Erasmus of Rotterdam contributed to the Reformation history and biblical scholarship with his magnum opus on the New Testament. In 1516, he published the first edition of his Greek and Latin translation of the New Testament, Novum Instrumentum Omne. This book is generally regarded as a significant stimulus to the English Reformation, inasmuch as it provided scholars and theologians with a more direct and unmediated translation of Bible works, challenging the authority of the Latin Vulgate, which had been the common version used by the Catholic Church for many centuries.

Erasmus was among the leading figures of the Northern Renaissance, famous for his humanist philosophy and enthusiasm for a return to the original sources of Christian teaching. His translation of the New Testament was from Greek manuscripts rather than relying solely on the Latin Vulgate. This was an innovative step as the Latin version, employed over a thousand years, contained numerous errors resultant from centuries of copying and translation inconsistencies. Erasmus' efforts made it possible for scholars and reformers to contrast the original Greek texts with the traditional Church Latin Bible, raising issues about theological accuracy and church dogma.

Before he published his first edition in 1516, Erasmus was a visiting scholar at Cambridge University in England. Erasmus' stay at Cambridge exposed several English scholars to his humanist philosophy and reform ideas. One such scholar inspired by Erasmus was William Tyndale, who later translated the Bible into English on a large scale, making extensive use of Erasmus' Greek New Testament. Erasmus himself left Cambridge in 1514, continuing to refine and perfect his biblical translations.

In 1519, Erasmus printed a second edition of his Greek New Testament, to which he then gave the name Novum Testamentum. This edition refined mistakes and read more smoothly, making it all the more significant among scholars and theologians. The second edition is particularly notable because it was one of the primary sources used for Martin Luther's German translation of the Bible and for Tyndale's English translation, both of whom were influential participants in the Protestant Reformation.

Erasmus' scholarly work, particularly his Greek New Testament, broke with orthodox church doctrine and gave rise to religious reform efforts in Europe. His work was centered on the necessity of returning to original biblical sources, a premise that became the basis of Reformation theology. Even though Erasmus himself was committed to reforming the Church from within and not leaving it, his translations and writings influenced Protestant reformers significantly, and therefore he is regarded as one of the most influential figures in the making of early modern Christianity.