1 John — The Tyndale New Testament (1534)

The first epistle of John in Tyndale's revised New Testament of 1534, translated from the Greek, with the prologue that Tyndale printed before it for all three epistles of John. 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 vpon the thre epistles of S. Iohn.

THis fyrst epistle of saynt Iohn contayneth the doetryne of a verye apostle of Christ and ought of ryght to folowe his Gospell. For as in his epistle he setteth oute the true fayth / and teacheth by it onlye all mē to be saued and restored vnto the fauoure of God agayne: euē so here in this pistle he goeth agaynst them that boste them selues of fayth & yet contynew withoute good workes and teacheth manye wayes that where true fayth is / there the workes tarye not behinde / and contrarye that where the workes folowe not / there is no true fayth but a false ymagynacion and vtter darcknes.

And he wryteth sore agaynst a certen secte of heretyekes which then begāne to denye that Christ was come in the flesshe / and calleth thē vetye Antechristes. Which secte goeth now in hir full swynge. For though they denye not openlye with the mouth that Christ is come in the flesshe: yet they denye it in y⟨illegible⟩ hartewith their doctryne and lyuynge. For he that wyllbe iustified and saued thorow his awne workes / the same doth as moche as he y⟨illegible⟩ denyeth Christ to become in the flesshe seinge that Christ came onlye therfore in the flesshe / that he shuld iustifie vs / or purchase vs pardon of oure synnes / bringe vs into the fauoure of God agavne and make vs heyres of eternall lyfe / with his workes onlye & with his bloudeshedinge / withoute and before all oure workes.

So fyghteth this pistle both agaynst them that wilbe saued by their awne good workes / a also agaynst them that wilbe saued by a fayth that hath no lust to do workes at all & kepeth vs in the myddie waye / that we beleue in Christ to be saued by his workes onlye / & then to knowe that it is oure dutie for that kindnes / to prepare oure selues to do the cōmaundmēt of god / & to loue euery man his neyboure as Christ loued him / sekinge with oure awne workes Godes honoure and oure neybours welthe onlye / and trustinge for eternall lyfe and for all that God hath promysed vs for Chrisles sake.

The two last pistles though they be shorte / yet are goodlye ensamples of loue and fayth & do sauoure of the spirite of a true Apostle.

The text

Chapter 1

¶ The fyrst Chapter.¹

1 THat which was frō the begynninge / concerninge which [A] we have hearde / which we have sene with oure eyes / which we have loked vpon / & oure hondes have hādled / of the worde of life.

2 For the lyfe appered / & we have sene / & beare witnes / & shewe vnto you that eternall lyfe / which was with the father / and appered vnto vs.

3 That which we have sene and herde declare we vnto you / that ye maye have felloushippe with vs / and that oure fellishippe maye be with the father and his sonne Iesus Christ.

4 And this write we vnto you / that oure ioye maye be full.

5 And this is the tydynges which we have [B]² hearde of him / and declare vnto you / that god is lyght / and in him is no darknes at all /

6 yf³ we saye that we have fellishippe with him / & yet walke in darknes / welye / and do not the truth:

7 but and yf we walke in (lyght) even as he is in lyght / then have we fellishippe with him / and the bloud of Iesus Christ his sonne clenseth vs from all synne.

8 Yf we saye that we have no synne / we deceave oure selves / and trueth is not in vs.

9 Yf we⁴ knowledge oure synnes / he is faythfull and iust / to forgeve vs oure synnes / and to clense vs from all vnrightewesnes.

10 Yf we saye we have not sinned / we make him alyar / & his worde is not in vs.

Notes to Chapter 1

Chapter 2

¶ The .ii. Chap. ✚

1 MYlytell children / these thynges write I vnto you / that ye synne not: yf eny [A]⁵ man synne / yet we have an advocate with y[ᵉ] father / Iesus Christ / which is righteous:

2 & he it is that obteyneth grace for oure synnes: not for oure synnes only: but also for the synnes of all the worlde.

