the story of "Little" Bilney

Paul was uniquely gifted by God for a very specific purpose,

Acts 9:
15 But the Lord said to him [Ananias], "Go, for he [Paul] is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.
16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake."

Jesus has confirmed that if the world persecuted Him, it will persecute His followers. Would we be prepared for that?

Have you ever heard of Thomas Bilney?

He was born in Norwich, England around 1495; he was a quiet, studious young man who was ordained as a priest in 1519. Like Luther, he made intense efforts to please God through vigils, fasting, confessing, going to mass, buying indulgences, ad nauseum. All to no effect, all to no achievement of peace of mind about his standing with God.

Just at this point in time, the Greek New Testament was circulating in the "underground". Imagine trying to be Christian with no Bible?!? The Latin Vulgate (Jerome 347AD-420AD), which had been translated by him a thousand years earlier, was the only translation for the West and was restricted to the churches and monasteries. Most people would have no idea what the Word of God had to say to them!

Erasmus (a Dutch humanist, ca 1466 to 1536) prepared important new Latin and Greek editions of the Bible in 1522. His Greek New Testament was circulating in England that time. It was the first time that a parallel version of the Bible had been published, with a column of Latin on one side of the page and Greek on the other.

Bilney was called "Little" Bilney because of his slight stature. His intense desire to be right with God and his unavailing efforts to achieve this, led him finally to "read it [the NT] in secret. With considerable fear he purchased a copy and locking himself in his room, he allowed the book to fall open, and he read, "This is a faithful saying, which is worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." 1 Timothy 1:15

"Bilney grasped the idea readily, that if Paul thought himself the chief of sinners, and yet was saved, then he, Bilney, even a greater sinner in his own estimation, could be saved too. What a revelation! What a relief! Instead of despair, a great inward peace now came into his soul."

The Lord had saved him. What would be God's role for this newly saved saint in this turbulent, reformation era??

Stay tuned...