Galatians — The Coverdale Bible (1535)
Galatians is Paul’s letter on freedom from the law through faith in Christ. In Coverdale’s Bible of 1535 it stands in the New Testament under the heading “The Epistle of the Apostle S. Paul to the Galathians”. Coverdale’s summary of the chapters stands before the text; the 1535 Bible has no verse numbers, so the text keeps its own paragraphs, in 6 chapters, with the marginal notes and references printed after each chapter.
The summe of this Epistle.
- Chap. I. Paul rebuketh them, because they were fallen awaye from the gospell, sheweth his awne cōuersion, magnifieth his office and apostelshippe, and declareth himself to be equall with the hye apostles.
- Chap. II. He withstondeth Peter in the face, and proueth, that the lawe and circumcision are not necessary to saluacion.
- Chap. III. He rebuketh the vnsted fastnesse of the Galathians, shewinge the vnparfectnesse of the lawe, and declareth neuerthelesse that it was not geuen for naught.
- Chap. IIII. Paul sheweth that thorow Christ we be delyuered from the lawe, and rebuketh the vnthankfulnesse of the Galathians.
- Chap. V. He laboureth to drawe them awaye from circūcision, sheweth them the barrayll betwixte the sprete and the flesh, and the f⟨illegible⟩tes of them both.
- Chap. VI. He erorteth them to brotherly loue, and one to beare with another▪ In the end ⟨illegible⟩he warneth them to bewarre of circūcision
The Epistle of the Apostle S. Paul to the Galathians.
[woodcut]
Chapter 1
PAul an Apostle (not of [A] men, nor by mā, but by Iesus Christ & by God the father, which raysed him vp frō yᵉ deed) & all the brethrē which are wᵗ me. Vnto the cōgregaciōs in Galacia.
⁽¹⁾ Grace be with you, and peace frō God the father, and oure LORDE Iesus Christ, which gaue him selfe for oure synnes, that he mighte delyuer vs from this present euel worlde, acordinge to the wyll of God oure father, to whom be prayse for euer and euer. Amen.
I maruell yᵗ ye are so soone turned (from him that called you in the grace of Christ) vnto another Gospell: which is nothinge els, but that there besome, which ⁽²⁾ trouble you, and intende to peruerte the Gospell of Christ.
[B] Neuertheles though we oure selues, or an angell from heauē preach vnto you eny other Gospel, thē yᵗ which we haue preached vnto you, the same be acursed. As we haue sayde afore, so saye we now agayne: Yf eny mā preach vnto you eny other thinge, thē yᵗ ye haue receaued, yᵉ same be acursed. Preach I men now or God: Or go I aboute to please men? Yf I shulde yet please men, I were not the seruaunt of Christ.
But I certifye you brethren, yᵗ the Gospell which is preached of me, is not of men. For I nether receaued it ner lerned it of mā, but by the reuelacion of Iesus Christ. For ye haue herde of my conuersacion afore tyme in the Ieweshippe,⁽³⁾ how that beyōde measure I persecuted the cōgregacion of God, and spoyled it, and preuayled in the Ieweshippe aboue many of my companyons in my nacion, & was a moch more feruent manteyner of the tradicions of the fathers.
But whan it pleased God which separated [C] me fro my mothers wombe, and called me by his grace, for to declare his sonne in me, that I shulde preach him thorow the Gospell amonge the Heythen, immediatly I commened not of the matter with flesh and bloude: nether came I to Ierusalem vnto them which were Apostles before me: but wente my wayes in to Arabia, and came agayne to Damascon. Then after thre yeare I came to Ierusalē to se Peter, and abode with him fyftene dayes. As for the other Apostles, I sawe none of them, saue Iames the LORDES brother.
The thinges that I wryte vnto you, beholde, ⁽⁴⁾ God knoweth, I lye not. After that wente I into the coastes of Syria and Celicia: but of face I was vnknowne to yᵉ Christen congregacions in Iewrye. Neuertheles they had herde onely, that: He that persecuted vs in tyme passed, preacheth now yᵉ faith which some tyme he destroyed: and they praysed God in me.
