John Rogers was born in England in 1500. He was eventually educated in Cambridge and became a priest. Around this time the Reformation opened Europe to the gospel and was making a tremendous impact. John was called to Antwerp (which is in modern Belgium) in the “Low Countries” to pastor the English community living there. At Antwerp, John Rogers accepted the reformed teaching and became acquainted with William Tyndale, who was living in exile there.
William Tyndale had published his translation of the New Testament, and these books were being smuggled into England in sacks of wheat. As he began the work of translating the Old Testament, Miles Coverdale and John Rogers assisted him. When Tyndale was executed in 1536, Rogers and Coverdale continued with his work. But Coverdale did not know Hebrew and had translated the Old Testament from the Latin, German, and Swiss-German translations of the Old Testament.
In 1538, Henry VIII ordered that there be a Bible placed in every church in his kingdom. The Coverdale Bible, the first complete Protestant Bible to be published, was used to fulfill this order. Later Roger’s translation, known as “Matthew’s Bible” (to hide Roger’s identity) was published to continue filling Henry VIII’s order. Rogers, who knew Hebrew, translated the Old Testament from the original Hebrew language. Henry preferred this Bible and gave it his official sanction.
When Rogers eventually returned to England in 1550, he pastored a church in London. However, Queen Mary broke her promise not to persecute those whose religious convictions were different than hers. She sided with the Catholic Church against the Reformers, and John’s life was in danger. He was eventually taken from his home and thrown in a prison with common criminals. At his trial on January 25, 1555, Rogers bravely defended the Reformation doctrines, denouncing the Pope’s claim to the headship of the church and the teaching that the church could forgive sins. Three days later he was again arraigned. This time he denounced the doctrine of transubstantiation and refused to acknowledge Mary’s claim to the throne. A further accusation against him was that, as a priest, he had chosen to marry.
John Rogers’ lack of political correctness was the cause of his death. Had he been more careful, perhaps he would have spared his life; but the Reformation would have been greatly hindered. Rogers was declared a heretic and condemned to the stake. On his public journey, he sang psalms. His wife and children stood by the roadside to watch his journey to the stake, yet he remained strong.
Perhaps there are many today who would quake, tremble, and compromise under similar circumstances in order to be spared personal disaster. May God help us all to be strong like Rogers, and to speak the truth plainly and boldly, with holiness and the fear of God, even if it costs us much to do so.
