The
light began to shine again in the 1300’s when John Wycliffe, the "Morning Star
of the Reformation," began to speak out against the abuses and false teachings
prevalent within the Church. An influential teacher at Oxford, Wycliffe was explelled from
his teaching position because of his outspoken stance. But Wycliffe was undaunted and
convinced that every man, woman, and child had the right to read God’s Word in their
own language. He knew that only the Scriptures could break the bondage that enslaved the
people and pierce the darkness covering the nations. He set out to translate the Bible out
of Latin into English- the language of the common man in northwestern Europe.
With the help of his followers, he completed his translation in 1382- the first English
translation of the Bible. But how to spread God’s Word? The printing press had not
yet been invented, and it took 10 months for one person to copy a single Bible by hand.
Wycliffe recruited a group of men that shared his passion for spreading God’s Word,
and they became known as "Lollards." Many Lollards left worldly
possessions behind and embraced an ascetic life-style, setting out across England dressed
in only basic clothing, a staff in one hand, and armed with an English Bible. They went
forth to preach and win England for Christ!
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| John Wycliffe sending the Lollards
out to preach- and to their deaths |
Page from a Wycliffe Bible, illuminated
manuscript, c. 1400 |
Wycliffe's bones exhumed and burned; woodcut c. 1590 |
Click on the image to see full-page
size |
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Lollards strangled and burned; woodcut c. 1590 |
Wycliffe Bibles are burned by orders of Church
clergy |
Click on the image to see full-page
size |
The Church clergy set out to destroy the itinerant preachers, passing laws against
their teaching and their Bibles. When the Lollards were caught they were tortured and
burned at the stake. A Lollard knew that when he received a Bible from John Wycliffe and
was sent out to preach, he was mostly likely going forth unto his own death. Yet these
brave men faced death in order to preach the Gospel and bring the Bible to
English-speaking peoples in their own language. Their courage was similar to that of the
Apostle Paul and Jesus’ disciples who also preached and spread God’s Word
despite persecution and martyrdom.
In 1384 Wycliffe died of a stroke, but the Lollards continued to preach. The Church
clergy made every effort to kill the Lollards and burn Wycliffe’s English Bibles. 44
years after his death, the Church clergy was still furious with Wycliffe and what he stood
for. The Pope had his bones dug up and, alone with some of Wycliffe’s writings, had
them burned and thrown into the River Swift. The Pope thought this act of desecration
would serve as a warning to anyone else who thought about translating the Bible into the
vernacular. But as historian Ken Connolly noted, just as Wycliffe’s ashes flowed down
the River Swift, to the English Channel, and eventually connecting to the world’s
oceans, so his influence has spread to every part of the earth.
Wycliffe’s Work Continues Today
Part VI: John Wycliffe
Did you know? Of
the world's nearly 2,000 least-evangelized peoples, about 560 have no vernacular
Scriptures. 
Wycliffe Bible
Translators is a non-profit organization with a mission of translating God’s Word
into every language.
