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The Bible Convictions of John Wycliffe
The fourteenth century was a dark time for the church in England. Superstition and error obscured the truth of the gospel, and even the clergy had little knowledge of the Bible. Against this bleak backdrop, God raised up a scholar and preacher who would stand with conviction on His Word, even if it meant standing alone. Trusting Scripture as his highest authority, John Wycliffe believed the Bible was what England needed most. Only through the Word of God would the Holy Spirit reform hearts and, in turn, reform the church. But for this to happen, Wycliffe knew that everyday people needed to have the Bible in their own language. In The Bible Convictions of John Wycliffe , Dr. Steven Lawson tells how Wycliffe’s devotion to the gospel made him the forerunner of the Reformation who translated the Bible into English for the first time. We’re indebted to him for our English Bibles today, and his story can encourage us to establish our convictions on God’s Word.
212 pages, Hardcover
Published August 31, 2021
10 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
About the author
Steven J. Lawson
81 books314 followersDr. Steven J. Lawson is the Senior Pastor of Christ Fellowship Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama, having served as a pastor in Arkansas and Alabama for the past twenty-nine years. He is a graduate of Texas Tech University (B.B.A.), Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M.), and Reformed Theological Seminary (D. Min.)
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 15, 2022
The Council of Constance condemned him as a heretic on May 4, 1415. His writings were banned and he was condemned on 260 different counts and posthumously excommunicated. That is, he was banished from the church after his death. Pope Martin V decreed that his body should be exhumed from the ground and burned. The pope also decreed that his writings were to go up in flames. The exhumation and cremation of his corpse were carried out in 1428, his ashes cast into the River Swift which flows through Lutterworth, England.
Who was this man who drew the ire of the most influential leaders in the Roman Catholic Church which included the Pope himself? This man produced more than 200 written works in his lifetime and his beliefs reverberated throughout England and spread from there. His name -- is John Wycliffe. He is the subject of Steven J. Lawson’s most recent book, The Bible Convictions of John Wycliffe.
Lawson’s work is also the latest installment in the outstanding series, A Long Line of Godly Men. The thirteen books that appear in this series unveil a host of godly men who have left their mark on both the church and the world. This series is noteworthy as it educates, inspires, and challenges the current day reader. It is impossible to walk through these volumes without being convicted and encouraged. I commend each book without reservation.
The Bible Convictions of John Wycliffe show the inner working of the man and the historical context that he served. The Roman Catholic Church was Wycliffe’s most fierce opponent as he labored to teach, preach, and translate the Word of God into English.
Wycliffe was a formidable theologian, who was deeply committed to the truth of Scripture. He was a staunch defender of the Bible and the Christian faith and refused to back down, even in the face of persecution. Dr. Lawson says this about John Wycliffe:
He was a man who was willing to pay any price to bring the Word of God to the people of his country. He was willing to risk his personal livelihood and reputation to place into the hands of his fellow Englishmen a Bible they could read and understand. The sacrifices that Wycliffe made were enormous, as he died in the midst of producing an English Bible.
The Morningstar of the Reformation helped "set the table" for men like Jan Hus and Martin Luther. These bold and courageous men put the Bible front and center out of a sense of duty as well as delight. Our challenge is to learn these great lessons well and allow the truth of God's Word to shape us and mold us and transform us into the kind of people that God wants us to be!
Who was this man who drew the ire of the most influential leaders in the Roman Catholic Church which included the Pope himself? This man produced more than 200 written works in his lifetime and his beliefs reverberated throughout England and spread from there. His name -- is John Wycliffe. He is the subject of Steven J. Lawson’s most recent book, The Bible Convictions of John Wycliffe.
Lawson’s work is also the latest installment in the outstanding series, A Long Line of Godly Men. The thirteen books that appear in this series unveil a host of godly men who have left their mark on both the church and the world. This series is noteworthy as it educates, inspires, and challenges the current day reader. It is impossible to walk through these volumes without being convicted and encouraged. I commend each book without reservation.
The Bible Convictions of John Wycliffe show the inner working of the man and the historical context that he served. The Roman Catholic Church was Wycliffe’s most fierce opponent as he labored to teach, preach, and translate the Word of God into English.
