An Iranian pastor is working on a revised edition of the Old Testament in his native Persian, just a few miles from the believed birthplace of William Tyndale.
Tyndale lived in the early 16th century and was one of the pioneers of translating the Bible into English directly from the original Greek and Hebrew. He undertook this work at a time when the Catholic Church used the Latin Vulgate as its official Bible, and unauthorized English translations were prohibited.
Five centuries later, Tyndale’s struggle continues. In modern-day Iran it is illegal to own, print or distribute Bibles. Many Iranian Christians choose or are forced into exile in order to continue practising their faith.
Pooyan Mehrshahi is a part of the Iranian Christian diaspora and is leading the effort to update the Old Testament into Persian on behalf of the Trinitarian Bible Society (TBS). Mehrshahi lives just 18 miles from North Nibley, the small village where Tyndale is believed to have been born.
Like Tyndale, Mehrshahi is basing his translation on the original Hebrew. He said, “To be carrying out this work so close to William Tyndale’s birthplace is deeply significant. Tyndale gave everything so that ordinary people could read the Word of God for themselves.
“We are seeking to uphold that same principle for people in my home country today.”
Mehrshahi’s story is featured in a new documentary created to mark the 500th anniversary of Tyndale’s publication of the New Testament in 1526 that combines footage of modern locations and with AI-generated recreations of historic scenes.
The intention behind the film is not only to celebrate Tyndale but to emphasise that the work of translating the Bible into local languages remains unfinished. At present the TBS is working on over 100 translation projects, many for countries in which Christianity is heavily persecuted.
TBS Editorial Director Matthew Vogan said, “The Tyndale documentary doesn't simply tell his story, but it shows why it still matters.
"His work not only was instrumental in the spreading of the Christian message, but also in the English language. Many phrases we use today are from Tyndale’s original text.
“The 500-year anniversary provides a unique opportunity to present the need that many are still waiting for a Bible in their own language.”
The film “Tyndale” is available to watch for free at tyndalefilm.com.
