October 4 – John Wycliffe: The Morning Star of the Reformation

Long before Luther took his stand at Wittenberg, the Lord raised up a voice in England that pierced the darkness of the medieval church. That voice belonged to John Wycliffe, a scholar and preacher who believed that the Bible must be placed in the hands of ordinary people. Because of his courage, he is often called the Morning Star of the Reformation.

A Scholar Turned Reformer

Born in Yorkshire around 1320, Wycliffe pursued academic studies at Oxford, where he became a master in theology and one of the leading intellectuals of his day. His brilliance in philosophy and Scripture earned him a prominent role in both university and political life. Yet he grew increasingly troubled by the corruption of the church, the greed of the clergy, and the growing distance between Scripture and practice.

Wycliffe’s encounter with the Word of God convinced him that the gospel had been buried beneath traditions, papal decrees, and man-made rules. He began to write and preach with boldness, declaring that Christ alone is the head of the church and that the Scriptures alone carry ultimate authority.

Theology that Foreshadowed the Reformation

Though he lived more than a century before Luther, many of Wycliffe’s teachings sound strikingly like the Reformation:

• Sola Scriptura: Wycliffe insisted that the Bible was the final authority for faith and life, greater than the Pope or councils.

• Christ Alone as Head of the Church: He rejected the notion that the Pope was the vicar of Christ, teaching instead that the true church is the body of believers united to Christ by faith.

• Justification by Faith: Though not fully developed, Wycliffe emphasized salvation as God’s gracious gift, received through faith.

• Condemnation of Indulgences: He denounced the sale of indulgences, centuries before Luther, as a corruption of the gospel.

• The Priesthood of All Believers: He argued that every Christian had access to God and should be able to read the Bible for themselves.

  
  

Wycliffe was not content to keep these ideas in the halls of Oxford. He wanted the common people to hear the Scriptures in their own tongue.

The English Bible

Perhaps Wycliffe’s greatest contribution was his passion to see the Bible translated into English. With the help of his followers, known as the Lollards, Wycliffe oversaw the first complete translation of the Bible into the English language. Though translated from the Latin Vulgate rather than the original Greek and Hebrew, this Bible opened the Word of God to countless ordinary men and women.

The Lollards carried handwritten copies of the Scriptures throughout England, reading them aloud in marketplaces and homes. For the first time, the plowman and the shopkeeper could hear God’s Word in the language of their heart.

Opposition and Condemnation

Rome was furious. The church declared it illegal to translate the Bible without papal permission. Wycliffe was condemned as a heretic, his teachings denounced, and his followers hunted. Yet he managed to avoid execution, dying of natural causes in 1384.

But even death did not silence him. In 1415, the Council of Constance condemned Wycliffe posthumously, ordering his bones to be exhumed, burned, and scattered in the River Swift. The church thought this would erase his influence, but the river carried his witness far beyond what they intended.

Legacy for the Reformation

John Wycliffe’s life and work laid the foundation for what would later explode in the sixteenth century. His translation of the Bible inspired William Tyndale and others who would follow. His teachings shaped Jan Hus in Bohemia, who carried the torch forward. His insistence on Scripture’s supremacy became the bedrock of the Reformation.

The Reformation historian John Foxe wrote of Wycliffe: “Though they burned his bones, the Word of God and the truth of his doctrine yet lives, and will live in others till the world’s end.”

Biblical Reflection

The heartbeat of Wycliffe’s life is captured in Psalm 119:130:

“The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.”

Wycliffe believed this so deeply that he risked everything to put the Bible into English. He knew that only the Word of God could bring true light to a darkened church and world.

Application for Today

John Wycliffe challenges us with three powerful lessons:

1. Treasure God’s Word – He longed for people to hear the Bible in their own tongue. We live with multiple translations at our fingertips. Do we treasure them as he did?

2. Stand Firm in Truth – He faced ridicule, threats, and condemnation, yet he would not retreat from Scripture’s authority. Do we have that courage in our generation?

3. Leave a Legacy of Faithfulness – Wycliffe never saw the full fruit of his labors, but his faithfulness lit a torch that others carried. What seeds are we planting for future generations?

John Wycliffe’s life reminds us that reform begins with the Word of God. His voice still echoes across the centuries, calling us back to the Scriptures that reveal Christ, our only hope of salvation.