How to Approach the Scriptures

Reading Aright - An Exhortation from William Tyndale

This exhortation is from the preface of Tyndale’s Bible - the Worms octavo edition of 1526.  It is well worth reading and meditating at length over, expanding his exhortations in your own mind, as each paragraph has much to mull over.  I’ve taken the liberty of editing the older English slightly, just removing some of the distracting elements:

Give diligence that you come with a pure mind and, as the Scripture says, with a single eye unto the words of health and of eternal life, by the which (if we repent and believe them) we are born anew, created afresh, and enjoy the fruits of the blood of Christ. Which blood cries not for vengeance, as the blood of Abel did, but has purchased life, love, favor, grace, blessing and whatsoever is promised in the Scriptures to them that believe and obey God. This same blood strands between us and wrath, vengeance, curse, and all the Scripture threatens against the unbelievers and disobedient, which resist, and consent not in their hearts to the law of God - that it is right, holy, just, and ought so to be.

Mark the plain and manifest places of the Scriptures, and in doubtful places see that you add no interpretation contrary to them but, as Paul says, let all be conformable and agreeing to the faith.

Note the difference of the Law and of the Gospel. The Law asks and requires; the Gospel pardons and forgives. The one threatens; the other promises all good things to them that set their trust in Christ only. The Gospel signifies glad tidings, and is nothing but the promises of good things. All is not gospel that is written in the gospel book. For if the law were entirely absent, you could not know what the gospel meant. Even as you could not see pardon, favor, and grace except the law rebuked thee, and declared unto thee thy sin, misdeed, and trespass.

Repent and believe the gospel, as Christ says in the first of Mark. Apply always the Law to your deeds, whether you find eagerness to obey the law in the bottom of your heart or not,  and so shall you no doubt repent, and feel in yourself a certain sorrow, pain, and grief, because you cannot with full desire do the deeds of the law.  Apply the Gospel, that is to say the promises, unto the deserving of Christ, and to the mercy of God [unfailing love, tender mercy, lovingkindness] and his truth, and so you shall not despair but shall feel God as a kind and a merciful father. And his Spirit shall dwell in you, and shall be strong in you, and the promises shall be given you at the last (though not in perpetuity, lest you should forget yourself and be negligent) and all threatening shall be forgiven for Christ's blood's sake—to whom commit yourself altogether—without respect either of your good deeds or of your bad.

More on this great man and Christian martyr can be found at BibleResearcher.com.  I know I encourage my readers to “go and read” quite a bit here, but if you haven’t read of the life of this man, his martyrdom, and his work, I can’t recommend a more worthy use of your time outside of Holy Scripture itself as his life was the Scripture. The above site is an excellent launch pad, as is the William-Tyndale.com site.