Language (80 Books: O.T. & N.T. & Apocrypha).

1537 AD: Matthews Bible; The Second Complete Bible to be Printed in English. Done by John "Thomas Matthew" Rogers (80 Books).

1539 AD: The "Great Bible" Printed; The First English Language Bible to be Authorized for Public Use (80 Books).

1560 AD: The Geneva Bible Printed; The First English Language Bible to Add Numbered Verses to Each Chapter (80 Books).


Timeline1568 AD: The Bishops Bible Printed; The Bible of which the King

James was a Revision (80 Books). 1609 AD: The Douay Old Testament is added to the Rheimes

New Testament (of 1582) Making the First Complete English Catholic Bible; Translated from the Latin Vulgate (80 Books).

1611 AD: The King James Bible Printed; Originally with 80 Books. The Apocrypha was Officially Removed in 1885 Leaving 66 Books.


The Men who shaped history

JeromeMonks & Friars – good & bad news?WyclifLutherTyndaleCoverdale


Jerome

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Domenico_Ghirlandaio_-_St_Jerome_in_his_study.jpg


Old English translation – pre 1066

Lots of ‘bits’ of gospels, psalms and parts of OT• Venerable Bede – gospel of John 735• King Alfred 900 Ten commandments &

Pentateuch• Lindisfarne, Rushworth, 950-970• Wessex gospels 990


Lindisfarne Gospel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:LindisfarneFol27rIncipitMatt.jpg


1066

Invasion by Normans and hangers onMuch greater ‘church’ controlEnd of Saxon languageFrench was main language for 200 yrsMixture of French and vernacular formed

Middle English


Middle English translation1066 -1500

A sterile time• The Ormulum 1150 written in the style of

Latin poetry but in an east midlands dialect of Danelaw, by a monk Orm

• Consists of a gospel paraphrase followed by exegesis – an explanation

• It was to be listened to – a bit like a daily devotion


Bourne Abbey


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Orrmulum.jpg


Background to Nativity

Forrþrihht anan se time comm þatt ure Drihhtin wolldeben borenn i þiss middellærd forr all mannkinne nedehe chæs himm sone kinnessmenn all swillke slum he wollde& whær he wollde borenn ben he chæs all att hiss wille.

As soon as the time camethat our Lord wantedto be born in this middle-earthfor the sake of all mankind,at once he chose kinsmen for himself,all just as he wanted,and he decided that he would be bornexactly where he wished.


Richard Rolle (c.1300 – 1349)(the Hermit of Hampole)

• The fire of love• Psalter & canticles• Gastly gladnesse• The mending of life• They joy be in the love of

Jesus• Died 1349

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Richard_Rolle.jpg


Thy Joy be in the Love of Jesus

In Cryst þou cast þi thoght, þou hate all wreth and pryde. And thynk how he þe boght with woundes depe and wyde.When þou hymself hase soght, wele þe sal betyde.Of ryches rek þe noght, fra hell bot he þe hyde.


Wyclif (1320 – 84)


Wycliff (or Wycliffe)

The Morning Star of the Reformation in England• Openly challenged papal authority• 1378 Tract - the truth of holy scripture• “official” interpretation of the Bible not

necessary• …let every man, wisely, with much prayer and

great study..read the words of God in the Holy Scriptures


Wycliff – 5 rules for Bible Study

• Obtain reliable text• Understand the logic of scripture• Compare parts of scripture with each other• Maintain an attitude of humble seeking• Receive the instruction of the Spirit


Wycliff’s Bible

• Produced in 1380’s• Hand written and had to be copied• Help from John Purvey & Nicholas of Hereford• Into the hands of rich and poor alike• Translated from Latin Vulgate• Great use of vernacular – language of the time


Wycliff’s Bible

Pocket sized copyJohn’s gospel

‘In þe bigynnyng was/þe word & þe word/was at god/& god was/þe word.’

