¶ The .xvi. Chapter.
The texte.
Page [unnumbered]COncerning the gathering for the reliefe, through your li∣beralitie, of the sainctes whiche are at Hierusalem, as I apoynted vnto the Galathians, that money should be gathered for that purpose, yf any of his owne free wyll were disposed to bestow any, euen so would I haue the∣same done among you, that in this poynte also ye agree with other congregacions. Vpon the fyrste daye of the weke, that is to say in the sonday, let euery one of you set asyde at home, and lay vp asmuche as he for this purpose thinketh mete. And for this geue I warnyng here of, because that which euery man hath purposed to geue may be in a more readines, leste when I come, there be then a gathe∣ring of money to be made. But whē I come vnto you thither, whom soe∣uer ye shall chuse as messangers, them wil I with my letters send to Hie∣rusalem to carie thither your liberalitie. Yf ye thinke it nedefull, that I also goe my selfe thither, they shall goe with me, leste any man myght suspecte, that I in any wise goe about my owne busynesse. I will see you, after that I haue gonne through Macedonia, for them mynde I only to see by the waye.
The texte.
With you peraduenture will I abyde for a whyle, and am not sure whether. I shal tarie with you al the wynter, that at the beginning of the nexte spring, ye may bring me furth, that I may goe whyther soeuer the busynes of the gospell calleth me: had not this been, I would haue com∣men to you now, but I would not see you now houerly, & in my passage. For I trust, I shall at another tyme haue oportunitie to tarie with you certayne dayes, if the Lorde Iesus suffer me. In the meane season I will tarie at Ephesus vntil y• fyftyeth day. The matter re•uireth some leysure because that albeit in that place there be a great doore opened vnto me, and a great hope of auancing the gospel, yet many aduersaries are there. Yf in the meane season Timothie come vnto you, see that he be put in no ieopardie by any high hearted & proude persons. He is a young man, but yet he is my felow, and in preaching the gospel laboureth purely and fre∣ly, as I doe. Let no man therfore despise hym, because he is young, but rather let hym goe without harme and displeasure, as an Apostle and my felowe, and of loue bring him furth, that he maye come to me. For hym looke I for with other brethren of his company.
The texte.
And whereas ye rather desyred, that Apollos should haue been sente vnto you, surely it came not of me, that he wēt not. For I vehemently ex∣horted Page xliiii hym to go to you with certayne brethren, but all was in vayne. For certayne consideracions in no wyse mynded he nowe to come to you, and yet come wyll he, assone as conuenient leysure shall serue. Watche agaynst the deceytes of suche, as geue you euill counsell. Stande faste in the faythe, whiche ye haue once receyued: quite your selfes lyke mē, agaynst suche thin∣ges, as resiste the gospell, be stronge and valiaunt. Whatsoeuer be doen a∣mong you, let it be doen with loue, and not with contencion.
The texte.
I beseche you brethren, but what nede we besechynges? Ye knowe the householde of Sthephana, well worthie of you to be made muche of, bothe because thesame as first fruites of Achaia I gotte firste vnto Christe, and because they are geuē to helpe the poore. Meete is it therfore, that ye againe make muche of them, and not only of them, but of as many as wyth vs pro∣mote the gospell, and are partakers of our labours. If pleased me well, that ye sente hyther Stephana, Fortunatus, and Achaicus. For theyr cumming hyther in all your names, supplyed wyth theyr gentilnes, that whiche was lacking vnto me on your parte. For the• coumforted my spirite, yea I might saye your spirite, as whiche regardeth nothyng, but your weale, nor is with any thyng more delighted, than with your furtheraunce. Suche then know ye, bearyng towarde them your speciall fauour.
The texte.
The congregacions of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla with all the companie of christians, which are in theyr house, salute you with all their hartes. All suche as here professe the name of Christe, salute you. Beare ye also good wil eche one of you to another, and salute one another of you with an holy and a chaste kisse, the token of trewe concorde. And I Paule salute you, and that subscribed I with mine owne hande, thereby bothe declaring my loue towarde you, and that this epistle is not counterfayte. Yf any man loue not the Lord Iesu, thesame be Anathema Maranatha, forasmuche as he refuseth hym, by whome onely he might obtayne saluacion: and denyeth, that he is come, whom euery man knoweth to be come, to the great blisse and commoditie of suche as beleue in hym, and to the damnacion of suche as beleue not. The grace and mercie of the Lorde Iesus Christe be with you. And I desyre, that as I beare a christian loue towarde you, that ye lykewyse vnfaynedlye loue eche one another, wt that charitie, wherwith Iesus Christe hath ioyned and knytte you together.
