William Whitaker and the Defense of Bible Translation, Part II

No one would suggest that we don’t need a Bible in English. However, it was not always the case that our Bible was considered a book to be had and read by all.

Looking back over the history of our English Bible, we have a debt of gratitude to men like William Whitaker. Although a largely forgotten champion of Bible translation, we benefit from his defense of our English Bible.

In the first blog post in this series, I presented an overview of Whitaker’s life, noting his rise as a scholar and churchman at Cambridge University. We also examined his most enduring piece of scholarship, a 700-page volume entitled A Disputation on Holy Scripture.

In this post, we will look in more depth at his arguments for Bible translation. In the final installment in this series, we will consider Whitaker’s legacy, especially as seen in the Westminster Confession and the enduring commitment of English-speaking Christians to Bible translation.

William Whitaker

William Whitaker was born near Burnley, England, in 1547, a year after the death of Henry VIII. In 1559, when Whitaker was 12 years old, his uncle arranged for him to study in London in preparation for serving in the church.

Four years later, Whitaker enrolled at Trinity College, Cambridge. He excelled in his studies and was eventually appointed Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge in 1580, at the age of 33. He served in this position until his untimely death at age 47 due to illness.

Whitaker was an influential leader in the church and well-respected scholar. He published several books, including his most well-known, A Disputation on Holy Scripture, Against the Papists, Especially Bellarmine and Stapleton, referred to simply as A Disputation on Holy Scripture.

Reformation Position on Bible Translation

In A Disputation on Holy Scripture, Whitaker begins his discussion of Bible translation by presenting the Roman Catholic position as found in the Council of Trent.

He then proceeds with his view of Bible translation: “…the scriptures are to be set forth before all Christians in their vernacular tongues, so as that every individual may be enable to read them.”

In his carefully reasoned style, Whitaker proceeds to develop six arguments that support and build on his position that Christians should be able to freely read the Scriptures in their own languages.

Whitaker’s Six Arguments

Given his view of the sufficiency of Scripture, Whitaker argues for translation directly from the Scriptures. Whitaker’s first and third arguments, that we will present together, argue that the public reading of Scripture is essential and so is translation since not all Christians are able to read the Word of God in the original languages.

In his fourth argument, he argues that the teaching of Scripture is also essential. For everyone to be instructed in the Word, it is essential that believers be able to read and study the Bible. It follows that the Scriptures must be translated into the languages of the Church.

Whitaker’s second argument differs from the other three mentioned in that he argues for the importance of Bible translation based on the benefit of the translated Word for believers. He contends that Christians should not be deprived of the means for refuting Satan. He states, “For without the protection of scripture the people must necessarily fall under all temptations.” (pg 237)

Whitaker’s final two arguments move from arguments based on the explicit commands of Scripture to arguments based in historical precedence. In his fifth argument, he notes that Jesus and his disciples taught and preached in the language of those they were ministering to. From these examples, he concludes that the glories of the gospel are not contaminated when presented in another language. It follows that the Scriptures can be translated and read in other languages as well.

In his sixth and final argument, Whitaker reviews the early history of the Church and notes that the Scriptures were translated into numerous languages, including Latin, Syriac, Gothic, and Coptic. Furthermore, the early church fathers exhorted their congregations to read these translations. It follows for Whitaker that the Scriptures should continue to be translated and made readily available for everyone to read.

Translation and the Reading of Scripture

Let’s look closer at Whitakers arguments for translation and especially the importance of reading the Scriptures.

Whitaker contends that the Scriptures are to be read by all of God's people for the spiritual benefit of the reader and the audience alike.

To support his position, Whitaker turns to three passages in Deuteronomy. In Deut 31:11-13, Moses commanded the priests to read the Mosaic Law to the people of Israel every seven years, at the Feast of Tabernacles.

Furthermore, in Deut 17:18-20, future kings of Israel were commanded to make their own copies of the Mosaic law by personally writing it out by hand. They were also instructed to read it so that they might fear God, obey the Law, and treat their fellow Israelites justly.

Finally, in Deut 6:6-9, the people of Israel are commanded to have the Mosaic Law in their hearts. They are to teach it, discuss it regularly, and even write it on the doorposts of their homes.

Whitaker concludes from these passages that God revealed his Word to his people, the Israelites, for them to know and obey it. It was written so that they might read it, everyone, from the king and priests to the heads of households who were to teach their own children.

Turning to the New Testament, Whitaker considers Jesus’ words in John 5:39 to “search the Scriptures.” Whitaker views these words of our Lord as more than an invitation to educated scholars, like the scribes and Pharisees, to study the Word. The uneducated and illiterate are equally welcome to learn and study the Scriptures, because they also seek salvation and the kingdom of God.

It is worth noting that Jesus’ words “search the Scriptures” in John 5:39 are central to Whitaker’s entire work. He begins his 700-page work with a discussion of these words and returns to them 24 times. In these three words, Whitaker finds an admonition to highly esteem God’s Word and deeply study it.

In Whitaker’s third argument, he builds on his first argument by developing the point that reading Scripture is only beneficial if it is understood. He notes that Paul argued in I Cor 14:1-33 that believers are to worship together in a common language so that everyone is edified. Whitaker than argues that the reading of the Scriptures in public must be done in the language of the believers to bring a spiritual benefit in keeping with 1 Cor 14.

Based on these two points, Whitaker arrives at the position that the Scriptures must be set forth in translation so that believers can freely read the Scriptures, whether corporately, as a family, or individually.

Whitaker’s Contribution

In laying out his six arguments for Bible translation, Whitaker provided the most exhaustive and influential defense of translation to that time and possibly since.

Whitaker set out essentially three lines of defense of Bible translation grounded in the Scripture.

First, he provides arguments for translation based in the commands of Scripture regarding the Word itself. The Scriptures are to be read and taught. In this context, it is intriguing that Whitaker does not argue for translation based on the commands to preach the Word or proclaim the gospel to the nations.

Second, he presents a single argument based on the intended use of Scripture by believers, namely, to resist temptation. Whitaker could have added additional uses of Scripture, such as correcting and training in righteousness as seen in 2 Tim 3:16. However, he apparently considered the single issue of resisting temptation sufficient.

Finally, Whitaker argues from the precedent found in the New Testament and the first centuries of the Church. These arguments have frequently appeared in the history of Bible translation. For Whitaker, they are not his first arguments, presumably because he seeks to build on the explicit commands of Scripture, yet he does appeal to them.

Concluding Thoughts

William Whitaker committed his life to defending the truths of Scripture and elevating the place of the Word in the Church. He understood that he must defend the translation of the Scriptures so that believers might have the freedom to own and read their own Bibles.

In our own generation, we need to remember Whitaker’s defense and sharpen the arguments he set forth. We must recognize that the Word in translation is essential for the Church to live in obedience to the commands to read, preach, and teach the Word.

Without a right view of translation rooted in a proper view of the Word, we might elevate the languages of the world or the needs of readers, unwittingly removing the Scriptures and the Church from their proper place.

May we defend the translation of the Bible as an act of obedience to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, on behalf of his bride, the Church, equipping every believer for the ministry of the Word to the glory of our triune God!

Further Resources:

William Whitaker and the Defense of Bible Translation, Part I

What is the Ultimate Purpose of Bible Translation?