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.

We geve thankes to God the father of oure Lorde Iesus Christ / alwayes prayenge for you / sence we hearde of youre ^note faith which ye have in Christ Iesu ∧ of the love which ye beare to all sayntes for the hopes sake which is layde vp in store for you in heven / of which hope ye have herde before by þe; true worde of the gospell / which is come vnto you / ev&ebar; as it is in to all þe; worlde / ∧ is frutefull / as it is am&obar;ge you / fr&obar; the fyrst daye in þe; which ye herde of it / ∧ had experi&ebar;ce in þe; grace of God in the

trueth / as ye learned of Epaphra oure deare felowe servaunt / which is for you a faythfull minister of Christ / which also declared vnto vs youre love which ye have in the sprete.

&cross2; For this cause we also / sence the daye we herde of it have not ceasyd prayinge for you and desyringe that ye myght be fulfilled with the knowledge of his will / B   in all wisdome ∧ spretuall vnderst&obar;dynge / that ye myght walke worthy of the lorde in all thynges that please / beynge frutfull in all good workes and encreasynge in þe; knowledge of God / strengthed with all myght / thorowe hys glorious power / vnto all pacience and longe sufferynge with ioyfulnes &cross3; gevynge thankes vnto the father which hath made vs mete to be part takers of the enheritaunce of sainctes in light.

C   Which hath delivered vs from the power of dercknes / and hath translated vs in to the kyngdome of his dere sone / ^note in whom we have redempcion thurow his bloud / that is to saye the forgevenes of sinnes / which is the ymage of the invisible god / fyrst begotten of all creatures. 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 thing&es; are creatyd by hym / and in him / ∧ he is before all thing&es; / and in him all thynges have their beynge.

And he is the heed of the body / that is to wit of the congregacion: he is the begynnynge and fyrst ^note begotten of the deed / that in all

thynges he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the father that in him shuld all fulnes dwell / and by him to reconcile all thynge vnto him silfe / and to set at peace by him thorow the bloud of his crosse / both thynges in heven and thynges in erth.

And you (which were in tymes past straungers and enymes / because youre myndes were set in evyll workes) hath he now rec&obar;cilied in þe; body of his flesshe thorowe deeth / to make you holy vnblameable and with out faut in his awne syght / 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.

D   Now ioye I in my ^note 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 / wher of I am made a minister acordynge to the ordinaunce of god / which ordinaunce was geven me vnto you warde / to fulfill þe; worde of god / that mistery hid sence the worlde beganne / ∧ sence þe; begynnynge of generacions: ^note but now is opened to his saynctes / 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 / whom we preach / warnynge all men / and teachinge all men in all wisdome / to make all men parfect in Christ Iesu. Wherin I also laboure and stryve

/ even as farforth as hys workynge worketh in me myghtely. ¶ The .ii. Chapter.

A   I wolde ye knewe what fyghtinge I have for youre sak&es; ∧ for them of Laodicia / ∧ for as many as have not sene my parson in the flesshe / that their hertes myght be c&obar;forted ∧ knet togedder in love / ∧ in all ryches of full vnderstondynge / for to knowe þe; mistery of God þe; father ∧ of Christ / in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom ∧ knowledge. This I saye lest eny man shuld begyle you with entysinge wordes. For though I be absent in the flesshe / ^note yet am I present with you in the sprete / ioyinge and beholdinge the order that ye kepe / and youre stedfast fayth in Christ. As ye have therfore receaved Christ Iesu the Lorde / even so walke / roted and bylt in him and stedfaste in the fayth / as ye have learned: and therin be plenteous in gevynge thankes.

B   &cross2; Beware lest eny m&abar; come ∧ spoyle you thorow philosophy ∧ disceatfull vanitie / ^note thorow the tradicions of m&ebar; / ∧ ordinaunces after the worlde / ∧ not after christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulnes of the godheed bodyly / ∧ ye are complete in him which is the heed of all rule ^note ∧ power / in whom also ye are circ&ubar;cised with circumcision made mith out hond&es; / by puttinge of the sinfull boddy of the flesshe / thorow the circumcision þt; is in Christ / ^note in that ye are 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.

C   And ye which weare deed in synne thorow þe; vncirc&ubar;cision of youre flesshe / hath he quyckened &wt; him ∧ hath forgev&ebar; vs all oure trespases &cross3; ∧ hath put out þe; ^note handwritinge þt; was agaynst vs / c&obar;tayned in þe; lawe writt&ebar; / ∧ that hath he tak&ebar; out of the waye ∧ hath fastened it to his crosse / ∧ hath spoyled rule and power and hath made a shewe of th&ebar; openly / ∧ hath triumphed over them in his awne persone.

Let no m&abar; therfore trouble youre consci&ebar;ces aboute meate ∧ drynke or for a pece of an holydaye / as the holydaye of the newe mone or of the sabboth dayes / which are nothinge but shaddowes of thynges to come: but the body is in Christ. Let no man make you shote at a wr&obar;ge (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 / ∧ holdeth not the heed / ^note wherof all the body by ioyntes and couples receaveth norisshment / and is knet to gedder / ∧ encreaseth with the in creasynge that commeth of god.