3 And herby we are sure that we knowe him / yf we kepe his *cōmaundementes.

4 He that sayth I knowe him / and kepeth not his commaundementes is a lyar / & the veritie is not in him.

5 Whosoever kepeth his (worde) in him is the love of god parfect in dede. And therby knowe we that we are in him.

6 He that sayth he bydeth in him [B]⁶ ought to walke even as he walked. ⊢

7 Brethren I write no newe cōmaundement vnto you: but that olde cōmaundemēt which ye hearde from the begynnynge. The olde cōmaundement is the worde which ye hearde from the begynnynge.

8 Agayne a newe cōmaundement I write vnto you / a thynge that is true in him / and also in you: for the darknes is past / and the true lyght now shyneth.

9 He that sayth how that he is in the light / and yet hateth his brother / is in darknes even vntyll this tyme.

10 He that loveth his brother / abydeth in the light and ther is none occasion of evyll in him.

11 He that⁷ hateth his brother is in darknes / and walketh in darknes: and cannot tell whither he goeth / because that darknes hath blynded his eyes.

12 Babes I write vnto you how that youre [C] synnes are forgeven you for his names sake.

13 I wryte vnto you fathers / how that ye have knowen him that was from the begynnynge. I wryte vnto you yonge men / how that ye have overcome the wicked. I wryte vnto you lytell children / how that ye have knowne the father.

14 I wryte vnto you fathers / how that y e have knowē him that was frō the begynnynge. I wryte vnto you yoūge men / how that ye are stronge: and the worde of God abydeth in you and ye have over come that wicked.

15 Se that ye love not the worlde / nether the⁸ thynges that are in the worlde. Yf eny man love the worlde / the love of the father is not in him.

16 For all that is in y[ᵉ] worlde (as the lust of the flesshe / the lust of the eyes / & yᵉ pryde of gooddes) is not of the father: but of yᵉ worlde

17 And the worlde vannyssheth awaye / and the lust therof: but he that fulfilleth the will of god / abydeth ever.

18 Lytell children it is the last tyme / and as ye have herde how that Antichrist shall come: even now are there many Antichristes come⁹ allredy. Wherby we knowe that it is the last tyme.

19 They went oute from vs but they were not of vs. For yf they had bene of vs / they wolde no dout / have continued with vs. But that fortuned that yt myght appere / that they were not of vs.

20 And ye have an¹⁰ oyntment of yᵉ holy gost / [D] and ye knowe all thynges.

21 ✚ I wrote not vn to you / as though ye knewe not the trueth: but as though ye knewe it and knowe also that no lye commeth of trueth.

22 Who is a lyar: but he that denyeth that Iesus is Christ? The same is the Antichrist that denyeth the father and the sonne.

23 Whosoever denyeth the sonne the same hath not the father.

24 Let therfore abyde in you that same which ye hearde from the begynnynge. Yf that which ye hearde from yᵉ begynnynge / shall remayne in you / ye also shall continewe in the sonne / and in the father

25 And this is the promes y[ᵗ] he hath promysed vs / even eternall lyfe.

26 This have I writtē vnto you / concernynge thē y[ᵗ] disceave you.

27 And yᵉ anoyntynge which ye have receaved of him / dwelleth in you. And ye nede not that eny man teache you: but as yᵉ annoyntynge teaheth you all thynges / and is true / and is no lye: and as it taught you / even so byde therin.

28 And nowe babes abyde in him¹¹ that when he shall appere / we maye be bolde and not be made a shamed of him at his commynge.

29 Yf ye knowe that he is righteous / knowe also that he which foloweth rightewesnes / is borne of him.

Notes to Chapter 2

Chapter 3

¶ The .iii. Chapter.

1 BEholde what love the father hath shewed on vs / that we shuld be called the sonnes of god. For this cause the worlde knoweth you not because it knoweth not him.

2 Derely beloved / now are we yᵉ sonnes of God / & yet it dothe not appere what we shalbe. But we knowe that when it shall appere / we shalbe lyke him. For we shall se him as he is.

