1 Corinthians 1 | » |
1 Paule called [to be] an Apostle of Iesu Christ, through the wyll of God, and brother Sostenes:
2 Unto the Church of God whiche is at Corinthus: To the that are sanctified in Christe Iesus, saintes by callyng, with all that call on the name of our Lorde Iesus Christe in euery place, both of theirs and ours:
3 Grace be vnto you, and peace from God our father, and from the Lorde Iesus Christe.
4 I thanke my God alwayes on your behalfe, for the grace of God whiche is geuen you in Iesus Christe:
5 That in all thynges ye are made riche in hym, in all vtteraunce, & in all knowledge:
6 As the testimonie of Iesus Christ was confirmed in you.
7 So that ye are destitute of no gyft, wayting for the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christe,
8 Whiche shall also strength you vnto the ende, that ye may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord Iesus Christ.
9 God is faythfull, by whom ye are called vnto the felowship of his sonne Iesus Christe our Lorde.
10 Nowe I beseche you brethren by the name of our Lorde Iesus Christe, that ye all speake one thyng, and that there be no discentions among you, but be ye knit together, in one mynde, and in one meanyng.
11 For it is shewed vnto me my brethren, of you, by them whiche are of the house of Cloe, that there are contentions among you.
12 Nowe this I saye, that euery one of you saith, I am of Paul, and I am of Apollo, and I am of Cephas, and I am of Christe.
13 Is Christe deuided? was Paul crucified for you? eyther were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
14 I thanke God that I baptized none of you but Crispus and Gaius:
15 Lest any shoulde say, that I had baptized in myne owne name.
16 I baptized also the housholde of Stephana: Furthermore knowe I not whether I baptized any other.
17 For Christe sent me not to baptize, but to preache the Gospell: not with wisedome of wordes, lest ye crosse of Christ shoulde be made of none effect.
18 For the preachyng of the crosse, is to them that perishe foolishnesse: but vnto vs which are saued, it is the power of God.
19 For it is written, I wyll destroye the wisedome of the wyse, and wyll cast away the vnderstandyng of the prudent.
20 Where is the wise? where is ye scribe? where is the disputer of this worlde? Hath not God made the wisedome of this worlde foolyshenesse?
21 For after that the world through wisedome knewe not God, in the wisedome of God: it pleased God through foolishnesse of preachyng to saue them that beleue.
22 For the Iewes require a signe, & the Grekes seke after wisedome:
23 But we preache Christe crucified, vnto the Iewes a stumblyng blocke, and vnto the Grekes foolyshnesse:
24 But vnto them which are called both of the Iewes and Grekes [we preache] Christe the power of God, and the wisedome of God.
25 For the foolishnesse of God, is wiser then men, and the weakenesse of God, is stronger then men.
26 Brethren, ye see your callyng, howe that not many wise men after the fleshe, not many myghtie, not many noble [are called.]
27 But God hath chosen the foolyshe thynges of the worlde, to confounde the wise: And God hath chosen the weake thynges of the worlde, to confounde thynges which are myghtie:
28 And vnnoble thynges of the worlde, & thinges which are despysed, hath God chosen, [yea] and thinges which are not, to bryng to naught thynges that are:
29 That no fleshe shoulde reioyce in his presence.
30 And of hym are ye in Christe Iesu, whiche of God is made vnto vs wisedome, and righteousnesse, and sanctification, and redemption:
31 That accordyng as it is written: he that reioyceth, let hym reioyce in the Lorde.
The Bishop’s Bible (BB)
The Bishop’s Bible (BB) is a significant English translation of the Bible that was first published in 1568 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. It was commissioned by the Church of England as a revision of the Great Bible and as a response to the Geneva Bible, which was popular among the Puritans but contained marginal notes that were considered politically and theologically contentious by the Anglican establishment. The primary goal of the Bishop’ s Bible was to create a translation that would be more acceptable to the ecclesiastical authorities and suitable for use in Anglican churches.
One of the distinguishing features of the Bishop’s Bible is its effort to maintain a high level of accuracy and scholarly integrity while also ensuring that the language used was dignified and appropriate for public reading. The translation was undertaken by a team of bishops and other scholars, hence its name. The translators aimed to preserve the poetic and literary qualities of the original texts, drawing on previous translations such as the Tyndale Bible, the Coverdale Bible, and the Great Bible, while also incorporating their scholarly insights and linguistic refinements.
The Bishop’s Bible was notable for its large, folio format, which was designed to be read from the pulpit. It included extensive marginal notes, though these were more restrained and less controversial than those found in the Geneva Bible. The translation also featured elaborate illustrations and maps, as well as a comprehensive introduction and various prefaces that provided context and guidance for readers. Despite its grandeur and scholarly merit, the Bishop’s Bible did not achieve the widespread popularity of the Geneva Bible among the general populace.
Although the Bishop’s Bible played an essential role in the religious and cultural life of Elizabethan England, it was eventually overshadowed by the King James Version (KJV), which was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611. The KJV drew heavily on the Bishop’ s Bible, as well as other earlier translations, but ultimately surpassed it in both scholarly rigor and literary quality. Nonetheless, the Bishop’s Bible remains an important milestone in the history of English Bible translations, reflecting the theological and political currents of its time and contributing to the development of subsequent translations.