Wycliffe was a formidable theologian, who was deeply committed to the truth of Scripture. He was a staunch defender of the Bible and the Christian faith and refused to back down, even in the face of persecution. Dr. Lawson says this about John Wycliffe:
He was a man who was willing to pay any price to bring the Word of God to the people of his country. He was willing to risk his personal livelihood and reputation to place into the hands of his fellow Englishmen a Bible they could read and understand. The sacrifices that Wycliffe made were enormous, as he died in the midst of producing an English Bible.
The Morningstar of the Reformation helped "set the table" for men like Jan Hus and Martin Luther. These bold and courageous men put the Bible front and center out of a sense of duty as well as delight. Our challenge is to learn these great lessons well and allow the truth of God's Word to shape us and mold us and transform us into the kind of people that God wants us to be!
December 27, 2021
3.5 stars. I expected a bit more biography, but I still learned a lot. This was an outline of the doctrinal beliefs and how (and why) they were an impetus to Wycliffe’s translation of the Bible into English. A bit repetitive in saying the same thing with different words.
June 30, 2022
Insightful, but frustrating to read.
The first chapter is a quick biography of John Wycliffe. The rest is an expansion on what Wycliffe believed and did as a theologian, scholar, preacher, and translator. Lawson is very informative regarding Wycliffe's career and especially some of theology (chapter 2). Now I understand why he is called the "morning star of the reformation"; a lot of his teaching and preaching were almost identical to the reformers.
This book largely relies on secondary sources. Throughout the book, he gradually incorporates more primary sources, but often is only quoting a few words to show Wycliffe's stance on a topic. Lawson also explains things Wycliffe believed for several paragraphs while not quoting anything. This book suffers greatly from two problems: 1) there seem to be more quotations from biographies ABOUT Wycliffe than FROM Wycliffe 2) repetitious writing by Lawson. While reading this I felt like either Lawson had not done enough research in primary sources or there isn't that much available material for a book on Wycliffe. In either case, the result was a tremendous amount of filler for 4 whole chapters. Once you read the first two chapters, almost nothing seems like new material. A lot of his sentences seem like they've been shuffled around and sprinkled throughout every few pages. I would have rated the book higher if it was about 20-30 pages shorter.
Overall, a decent read, but I suspect one of the many biographies he used for this book are better.
The first chapter is a quick biography of John Wycliffe. The rest is an expansion on what Wycliffe believed and did as a theologian, scholar, preacher, and translator. Lawson is very informative regarding Wycliffe's career and especially some of theology (chapter 2). Now I understand why he is called the "morning star of the reformation"; a lot of his teaching and preaching were almost identical to the reformers.
This book largely relies on secondary sources. Throughout the book, he gradually incorporates more primary sources, but often is only quoting a few words to show Wycliffe's stance on a topic. Lawson also explains things Wycliffe believed for several paragraphs while not quoting anything. This book suffers greatly from two problems: 1) there seem to be more quotations from biographies ABOUT Wycliffe than FROM Wycliffe 2) repetitious writing by Lawson. While reading this I felt like either Lawson had not done enough research in primary sources or there isn't that much available material for a book on Wycliffe. In either case, the result was a tremendous amount of filler for 4 whole chapters. Once you read the first two chapters, almost nothing seems like new material. A lot of his sentences seem like they've been shuffled around and sprinkled throughout every few pages. I would have rated the book higher if it was about 20-30 pages shorter.
Overall, a decent read, but I suspect one of the many biographies he used for this book are better.
June 8, 2023
This book is a part of the helpful A Long Line of Godly Men series, the purpose of which is to explore how these leaders used their gifts and ministries to further the work of Christ in their time.
Steven Lawson begins by giving us a brief biography of John Wycliffe. He tells us that the fourteenth century was an especially dark time for the church. The light of the gospel had been dimmed. Wycliffe was the most learned scholar of his day and a professor at Oxford University, the top school in Europe. He would become the premier figure of his generation who would illuminate the path to recovering the gospel and reforming the true church. He was known as the shining “Morning Star of the Reformation.”
