The Courage of Tyndale
The Courage of Tyndale – October 5, 2026
Today’s Readings: Proverbs 8:10-17; Psalm 15; James 1:19-27; John 12:44-50
How many Bibles do you have in your house? Maybe there is a family Holy Bible that has been passed down from generations, with loved one’s birthdates inscribed on the inside front cover, along with other important days to commit to memory. When I was a child, my mom passed down her King James Version Bible encased in white leather with a brass-colored metal zipper, protecting the wafer-thin pages tipped in gold.
With the advent of internet technologies and readily available search engines, in 2026 we can type a phrase – like “I have called you by name…” – and a list of possible citations from the Bible (and a myriad of other web sources) is generated in a fraction of a second.
Think about what it would be like to have no access to a Bible. What if the holy scriptures were solely read aloud by a priest, and the readings were not in your native tongue? Imagine if the only time you heard the scriptures explained was when referenced in a sermon. What would it be like if you could not read the psalms or the day’s epistle yourself?
Sitting in this wondering for a little while, the power of the Holy Bible is magnified for me. I think about how I would yearn to touch the pages…slowing down to pour, ponder, and pray over the words with my own eyes. There are many who paved the way for you and me to have access to God’s Holy Word.
In the Episcopal Church’s calendar of observances, William Tyndale is remembered on this day. Tyndale (1494-1536) was an Englishman, a priest (ordained in 1521), and a biblical scholar, known for translating much of the Hebrew and Greek texts of the Bible into English. It was a controversial, subversive thing to do – and he played a big role in the Protestant Reformation by doing this. Tyndale’s texts were the first English works reproduced on the printing press. The New Testament was finalized in 1526 and distributed widely in England; 18,000 were printed and today only 2 remain. The first complete Bible in English was printed by Miles Coverdale in 1535; he filled in some holes that Tyndale had not completed.
Risky business, these Bibles were seen as a direct challenge to the authority of the Roman Catholic church – and for a while King Henry VIII, too. Tyndale went into hiding across Europe to finish his translations and was eventually found. He was executed on October 6, 1536, for his heretical work of making the Word of God accessible to the people. William Tyndale’s dying words were “Lord, open the King of England's eyes“…and a short time later, this did happen. King Henry VIII licensed the 1537 edition of the Bible that largely reflected Tyndale’s work, though it is called the Coverdale Bible.
I tell you this historical tale today so that you and I slow down to appreciate the gift we receive when studying the Word with our own eyes and minds and hearts. Savor this gift. May God open you to hear and know the Good News this day. And, pass it on!
With God’s help,
Katherine+
Connections in Your Life
Today, hold a physical Bible and read some scripture dear to you – or scripture appointed for today. Give thanks to God that you can read these words with your eyes, hold the book in your hands, and understand the words in your native tongue. May the Holy Spirit inspire you through study this day.