Notes to Chapter 1
⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩
⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩
⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩
⁽⁴⁾ 2. Cor. 11. d
Chapter 2
The II. Chapter·
Then after fourtene yeares,⁽¹⁾ I wente [A] vp agayne to Ierusalē with Barnabas, and toke Titus with me also. But I wente vp by reuelacion, and commened with thē of yᵉ Gospell, which I preach amonge the Heythē: but specially with thē which were in reputacion, lest I shulde runne or had runne in vayne. ⁽²⁾ But Titus which was also with me, was not compelled to be circūcysed, though he was a Greke: and that because of certayne incommers beynge false brethrē, which came in amōge other, to spye out oure libertye, which we haue in Christ Iesus, that they mighte brynge vs in to bondage: To whom we gaue no rowme, no not for the space of an houre, as concernynge to be broughte in to subieccion: yᵗ the trueth of the Gospell mighte comtynue with you.
As for thē that semed to be greate, what they were in tyme passed, it maketh no matter to me. ⁽³⁾ For God loketh not on the outwarde appearaunce of men. Neuertheles they which semed greate, taught me nothinge: but contrary wyse, whan they sawe that the Gospell ouer the vncircumcision was cōmytted vnto me, as yᵉ Gospell ouer yᵉ circūcision [B] was commytted vnto Peter. (For he yᵗ was mightie with Peter to the Apostleshippe ouer the circumcision, the same was mightie with me also amōge the Heythen) they perceaued the grace that was geuen vnto me.
Iames and Cephas and Ihon, which semed to be pilers, gaue me and Barnabas yᵉ righte handes, and agreed with vs, that we shulde preach amonge the Heythē, and they amonge the Iewes: onely that we shulde remēbre the poore,⁽⁴⁾ which thinge also I was diligent to do.
But whā Peter was come to Antioche, I withstode him in yᵉ face: for he was worthy to be blamed. For afore there came certayne from Iames, he ate with the Heythē. But whā they were come, he withdrue and separated himselfe, fearinge thē which were of the circumcision. And the other Iewes dyssembled with him likewyse, in so moch yᵗ Barnabas was brought in to their symulacion also. But whan I sawe that they walked not right after yᵉ trueth of the Gospell, I sayde vnto Peter openly before all: Yf thou beynge a Iewe, lyuest after the maner of the Gentyles, and not as do the Iewes, why causest thou the Gentyles then to lyue as do the Iewes?
[C] ⁽⁵⁾Though we be Iewes by nature, and not synners of the Gentyles, yet (in so moch as we knowe,⁽⁶⁾ that a man is not made righteous by the dedes off the lawe, but by the faith on Iesus Christ) we haue beleued also on Iesus Christ, yᵗ we might be made righteous by the faith of Christ, and not by the dedes of the lawe, because that by the dedes of the lawe no flesh shal be iustified.
Yf we then which seke to be made righteous by christ, shulde be yet founde synners oʳ selues, is not Christ then the mynister of synne? God forbyd. For yf I buylde agayne yᵗ which I haue destroyed, then make I my selfe a trespacer. But I thorow the lawe am deed vnto the lawe, that I might lyue vnto God. I am crucified with Christ, yet do I lyue: neuerthelesse now not I, but Christ lyueth in me. For yᵉ life which I now lyue in yᵉ fleszhe, I lyue in the faith of yᵉ sonne of God ⁽⁷⁾ which loued me, and gaue himselfe for me. I cast not awaye the grace of God. For yf righteousnes come by the lawe, then dyed Christ in vayne.
Notes to Chapter 2
⁽¹⁾ Act. 15. a
⁽²⁾ Act. 16. a 1. Cor. 9. c
⁽³⁾ Act. 10. d Rom. 2 b Ephe. 6. a
⁽⁴⁾ Act. 11. e 2. Co 9. a
⁽⁵⁾ Phil. 3 a
⁽⁶⁾ Rom. 3. b
⁽⁷⁾ phe. 5. a
Chapter 3
[A] O Ye folishe Galathiās, who hath bewitched you, that ye shulde not beleue the trueth? To whō Iesus Christ was descrybed before the eyes and amonge you crucified. This onely wolde I lerne of you: Receaued ye the sprete by the dedes of the lawe, or by the preachinge of the faith: Are ye so vnwyse? Ye beganne in the sprete, wolde ye ende now thē in the flesh? Haue ye suffred so moch in vayne? Yf it be els in vayne. He that geueth you the sprete, and doth soch greate actes amōge you, doth he it thorow the dedes of the lawe, or by yᵉ preachinge of the faith? ⁽¹⁾ Euen as Abrahā beleued God, and it was counted vnto him for righteousnes. Thus ye knowe, that they which are of faith, are Abrahams children.