In 1361, Wycliffe was ordained to the priesthood in 1361, and began preaching as the rector of the parish church in Fillingham. Wycliffe soon began his career as a professor at Queen’s College, Oxford, where he gained a reputation as its most brilliant and popular teacher in theology and philosophy. Wycliffe spent most of the rest of his life lecturing at this institution, where he became regarded as the top theologian and philosopher in England.
Lawson tells us that Wycliffe developed a doctrine he called “dominion,” which emphasized God’s sovereignty as the highest authority over the earth. He taught that God has assigned His authority over earthly property and worldly possessions to the secular government. King Edward III supported Wycliffe’s position of dominion, as he was paying a heavy price to fund England’s war with France. Moreover, Pope Gregory XI in Rome had issued a burdensome tax upon the English government and church.
When Wycliffe returned from France in 1374, the king appointed Wycliffe to be the rector of the parish church at Lutterworth, a small town near Rugby. This appointment placed Wycliffe closer to Oxford and his professorial duties in the classroom. He served in this pastorate for the next ten years until his death.
Lawson tells us that so noteworthy was Wycliffe’s preaching that the King of England also made him a Royal Chaplain, granting him access to preach before the royal court. In this role, Wycliffe began publicly rebuking the pope’s abuse of power, asserting that the Bible is the sole criterion for establishing any doctrine. Wycliffe went so far as to call the pope the antichrist. This claim caused Pope Gregory XI to respond by condemning Wycliffe as a heretic. On May 22, 1377, the pope issued five papal bulls against Wycliffe, addressing nineteen theological errors from his writings. In the eyes of the monarchy and the university, Wycliffe had gone too far in his assault upon the teaching of Rome. He had become too much of a liability.
Wycliffe responded in the spring of 1381 by publishing a document known as “The Twelve Conclusions”, which targeted the Mass. Wycliffe, the most popular professor at Oxford, was disgracefully removed from his position, and left to withdraw to his quiet pastorate in Lutterworth. However, Lawson writes, it would be in this secluded place, out of the public eye, that his greatest work awaited him—translating the Bible into the English language (the version of Wycliffe’s Bible was produced during his lifetime, completed about 1382), and launching the Lollard movement (an army of itinerant preachers to proclaim the Word throughout England). Wycliffe would die on December 31, 1384.
Lawson tells us that the real genius of Wycliffe lay in his firm commitment to the Word of God. He preached, taught, and defended the authority of the Bible in a gloomy day when it was overshadowed by the pope in Rome. Given the dark times in which Wycliffe lived, the church desperately needed a bold defender of the Word of God—and Wycliffe proved to be that man. He believed that his calling from God was to provide an English Bible that was accessible to the common person of his day.
Wycliffe was staunchly Reformed in his theology. He is considered the spiritual grandfather of the Reformation, and had the title of “The Evangelical Doctor.” Though it would be another one hundred and fifty years before the Reformation would come, Wycliffe was a forerunner who laid in place the key doctrines upon which the Reformers would build their history-altering movement.
In this book, Lawson goes over some of Wycliffe’s key writings, including “On Apostasy” and “The Seven Heresies”. However, because Wycliffe’s life preceded the printing press, the number of his surviving sermons is limited. An additional problem is that Wycliffe’s sermons were delivered in Middle English, making them difficult to read today.
Lawson writes of the long-term influence of Wycliffe – to the Lollards, Jon Hus and Luther and the Reformers. He goes into detail on the Lollard movement, a grassroots movement of preachers that prepared the way for the coming of the English Reformation over a century later. The Lollards would face severe opposition, including being burned at the stake for preaching the gospel or possessing a Wycliffe Bible.
In 1415, thirty-one years after Wycliffe died, the Council of Constance condemned him on 260 counts of heresy. The Council ordered that Wycliffe’s writings be burned and that his bones be exhumed and taken out of the churchyard where he was buried. In 1428, the pope ordered that Wycliffe’s remains should be dug up and burned, and his ashes scattered into the Swift River.
What began in England with Wycliffe and the Lollards soon spread to Bohemia with John Hus, and it eventually came to Germany with Martin Luther. Through Luther’s writings, this Bible movement would return back to England and capture the life of William Tyndale. The Wycliffe Bible was the only English Bible that a select few would possess until 1526 with the appearance of a new translation by William Tyndale.
