The New Testament in English by Luther’s zealous contemporary Tyndale next caught our eye. It was condemned by the church about 1525 and had to be printed in Germany and smuggled into England. Why was it condemned? For one thing, Tyndale’s translation of Colossians 1:24 differed with Catholic dogma. He correctly translated the Greek word ekklesia, found in that verse, as “congregation” instead of “church.” In this way Tyndale avoided equating the body of Christian believers with the Catholic Church. The result? Censorship!

[Picture on page 11]

The strangling and burning of Tyndale, whose writings were censored by the church