David Teems’ book, Tyndale:
The Man Who Gave God an English Voice is both eloquent and enlightening.
Not only was the Bible not available in plain English for anyone to read, but
those who were able to read it in its original languages found themselves in
great danger—danger of imprisonment, torture and death. Such was the case of
William Tyndale to whom we owe our quintessential English Bible. He became an archenemy
to the religious establishment because he set out to translate the Bible into
plain English.
Tyndale,
a strong believer who loved God’s Word with a passion, drew directly from the
original Hebrew
and Greek texts to translate the Bible into contemporary English. He took advantage
of the then “modern” printing
press and was the first to
produce the new English Bibles of the Reformation. However, this
translation—and the fact that the average man could read it and understand
it—posed a threat to the despotic Roman Catholic
Church and the church's position on many things as a whole.
David Teems, an articulate writer, depicts the austerity of manipulative
religion overshadowing fifteenth century society in England and her surrounding
European countries. Teems brings William Tyndale’s character to life as he
describes his lifestyle, convictions, and deep love for the Bible. We almost
hear Tyndale’s heartbeat and follow his thought processes as he carefully
weighs which word to use, even which expression to choose so that the Bible
make sense to the then-modern reader. And Tyndale nailed it!—so much so that
much of the King James Bible was taken from Tyndale’s translation.
Teems quotes Scriptures throughout his writing, masterfully
bringing the reader into the word-weighing process. He compares the language to
Shakespearean English and other sources to show how carefully Tyndale crafted
his translation to reflect the original intent and still make it tangible to
the English reader. Tyndale was relentless and took great pains not to deviate
from the original texts. And he showed great devotion to his Lord and Savior in
the process—something that cost him his life.
More than just a biography of William Tyndale’s inspiring
life, Tyndale: The Man Who Gave God an
English Voice is also a recount of the backdrop for the ushering in of the
Reformation. For those who want to understand history and how the original
English Bible was birthed, this book makes for passionate reading. But be
careful. It is no light reading matter.
Thomas Nelson
publishers released Tyndale: The Man Who Gave God An English Voice in January 2012,
and recently claimed top place on Amazon.com.
For more information about Teems and Tyndale: The Man Who Gave God An English Voice, visit davidteems.com or thomasnelson.com/tyndale.html.
This article will also appear in Assist News Service.
Janey DeMeo M.A.
Copyright © December 2016