The scripture sawe afore hāde, that God [B] iustifieth the Heythen thorow faith. Therfore shewed it glad tydinges afore vnto Abraham, and sayde:⁽²⁾ In the shal all the Heythen be blessed. So then they which be of faith, are blessed with faithfull Abraham. For as many as go aboute with the workes of the lawe, are vnder yᵉ curse: For it is wryttē:⁽³⁾ Cursed be euery man, which cōtynueth not in all thinges that are wryttē in the boke of the lawe, to do them. That no man is iustified by the lawe in the sighte of God, it is euydēt: ⁽⁴⁾ For yᵗ iust shal lyue by his faith. The lawe is not of faith, ⁽⁵⁾ but the mā that doth yᵉ same, shal lyue therin. But Christ hath delyuered vs from yᵉ curse of the lawe, whan he became a curse for vs. (For it is wryttē: ⁽⁶⁾ Cursed is euery man that hangeth on tre) yᵗ the blessynge of Abraham mighte come on the Gentyles in Christ Iesu, and yᵗ we might so receaue yᵉ promysed sprete, thorow faith.
Brethren, I wil speake after the maner [C] of men. Though it be but a mās Testamēt, yet no man despyseth it, or addeth eny thinge therto, ⁽⁷⁾ whan it is confirmed. To Abraham and his sede were the promyses made. He sayeth not: In the sedes, as in many, but in thy sede, as in one, which is Christ. This Testament (I saye) which afore was confirmed to Christ warde, is not disanulled (that the promes shulde be made of none affecte) by the lawe ⁽⁸⁾ which was geuen beyonde foure hundreth. & thirtie yeares therafter.⁽⁹⁾ For yf the enheritaunce be gotten by the lawe, then is it not geuen by promes. But God gaue it frely vnto Abraham by promes.
Wherfore thē serueth the lawe? ⁽¹⁰⁾ It was added because of trangression, tyll the sede came, to the which the promes was made.⁽¹¹⁾ And it was geuen of angels, by the hande of the ⁽¹²⁾ mediatoure. A mediatour is not a mediatour of one onely, but God is one.
Is the lawe then agaynst the promyses [D] of God? God forbyd. Howbeit yf there had bene geuen a lawe which coulde haue geuē life, thē no doute righteousnes shulde come of the lawe.⁽¹³⁾ But yᵉ scripture hath shut vp all vnder synne, that yᵉ promes shulde come by the faith on Iesus Christ, geuē vnto thē that beleue. Before faith came, we were kepte and shut vp vnder the lawe, vnto the faith which shulde afterwarde be declared. Thus yᵉ lawe was oʳ scolemaster vnto Christ, that we might be made righteous by faith. But now that faith is come, we are nomore vnder the scolemaster. ⁽¹⁴⁾ For ye all are the children of God by the faith in Christ Iesu. ⁽¹⁵⁾ For as many of you as are baptysed, haue put on Christ. Here is nether Iewe ner Greke: here is nether bōde ner fre: here is nether man ner woman, for ye are all ⁽¹⁶⁾ one in Christ Iesu. Yf ye be Christes, thē are ye Abrahās sede and heyres acordynge to the promes.
Notes to Chapter 3
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Chapter 4
[A] BVt I saye: As longe as the heyre is a childe, there is no difference betwene him and a seruaunt, though he be lorde of all yᵉ goodes: but he is vnder tuters and gouerners, vntyll the tyme appoynted of the father. Euen so we also, whā we were children, were in bondage vnder the outwarde tradicions. But whan the tyme was fulfylled, God sent his sonne, borne of a womā, ⁽¹⁾ and put vnder the lawe, to redeme them which were vnder the lawe, that we mighte receaue yᵉ childshippe. ⁽²⁾ For so moch thē as ye are children, God hath sent the sprete of his sonne in to oure hertes, which cryeth: Abba, deare father. Wherfore now, thou art not a seruaunt, but a sonne. Yf thou be a sonne, then art thou the heyre of God thorow Christ. Notwithstondinge whan ye knewe not God, ye dyd seruyce vnto them, which by nature are no Goddes. But now seynge ye knowe God (yee rather are knowne off God) how is it ⁽³⁾ that ye turne you backe agayne vnto the weake and beggerly tradicions, wher vnto ye desyre agayne a fresh to be in bondage?
[B] Ye obserue dayes and monethes, and tymes and yeares. I am in feare of you, lest I haue bestowed laboure on you in vayne. Brethrē I beseke you, be ye as I am, for I am as ye are. Ye haue not hurte me at all. For ye knowe how that in weaknes after yᵉ flesh I preached yᵉ Gospell vnto you at the first: and my tentacion which I suffred after the flesh, ye despysed not, nether abhorred, but receaued me as an angell of God, yee euen as Christ Iesus. How happy were ye then? For I beare you recorde, that yf it had bene possible, ye had plucked out youre awne eyes, and geuē them vnto me. Am I therfore become yoʳ enemy, because I tell you yᵉ trueth?