3 And every man that hath thys hope in him pourgeth him silfe / even as he ys pure.

4 Whosover committeth synne / committeth vnrighteousnes also / for synne is¹² vnrighteousnes.

5 And ye knowe that he appered to take awaye oure synnes / and in him is no synne.

6 As many as byde in him synne not: whosoever synneth hath not sene him / nether hath knowen him.

7 Babes let no man deceave you / He that [B] doeth righteousnes / is righteous / even as he is righteous.

8 He that cōmitteth synne / is of the devill: for the devyll synneth sence the begynnynge.¹³ For this purpose appered the sonne of god / to lowse the workes of the devill.

9 Whosoever is borne of god / sinneth not: for his seed remayneth in him and he cannot sinne / because¹⁴ he is borne of god.

10 In this are the children of god knowen / and the children of the devyll. Whosoever doeth not rightewesnes / is not of God / nether he that loveth not his brother.¹⁵

11 For this is the tydinges / that ye hearde frō the begynninge / that we shuld love one another:

12 not as Cayn which was of the wicked and slewe his brother. And wherfore slewe he him? Because his awne workes were evyst / & his brothers good.

13 ✚ Marvayle not my brethren though the worlde hate you.

14 We knowe that we are translated from¹⁶ deeth vnto lyfe / be cause we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother / abydeth in deeth.

15 Whosoever hateth his brother / is a man slear. And ye knowe that no man slear / hath eternall lyfe abydinge in him.

16 Herby perceave we love: that he gave his [D] lyfe for vs: and therfore ought we also to geve oure lyves for the brethrē.

17 Whosoever hath this worldes good & seith his hrother have neade: & shutteth vp his cōpassion from him: how dwelleth the love of God in him?

18 My babes / let vs not love in worde / nether in tonge: but with dede and in veritie:

19 ✚ for¹⁷ therby we knowe that we are of the veritie / and can before him quiet oure hertes.

20 But yf oure hertes condempne vs / God is gretter then oure hertes / and knoweth all thinges.

21 Beloved / yf oure hertes condempne vs not / then have we trust to god warde:

22 and what soever we axe / we shall receave of him: because we¹⁸ kepe his commaundementes / and do those thinges which are pleasinge in his sight.

23 And this is his cōmaundemēt / that we beleve¹⁹ on yᵉ name of his sonne Iesus Christ / & love one another / as he gave cōmaundemēt.

24 And he yᵗ kepeth his cōmaundemētes dwelleth in him / and he in him: & therby we knowe that ther abydeth in vs of the sprete which he gave vs.

Notes to Chapter 3

Chapter 4

¶ The .iiii. Chapter

1 YE beloved / beleve not every sprete: but [A] prove the spretes whether they are of God or no: for many falce Prophetes are gone out into the worlde.

2 Herby shall ye knowe the sprete of God. Every sprete that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesshe is of God.

3 And every sprete which cōfesseth not yᵗ Iesus Christ is come in the flesshe / is not of God. And this is that sprete of Antichrist / of whom ye have hearde / howe that he shuld come: and even now alredy is he in the worlde.

4 Lytell chyldrē / ye are of God / & have overcome them: for greater is he yᵗ is in you / then he that is in the worlde.

5 They are of the worlde / & therfore speake they of the worlde / & the [B] worlde heareth them.

6 We are of God. He yᵗ knoweth God / heareth vs: he that is not of God / heareth vs not. Herby knowe we yᵉ sprete of veritie / & the sprete of erroure.

7 Beloved / let vs love one another: for love cōmeth of God. And every one that loveth / is borne of God / and knoweth God.

8 He that loveth not / knoweth not God: ✚ for God is love.

9 In this appered yᵉ love of god to vs ward because that god sent his only begotten sonne into the worlde / that we myght live thorow him.

10 Herin is love / not that we loved god / but²⁰ that he loved vs / and sent his sonne to make agrement for oure sinnes.

11 Beloved / yf god so loved vs / we ought also to love one another.

12 No man hath sene god at²¹ enytyme. Yf we love one another / god dwelleth in vs / and his love is parfect in vs.

13 Herby know we / that we dwell in him / and he in vs: because he hath geven vs of his sprete.

14 And we have sene and do testifie that the father sent the sonne / which is the saveour of the worlde.

15 Whosoever confesseth that Iesus is the sonne of god / in him dwelleth god / and he in god.

16 And we have knowen and beleved the love that god hath to vs. God is love / and he that dwelleth in love [D] dwelleth in god / and god in him.

17 Herin is the love perfect in vs / that we shuld have trust in the daye of iudgement: For as he is / even so are we in this worlde.

18 Ther is no feare in love / but parfect love casteth out all feare / for feare hath paynfulnes. He yᵗ feareth / is not parfect in love.

19 We love him / for he loved vs fyrst.

20 Yf a man saye / I love god / and yet hate his brother²² he is a lyar. For how can he yᵗ loveth not his brother whom he hath sene / love god whom he hath not sene?

21 And this commaundemēt have we of him: that he which loveth God / shuld love his brother also. ⊢

Notes to Chapter 4

Chapter 5

¶ The .v. Chapter.

1 VVhosoever beleveth that Iesus is²³ Christ / is borne of god. And every one [A] yᵗ loveth him which begat / loveth him also which was begottē of him.

2 In this we knowe yᵗ we love the children of god / whē we love god / & kepe his cōmaūdemente.

3 This is yᵉ love of god / yᵗ we kepe his cōmaundemētes / & his cōmaundementes are not greveous²⁴

4 ✚ For all that is borne of god / over commeth the worlde. And this is the victory that over cōmeth the worlde / even oure²⁵ fayth.

5 Who is it that overcommeth the worlde: but he which beleveth that Iesus is yᵉ sonne of god?

6 This Iesus Christ is he that cā by water and bloud / not by water only: but by water & [B] bloud. And it is the sprete that beareth witnes / because the sprete ys trueth.

7 (For ther are thre which beare recorde in heuen / the father / the worde / and the wholy goost. And these²⁶ thre are one)

8 For there are thre which beare recorde (in erth:) the sprete / & water / and bloud: and these thre are one.

9 Yf we receave the witnes of men / the witnes of god is greater. For this is the witnes of god / which he testifyed of his sonne.

10 He that beleveth on the sonne of god / hath the witnes in him silfe. ✚ He that beleveth not God / hath made him a lyar / because he beleved not the recorde that god gave of his sonne.

11 And this ys that recorde / how that god hath geven vnto vs eternall lyfe⟨illegible⟩²⁷ and this lyfe is in his sonne.

12 He that hath the sonne / hath lyfe: and he that hath not the sonne of god / hath not lyfe.

13 These thynges have I written vnto you that beleve on the name of the sonne of God / that ye maye knowe howe that ye have eternall lyfe / and that ye maye beleve on the name of the sonne of god.

14 And this is the trust that we have in him: that yf we axe eny thinge accordynge to his will he heareth vs.

15 And yf we knowe that he heare vs what soever we axe / we knowe that we shall have the peticions that we desyre of him.

16 Yf eny man se his brother synne a synne [D] that is not vnto deeth / let him axe / and he shall geve him lyfe for them that synne not²⁸ vnto deeth. Ther is a synne vnto deeth / for which saye I not that a man shuld praye.

17 All vnrightewesnes is synne / and ther is synne not vnto deeth.

18 We knowe that whosoever is borne of god /²⁹ synneth not: but he that is begotten of god kepeth him silfe / and that wicked toucheth him not.

19 We knowe that we are of god / and that the worlde is altogedder set on wickednes.

20 We knowe that the sonne of God is come / & hath geven vs a mynde to knowe him which is true: and we are in him that is true / through his sonne Iesu Christ. This same is very god / and eternall lyfe.

21 Babes kepe youre selves from ymages. Amen.

Notes to Chapter 5

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⟩ (7 places on this page, 4 of them in the margin notes).

In the verse text of this book, 4 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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