« | 1 Peter 4 | » |
1 For as muche then as Christ hath suffered for vs in the fleshe, arme ye your selues lykewise with the same mynde: for he which suffereth in the fleshe, ceasseth from sinne:
2 That he hence forwarde shoulde lyue, as much tyme as remayneth in ye fleshe, not after the lustes of men, but after the wyll of God.
3 For it is sufficient for vs that we haue spent the tyme that is paste of the lyfe, after the wyll of the gentiles, walkyng in wantonnesse, lustes, in excesse of wynes, in excesse of eatyng, in excesse of drynkyng, and abominable idolatrie.
4 And it seemeth to them an inconuenient thyng, that ye runne not also with them vnto the same excesse of riote, and therefore speake they euyll of you:
5 Whiche shall geue accomptes to hym that is redy to iudge quicke and dead.
6 For vnto this purpose veryly was the Gospel peached also vnto ye dead, that they shoulde be iudged lyke other men in the fleshe, but should lyue before God in the spirite.
7 The ende of all thynges is at hande. Be ye therefore sober, and watche vnto prayer.
8 But aboue all thynges, haue feruent loue among your selues: For loue shall couer the multitude of sinnes.
9 Be ye harberous one to another, without grudgyng.
10 As euery man hath receaued the gyft, eue so minister the same one to another, as good ministers of the manifold grace of God.
11 If any man speake, [let hym talke] as the wordes of God. If any man minister, let him do it as of the abilitie which God ministreth vnto hym, that God in all thinges may be glorified through Iesus Christe, to whom be prayse and dominion for euer and euer. Amen.
12 Dearely beloued, thinke it not straunge concerning the fierie triall, which thing is to trye you, as though some straunge thyng happened vnto you.
13 But reioyce, in as much as ye are partakers of Christes passions: that when his glory appeareth, ye maye be mery and glad.
14 Yf ye be rayled vpon for the name of Christe, happy are ye. For the spirite of glory and of God, resteth vpon you: On their part he is euyll spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
15 See that none of you be punished as a murtherer, or as a thiefe, or an euyll doer, or as a busie body in other mens matters.
16 Yf any [man suffer] as a Christian man, let hym not be ashamed, but let him glorifie God on this behalfe.
17 For the tyme is [come] that iudgement must begin at the house of God. Yf it first [begin] at vs, what shall the ende be of them whiche beleue not the Gospell of God?
18 And if the ryghteous scacely be saued, where shall the vngodly and the sinner appeare?
19 Wherefore, let them that are troubled accordyng to the wyll of God, commit their soules to him with well doyng, as vnto a faythfull creatour.
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.