D   Wherfore if ye be deed with Christ fr&obar; ordinaunces of the worlde / why as though ye yet lived in the worlde / are ye ledde with tradici&obar;s of them that saye? Touche not / tast not / handell not: which all perysshe &wt; the vsinge of th&ebar; ∧ are after the c&obar;maundmentes ∧ doctrins of men which thing&es; have the similitude of wisdome in chosen holynes and humblenes

/ ^note and in that they spare not the body / ∧ do the flesshe no worshype vnto his nede. ¶ The .iii. Chapter: &cross2;

A   If ye be then rysen agayne with christ / seke those thynges which are above / where Christ sitteth on the right honde of god. Set youre affeccion on thynges þt; are above / and not on thinges which are on þe; erth. For ye are deed / and youre lyfe is hid with Christ in god. When Christ which is oure lyfe / shall shewe him silfe / then shall ye also appere with him in glory. &cross3;

Mortifie therfore youre membres which are on the erth / fornicaci&obar; / vnclennes / vnnaturall lust / evyll c&obar;cupisc&ebar;ce / and coveteousnes which is worshippynge of ydols: ^note for which thynges sakes the wrath of God cometh on the chyldren of vnbeleve. In which thynges ye walked once. when ye lived in them.

B    ^noteBut now put ye also awaye from you all thynges / wrath / fearsnes / maliciousnes / cursed speakynge / filthy speakynge out of youre mouthes. Lye not one to another that the olde man with his workes be put of / and the new put on / which is renued in knowledge after the ymage of him that made him / where is nether gentile ner Iewe / ^note circumcision nor vncircumcision / Barbarous or Sithian / bonde or fre: but Christe is all in all thynges.

&cross2; Now therfore as electe of god / holy and beloved / ^note put on tender mercie / kyndnes / humblenes of myndes / meknes / longe sufferynge / forbearynge one another / ∧ forgevynge one another

/ if eny man have a quarrell to a nother / ^note even as Christ forgave you / even so do ye. Above all these thinges put on love / which is the bonde of parfectnes. C   And þe; peace of god rule in youre hertes / to þe; which peace ye are called in one body. And se that ye be thankfull. 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. And all thynges (whatsoever ye do in worde or dede) ^note do in the name of the lorde Iesu / gevinge th&abar;kes to god the father by him. &cross3;

^noteWyves / submit youre selves vnto youre awne husbandes / as it is comly in the Lorde. Husbandes love youre wyves and be not bitter vnto them. D   Children / obey youre fathers ∧ mothers / in all thinges / for that is wel pleasynge vnto the lorde. Fathers / rate not youre children / lest they be of a desperate mynde. Servauntes / be obedient vnto youre bodyly masters in all thynges: not with eye service as men pleasers / but in synglenes of herte / fearynge god. And whatsoever ye do / do it hertely as though ye did it to the lorde / and not vnto men for as moche as ye knowe that of the lorde ye shall receave the rewarde of inheritaunce / for ye serve the lorde Christ. But he that doth wronge / ^note shall receave for the wronge that he hath done: for there is no respect of persons. Ye masters / do vnto youre servauntes that which is iust and egall seinge ye

knowe that ye also have a master in heven. ¶ The .iiii. Chapter.

A   Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thankes gevynge / prayenge also for vs / that God open vnto vs the dore of vtteraunce / that we maye speake the mistery of Christ / ^note wherfore I am in bondes: þt; I maye vtter it / as it bec&obar;meth me to speake. Walke wysely to them that are with out / ∧ redeme þe; tyme. Let youre speache be all wayes well favoured ∧ be powdred with ^note salt / that ye maye know how to answer every m&abar;.

The deare brother Tichicos shall tell you of all my busynes / B   which is a faythfull minister ∧ felowe servaunt in the Lorde / whom I have sent vnto you for the same purpose / that he myght knowe how ye do / and myght comfort youre hertes / &wt; one Onesimus a faythfull ∧ a beloved brother / which is one of you. They shall shewe you of all thinges which are adoynge here.

C    ^noteAristarchus my preson felowe saluteth you / and Marcus Barnabassis systers sonne: touchinge whom / ye receaved commaundementes. Yf he come vnto you receave him: ∧ Iesus which is called Iustus / which are of the circumcision. These only are my workefelowes vnto the kyngdome of God / which were vnto my consolacion. Epaphras the serva&ubar;t 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. I beare him recorde

that he hath a ferv&ebar;t mynde towarde you ^note and towarde them of Laodicia ∧ them of Hierapolis. Deare Lucas the Phisicion greteth you / and Demas. D   Salute the brethren which are of Laodicia / and salute Nymphas and the congregaci&obar; which is in his housse. And wh&ebar; the pistle is reed of you / make that it be reed in the congregacion of the Laodicians also: ∧ that ye lyke wyse reade þe; epistle of Laodicia. And saye to Archippus: take hede to the office that thou hast receaved in the Lorde / that thou fulfill it. The salutacion by the honde of me Paul. Remember my bondes. Grace be with you. Amen. ¶ Sent from Rome by Tichicus / and Onesimus.

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