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Wycliffe_John_Gospel.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Wycliffe_John_Gospel.jpg


Psalm 22The title of the two and twentithe salm. `The salm, ether the

song of Dauid.1 The Lord gouerneth me, and no thing schal faile to me;2 in the place of pasture there he hath set me. He nurschide me

on the watir of refreischyng;3 he conuertide my soule. He ledde me forth on the pathis of

riytfulnesse; for his name.4 For whi thouy Y schal go in the myddis of schadewe of deeth; Y

schal not drede yuels, for thou art with me. Thi yerde and thi staf; tho han coumfortid me.

5 Thou hast maad redi a boord in my siyt; ayens hem that troblen me. Thou hast maad fat myn heed with oyle; and my cuppe, `fillinge greetli, is ful cleer.

6 And thi merci schal sue me; in alle the daies of my lijf. And that Y dwelle in the hows of the Lord; in to the lengthe of daies.


Wycliff’s ‘evangelical’ men


Wycliff’s ‘evangelical’ men

The ‘poor priests’ as they were called• Lived simple lives, shunning wealth• They preached from the Bible• Brought understanding and comfort• Wycliff wrote tracts and sermons for them to

use



Wycliffe – many ‘trials’


Wycliffe @ Lutterworth


Wycliff as described by Chaucer in the Canterbury Tale

A kindly priest took the journey tooHe was a scholar, learned,wise, and trueAnd rich in holiness though poor in goldA gentle priest; whenever he was toldThat poor folks could not meet their tithes that

year


Wycliff as described by Chaucer in the Canterbury Tale

He paid them up himself; for priests, it’s clearCould be content with little, in God’s wayHe lived Christ’s Gospel; truly every dayAnd taught his flock, and preached what Christ had said


Wycliff and the Word

He had a child like faith in the scriptures and hissubmission to God’s word brought him revelation of all the major doctrines – including justification by faith.

For Wycliff the Bible was the WORD of God


The Pope’s wrath – bibles burnt


Wycliffe – exhumed 1428

His bones burnt and the ashes cast into the brook Swift

"The Avon to the Severn runs,the Severn to the sea,And Wyclif's dust shall spread abroad,wide the waters be."

Thomas Fuller


Wycliff – everyday phrases


Wycliffe – his legacyMorning star of the ReformationPolitical and Theological GiantHis wisdom averted an English ‘Inquisition’Sound challenge to the established churchThe first complete English BibleHE sowed the seed of translation – that all should be able to

read the scriptures in their own languageHe was HATED for his new found faith


Gutenberg invents printing

• Lived in Mainz• Printed in Strasbourg• Bible in Latin 1455• Big demand• Huge leap in technology• Major impact on learning

and religion


Copy on paper …..on vellum


William Caxton• Merchant• Brought printing to England• First English book 1476• Printed in English not Latin• The Golden Legend• The book of the knight in

the tower


William CaxtonThe Golden LegendPrinted 1483

A mix of legends and Bible Stories – a popular work

•


The Golden LegendThe History of Noah

The first Sunday in Sexagesima.

After that Adam was dead, died Eve and was buried by him. At the beginning, in the first age, the people lived long. Adam lived nine hundred and thirty years, and Methuselah lived nine hundred and sixty-nine years. Saint Jerome saith that he died the same year that the flood was. Then Noah was the tenth from Adam in the generation of Seth, in whom the first age was ended. The seventy interpreters say that this first age dured two thousand two hundred and forty-four years. Saint Jerome saith not fully two thousand, and Methodius full two thousand, etc.


Caxton typeface


Caxton commemorated


Erasmus

In his Treatise on Preparation For Death he made clear his position, that faith in the atonement of Christ, and not in the sacraments and rituals of the church, is the only guarantee of eternal life.He prepared new Latin and Greek editions of the New Testament.


Erasmus

Throughout his life, he was offered many positionsof honour and profit throughout the academicworld but declined them all, preferring the uncertain but sufficient rewards of independent literary activity.


Erasmus

While in England Erasmus began the systematic examination of manuscripts of the New Testament to prepare for a new edition and Latin translation.He published his edition of the Greek New Testament in 1516 using recently discovered manuscripts


Erasmus

"laid the egg that hatched theReformation."

