I've just finished reading "Tyndale" by David Teems and found it fascinating.

Tyndale lived in the 1500's in the reign of Henry VIII- right at the beginning of the Reformation and the political turmoil it generated. At the time it was illegal to translate a copy of the Scriptures in English or to produce such a book. The only Bible permitted was the Latin version, but very few people were able to read Latin. Tyndale longed for a version of the Bible that was accessible to everyone from the lowliest ploughman.

Tyndale himself was a brilliant man and highly educated. He had a fine ear for the English language and a deep love of Jesus.

Eventually he was forced to flee from England and based himself in Hamburg and later in Antwerp (Holland). Antwerp was a perfect location for him as it was a port city and had many printers ready to produce his works. Later he moved to Belgium and it was there that agents of the English church hierarchy had him arrested on charges of heresy. Although Henry VIII had officially declared himself head of the Church of England, the Reformation hadn't really worked its course there as yet, and the bishops were still loyal to Rome.

Tyndale was executed after spending several years in prison in Belgium. 

He translated all of the New Testament and key parts of the Old. What is interesting is that much of his work was imported straight into the King James Version when it was produced. 

Tyndale fought for the right for all people to read the Bible in their own language and for christians to approach God directly  without the need for intermediaries.

Centuries later, we still enjoy his wonderful translation in our more modern versions. Words and phrases that he introduced continue to find their way into the Scriptures just because of their enduring strength and poetry. Here are just a few of his words:

• And God said, Let there be light, and there was light (Genesis 1)
• And God shall wipe away all tears from there eyes (Revelation 7) 
• Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you (Matthew 7)
• With God all things are possible (Matthew 19) 
  In him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17)
• Be not weary in well doing (2 Thessalonians 3) 
• Fight the good fight of faith; lay hold of eternal life (1 Timothy 6)
• Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12) 
• Behold, I stand at the door and knock (Revelation 3)
• Am I my brother’s keeper (Genesis 4) 
• Ye are the salt of the earth (Matthew 5
• The signs of the times (Matthew 16) 
• Where two or three are gathered together (Matthew 18)
• They made light of it (Matthew 22)
• Eat, drink, and be merry (Luke 12)
• Scales fell from his eyes (Acts 9)
• Full of good works (Acts 9)
• The powers that be (Romans 13)
• Filthy lucre (1 Timothy 3)
• The patience of Job (James 5)