They are gelous ouer you amysse. Yee they wolde make you to fall backe, that ye might be feruēt to thē warde. It is good to be feruent, so yᵗ it be allwaye in a good thinge, and not onely whan I am present wᵗ you. My litle children (of whom I trauayle in byrth agayne, vntyll Christ be fashioned in you) I wolde I were wᵗ you now, and coulde chaūge my voyce, for I stōdeī doute of you.
Tell me ye that wylbe vnder the lawe, haue [C] ye not herde the lawe? For it is wrytten, that Abraham had two sonnes ⁽⁴⁾ the one by a bonde mayde, ⁽⁵⁾the other by a fre woman. As for him that was of the bōde mayde, he was borne after yᵉ flesh: but he which was of the fre woman, was borne by promes. These wordes betoken somwhat. For these wemen are the two Testamentes: The one from the mount Sina, that gendreth vnto bondage, which is Agar. For Agar is called in Arabia yᵉ mount Sina, and reacheth vnto Ierusalem which now is, and is in bondage with hir children.
⁽⁶⁾But Ierusalem that is aboue, is the fre woman, which is the mother of vs all. For it is wryttē: ⁽⁷⁾ Reioyse thou baren, that bearest no childrē: breake forth and crye thou yᵗ trauaylest not, for the desolate hath many mo childrē, then she which hath an huszbande. As for vs (brethren) we are the children of Isaac acordinge to the promes.
⁽⁸⁾But like as at that tyme, he that was borne after the flesh, persecuted him yᵗ was borne after the sprete, euen so is it now also. But what sayeth the scripture?⁽⁹⁾ Put awaye the bonde mayden and hir sonne: for the sonne of yᵉ bondmayde shal not be heyre with yᵉ sonne of the fre woman. So now brethren, we are not children of the bonde mayde, but of the fre woman.
Notes to Chapter 4
⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩
⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩
⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩
⁽⁴⁾ Gen. 16. d
⁽⁵⁾ Gen. 71. a
⁽⁶⁾ Apoc. 21 a
⁽⁷⁾ Esa. 54. a
⁽⁸⁾ Gen. 27. g
⁽⁹⁾ Gen. 21. b
Chapter 5
STonde fast therfore in the libertye [A] wherwith Christ hath made vs fre, and be not wrapped agayne in the yocke off bondage. Beholde, I Paul saye vnto you: Yf ye be circumcysed, Christ profiteth you nothinge at all. I testifye aga⟨illegible⟩ne vnto euery man which is circumcyse that he is bounde to kepe the whole lar⟨illegible⟩ Ye are gone quyte from Christ, as many ⟨illegible⟩ you as wylbe made righteous by the lawe and are fallen from grace. But we wa⟨illegible⟩ in the sprete off hope, to ⟨illegible⟩ by faith. ⁽¹⁾ For in Christ Iesu nether is circumcision eny thinge worth ner vncircumcision, but faith which ⁽²⁾ by loue is mightie in operacion. Ye ranne well, who was a let vnto you, that ye shulde not obeye the trueth? Soch councell is not of him that hath called you. ⁽³⁾ A litle leuen sowreth the whole lompe of dowe.
[B] I haue trust towarde you in yᵉ LORDE, that ye wylbe none otherwyse mynded. But he that troubleth you, shal beare his iudgment, what so euer he be. Brethren yf I yet preach circumcision, why do I suffre persecucion? then had the slaunder off the crosse ceassed. Wolde God they were roted out frō amōge you, which trouble you. But brethrē, ye are called vnto liberty, onely let not youre libertie be an occasion vnto the flesh, but by loue serue one another. For all the lawe is fulfylled in one worde, namely in this: ⁽⁴⁾ loue thy neghboure as thy selfe. But yf ye byte and deuoure one another, take hede, that ye be not consumed one of another.
