Bedell's Bible-One Small Step to Better Bible Understanding

WHEN English cleric William Bedell went to Ireland in 1627, he found a very puzzling situation, Ireland, a predominately Catholic country, was ruled by Protestant Britain. Protestant Reformers had already translate the Bible into local languages all over Europe.  Yet, no one seemed interested in translating it into Irish.

Bedell felt strongly that the Irish people "ought  not to be neglected till they can learn English."  He set out to produce a  Bible in the Irish language. But he met bitter opposition, particularly from Protestant sources.Why was that?  

OPPOSITION OF THE USE OF IRISH

Bedell made it his business to learn Irish himself. He encouraged students to use Irish when he became provost, or head, of Trinity College in Dublin and when he later became the bishop of Kilmore. As a matter of fact, when Queen Elizabeth I of England founded Trinity College, she did so to product ministers who could teach her subjects the Bible's in their mother tongue. Bedell tried to make that happen.

In the Kilmore diocese, by far the majority of people spoke Irish. So Bedell insisted on having ministers who could speak Irish. He made his appeal in the spirit of the apostle Paul's words at 1 Corinthians 14:19, which says: "In a large congregation I would rather speak five words with my mind, that I might also instruct others, than ten thousands words in a  tongue," that is, in a language little understood. 

But influential authority figures made every effort to stop him. According to historians, some asserted that the use of Irish was "dangerous to the State" and other suggested   that it was against the interests of the Government."  Some felt that it was in the interests of England  to keep the  Irish in ignorance.In fact, laws were enacted that required the Irish to abandon their own language  and customs and to learn English and follow English ways and manners.  

Next time: Bedell's Bible/One Small Step to Better Bible Understanding - BEDELL'S BIBLE PROJECT

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015