1 Timothy 1 | » |
1 Paul an Apostle of Iesus Christ, by the commission of God our sauiour, and Lorde Iesus Christe [whiche is] our hope,
2 Unto Timothie a natural sonne in the faith: Grace, mercie [and] peace from God our father and Iesus Christe our Lorde.
3 As I besought thee to abyde styll in Ephesus, when I departed into Macedonia [so do] that thou comaunde some that they teache no other doctrine:
4 Neither geue heede to fables and endlesse genealogies, whiche breede questions, more then godly edifying which is in fayth.
5 But the ende of the commaundement, is loue out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, & of fayth vnfaigned.
6 From the whiche thynges, some hauyng erred, haue tourned vnto vayne ianglyng:
7 Couetyng to be doctours of the lawe, not vnderstandyng what they speake, neither wherof they affirme.
8 But we knowe that the lawe is good, yf a man vse it lawfully:
9 Knowyng this, that the lawe is not geuen vnto a ryghteous man, but vnto the lawlesse and disobedient, to the vngodly and to sinners, to vnholy and vncleane, to murtherers of fathers & murtherers of mothers, to manslears,
10 To whoremongers, to them that defyle them selues with mankynde, to manstealers, to lyers, to periured, and yf there be any other thyng that is contrarie to wholsome doctrine:
11 Accordyng to the Gospell of glorie of the blessed God, whiche is committed vnto me.
12 And I thanke Christ Iesus our Lord whiche hath made me strong: For he counted me faythfull, puttyng [me] into the ministerie,
13 Beyng a blasphemer, and a persecuter, and an oppressour: But yet I obtayned mercie, because I dyd it ignorauntly in vnbeliefe.
14 Neuerthelesse, the grace of our Lorde was exceedyng aboundaunt, with faith and loue, which is in Christe Iesus.
15 This is a faythfull saying, and by all meanes worthy to be receaued, that Christe Iesus came into the worlde to saue synners, of whom I am chiefe.
16 Notwithstandyng, for this cause was mercie shewed vnto me, that in me the first, Iesus Christe myght shewe all long sufferyng, to the example of them which shoulde beleue on hym to lyfe euerlastyng.
17 Nowe, vnto the kyng euerlastyng, immortall, inuisible, vnto God onlye wise [be] honour and glorie for euer and euer, Amen.
18 This commaundement commit I vnto thee sonne Timotheus, accordyng to the prophesies which went before vpon thee, that thou in them shouldest fyght a good fyght:
19 Hauyng fayth and good conscience, which some hauyng put awaye as concernyng fayth, haue made shipwracke.
20 Of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander, whom I haue delyuered vnto Satan, that they maye learne not to blaspheme.
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.