[C] I saye: Walke in the sprete, and so shal ye not fulfill the ⁽⁵⁾ lustes off the fleshe. For the flesh lusteth agaynst the sprete, and the sprete agaynst the flesh. These are contrary one to the other, so that ye can not do that which ye wolde: But and yf ye be led of the sprete, then are ye not vnder the lawe.⁽⁶⁾ The dedes of yᵉ flesh are manifest, which are these: Aduoutrye, whordome, vnclēnes, wantānes, Idolatrye, witchcraft, hatred, variaunce, zele, wrath, stryfe, sedicion, sectes, envyenge, murthur, dronkennes, glotony, and soch like: of the which I tell you before, as I haue tolde you in tyme past, ⁽⁷⁾ that they which commytte soch, shal not inheret the kyngdome of God. ⁽⁸⁾ But the frute of the sprete, is loue, ioye, peace, longe sufferinge, gētlenes, goodnesse, faithfulnes, mekenesse, tēperaunce, ⁽⁹⁾ Agaynst soch is not yᵉ lawe:⁽¹⁰⁾ But they that are Christes, haue crucified their flesh, with the lustes and desyres.
Notes to Chapter 5
⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩
⁽²⁾ 1. Co. 13. a
⁽³⁾ 1. Cor. 5. a
⁽⁴⁾ Leuit 19. e Ro. 13. b
⁽⁵⁾ 1. Pet. 2. b
⁽⁶⁾ 1. Tim. 5. c
⁽⁷⁾ 1. Cor. 6. b
⁽⁸⁾ Ephe. 5. b
⁽⁹⁾ 1. Tim. 1. b ⟨illegible⟩. Ro 13. b 1. Pet. 2. b
⁽¹⁰⁾ 1. Tim. 1. b ⟨illegible⟩. Ro 13. b 1. Pet. 2. b
Chapter 6
[A] YF we lyue in the sprete, let vs walke also in the sprete. Let vs not be vayne glorious, prouokinge one another, and envyenge another. Brethren, Yf eny mā be ouertaken of a faute, ye which are spiri⟨illegible⟩uall, enfourme him with a meke sprete: and considre thine owne selfe, that thou also be not tempted. ⁽¹⁾ Beare ye one anothers ⟨illegible⟩, and so shal ye fulfyll the lawe of Christ. But yf eny man thinke himselfe to be ⟨illegible⟩ (whan in dede he is nothinge) the same disceaueth himselfe. Let euery man proue his owne worke, and thē shal he haue reioysinge in his awne selfe, and not in another. For ⁽²⁾ euery one shal beare his owne burthen.
⁽³⁾ But let him that is taughte with the worde, mynister in all good thinges, vnto him that teacheth him. Be not disceaued, God wil not be mocked. ⁽⁴⁾ For what soeuer a man soweth, that shal he reape. He that soweth vpon the flesh, shal of the flesh reape destruccion: But he that soweth vpon yᵉ sprete, shal of the sprete reape life euerlastinge. ⁽⁵⁾ Let vs not be weery of well doynge: for whā the tyme is come, we shal reape without ceassinge. Whyle we haue tyme therfore, let vs do good vnto all men ⁽⁶⁾ but specially vnto thē which are of yᵉ housholde of faith.
Beholde, with how many wordes I haue wrytten vnto you with myne awne hande. They that wil please in the flesh, constrayne you to be circumcysed, onely lest they shulde be persecuted with the crosse of Christ. For euē they them selues which are circumcysed, kepe not the lawe, but wolde haue you circūcysed, that they mighte reioyse in youre flesh. But God forbyd that I shulde reioyse, saue onely in the crosse of oure LORDE Iesus Christ, wherby the worlde is crucified vnto me, and I vnto the worlde.⁽⁷⁾ For in Christ Iesu nether circūcision avayleth eny thinge, ner vncircumcision, but a new creature. ⁽⁸⁾ And as many as walke acordynge to this rule, peace and mercy be vpon thē, and vpon Israel of God. From hence forth let no man put me to busynesse, ⁽⁹⁾ for I beare in my body the markes of the LORDE Iesu. Brethren, the grace of oure LORDE Iesu Christ be with youre sprete Amen.
Vnto the Galathians, sent from Rome.
Notes to Chapter 6
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Colophon
This page is an archival transcription of the printed text, not a Good Works Translation. Source: Biblia the Byble, that is, the holy Scrypture of the Olde and New Testament, faithfully translated in to Englyshe (M.D.XXXV; STC 2063.3), translated by Myles Coverdale, the copy in Cambridge University Library, keyed and encoded by the Text Creation Partnership (EEBO-TCP Phase I, text A10349, 2005) and released under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 public-domain dedication.
13 places illegible in the Cambridge copy were filled from Samuel Bagster’s 1838 page-for-page reprint of the edition (archive.org, holyscriptures00cove), only where the reprint’s reading is certain; each fill is listed on this room’s Supplied Readings page; 44 places are still marked ⟨illegible⟩ (10 in the text, 34 in the marginal notes).
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