Jym Shorts

Jym Shorts - June 30, 2016

by Jym Gregory on June 30, 2016

Englishmen learn Christ's law best in English. Moses heard God's law in his own tongue; so did Christ's apostles. -John Wycliffe

In the year 1428, forty-four years after the death of John Wycliffe, his bones were dug up, ground into ashes, and thrown unceremoniously into the river Swift. Such was the guile that was held by some for this man of God, four decades after his passing.

Wycliffe was born in 1330 on a sheep farm in what was known as the "hinterlands" of England - rural byways occupied only by farmers, shepherds, and those who wanted to be away from people. Wycliffe, however, did not want to remain in the hinterlands, so he studied hard and then left for Oxford University in 1346. Wycliffe would eventually become known as the preeminent theologian at Oxford, and his popularity as a writer and preacher eventually brought him into direct conflict with the Roman Church and the pope himself. By almost any historical standard, Wycliffe was the first of the great reformers, and his teachings led directly to the Reformation ignited by the German firebrand Martin Luther some 150 years later.

Although Wycliffe was concerned about a great many issues dealing with theology, the church, and a life in Christ, he is best known for his decision to translate the Bible into English, much to the chagrin of the reigning church leadership in Rome. He believed that every Christian should have access to the Scriptures (translations in Latin were then available, but generally speaking, only scholars read and understood Latin). Against the teaching of the church, Wycliffe set out to translate the Scriptures into English from the Latin Vulgate, and although he died before his work was fully complete, with the help of his good friend John Purvey, the "Wycliffe Bible" was copied and sent out to a waiting world. Although copies of Wycliffe's Bible were sought out by church authorities and burned when found, it was preserved and in use for over a century. His translation greatly influenced William Tyndale, who made the first printed translation of the New Testament in English in 1525 at the cost of his own life.

Wycliffe was a Christian who believed that God's word conveyed in the Scriptures was the highest authority on earth. Even the pope and the church were second in authority to the Scriptures. Such thinking (and saying) could get a person into quite a fix in 14th century Europe. Never dissuaded by men, however, Wycliffe not only continued his translation but also spoke out against what he saw as the abuses of the church in his day, including the sale of indulgences for the remission of sins, the view of "transubstantiation" that the church held in regard to the Lord's Supper, and keeping the laity in the dark in relation to their understanding of salvation through faith in Christ. Wycliffe said: “Trust wholly in Christ; rely altogether on his suffering; beware of seeking to be justified in any other way than by his righteousness.” These concepts became the rallying cry of the impending Reformation, all from the mouth of this humble pastor/theologian more than a century before they would shake the world from the mouth of Luther.

More than anything, Wycliffe was a man of God. Willing to put his own comfort and reputation aside in defense of the truth, he spoke out boldly not only against corruption in the church, which was rampant in his day, but also against pastors and priests who refused to live holy and exemplary lives before their congregations. Wycliffe believed that pastors should live humble lives of simplicity, shepherding their flocks in the truth of God's word and in holiness, not plundering them like thieves. For such radical thinking (along with many other ideas considered radical in his day), Wycliffe was declared a heretic and hounded by the official church, ending finally in the desecration of his bones. However, burning a dead man's bones cannot end his influence. As John Foxe said in his book of martyrs: Though they dug up his body, burnt his bones, and drowned his ashes, yet the Word of God and the truth of his doctrine they could not burn; which yet to this day doth remain.

John Wycliffe is but a memory to us today, forgotten by most, while vaguely remembered by a few dusty historians. Yet his work and his ministry greatly impacted those whose lives and ministries are better known to us - particularly those of us who are evangelical Protestants. He lived and died for Christ, and we remain better off today because he worked so hard so many years ago.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Jym

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