John Wycliffe and his followers played a significant role in the history of Bible translation as they embarked on the gigantic job of translating the sacred book from Latin to English. Their endeavor was one of the earliest attempts to make the Scriptures available to the English population. In the 14th century, Latin was the language of the clergy and the Church, and as it was difficult for common men and women, particularly those who were not Latin-educated, to read and understand the teaching of the Bible, it placed them at a disadvantage. Wycliffe and his followers strongly believed that the Word of God must not be kept for the Church's elite but shared by everyone, from field workers laboring in the fields to the plowman who plowed his oxen.
Most of this translation work is believed to have been carried out at Oxford, where Wycliffe had served as a theologian and scholar. A group of dedicated individuals, who saw Wycliffe's vision, undertook the task of translating the Latin Vulgate Bible into English. Their drive came from a desire to see the Christian faith increase in the multitudes, so people could develop an immediate connection to the Scriptures with no mediators. They believed that personal engagement with the Word of God would allow individuals to discover spiritual truth and guidance for themselves.
Wycliffe's conviction that the Bible should be in the hands of every believer was a revolutionary idea during his day, since it defied the official policy of the Church. The Papacy believed that only the clergy possessed the necessary wisdom and authority to expound the Scriptures rightly. In Church doctrine, granting commoners the power to read and interpret the Bible for themselves could lead to misinterpretation, misunderstanding, and even to heresies. The clergy were also concerned that permitting people to interpret the Scriptures on their own would take away the clergy's authority and reduce the Church's hold on religious doctrines.
Despite resistance, Wycliffe and his followers continued to work on their translation because they believed divine truth should not be reserved for a select group of individuals but should be open to all at no cost. Bible translation into English was viewed as an effort to diminish the barriers that separate the clergy from the laity and therefore enable believers to gain a more personal and direct contact with their faith.
Wycliffe's Bible was ultimately introduced to the public. It was the first complete translation of the Bible into English, painstakingly copied by hand on vellum or calfskin sheets. Because the printing press had not yet been invented, each copy required tedious effort, which made the whole process extremely slow and time-consuming. Despite all these challenges, Wycliffe's Bible found its way into the hearts of the common people, and individuals could now read the Scriptures in their own language for the first time.
As expected, these efforts were vehemently rejected by the Church. Wycliffe's preachings and translations were labeled as heresy, and the Church tried to silence his voice. Many years after his death, adherents who were called the Lollards still spread copies of the English Bible, ensuring that his efforts continued.
The impact of Wycliffe's ministry was immense, setting the stage for future translations and finally the mass distribution of the Bible in English. His conviction that Scripture was available would later spur reformers like William Tyndale and Martin Luther, their impact shaping the history of Christianity for many centuries to come.
