Ukwazi kuka-Erasmus isiGiriki lesiLathini kwamnceda ukuthi enelise ukuxeganisa amaBhayibhili ayehunyutshwe ngesiLathini, anjenge-Vulgate, lemibhalo yakuqala yesiGiriki eyaziwa ngokuthi liThestamente Elitsha. Lokhu kwamenza wananzelela ukuthi ulwazi lweBhayibhili luqakathekile kakhulu. Kanti njalo wakubona kufanele ukuthi kuhunyutshwe iMibhalo Engcwele ngezinye izindimi ezazikhulunywa ngabantu abanengi.

U-Erasmus wayelesifiso sokuthi kuhlolisiswe izimfundiso zamaKatolika ukuze zintshintshwe, ngoba wayekholwa ukuthi umuntu okhonzayo kumele akhanye ngendlela aphila ngayo hatshi ngokugcina imikhuba yesonto nje. Lokhu kwabangela ukuthi amaKatolika amcabangele ukuthi laye wayebambisana labahlamuki abasebekhona esontweni labo.

Kulokho akubhalayo, u-Erasmus wabuveza mgceke ubuqili obabusenziwa ngabakhokheli besonto lokuthanda kwabo impilo ephezulu kanye lokusekela kwabopapa izimpi. Yena wayetshiyene labakhokheli laba ababesebenzisa imikhuba yesonto egoqela ukuvuma izono, ukukhulekela abangcwele, ukuzila ukudla kanye lokuya ezindaweni ezitshiyeneyo ukuze baqile amakholwa. Okunye njalo yikuthi wayengavumelani lezinye izinto ezazisenziwa esontweni ezinjengokubhadalisa umuntu imali ukuze angajeziselwa izono azenzileyo lokubamba ngamandla umuntu ukuthi angatshadi.

Ngo-1516 u-Erasmus wethula iThestamente Elitsha lesiGiriki elaba ngelokuqala ukudindwa. IBhayibhili leli lalilamanothi kanye leThestamente Elitsha ayelihumutshe ngesiLathini kodwa elalingafanani le-Vulgate. Ngokuya kwesikhathi wayilungisisa imibhalo le, okwenza ukuthi ethule eyayehlukene kakhulu le-Vulgate yesiLathini.

Ngokwesibonelo, omunye umehluko utholakala ku-1 Johane 5:7. Njengoba babefuna ukusekela imfundiso engekho emibhalweni eyokuthi uNkulunkulu umthathu emunye, i-Vulgate yangezelelwa ngamazwi abizwa ngokuthi yi-comma Johanneum. Athi: “Ngoba bathathu abafakazayo ezulwini, uYise, uLizwi, loMoya oNgcwele; laba abathathu banye.” U-Erasmus kazange awafake amazwi la eThestamenteni Elitsha alihumutshayo lalapho eselilungisisa ngoba kazange awathole emibhalweni yesiGiriki ayeyisebenzisa. Wathi esephinda ukulilungisisa, isonto lambamba ngamandla ukuthi awafake amazwi la.

AmaThestamente Amatsha ka-Erasmus ayeselungisisiwe enza kwaba lula ukuthi kuhunyutshwe amanye ngezinye izindimi ezazikhulunywa e-Europe. Amanye amadoda anjengoMartin Luther, uWilliam Tyndale, u-Antonio Brucioli loFrancisco de Enzinas bawasebenzisa ngesikhathi behumutsha iThestamente Elitsha ngesiJelimane, isiNgisi, isiNtaliyane lesi-Spanish.

U-Erasmus waphila ngesikhathi kulezingxabano emasontweni njalo labo abahlamuka esontweni lamaKatolika babesithi iThestamente Elitsha lesiGiriki ayelenzile laliluncedo. Abantu abanengi babesithi u-Erasmus ungumhlamuki kodwa iqiniso labacacela ngesikhathi kuqalisa ukuhlamuka. Wakhetha ukungazingeni izimpikiswano zamasonto ezacina zivuka. Eminyakeni edlula 100 eyadlulayo isifundiswa okuthiwa nguDavid Schaff sabhala ukuthi u-Erasmus “wafa ezimele yedwa, kazange athathe cele. Yikho amaKatolika ayengeke athi ngowabo, lalabo abahlamuka esontweni lamaKatolika babengeke bathi ngowabo.”