His translation revealed enormous discrepanciesin Vulgate’s integrity


Martin Luther

Translated NewTestament into German from Erasmus’ Greek/Latin NT and published it in 1522


Tyndale (1484 - 1536)


The times of William TyndaleThe people relied ‘on the merit of their own works toward their justification, such as pilgrimages to images, kneeling, kissing, and cursing of them, as well as many other hypocritical works in their store of religion; there being marts or markets of merits, full of holy relics, images, shrines, and works of superstition, ready to be sold; and all things they had were called holy: holy cowls, holy girdles, holy pardons, holy beads, holy shoes, holy rules.


The times of William TyndaleThe moral and intellectual condition of the clergy can scarcely be described. Their power over the masses was complete. Decency was thrown aside, and morality unknown. Brothels were kept in London for the especial use of the priesthood. The confessional was abused, and profligacy was all but universal. … The moral state of the people under such teaching was almost beyond conception.


The times of William Tyndale

• Columbus discovered America (1424)• Vasco de Gama sailed to India (1438)• By 1439 Spanish Inquisition had burnt 8,800• 1492 500,000 Jews expelled from Spain• Great persecution of Christians on the

continent eg in Bohemia and the Waldensians


The Popes

• Sixtus IV (1471-1484) established houses of prostitution in Rome.

• Innocent VIII (1484-1492) had seven illegitimate children

• Alexander VI (1492-1503) lived with a Spanish lady and her daughter, and reveled in the grossest forms of debauchery.

• All ruled with absolute power


Tyndale’s early life

• Lived in Gloucestershire• Well educated at Oxford & Cambridge• Fluent in 7 languages• At Oxford – “singularly addicted to the study

of the Scriptures”• At Cambridge preached the Gospel of

repentance to fellow students


Tyndale – his passion

A Catholic priest had stated that "we are better without God’s laws than the pope’s." Tyndale replied "If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth a plough shall know more of the Scriptures than thou doest."


Tyndale translates

• It is illegal to translate the BIBLE in England• Moved to London – turned down by Bishop of

London• Moves to Germany and then translates and

keeps moving as he is found out• The New Testament is ready for printing in

1525


Tyndale prints the Bible

• 1525 – first print sheets come off the press and he is found out and has to flee from Cologne

• 1525 completes 2nd smaller edition in Worms• Sent hidden in merchant bails to England that

winter – London. Oxford & Cambridge amongst great expectation

• Arrives late 1525


Persecution begins

• Cardinal Wolsey announces in Feb 1526 that all the NTs are to be seized in simultaneous raids in London, Oxford and Cambridge

• Many burnings throughout Britain• Of 18000 printed one ONE complete version

remains• Prisons overflow with people caught reading

the BIble


Persecution continues

• It is The Pope and Catholic Church that orchestrate the persecution

• King Henry enlists the help of rulers on the Continent to hunt out Tyndale New Testaments before they reach Britain

• The Catholics buy a whole consignment before it is printed to destroy thereby paying Tyndale’s debts and financing the next printing!


The WORD spreads!

• 1526/7 there is crop failure in England so flour must be imported

• With the flour comes New Testaments!• Increasing persecution follows• 1534 Henry VIII breaks with Rome, but he

remains a Catholic• Tyndale works on the whole BIBLE


Tyndale’s New Testament •


Tyndale is strangled and burnt


Tyndale's last prayer

At his death Tyndale prayed,

"Lord, open the king of England’s eyes."

