Colossians — The Tyndale New Testament (1534)

The epistle known today as Colossians in Tyndale's revised New Testament of 1534, translated from the Greek and opened, as in the print, by Tyndale's prologue to the epistle. It is printed here from the copy in the British Library as keyed by the Text Creation Partnership, in the spelling of 1534; the margin notes are given as footnotes, and the crosses ✚ and ⊢ mark where the lessons read in church begin and end.

¶ The Prologe vpon the epistle of S. Paul to the Colossyans.

AS the pistle to the Galathyans holdeth the maner & fassion of the epistle to the Romayns / breflye comprehendinge all that is therin at length disputed: Euē so this pistle foloweth the ensample of the pistle to the Ephesiās / cōtayninge the tenor of the same pistle with fewer wordes.

In the fyrst Chapter / he prayseth them and wyssheth that they continew in the fayth / and growe perfecter therin / and then describeth he the Gospell / how that it is a wysdome that confesseth Christ to be the Lorde and God / crucified for vs / and a wysdome that hath bene hyd in Christ sence a fore the begininge of the worlde / and now fyrst begonne to be opened thorow the preachynge of the Apostles.

In the seconde / he warneth thē of mēnes doctryne / and describeth the false prophetes to the vttermost and rebuketh them accordinge.

In the thyrde / he exhorteth to be frutefull in the pure sayth with all maner of good workes one to another / and descrybeth all degrees & what their dutyes are.

In the fourth he exhorteth to praye / and also to praye for him / and saluteth them

The text

Chapter 1

¶ The fyrst Chapter.

1 PAul an Apostle of Iesu Christ by [A] the wyll of God / and brother Timotheus.

2 To the sayntes which are at Colossa / & brethren that beleve in Christ. Grace be with you and peace from God oure father / and from the Lorde Iesus Christ.

3 We geve thankes to God the father of oure Lorde Iesus Christ / alwayes prayenge for you /

4 sence we hearde of youre¹ faith which ye have in Christ Iesu & of the love which ye beare to all sayntes

5 for the hopes sake which is layde vp in store for you in heven / of which hope ye have herde before by y[ᵉ] true worde of the gospell /

6 which is come vnto you / evē as it is in to all y[ᵉ] worlde / & is frutefull / as it is amōge you / frō the fyrst daye in yᵉ which ye herde of it / & had experiēce in yᵉ grace of God in the trueth /

7 as ye learned of Epaphra oure deare felowe servaunt / which is for you a faythfull minister of Christ /

8 which also declared vnto vs youre love which ye have in the sprete.

9 ✚ For this cause we also / sence the daye we herde of it have not ceasyd prayinge for you [B] and desyringe

10 that ye myght be fulfilled with the knowledge of his will / in all wisdome & spretuall vnderstōdynge / that ye myght walke worthy of the lorde in all thynges that please / beynge frutfull in all good workes and encreasynge in y[ᵉ] knowledge of God /

11 strengthed with all myght / thorowe hys glorious power / vnto all pacience and longe sufferynge with ioyfulnes

12 ✚ gevynge thankes vnto the father which hath made vs mete to be part takers of the enheritaunce of sainctes in light.

13 Which hath delivered vs from the power [C] of dercknes / and hath translated vs in to the² kyngdome of his dere sone /

14 in whom we have redempcion thurow his bloud / that is to saye the forgevenes of sinnes /

15 which is the ymage of the invisible god / fyrst begotten of all creatures.

16 For by him were all thynges created / thynges that are in heven / and thynges that are in erth: thynges visible and thynges invisible: whether they be maieste or lordshippe / ether rule or power. All thingꝭ are creatyd by hym / and in him /

17 & he is before all thingꝭ / and in him all thynges have their beynge.

18 And he is the heed of the body / that is to wit of the congregacion: he is the begynnynge and fyrst³ begotten of the deed / that in all thynges he might have the preeminence.

19 For it pleased the father that in him shuld all fulnes dwell /

20 and by him to reconcile all thyngꝭ vnto him silfe / and to set at peace by him thorow the bloud of his crosse / both thynges in heven and thynges in erth.

