Over a thousand years ago, an old man struggled to finish his final work. Although his record of church history would be studied for generations to come, it was his translation of Scripture that consumed his final hours. Here is the story of Bede, church historian and devoted follower of Christ.

One Final Task
The young scribe had been at work for hours, but his writing hand did not falter.

"There is only one sentence still unfinished, Master," he said.

"Then write quickly," replied the old man as he continued his laborious dictation. At last, having transcribed the final words of John's gospel, the scribe Wilbert exclaimed, "It is finished, Master." And so, 700 years after Jesus said, "I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me," his words were translated into Anglo-Saxon, the forerunner of our English language.

We know the man who undertook this monumental task as the Venerable Bede. The title "Venerable" was probably bestowed upon him by his pupils in special recognition of his great learning and obvious dedication to God. It was a title given to very few historical figures of whom we have knowledge.

Upon completing his task, Bede asked the young scribe Wilbert to help him to raise his head so he could face the holy place where he usually prayed. One last time, Bede wished to "sit and call on my Father." As he chanted "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son," his voice became weaker and weaker and then finally ceased altogether. Bede's life ended in the same manner he had lived it--praising God.

Life in a Monastery
At the age of seven, Bede's education and upbringing were entrusted by his parents to Abbot Benedict Biscop of Wearmouth Abbey in England. This was a common practice in the Middle Ages because parents frequently could not support all of their children. Boys of superior intelligence were entrusted to the local monastery in hopes that their hard work and diligence would secure a position for them within the church.

Bede adapted well to life in the monastery and was soon moved to another monastery in Jarrow, located five miles from Wearmouth. There, his education was overseen by Abbot Ceolfrid. Bede was actively involved in many areas of monastery life, but, as he later said, "my chief delight has always been in study, teaching and writing. I have spent all the remainder of my life in this monastery and devoted myself entirely to the study of the scriptures." Ordained as a deacon when he was just nineteen, Bede advanced to the priesthood just eleven years later at the age of thirty.

Bede's Best-loved Book
The margin notes we find in Bede's manuscripts illustrate the fact that he was a careful scholar and widely read. Some of the books that influenced him were brought to the Jarrow and Wearmouth monasteries from Rome by Abbot Biscop. Others were obtained from Canterbury and Lindisfarne through what we know today as an "inter-library loan." Some of Bede's favorite authors were Augustine, Ambrose, Jerome and Gregory the Great. However, the Bible was the book he loved best. He often read aloud from the scriptures, which helped him memorize his favorite passages. Bede wrote commentaries on several books of the Bible, working from the Vulgate and old Latin and Greek texts. His commentary on the book of Acts was published as recently as 1989 by Cistercian Publications.

Although he was well educated and able to read the Bible in Latin and Greek, Bede believed that God's word should also be available to the "unlearned." Everyone should be able to hear and learn the Bible in their own language. Bede stated his beliefs in a letter to Bishop Egbert, who had just become the Archbishop of York. He asked the bishop, "Do you cause them [the scriptures] to be known and constantly repeated in their own tongue by those that are unlearned, that is, by them who have knowledge only of their proper tongue?"