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The first New Testament printed in English

William Tyndale · 1520s; English translation of the Pentateuch and New Testament material issued in the 1520s (later printed English Bible contents in this edition). primary

passage 271 of 599 · Chapter .j. > Chapter 22: (7/335)

in brief
Tyndale explains the fall of Adam as making humans captives of the devil until Moses’ law exposes sin, then describes how Christ’s blood liberates, and how the gospel produces faith, love, and renewed desire for righteousness.

(Adam bringeth us to bondage.)

The fall of Adam hath made us heirs of the vengeance and wrath of God, and heirs of eternal damnation; And hath brought us into captivity and bondage under the devil; And the devil is our lord, and our ruler, our head, our governor, our prince, yee and our god. And our will is locked and knit faster unto the will of the devils, then cond an hundred thousand chains bind a man unto a post. Unto the devils' will consent we, with all our hearts, with all our minds, with all our might, power, strength, will and lust. With what poisoned, deadly, and venomous hate, hateth a man his enemy; With how great malice of mind inwardly do we slay and murder; With what violence and rage, ye and with how fervent lust commit we advoutry, fornication, and such like uncleanness: with what pleasure and delectation inwardly serveth a glutton his belly; With what diligence deceive we; How busily seek we things of the world; Whatsoever we do, think, or imagine, is abominable in the sight of God. And we are as it were asleep in so deep blindness, that we can neither see, nor feel in what misery, thralldom, and wretchedness we are in, till Moses come and wake us, and publish he the law. When we hear the law truly preached, how that we ought to love and honour God with all our strength and might, from the low bottom of the heart: and our neighbours (yee our enemies.) as our selves inwardly from the ground of the heart, and to do whatsoever God biddeth, and abstain from whatsoever God forbiddeth, with all love and meekness, with a fervent and a burning lust, from the center of the heart, then beginneth the conscience to rage against the law, and against God; No less (be it never so great a tempest) is so unquiet. It is not possible for a natural man to consent to the law, that it should be good, or that God should be righteous, which maketh the law. Man's wit, reason, and will, are so fast glued, yee nailed and chained unto the will of the devil. Neither can any creature lowse the bonds, save the blood of Christ.

(( Christ letteth us at liberty ))

This is the captivity and bondage whence Christ delivered us, redeemed, and lowsed us. His blood, his death, his patience, in suffering rebukes and wrongs, his prayers and fastings, his meekness and fulfilling of the utmost point of the law, appeased the wrath of God, brought the favor of God to us again, obtained that God should love us first, and be our father, and that a merciful father, that will consider our infirmities and weakness, and will give us his spirit again (which was taken away in the fall of Adam) to rule govern and strength us, and to break the bonds of Satan, where in we were so strait bound.

((The evangleion bringeth faith, faith bringeth love: love worketh))

When Christis thus wise preached, and the promises rehearsed, which are contained in the prophets, in the psalms, and in divers places of the five books of Moses: then the hearts of them which are elect and chosen, begin to meek soft, and to melt at the bounteous mercy of God, and kindness shewed of Christ. For when the evangelion is preached, the spirit of God entereth in to them which God hath ordained and appointed unto eternal life, and openeth there inward eyes, and worketh such belief in them.

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topics: conversion and faith · equity, mercy, and pardon · sin, guilt, and repentance

The first New Testament printed in English · William Tyndale · 1520–1530