Monday marked the 500th anniversary of William Tyndale’s first printed New Testament in English.

This milestone was celebrated by Anglicans worldwide and North American Lutherans, recognizing Tyndale’s pivotal role in making scripture accessible to ordinary people.

Tyndale introduced his work by saying, “I Haue translated (brethren and susters moost dere and tenderly beloued in Christ) the newe Testament for youre spirituall edyfyinge, consolacion, and solas.”

Born in the early 1490s in South Gloucestershire, Tyndale was educated at Oxford and ordained as a priest.

According to the Tyndale Society, he was influenced by early evangelical Lollards and European reformers like Martin Luther, and sought to translate the Bible from the original Greek into everyday English.

After being refused permission by the Bishop of London, Tyndale fled to mainland Europe.

In 1525, he printed the first fragment of his New Testament in Cologne, which was smuggled into England, giving people their first chance to read the gospel in their own language.

This “Cologne Fragment” contained the first 22 chapters of Matthew.

By 1526, Tyndale completed the full New Testament in Antwerp. His translation introduced theological terms that are still used today, such as Passover, atonement, and scapegoat.

Tyndale was betrayed in 1536, arrested, tried for heresy, and executed by burning.

Tradition records his final words as, “open the King of England’s eyes.”