Chapter 5: God's Word Into English
Sections:
1. Timeline of the English Bibles
Progression of the Bibles
English Bibles have been in agreement with each other and the RECEIVED TEXT from the Gothic to the KJV.
The Wycliffe Bible.
John Wycliffe translated a hand written copy of the complete Bible into English. This project took several years to complete which was finished approximately in 1380.
The Wycliffe Bible predates Erasmus Greek NT so he could not have had access to it. Yet the Wycliffe Bible is in perfect harmony with Erasmus' Greek NT indicating that the then common received Greek text available to Wycliffe was the same commonly received text which was the basis for Erasmus' Greek NT.
Wycliffe also used the original language manuscripts of Hebrew and Greek.
Wycliffe did not use the corrupt Latin Vulgate as the basis for his translation.
The Catholic Church tried many times unsuccessfully to stop the work of Wycliffe.
The Tyndale New Testament
Tyndale also followed the Pre-Wycliffe and Wycliffe Bibles closely. The Wording of the Tyndale NT is similar to that of the Wycliffe Bible.
In 1525-1526 the Tyndale New Testament became the first printed edition of the Scripture in the English language. There are two copies still in existence today of this Tyndale first edition NT.
Tyndale used the very simple popular language of the people. Tyndale himself realized there would one day be a need for a fuller translation with deeper vocabulary.
A law punishable by death was enacted in 1530 that forbid owning or selling an English Bible. Foxe describes person after person, burned at the stake for owning the Scriptures in English.
Tyndale's final prayer before he was burned at the stake in October of 1536 was: O Lord, open the King of England's eyes. This prayer would be answered just three years later in 1539, when King Henry VIII finally allowed, and even funded, the printing of an English Bible known as the Great Bible.
The Coverdale Bible
Myles Coverdale had worked with Tyndale on the OT Translation into English. Coverdale finished translating the OT and in 1535 he printed the first complete Bible in the English language.
THIS WAS THE FIRST COMPLETE BIBLE TO BE PRINTED IN ENGLISH!
The Coverdale Bible consisted of Tyndale's NT and the portions of the OT that were completed by Tyndale. It was the work of Tyndale with Coverdale finishing the uncompleted portions of the OT.
Coverdale who worked with Tyndale also used the Pre-Wycliffe and Wycliffe Bibles. The Coverdale Bible is in agreement with earlier English Bibles and the KJV.
The Great Bible
This was the first English Bible authorized for public use. Coverdale was hired by Cranmmer the Archbishop of Canterbury at the request of Henry VIII to publish a Bible.
It was called the Great Bible due to its size. It was a pulpit version measuring over 14 inches tall. It was published in 1539.
It was not just a reprint of the Coverdale Bible. Coverdale polished and refined the Tyndale Bible. The Great Bible was another step to the KJV.
The Geneva Bible
The Geneva Bible is so named because it was produced in Geneva by exiles from England. It was published in 1560.
It was based on Tyndale's Bible and is almost identical to the KJV.
The Geneva Bible was the first Bible taken to America. It was the Bible of the Puritans and Pilgrims. It is truly the Bible of the Protestant Reformation.
The flaw of the Geneva Bible was the marginal notes were written by John Calvin and his assistants. The notes are strong Calvinistic and promote the false doctrines of eternal security and the predestination.
The Bishops' Bible
Archbishop Parker along with other bishops produced in 1568 what is referred to as the Bishops' Bible. It is so called because it was produced by the Bishops of the Church of England.
The Bishops' Bible was produced to conform to the structure of the Church of England, and to stand against the false notes of Calvinism contained in the Geneva Bible.
It followed the common English translation. Most of the text is Tyndale's and it is very similar to the KJV.
The Bishops' Bible improved on the word order of earlier versions. The words were the same, but syntax was improved for clarity. This Bible was one of the main sources for the KJV.
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