2 Peter — The Tyndale New Testament (1534)

The epistle known today as 2 Peter 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.

¶ A Prologe to the seconde epistle of S. Peter.

THis pistle was writtē agaynst thē which thought that Christē fayth might be ydle & with oute workes / when yet the promes of Christ is made vs vpon that condicion / that we henceforth worke the wyll of God & not of the flesshe. Therfore he exhorteth them to exercise them selues diligentlye in vertue & all good workes / therby to be sure that they haue the true fayth / as a man knoweth the goodnes of a tree by his frute. Then he cōmendeth and magnifieth the gospell / and willeth that men herkē to that on⟨illegible⟩ye / and to mēnes doctryne not at all. For as he sayeth / ther came no propheticall scripture by the wyll of man / but by the wyll of the holye goost which onlye knoweth the wyll of God / nether is any⟨illegible⟩ scripture of priuate interpretacion: that is to saye / maye be otherwyse expounded the⟨illegible⟩ agreinge to the open places and generall articles and to the couenauntes of God and all the rest of the scripture.

And therfore in the seconde he warneth them of false teachers that shuld come / and thorow preachinge confidence in false workes to satisfye their courtousnes with all / shuld denye Christ. Which he threateneth with thre terrible exsamples▪with the fall of the angelles / the floude of No⟨illegible⟩ and ouerthrowinge of ⟨illegible⟩odome and Gomor / and so describeth them with their insaciable couetousnes / pryde / slou borne and dysobedience to all remvorall rule and auctoryte / with their abominable whordome and ypocre⟨illegible⟩ie that a blinde man maye se that he prophisied it of the popes holye spiritualtie which deuoured the whole worlde with their coueteousnes lyuinge in all lust and pleasure & rayninge as temporall tyrantes.

In the thyrde he sheweth that in the latter dayes / the people thorow vnbeleffe & lacke of feare of the iudgement of the last daye / shalbe euen as Epicures / wholy geuen to the flesshe. Which last daye shall yet surelye & shortlye come sayth he: for a thousande yeres & one daye is with God all one. And he sheweth also how terrible that daye shalbe / & how sodenlye it shall come & therfore exhorteth all m⟨illegible⟩n to loke ernestlie for it / and to prepare them selues agaynst it with holye conuersacion & godly liuinge.

Finallie. The fyrst Chapter sheweth how it shuld goo in the tyme of the pure & true Gospell. The seconde how it shuld goo in the tyme of the pope and mennes doctrine. The thyrde h⟨illegible⟩w at the last men shuld beleue nothinge n⟨illegible⟩r feare God at all.

The text

Chapter 1

¶ The fyrst Chapter.

1 SImon Peter a seruaunt & [A] an Apostle of Iesus Christ / to them which have obtayned lyke precious fayth with vs in the rightewesnes that commeth of oure God and savioure Iesus Christ.

2 Grace with you▪ & peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God & of Iesus oure Lorde.

3 Accordinge as his godly power hath geven vnto vs all thinges that pertayne vnto lyfe and godlynes / thorow the knowledge of him that hath called vs by vertue and glory /

4 by the meanes whereof / are geven vnto vs excellent and moste greate promises / that by the helpe of them ye shuld be partakers of the godly nature / in that ye [f]lye the corrupcion [B] of worldy lust.¹

5 And hervnto geve all diligence: in youre fayth minister vertve / and in vertue knowledge /

6 and in knowledge temperancy / and in temrancy pacience / in pacience godlynes /

7 in godlynes brotherly kyndnes / in brotherly kyndnes love.

8 For yf these thinges be amonge you and are plenteous / they wyll make you that ye nether shalbe ydle nor vnfrutefull in the knowledge of oure lorde Iesus Christ.

9 But he yᵗ lacketh these thyngꝭ is blynde & gropeth for y[ᵉ] [C] waye with his honde / and hath forgotten y[ᵗ] he was pourged from his olde synnes.

10 Wherfore brethren / geve the moare diligence² for to make youre callynge & eleccion sure. For yf ye do soche thynges / ye shall never e[r]re.

