"I find him always singing one note."

- Stephen Vaughan, speaking of William Tyndale

Stephen Vaughan was a British merchant and a favorite of King Henry VIII. In 1531, he was commissioned by Thomas Cromwell, the king's advisor, to track down William Tyndale and bring him back to England, where the king would be inclined to offer him "mercy, pity, and compassion." Tyndale had been in exile from his homeland due to his avowed pledge to provide a Bible in English so that every literate person could encounter God in his word. Vaughan found Tyndale living in Germany and wrote the famous quote above in a letter addressed to the king. The "one note" that Tyndale sang? The Bible in English. Once, many years prior, when a Catholic scholar was dining with Tyndale and heard of his plans to translate the Greek New Testament into English, he declared, "Good sir! We would be better off without God's law than to be without the Pope's law." In response, Tyndale said, "I defy the Pope and all his laws...if God spares my life, as I live, the plowboy shall know more of the Scriptures than he does."

Tyndale was good to his word. He translated the entire New Testament into English for the very first time in 1526, smuggling it into England in bales of cloth. He died for that act in 1536, burned at the stake for providing God's word to every man and woman in England. His last words were "Lord! Open the King of England's eyes!" He was forty-two years old.

Today, almost 500 years later, we enjoy the Scriptures in English in more versions than in any other language known to mankind. And although the Catholic Church denounced the practice of translating from the Greek or Latin into the common languages then, it fully embraced the practice within a hundred years of Tyndale. He was the spark that lit the flame of Bible translation—sadly, literally. The word of God that he translated has proven to be not only true, but fully sufficient to accomplish the goal for which it was written—to reveal God to humankind and to quicken the hearts and minds of those who read it unto salvation. Its own words prove true, For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it (Isa. 55:10-11). The word from God’s mouth is received by us via his Spirit in the inspired Scriptures.

Our “Bible and Life” class is designed to help you see and understand the big picture of those Scriptures. The class is available 2^nd service each Sunday morning in rooms 102-103. It is led primarily by Pastor Nate, but you will occasionally find a guest leader as well. The content is rich and applicable for middle-schoolers through adult learners. I highly recommend it to you, along with Pastor Nate’s Sunday evening book studies and, just around the corner, our Tuesday and Wednesday evening studies.

I recognize that not everyone will be able to participate. Such is always the case. However, chances are very good that you own a Bible, and the word of God remains “living and active” whether you are reading it at home on your own or studying it in a corporate setting in the church facility. People like Tyndale and many others died to make the Scriptures available to us. It is worth our time and effort to read and study them. If you do not own a Bible and cannot afford to purchase one, please see me or any other pastor/elder, and we will get one into your hands quickly.

My hope and prayer is that others will find us "always singing one note" at LifePoint. Preaching, teaching, and studying the word of God and the good news it proclaims to Indianapolis and beyond.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Jym