The Bible Convictions of John Wycliffe is a helpful introduction to the life and teaching of John Wycliffe.
Steven Lawson begins by giving us a brief biography of John Wycliffe. He tells us that the fourteenth century was an especially dark time for the church. The light of the gospel had been dimmed. Wycliffe was the most learned scholar of his day and a professor at Oxford University, the top school in Europe. He would become the premier figure of his generation who would illuminate the path to recovering the gospel and reforming the true church. He was known as the shining “Morning Star of the Reformation.”
In 1361, Wycliffe was ordained to the priesthood in 1361, and began preaching as the rector of the parish church in Fillingham. Wycliffe soon began his career as a professor at Queen’s College, Oxford, where he gained a reputation as its most brilliant and popular teacher in theology and philosophy. Wycliffe spent most of the rest of his life lecturing at this institution, where he became regarded as the top theologian and philosopher in England.
Lawson tells us that Wycliffe developed a doctrine he called “dominion,” which emphasized God’s sovereignty as the highest authority over the earth. He taught that God has assigned His authority over earthly property and worldly possessions to the secular government. King Edward III supported Wycliffe’s position of dominion, as he was paying a heavy price to fund England’s war with France. Moreover, Pope Gregory XI in Rome had issued a burdensome tax upon the English government and church.
When Wycliffe returned from France in 1374, the king appointed Wycliffe to be the rector of the parish church at Lutterworth, a small town near Rugby. This appointment placed Wycliffe closer to Oxford and his professorial duties in the classroom. He served in this pastorate for the next ten years until his death.
Lawson tells us that so noteworthy was Wycliffe’s preaching that the King of England also made him a Royal Chaplain, granting him access to preach before the royal court. In this role, Wycliffe began publicly rebuking the pope’s abuse of power, asserting that the Bible is the sole criterion for establishing any doctrine. Wycliffe went so far as to call the pope the antichrist. This claim caused Pope Gregory XI to respond by condemning Wycliffe as a heretic. On May 22, 1377, the pope issued five papal bulls against Wycliffe, addressing nineteen theological errors from his writings. In the eyes of the monarchy and the university, Wycliffe had gone too far in his assault upon the teaching of Rome. He had become too much of a liability.
Wycliffe responded in the spring of 1381 by publishing a document known as “The Twelve Conclusions”, which targeted the Mass. Wycliffe, the most popular professor at Oxford, was disgracefully removed from his position, and left to withdraw to his quiet pastorate in Lutterworth. However, Lawson writes, it would be in this secluded place, out of the public eye, that his greatest work awaited him—translating the Bible into the English language (the version of Wycliffe’s Bible was produced during his lifetime, completed about 1382), and launching the Lollard movement (an army of itinerant preachers to proclaim the Word throughout England). Wycliffe would die on December 31, 1384.
Lawson tells us that the real genius of Wycliffe lay in his firm commitment to the Word of God. He preached, taught, and defended the authority of the Bible in a gloomy day when it was overshadowed by the pope in Rome. Given the dark times in which Wycliffe lived, the church desperately needed a bold defender of the Word of God—and Wycliffe proved to be that man. He believed that his calling from God was to provide an English Bible that was accessible to the common person of his day.
Wycliffe was staunchly Reformed in his theology. He is considered the spiritual grandfather of the Reformation, and had the title of “The Evangelical Doctor.” Though it would be another one hundred and fifty years before the Reformation would come, Wycliffe was a forerunner who laid in place the key doctrines upon which the Reformers would build their history-altering movement.
In this book, Lawson goes over some of Wycliffe’s key writings, including “On Apostasy” and “The Seven Heresies”. However, because Wycliffe’s life preceded the printing press, the number of his surviving sermons is limited. An additional problem is that Wycliffe’s sermons were delivered in Middle English, making them difficult to read today.
Lawson writes of the long-term influence of Wycliffe – to the Lollards, Jon Hus and Luther and the Reformers. He goes into detail on the Lollard movement, a grassroots movement of preachers that prepared the way for the coming of the English Reformation over a century later. The Lollards would face severe opposition, including being burned at the stake for preaching the gospel or possessing a Wycliffe Bible.