21 And you (which were in tymes past straungers and enymes / because youre myndes were set in evyll workes) hath he now recōcilied

22 in y[ᵉ] body of his flesshe thorowe deeth / to make you holy vnblameable and with out faut in his awne syght /

23 yf ye continue grounded and stablysshed in the fayth / and be not moved awaye from the hope of the gospell / wher of ye have herde / howe that it is preached amonge all creatures which are vnder heven / wher of I Paul am made a minister.

24 [D] Now ioye I in my⁴ soferinges which I suffre for you / and fulfill that which is behynde of the passions of Christ in my flesshe for his bodies sake / which is the congregacion /

25 wher of I am made a minister acordynge to the ordinaunce of god / which ordinaunce was geven me vnto you warde / to fulfill y[ᵉ] worde of god /

26 that mistery hid sence the worlde beganne / &⁵ sence y[ᵉ] begynnynge of generacions: but now is opened to his saynctes /

27 to whom god wolde make knowen the glorious riches of this mistery amonge the gentyls / which riches is Christ in you / the hope of glory /

28 whom we preach / warnynge all men / and teachinge all men in all wisdome / to make all men parfect in Christ Iesu.

29 Wherin I also laboure and stryve / even as farforth as hys workynge worketh in me myghtely.

Notes to Chapter 1

Chapter 2

¶ The .ii. Chapter.

1 I Wolde ye knewe what fyghtinge I have [A] for youre sake & for them of Laodicia / & for as many as have not sene my parson in the flesshe /

2 that their hertes myght be cōforted & knet togedder in love / & in all ryches of full vnderstondynge / for to knowe y[ᵉ] mistery of God y[ᵉ] father & of Christ /

3 in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom & knowledge.

4 This I saye lest eny man sheld begyle you with entysinge wordes.

5 For though I be absent in the flesshe / yet am I present with⁶ you in the sprete / ioyinge and beholdinge the order that ye kepe / and youre stedfast fayth in Christ.

6 As ye have therfore receaved Christ Iesu the Lorde / even so [w]alke /

7 roted and bylt in him and sted faste in the fayth / as ye have learned: and therin be plenteous in gevynge thankes.

8 [B] ✚ Beware lest eny mā come & spoyle you thorow philosophy & disceatfull vanitie / thorow⁷ the tradicions of mē & ordinaunces after the worlde / & not after christ.

9 For in him dwelleth all the fulnes of the godheed bodyly /

10 & ye are complete in him which is the heed of all rule⁸ & power /

11 in whom also ye are circūcised with circumcision made mith out honde / by puttinge of the sinfull boddy of the flesshe / thorow the circumcision y[ᵗ] is in Christ /

12 in that ye are⁹ buryed with him thorow baptim / in whom ye are also rysen agayne thorowe fayth / that is wrought by the operacion of god which raysed him from deeth.

13 [C] And ye which weare deed in synne thorow y[ᵉ] vncircūcision of youre flesshe / hath he quyckened wᵗ him & hath forgevē vs all oure trespases

14 ✚ & hath put out y[ᵉ]¹⁰ handwritinge y[ᵗ] was agaynst vs / cōtayned in y[ᵉ] lawe writtē / & that hath he takē out of the waye & hath fastened it to his crosse /

15 & hath spoyled rule and power and hath made a shewe of thē openly / & hath triumphed over them in his awne persone.

16 Let nomā therfore trouble youre consciēces aboute meate & drynke or for a pece of an holydaye / as the holydaye of the newe mone or of the sabboth dayes /

17 which are nothinge but shaddowes of thynges to come: but the body is in Christ.

18 Let no man make you shote at a wrōge (marke) / which after his awne ymaginacion walketh in the humblenes and holynes of angels / thinges which he never sawe: causlesse puft vp with his flesshly mynde /

19 &¹¹ holdeth not the heed / wherofall the body by ioyntes and couples receaveth norisshment / and is knetto gedder / & encreaseth with the [D] in creasynge thas commeth of god.

20 Wherfore if ye be deed with Christ frō ordinaunces of the worlde / why as though ye yet lived in the worlde / are ye ledde with tradiciōs of them that saye?

21 Touche not / tast not / handell not:

22 which all perysshe wᵗ the vsinge of thē & are after the cōmaundmentes & doctrins of men

23 which thingꝭ have the similitude of wisdome in chosen holynes and humblenes / and in that they spare not the body / &¹² do the slesshe no worshype vnto his nede.

Notes to Chapter 2

Chapter 3

¶ The .iii. Chapter: ✚

1 IF ye be then rysen agayne with christ / [A] seke those thynges which are above / where Christ sitteth on the right honde of god.

2 Set youre affeccion on thynges yᵗ are above / and not on thinges which are on y[ᵉ] erth.

3 For ye are deed / and youre lyfe is hid with Christ in god.

4 When Christ which is oure lyfe / shall shewe him silfe / then shall ye also appere with him in glory. ⊢

5 Mortifie therfore youre membres which are on the erth / fornicaciō / vnclennes / vnnaturall lust / evyll cōcupiscēce / and coveteousnes which is worshippynge of ydols:

6 for which¹³ thynges sakes the wrath of God cometh on the chyldren of vnbeleve.

7 In which thynges ye walked once. when ye lived in them.

8 But now put ye also awaye from you all¹⁴ thynges wrath / fearsnes / maliciousnes / cursed [B] speakynge / filthy speakynge out of youre mouthes.

9 Lye not one to another that the olde man with his workes be put of /

10 and the new put on / which is renued in knowledge after the ymage of him that made him /

11 where is nether¹⁵ gentile ner Iewe / circumcision nor vncircumcision / Barbarous or Sithian / bonde or fre: but Christe is all in all thynges.

12 ✚ Now therfore as electe of god / holy and beloved / put¹⁶ on tender mercie / kyndnes / humblenes of myndes / meknes / longe sufferynge /

13 for bearynge one another / & forgevynge one another / if eny man have a quarrell to another /¹⁷ even as Christ forgave you / even so doye.

14 Above all these thinges put on love / which is the bonde of parfectnes.

15 And y[ᵉ] peace of god rule [C] in youre hertes / to y[ᵉ] which peace ye are called in one body. And se that ye be thankfull.

16 Let the worde of Christ dwell in you plenteously in all wisdome. Teache & exhorte youre awne selves / in psalmes / and hymnes / and spretuall songes which have favour wᵗ them syngynge in youre hertes to the lorde.

17 And all thynges (whatsoever ye do in worde or dede)¹⁸ do in the name of the lorde Iesu / gevinge thākes to god the father by him. ⊢

18 Wyves / submit youre selves vnto youre¹⁹ awne husbandes / as it is comly in the Lorde.

19 Husbandes love youre wyves and be not bitter [D] vnto them.

20 Children / obey youre fathers & mothers / in all thinges / for that is wel pleasynge vnto the lorde.

21 Fathers / rate not youre children / lest they be of a desperate mynde.

22 Servauntes / be obedient vnto youre bodyly masters in all thynges: not with eye service as men pleasers / but in synglenes of herte / fearynge god.

23 And whatsoever ye do / do it hertely as though ye did it to the lorde / and not vnto men

24 for as moche as ye knowe that of the lorde ye shall receave the rewarde of inheritaunce / for ye serve the lorde Christ.

25 But he²⁰ that doth wronge / shall receave for the wronge that he hath done: for there is no respect of persons.

4:1 Ye masters / do vnto youre servauntes that which is iust and egall seinge ye knowe that ye also have a master in heven.

Notes to Chapter 3

Chapter 4

¶ The .iiii. Chapter.

2 COntinue in prayer and watch in the same with thankes gevynge /

3 prayenge also [A] for vs / that God open vnto vs the dore of vtteraunce / that we maye speake the²¹ mistery of Christ / wherfore I am in bondes:

4 y[ᵗ] I maye vtter it / as it becōmeth me to speake.

5 Walke wysely to them that are with out / & redeme y[ᵉ] tyme.

6 Let youre speache be all wayes²² well favoured & be powdred with * salt / that ye maye know how to answer every mā.

7 The deare brother Tichicos shall tell you of all my busynes / which is a faythfull minister [B] & felowe servaunt in the Lorde /

8 whom I have sent vnto you for the same purpose / that he myght knowe how ye do / and myght comfort youre hertes /

9 wᵗ one Onesimus a faythfull & a beloved brother / which is one of you. They shall shewe you of all thinges which are ad⟨illegible⟩ynge here.