He didn’t live to complete his translation of the Bible – that was done by his two helpersMyles Coverdale and John Rogers


Coverdale (1488-1569)


The Coverdale BIBLE• Printed Oct 4 1535• Used Tyndale’s works, some from Luther and from Latin• Licensed by the King in 1537• In 1539 Coverdale is hired by Thomas Cranmer (Archbishop of

Canterbury) to produce the “Great Bible” authorised for public use, and a copy chained to the pulpit of each church

• 1550s Coverdale escapes to Geneva


Coverdale Bible


John Rogers (Thomas Matthew)died 4.2.1555

John-Rogers-Thomas-Matthew.gif


Matthew’s Bible

• 1537 John Rogers completes the 2nd English Bible and prints it abroad

• Consists of Tyndale’s NT and Pentateuch, some Coverdale and his own translation

• Known at the Matthews Bible• John Rogers burns at the stake 1555


Geneva Bible• In Geneva refugees gathered led

by Myles Coverdale and John Foxe• Met with John Calvin and John Knox• Worked to produce the Geneva Bible 1560• It had verse numbers (the first)• It was a ‘study’ Bible• Shakespeare quoted it extensively• Bible of choice for 100 years for true Christians• First printed in England 1575


The Geneva Bible - 1555


The Bishop’s Bible

• Under Elizabeth I the Anglican Church tolerated the Geneva Bible but found it ‘inflammatory’ (!)

• Issued in 1573 by Archbishop Parker and others• To be in every cathedral and home of church

dignitaries • The treacle Bible Jeremiah viii-22, which

reads: "Is there no tryacle in Gilead?"


The Douai Rheims Bible

• Published in the 1580s by the Roman Catholic Church

• Translated from the Vulgate with all its errors• Dr Fulke of Cambridge published a parallel

Bible – Fulke’s Refutation Roman/English


Translation to end all translations!

The New Testament of the King James Version was translated from the Received Text (Textus Receptus), called so because most extant texts of the time were in agreement with it. The Old Testament of the King James Version is translated from the Masoretic Hebrew Text.


The Authorised Version

• Published 1611• King James didn’t like the

Geneva• He lifted the death penalty for

translation• Translated by committee• To be read in Churches• A high literary style – to sound

good• 90% Tyndale!


King James

The King James Version of the Bible grew out of the king's distaste for the brief but potent doctrinal commentaries in the Geneva. He considered the marginal notes to be a political threat to his kingdom.


King James – his objections

• Exodus 1:9 a margin note claimed Hebrew midwives were correct in disobeying the Egyptian king's orders

• A note for 2 Chronicles 15:16 said that King Asa should have had his mother executed and not merely deposed for the crime of worshipping an idol.


King James – his objections

• The Geneva Bible was outspokenly anti-Roman Catholic

• The anti-Roman Catholic sentiment is most evident in the Book of Revelation: "The beast that cometh out of the bottomless pit (Rev. 11:7) is the Pope, which hath his power out of hell and cometh thence."



The King James version

• The most printed book in history• Profound effect on literature• Paved the way for translation into other

tongues• Most modern translation to people groups is

by the Wycliffe Bible Translators and the Summer institute of Linguistics


Click to edit Master text styles– Second level

Third level– Fourth level

Fifth level

Click to edit Master text styles– Second level

Third level– Fourth level

Fifth level

•1st Ed. King James (1611): "For God so loued the world, that he gaue his only begotten Sonne: that whosoeuer beleeueth in him, should not perish, but haue euerlasting life." •Rheims (1582): "For so God loued the vvorld, that he gaue his only-begotten sonne: that euery one that beleeueth in him, perish not, but may haue life euerlasting" •Geneva (1560): "For God so loueth the world, that he hath geuen his only begotten Sonne: that none that beleue in him, should peryshe, but haue euerlasting lyfe." •Great Bible (1539): "For God so loued the worlde, that he gaue his only begotten sonne, that whosoeuer beleueth in him, shulde not perisshe, but haue euerlasting lyfe." •Tyndale (1534): "For God so loveth the worlde, that he hath geven his only sonne, that none that beleve in him, shuld perisshe: but shuld have everlastinge lyfe." •Wycliff (1380): "for god loued so the world; that he gaf his oon bigetun sone, that eche man that bileueth in him perisch not: but haue euerlastynge liif," •Anglo-Saxon Proto-English Manuscripts (995 AD): “God lufode middan-eard swa, dat he seade his an-cennedan sunu, dat nan ne forweorde de on hine gely ac habbe dat ece lif."


2 Timothy 3:16,17

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Spiritual

How We Got Our The English Bible