11 Ye & by this meanes an entrynge in shall be ministred vnto you aboundantly in to the everlastynge kyngdome of oure lorde and saveoure Iesus Christ.

12 Wherfore I will not be necgligent to put you allwayes in remembraunce of soche thinges / though that ye knowe them youre selves & be also stablisshed in the present trueth.

13 Notwithstōdinge I thynke yt mete (as longe as I am in this tabernacle) to stere you vp by puttynge you in remēbraunce /

14 for as moch as I am sure howe that the tyme is at honde y[ᵗ] I must put of my tabernacle / even as oure lorde³ Iesus Christ hath shewed me.

15 I will enfoarce therfore / that on every syde ye myght have wherwith to stere vp the remembraunce of these thynges after my departynge.

16 ✚ For we folowed not decevable fables whē we openned vnto you the power and commynge of oure lorde Iesus Christ / but with oure eyes we sawe his maieste:

17 even then verely when he receaved of god the father honour &⁴ glory / and when ther came soche a voyce to [D] him from excellent glorie. This is my dere beloved sonne / in whom I have delite.

18 This voyce we hearde when it came from heven / be ynge with him in the holy mounte.

19 We have also a right sure worde of prophesye wher vnto yf ye take hede / as vnto a lyght y[ᵗ] shyneth in a darke place / ye do wel / vntill the daye dawne and the daye starre aryse in youre hertes.

20 ✚ So that ye fyrst knowe this. that no prophesye in the scripture hath eny private interpretaciō.

21 For the scripture came⁵ never by the will of man: but holy men of god spake as they were moved by the holy goost.

Notes to Chapter 1

Chapter 2

¶ The ii. Chapter.

1 THer were falce prophetes amonge the [A] people / even as ther shalbe falce teachers amonge you: wich prevely shall⁶ brynge in damnable sectes / even denyinge the Lorde that hath bought them / and brynge vpon them selves swyft damnacion /

2 and many shall folowe their damnable wayes / by which the waye of trueth shalbe evyll spoken of /

3 and thorow * coveteousnes shall they with fayned wordes make marchandyse of you / whose iudgement is not farre of / and the it dampnacion slepeth not.

4 For yf god spared not the angels that synned / but [B] cast them doune into hell / and delyuered them in chaynes of darknes / to be kept vnto iudgement.

5 Nether spared the olde worlde but saved Noe the ryghte preacher of rightewesnes / and brought in the flud vpon the worlde of the vngodly /

6 and turned the cities of zodom and Gomor into asshes: overthrewe them / damned thē / & made on them an ensample vnto all y[ᵗ] after shuld live vngodly.

7 And iust Lot vexed with the vnclenly conversaciō of the wicked / delivered he.

8 For he beynge ryghteous and dwellynge amonge them / in seynge and hearynge / vexed his righteous soule from daye to daye with their vnlawfull dedes.

9 The lorde knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptacion / and how to reserve the vniuste vnto the daye of iudgement for to be punisshed:

10 namely them that walke after the flesshe in the lust of vnclennes / and despyse the rulars. Presumpteous are they / & stubborne and feare not to speake evyll of them that are in auctorite.

11 When yᵉ angels which are greater bothe in power and myght / receave [C] not of yᵉ lorde raylynge iudgement agaynst them.

12 But these as brute beastes / naturally made to betaken and destroyed / speake evyll of that they knowe not / and shall perisshe through their awne destruccion /

13 and receave the rewarde of vnrightewesnes. They count it pleasure to live deliciously for a season. Spottes they are & filthines / livinge at pleasure & in disceaveable wayes feastynge with you:

14 havinge eyes full of advoutrie & that cānot cease to synne / begylynge vnstable soules. Hertes they have exercised wᵗ coveteousnes. They are cursed chyldren /

15 & have forsaken the right waye / & are gone astraye⁷ folowinge yᵉ waye of Balam the sonne of Bosor / which loved the rewarde of vnrightewesnes:

16 but was rebuked of his iniquitie. The tame & dōme beast / speakinge with mānes voyce / forbade the folisshnes of the Prophete.

17 These are welles without water / & cloudes caried about of a tēpest / to whome the myst of darcknes is reserved for ever.