In 1415, thirty-one years after Wycliffe died, the Council of Constance condemned him on 260 counts of heresy. The Council ordered that Wycliffe’s writings be burned and that his bones be exhumed and taken out of the churchyard where he was buried. In 1428, the pope ordered that Wycliffe’s remains should be dug up and burned, and his ashes scattered into the Swift River.
What began in England with Wycliffe and the Lollards soon spread to Bohemia with John Hus, and it eventually came to Germany with Martin Luther. Through Luther’s writings, this Bible movement would return back to England and capture the life of William Tyndale. The Wycliffe Bible was the only English Bible that a select few would possess until 1526 with the appearance of a new translation by William Tyndale.
The Bible Convictions of John Wycliffe is a helpful introduction to the life and teaching of John Wycliffe.
May 11, 2024
Fascinating! I only knew Wycliffe as a bible translator of the Latin Vulgate into common English; I didn’t know he also was a highly educated professor and fierce preacher who boldly stood up -as one of the first ones- against Rome, and explaining also in clear terms and conclusions why.
Interesting to read how influential this pre-Reformer was for martyrs like Jerome of Prague as well as John Hus and Martin Luther, and by extension for the Church. It speaks volumes that the pope and the clergy had a tremendous fear of the living transforming power of Gods Word on the laity.
This is the best book out of the series do far, in my humble opinion…
Interesting to read how influential this pre-Reformer was for martyrs like Jerome of Prague as well as John Hus and Martin Luther, and by extension for the Church. It speaks volumes that the pope and the clergy had a tremendous fear of the living transforming power of Gods Word on the laity.
This is the best book out of the series do far, in my humble opinion…
May 9, 2022
What an encouragement to read about the life of John Wycliffe who clung to God’s Word and rejected the idea that the traditions of the Catholic Church was equal or better than His Word.
I pray that I will be used by God to exclaim the truth of God’s Word.
I pray that I will be used by God to exclaim the truth of God’s Word.
November 2, 2023
The last two chapters on his translation efforts and the spread of his influence were excellent.
Learning much about his theological positions were immensely enlightening as a pre-Reformer in the late 14th Century, the Morning Star.
Learning much about his theological positions were immensely enlightening as a pre-Reformer in the late 14th Century, the Morning Star.
March 24, 2024
This book would’ve benefited exceedingly from some editing. Several points were needlessly repetitive. It could have been trimmed by a third and been much more effective and enjoyable.
That said, Wycliffe is worth studying, knowing and following.
That said, Wycliffe is worth studying, knowing and following.
April 12, 2024
I enjoy Steve Lawson’s writing style. It’s simple, concise, and easy to follow. Content wise, this book is great. Really helps the reader understand the gravity of the work of John Wycliffe. Great book.
October 9, 2021
Great book on the life of the Morning Star of the Reformation.
May 7, 2022
I love this series—just find myself wanting the volumes to be another hundred pages longer.
July 4, 2024
Excellent book if you want to understand church history. A must read. Excited to read Lawson's book on Tyndale next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2025
Great is a reference book for the life of John Wickliffe. The writing style of the author is not especially compelling, however.
April 22, 2022
Interesting book, and a fun read.
Lots of reformed doctrine (Wycliffe is the “morning star of the reformation”) and overall very readable with some sparkling language dashed in.
Also, Steve Lawson is great.
Lots of reformed doctrine (Wycliffe is the “morning star of the reformation”) and overall very readable with some sparkling language dashed in.
Also, Steve Lawson is great.
March 25, 2024
So much repeating. But like I’m thankful he helped translate the Bible to English so 3 stars for the guy not for the book
February 9, 2023
Not great writing, but good content.
January 20, 2022
Wow, Wycliffe was deeply committed to the Word of God. May we all be as he was as well as other Reformers. To have a deep commitment to reading, studying and proclaiming God's word to this lost and dying world should be the goal of every beliver.
April 9, 2024
Really good biography of this man. We owe a whole lot to him that we don't realize. He was the first person to translate the Bible into English from the Latin Vulgate. He is famously known as the "Morning Star" of the Reformation.
December 22, 2022
Good information though a bit contrived and retroactively slanted toward the Calvinistic perspective. It is easy to see how these early reformers were also politically motivated due to things outside of theology... like high taxation of the Roman church.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews