Bible (Bishops')/Colossians

Chapter 1
Paul an Apostle of Iesus Christe, by the wyll of God, and Timotheus the brother.

To them which [are] in Colossa, saintes and faythfull brethren in Christe: Grace vnto you, & peace from God our father, and the Lorde Iesus Christe.

We geue thankes to God and father of our Lorde Iesus Christe, alwayes for you, praying:

Sence we hearde of your fayth in Christe Iesus, and of the loue which [is] to all saintes,

For the hopes sake which is layde vp for you in heauen, of which [hope] ye hearde before, in the worde of trueth of the Gospell,

Which is come vnto you, euen as [it is] into all the worlde, & is fruitfull, as it is also in you, from the day ye hearde [of it] and knewe the grace of God in trueth,

As ye also learned of Epaphras, our deare felowe seruaunt, which is for you a faythfull minister of Christe:

Who also declared vnto vs your loue in the spirite.

For this cause we also, sence ye day we hearde, haue not ceassed to pray for you, and to desire that ye myght be fulfylled with knowledge of his wyll, in all wisdome & spiritual vnderstandyng,

That ye myght walke worthie of the Lorde in all pleasyng, beyng fruitefull in all good workes, and encreasyng in the knowledge of God,

Strenthened with all might, through his glorious power, vnto all patience and long sufferyng with ioyfulnesse:

Geuyng thankes vnto ye father, which hath made vs meete to be partakers of the inheritaunce of the saintes in lyght.

Who hath delyuered vs from the power of darcknesse, and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his deare sonne.

In who we haue redemptio through his blood, the forgeuenesse of sinnes:

Who is the image of the inuisible God, the first borne of all creatures.

For by him were all thinges created, that are in heaue and that are in earth, visible and inuisible, whether [they be] maiestie or lordeshippe, either rule or power: All thynges were created by hym and for hym.

And he is before all thynges, and in hym all thynges consist.

And he is the head of the body of the Churche: he is the begynnyng, the first borne of the dead, that in all thynges he myght haue the preeminence.

For it pleased [the father] that in hym shoulde all fulnesse dwell,

And by hym to reconcile all thynges vnto hym selfe, & to set at peace through the blood of his crosse by hym, both the thynges in earth, and thynges in heauen,

And you which were sometyme straungers, and enemies, by cogitation in euyll workes, hath he nowe yet reconciled,

In the body of his fleshe, through death, to present you holye, and vnblameable, & without fault in his syght:

If ye continue grounded & stablisshed in the fayth, and be not moued away from the hope of the Gospell, which ye haue hearde howe it is preached to euery creature which is vnder heauen, wherof I Paul am made a minister.

Nowe iowe I in my sufferynges for you, and fulfyll that which is behynde of the passions of Christe, in my fleshe, for his bodyes sake, which is ye Church:

Wherof I am made a minister, accordyng to the dispensation of God, which is geuen to me to youwarde, to fulfyll the worde of God:

The misterie hyd sence the worlde began, and [sence the begynnyng of] generations: but nowe is opened to his saintes:

To whom God woulde make knowe what [is] the riches of the glorie of this misterie among the gentiles, which is Christe in you, the hope of glorie:

Whom we preache, warnyng euery man, and teachyng euery man in all wisdome, to present all men perfect in Christe Iesus:

Wherunto I also labour striuyng, according to his workyng which worketh in me mightylie.

Chapter 2
For I woulde that ye knew what great fight I haue for you, and for them that are at Laodicea, and for as many as haue not seene my face in the fleshe,

That their heartes myght be comforted, beyng knyt together in loue, and in al riches of certaintie of vnderstanding, to knowe the misterie of God, and of the father, and of Christe,

In whom are hyd all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge.

This I say, lest any man shoulde begyle you with perswasion of wordes.

For though I be absent in the fleshe, yet am I with you in the spirite, ioying and beholdyng your order, and your stedfast fayth in Christe.

As ye haue therfore receaued Christe Iesus the Lorde, [so] walke ye in hym:

Rooted and built in hym, & stablished in the fayth, as ye haue ben taught, aboundyng therin with thankes geuing.

Beware lest any man spoyle you through philosophie & vayne deceipt, after the tradition of men, and after the rudimentes of the worlde, and not after Christe.

For in hym dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodyly:

And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principalitie and power,

In whom also ye are circumcised with circumcisio made without handes, by puttyng of the body of sinnes of the fleshe, in the circumcision of Christe:

Buried with him in baptisme, in who ye are also risen agayne through ye fayth of the operation of God, who hath raysed hym from the dead.

And ye beyng dead to sinne and to the vncircumcision of your fleshe, hath he quickened with him, forgeuyng all your trepasses,

And puttyng out the hande writing of ordinaunces, that was agaynst vs, and that hath he taken out of the way, fastenyng it to his crosse:

Spoylyng all principalities & powers, hath made a shewe of them openly, triumphyng ouer them in it.

Let no man therfore iudge you in meate, or in drinke, or in part of an holyday, or of the newe moone, or of the Sabboth [dayes]:

Which are shadowes of thynges to come: but the body (is) of Christe.

Let no man begile you of victorie, in the humblenesse and worshippyng of Angels, intrudyng (hym selfe into those thinges) which he hath not seene, causelesse puft vp with his fleshly mynde,

And holdeth not the head, wherof all the body by ioyntes & bandes supported and knit together, encreaseth with the encrease of God.

Wherfore, yf ye be dead with Christe from ye rudimentes of the world: why, as though lyuyng in the worlde, are ye led with traditions,

Touche not, taste not, handle not?

Which all be in corruption, in abusyng after the commaundementes and doctrines of men.

Which thynges haue a shewe of wisdome, in superstition & humblenesse of mynde, and in hurtyng of the body, not in any honour to the satisfiyng of ye flesh.

Chapter 3
If ye then be rysen agayne with Christ, seke those things which are aboue, where Christe sitteth on the ryght hande of God.

Set your affection on thynges aboue, not on thinges on the earth.

For ye are dead, and your lyfe is hyd with Christe in God.

When soeuer Christe which is our life, shall appeare, then shall ye also appeare with hym in glorie.

Mortifie therefore your members which are vpon the earth: fornication, vncleannesse, inordinate affection, euyll concupiscence, and couetousnesse, which is worshippyng of images:

For which thynges sake, the wrath of God commeth on the children of disobedience,

In the which ye walked sometyme, when ye lyued in them.

But nowe put ye of also all, wrath, fiercenesse, maliciousnesse, blasphemie, filthie comunication out of your mouth.

Lye not one to another, seyng that ye haue put of ye olde man with his workes:

Hauyng put on the newe man, which is renued into the knowledge after the image of hym that made hym,

Where is neither Greke nor Iewe, circumcision nor vncircumcision, Barbarian, Sythian, bonde, free: but Christe is all, and in all.

Put on therfore (as the elect of God, holy and beloued) bowels of mercie, kyndenesse, humblenesse of mynde, mekenesse, long sufferyng,

Forbearyng one another, and forgeuyng one another, yf any man haue a quarel agaynst any: euen as Christe forgaue you, so also [do] ye.

And aboue all thynges [put on] loue, which is the bonde of perfectnesse.

And let the peace of God haue the victorie in your heartes, to the which also we are called in one body: And see that ye be thankefull.

Let the worde of God dwell in you richly in all wisdome, teachyng and admonisshyng your owne selues, in psalmes, and hymmes, and spirituall songes, singyng with grace in your heartes to the Lorde.

And whatsoeuer ye do in worde or deede, [do] all in the name of the Lorde Iesus, geuyng thankes to God and the father by hym.

Wiues, submit your selues vnto your owne husbandes, as it is comely in the Lorde.

Husbandes, loue your wyues, and be not bitter agaynst them:

Chyldren, obey your fathers and mothers in all thynges, for that is well pleasyng vnto the Lorde.

Fathers, prouoke not your chyldren [to anger], lest they be discouraged.

Seruauntes, obey in all thynges to your bodyly maisters: not with eye seruice, as men pleasers, but in singlenesse of heart, fearyng God.

And whatsoeuer ye do, do it heartilie, as to the Lorde, and not vnto men:

Knowyng, that of the Lorde ye shall receaue the rewarde of inheritaunce, for ye serue the Lorde Christe:

But he that doth wrong, shall receaue for the wrong he hath done: And there is no respect of persons.

Chapter 4
Maisters, do vnto your seruauntes that which is iust & equall, knowyng that ye also haue a maister in heauen.

Continue in prayer, and watche in the same with thankes geuyng:

Praying also for vs, that God may open vnto vs the doore of vtteraunce, that we may speake ye misterie of Christ, wherfore I am also in bondes:

That I may vtter it, as I ought to speake.

Walke in wisdome towarde the that are without, redeemyng the tyme.

Let your speache be alway in grace, powdered with salt, to knowe howe ye ought to aunswere euery man.

All my state shall Tychicus declare vnto you, [who is] a beloued brother and faythfull minister, and felowe seruaunt in the Lorde:

Whom I haue sent vnto you for the same thyng, that he myght knowe your state, and comfort your heartes,

With Onesimus a faythfull and beloued brother, which is of you. They shall shewe you of all thynges which [are] here.

Aristarchus my prison felowe saluteth you, & Marcus Barnabas sisters sonne, (touchyng whom ye receaued commaundementes:) If he come vnto you, receaue hym:

And Iesus, which is called Iustus, which are of the circumcision. These only are my workefelowes vnto the kyngdome of God, which hath ben vnto my consolation.

Epaphras which is of you, a seruaunt of Christe, saluteth you, alwayes labouryng feruently for you in prayers, that ye may stande perfect and fylled in all the wyll of God.

For I beare him recorde, that he hath a great zeale for you, and them [that are] in Laodicea, and them [that are] in Hierapolis.

Deare Lucas the phisition greeteth you, and Demas.

Salute the brethren [which are] in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the Churche which is in his house.

And when the epistle is read of you, make that it be read also in the Church of the Laodiceans: and that ye likewise reade the epistle from Laodicea.

And say to Archippus: take heede to the ministerie that thou hast receaued in the Lorde, that thou fulfyll it.

The salutation, by the hande of me, Paul. Remember my bondes. Grace be with you. Amen. [Written from Rome to the Colossians, by Tychicus and Onesimus.]