These early translation were marred by erroneous inputs by the translators who were not in tune of the original spirit of the original writers.
These scholarly inputs turned the scriptures to wear the garbs of either Creek or Rome. This means that both Greek and Roman translators were planted many ideas in between the verses as against the religious consciences of the original writers. This submission cannot be rejected by any scriptural scholar who is armed with plain dictate of information and conscience.
As the church kept custody of the scriptures, it resisted all efforts by various scholars to translate the scriptures into other languages. Church leaders argue that Hebrew, Greek and Latin were the only suitable scriptural languages.
The church leaders anchored their argument from the writings of the Spanish Bishop Isidore of Seville (560-636 CE) that commented as “There are three sacred languages, Hebrew, Greek and Latin and they are supreme through all the word. For it was in these three languages that the charge against the saviour was written above the stake by Pilate”.
When some missionaries of the Eastern church (Orthodox) wanted to translate the scriptures into Slavic language, they met with fierce opposition from German priests, who insist on Latin scriptures.
Increasing oppositions between the Western and Eastern sections of Christendom gave rise to the division between Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox in 1054.
History bear that 1079 Vratislas, Duke of Bohemia sought for permission to use Slavonic on church services but the church did not honour the request rather the Pope Gregory VII responded with the following note “We cannot in any way grant this petition. It is evident to those who consider the matter carefully that it pleased God to make holy scriptures obscure in certain places lest, if it were perfectly clear to all, it might be vulgarized and subject to disrespect or be so misunderstood by people of limited intelligence as to used them into error”.
In 1199, Pope Innocent III declared war against translators of Holy Scriptures into French language. He termed the translators as heretics and warned them as follows: “Do not give what is holy to dogs neither throw your pearls before swine. That no simple and unlearned man presumes to concern himself with the sublimity of Holy Scriptures or to preach it to others”.
Thus Papal edict gave birth to the burning of the Holy Scriptures in local languages as well as its translators. The quest for ownership or be in possession of the holy scriptures by Church of Rome was purely based on its intension to impose its traditions over the holy doctrines of the scriptures. This sparked deadly violence as subsequent orders from the church was dishonoured by reformers.
In 1546, the council of Trent concluded with a decree that any printing of Bible translations must be approved by the Catholic Church, equally, in 1559, Pope Paul IV passed law that forbid possession of the Bibles in the common language. Bible books were confiscated and burnt to ashes and often along with their owners.
Can a book that was secured by such wild and blood thirsty empire retain its original flavour and passed to these generation and remain unadulterated? It is equally impossible because the intension of its holders was to destroy its original information and replace them with Roman traditions and liturgies.
For instance, the decree of the council Trent 1546 spelt as follows “That henceforth sacred scriptures be printed in the most correct manner possible and that it shall not be lawful for anyone to print, or cause to be printed, any books on whatever on sacred matters without the name of the authors or in future to sell them, or even to possess them, unless they shall have been first examined and approved by the local bishop”.
Translators or their equivalents who disobey this order were subjected to arrests, burned at a stake or roasted on spits, sentenced to life imprisonment or sent to galleys and their confiscated books burned. These draconian laws of Roman Catholic influenced Protestantism where theologians began to contest the authority of the mother church to posses the Bible alone. Some translators summoned courage in the presence of Roman Catholic decrees over translation or publication of scriptures.
According to the teachings of His Holiness, Most Senior Prophet Yahmarabhi Ha Meshiyach, though the ancient revealed scriptures were handwork of inspired men but the fury that associated the workers and the works of the books made it practically impossible to remain as authentic as originally ordained.
Example can be tendered from the opposition by Catholic Church and its associates to resist translation to the books into other common languages.
Glimpse of remarkable history of translations of these books into common languages is a determinant factor that the church of Roman uses the scriptures to serve its selfish interest or traditions and made decision against its oppositions.
When John Wycliffe, a Catholic priest and fluent in Latin wanted to translate the scriptures into English language in 14th century C.E., he met the most deadly opposition of his life from the Roman Catholic authority.
Without minding the opposition, Wycliffe insisted that, “The knowledge of Yahweh’s law should be taught in the language which is easiest to understand, because what is being taught is the word of Yahweh”.
By this courage, Wycliffe assembled a team to translate the Holy Scriptures into English language. When the work was released, Pope Gregory XI issued five edicts condemning Wycliffe and his translation.
As associate of Wycliffe continued the translation and circulation of the works even after his death, this provoked the papal council which exhumed this body, burnt his bones, threw his ashes into the river and threatened to excommunicate any one that read the works.
In 16th century C.E, another translator William Tyndale became annoyed on the attitude of church officers towards the Holy scriptures with special regard to the restriction towards its translation and circulation.
William Tyndale proceeded to translate the scriptures from the Hebrew and Greek texts and equally employed a press to print the work on mass. After Stiff opposition from the Roman Catholic authority, Tyndale managed to release the work and secretly shipped to England and so many copies sold within a short period of time.
To check the works of William Tyndale, Catholic Bishop council was convoked and came out with the order of Bible burning. The translated works of Tyndale were confiscated and burnt and he was arrested and burned at a stake as a heretic in 1536.
Although, Tyndale died but his translation was integrated with those of his friend Miles Coverdale to produce the first complete English Bible.
The church order against translation of the scriptures was not restricted to only English language but all others in the wide-globe.
Meshiyach Yahzitere Yahmarabhi
