Can anyone tell me the reason why JW.ORG has never mentioned this book: The Obedience of a Christian man, by William Tyndale? I mean, they talk and write articles about his translation of The Bible, about him being against the pope, etc. So, why didn't I ever read or hear about this interesting book?
An interesting book
by joao 8 Replies latest watchtower bible
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neat blue dog
Maybe they don't like the parts where Tyndale decries the church's "intrusion into daily life" and how it "actively distorts scripture to fulfill its own needs".
Maybe it's because, regarding the scriptures, he called out the church's fear that "every man would interpret it for himself".
Perhaps the bit about "tangling of any man's conscience and....pain of excommunication" that hit close to home.
Or it might be the simple idea that "every Christian has a direct relationship with God....a Christian's own salvation is within him".
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joao
@neat blue dog
Yes, I think it might be something along that line...
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no-zombie
The GB has two problems with Tyndale. But by extension these problems (when you think about it) also extends to all the literally hundreds of Bible translators and copyists of times long past. And this is ... as correctly mentioned by NBD, the contradiction exists between the Watchtower praising him for his efforts in translating the Bible into English on one hand, and ... his personal view of doing so to allow the common man to read and more importantly to understand it's words for himself.
This obviously is a issue for the Governing Body, will resist any lessening of their authority over their respective peoples. Which in some ways is understandable.
However for Witnesses a secondary problem arises. Tyndale and the many others were not members of the true Church. Conversely, if it was deemed that they were apart of the 144000 ... their other writings and action would have more weight or at least give the Writing Committee, more to explain away.
Thus it is more convenient, to put these ones in a kind of theological limbo, because direct and full acceptance of these fine Christians and their works, might reduce the GBs claim that the Catholic Church is part of the Anti-Christ and also weaken their 'us vs them' ideology.
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Earnest
The Watchtower of 15 November 1995 has an article William Tyndale - a Man of Vision in which it refers to The Obedience of a Christian Man :
Between 1526 and 1528, Tyndale moved to Antwerp, where he could feel safe among the English merchants. There he wrote The Parable of the Wicked Mammon, The Obedience of a Christian Man, and The Practice of Prelates. Tyndale continued his translating work and was the first to use God’s name, Jehovah, in an English translation of the Hebrew Scriptures.
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joao
NZ and Earnest,
I believe that the GB would have many problems explaining Tyndale's true vision of religion! :) That's why it seems that there isn't any profound reference to that book. In the end, that book was one of the reasons why the English church broke with the Vatican! It would also lead people to think that they would need to break up with the GB.
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Earnest
joao : In the end, that book was one of the reasons why the English church broke with the Vatican!
The reason the English church broke with the Vatican was because Henry VIII wanted to annul his marriage and marry Anne Boleyn, and the Pope refused.
Amongst other things, the book advocated the ideology that the King of a country was the head of that country's church, instead of the Vatican. Anne Boleyn owned a copy and asked Henry to read it, so no doubt the book influenced his justification in declaring himself to be head of the Church of England. But there is little doubt he would have broken with Rome anyway.
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no-zombie
While I haven't researched my thought thoroughly, I believe that most church schisms historically develop due to the general realization of its overreach into the lives of its followers, either through excessive control through theological obedience or by a taxation of some kind. Sadly new break-away faiths, typically follow the same path as their parents and ultimately become as demanding as it predecessors. Just as Russel said ... "Religion is a snare and a racket"
(ed. note here that Russel was trying to disgusting the difference between Religion and Faith)
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ExBethelitenowPIMA
They always said he was 144k
it doesn’t make any sense because they say there were thousands in the first century and then there were many Bible translators and other through the centuries who were burned alive and other things who are part of the 144k
now there are many many thousands in the last few hundred years and they are still reporting tens of thousands who take the emblems today