John Wycliffe (1324-1384)

Write a short note on John Wycliffe.

John Wycliffe was an English preacher, writer and Bible translator who has been called ‘the morning star of the Reformation’. He gave the English speaking world its first Bible. He was born probably in 1324 in England and died on December 31, 1384. This was a period when great spiritual darkness lay across most of Europe. This brilliant man was used by God to influence greatly the spiritual life of England, and indeed much of Europe. He was well known throughout the Europe. His academic qualifications were highly valued by Oxford University and he was greatly respected for his tremendous learning. He was a catholic priest. He was very bold against the pope. He was the enemy of papacy. He was a great philosopher.

The Wycliffe Bible had a strong impact on the English language itself. Wycliffe was seriously tortured and victimized by the churchmen and their conspiracy. He began his attack on the Roman Church by exposing the wicked practices of the ‘begging friars’. They caused much harm to the people and it was this, which caused Wycliffe to speak out against them. At first he realizes the importance of the translation of the Bible. He believed that the translation of the Bible was absolutely essential. People had to be able to read God’s word in a language they could understand.