10 Aristarchus my preson felowe saluteth you / [C]²³ and Marcus Barnabassis systers sonne: touchinge whom / ye receaved commaundementes. Yf he come vnto you receave him:

11 & Iesus which is called Iustus / which are of the circumcision. These only are my worke felowes vnto the kyngdome of God / which were vnto my consolacion.

12 Epaphras the servaūt of Christ / which is one of you / saluteth you / and all wayes laboreth fervently for you in prayers / that ye maye stonde perfect & full in all that is the will of God.

13 I beare him recorde that he hath a fervēt mynde towarde you²⁴ and towarde them of Laodicia & them of Hierapolis.

14 Deare Lucas the Phisicion greteth you / and Demas.

15 Salute the brethren which [D] are of Laodicia / and salute Nymphas and the congregaciō which is in his housse.

16 And whē the pistle is reed of you / make that it be reed in the congregacion of the Laodicians also: & that ye lyke wyse reade y[ᵉ] epistle of Laodicia.

17 And saye to Archippus: take hede to the office that thou hast receaved in the Lorde / that thou fulfill it.

18 The salutacion by the honde of me Paul. Remember my bondes. Grace be with you. Amen.

¶ Sent from Rome by Tichicus / and Onesimus.

Notes to Chapter 4

Colophon

Transcribed from The newe Testament dylygently corrected and compared with the Greke by Willyam Tindale (Antwerp: Marten Emperowr, November 1534; STC 2826), British Library copy, as keyed by the Text Creation Partnership (EEBO-TCP Phase I, text A68940): keyed by Apex CoVantage from the ProQuest page images in 2005, then sampled and proofread by Judith Siefring. The TCP transcription was released into the public domain under CC0 1.0. The printed text is in the public domain.

Spelling, capitals, punctuation (including the virgule /), abbreviation marks (the macron, as in thē, and ꝭ) and the signs ¶ ✚ ⊢ ❧ are kept as printed. The only changes are these: long s (ſ) is set as s; superscript letters are set as ᵉ ᵗ ᵒ (yᵉ = the, yᵗ = that); ▪ marks a stop the transcribers could not identify; a word divided at the end of a line, with or without a printed hyphen, is joined into one word; a letter supplied from another text, as explained below, is set in square brackets; page breaks and catchwords are removed. Woodcuts and decorated initials are not reproduced, but woodcut captions are given. The margin notes are given as numbered footnotes. Printed headings are kept, including their misprints, as italic lines under the library's chapter headings. The letters [A] to [G] are the section letters printed in the margin, by which the 1534 margin references (for example "Esaie vij. c.") and the table of lessons find a passage.

The 1534 print has no verse numbers. They are supplied here from the eBible.org Tyndale New Testament (1534), a public-domain, verse-numbered electronic text of the same edition. A word-by-word alignment showed that about 97 per cent of the two texts' words are identical across the New Testament, and the remainder differ in spelling and abbreviation, with a few slips of keying in one text or the other. The paragraphs of the print give way to one paragraph per verse. This edition divides some chapters differently from later Bibles: verse 4:1 of later Bibles stands in chapter 3 of this edition. Such verses are numbered in chapter:verse form.

Words that the transcribers could not read are marked ⟨illegible⟩ (10 places on this page, 9 of them in the margin notes).

In the verse text of this book, 20 places that the transcribers could not read in the printed book have been supplied from the eBible.org Tyndale New Testament (1534), a later electronic transcription of Tyndale's New Testament whose transcriber is not named. Each supplied letter is set in square brackets, as in y[ᵉ] or fal[c]e, so that it can be told from a letter the transcribers read in the print. A place was supplied only where the verse alignment was exact on both sides, the eBible reading agreed letter for letter with every legible letter, and no macron could have stood in the gap. Where the small superscript letter after y was supplied, the eBible text is the only evidence for that letter.

This is an archival transcription of Tyndale's printed English, not a Good Works Translation: nothing here has been translated or modernised by the library.

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