18 For when they⁸ have spokē the swellinge wordes of vanytie / [D] they begyle wᵗ wantānes thorowe yᵉ lustes of the flesshe / them that were clene escaped: but now are wrapped in errours.

19 They promys them libertye / & are them selves yᵉ bonde servaunte of corrupcion. For of whom soever a⁹ man is over come / vnto yᵉ same is he in bondage.

20 For yf they / after they have escaped from the filthynes of the worlde thorowe yᵉ know ledge of yᵉ Lorde & of yᵉ saviour Iesus Christ / they are yet tāgled agayne therin & overcome: then is yᵉ latter ende worsse with them then the beginninge.

21 For it had bene better for thē / not to have¹⁰ knowne yᵉ waye of righteousnes then after they have knowē it / to turne frō the holy cōmaundmēt gevē vnto them.

22 It is happened vnto them accordinge to the true proverbe: The dogge is turned to his vomet agayne /¹¹ and the sow that was wesshed / to her wallowynge in the myre.

Notes to Chapter 2

Chapter 3

The .iiii. Chapter.

1 THis is the seconde pistle that I now wryte vnto you / beloved / wherwith I [A] stere vp and warne youre pure myndes /

2 to call to remembraūce the worde which were tolde before of the holy prophetes / and also the commaundement of vs the apostles of the lorde and saveour.

3 This fyrst vnderstōde / that ther shall come¹² in the last dayes mockers / which will walke after their awne lustes

4 & saye. Where is the¹³ promes of his cōmynge? For sence yᵉ fathers dyed / all thingꝭ cōtinue in yᵉ same estate wherin they were at yᵉ begynninge.

5 This they knowe not (and that willyngly) how that the hevens [B] a great whyle ago were / & the erth that was in the water / appered vp out of the water by the worde of god:

6 by the which thinge / the worlde yᵉ then▪ was / perisshed over flowen wᵗ the water.

7 But the hevēs verely & erth which are now / are kept by the same worde in store / & reserved vnto fyre / agaynst the daye of iudgement and perdicion of vngodly men.

8 Derely beloved / be not ignorant of this one thynge / how that one daye is wᵗ the lorde / as a thousande yeare / and a thousand yeare as one [C] daye.

9 The lorde is not slacke to fulfill his promes / as some men coūt slacknes: but is pacient to vs warde & wolde have no man lost / but wolde receave all men to repentaūce.

10 Neverthelesse yᵉ daye of the lorde will come as a¹⁴ thefe in yᵉ nyght / in the which daye / yᵉ hevens shall perisshe with terrible noyes / & the elemētes shall melt with heet / and the erth with the workes that are therin shall burne.

11 Yf all these thingꝭ shall perisshe / what maner persons ought ye tobe in holy conversacion and godlynes:

12 lokynge for and hastynge vnto the commynge of the daye of God / in which the hevens shall perisshe with fyre / and the elementes shalbe consumed with heate.¹⁵

13 Neverthelesse we loke for a newe heven and a newe erth / accordynge to his promes / where in dwelleth rightewesnes.

14 Wherfore derly beloved / seynge y[ᵗ] ye loke for soche thyngꝭ / be diligēt that ye maye be founde of him in peace / wᵗ out spotte & vndefiled

15 [D] And suppose that y[ᵉ] longe sufferynge of the lorde is saluacion / even as oure derely beloved brother Paul / accordynge to yᵉ wysdome gevē vnto him / wrote to you /

16 yee / almost in very pistle speakynge of soche thyngꝭ: amōge which are many thynges harde to be vnderstonde / which they that are vnlearned & vnstable / pervert / as they do other scriptures vnto their awne destrucciō.

17 Ye therfore beloved / seynge ye knowe it before hande / beware lest ye be also plucked a waye with the erroure of the wicked / and fall from youre awne stedfastnes:

18 but growe in grace / and in the knowledge of oure lorde and saveoure Iesus Christ. Towhom he glory bothe now and for ever. Amen.

Notes to Chapter 3

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.

Words that the transcribers could not read are marked ⟨illegible⟩ (17 places on this page, 8 of them in the margin notes).

In the verse text of this book, 9 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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