« | 2 Corinthians 6 | » |
1 We also as helpers exhorte you, that ye receaue not the grace of God in vayne.
2 For he saith: I haue heard thee in a tyme accepted, and in the day of saluation haue I suckoured thee. Beholde, nowe is that accepted tyme, beholde nowe is that day of saluation:
3 Let vs geue none occasion of euyll in any thyng, that the ministerie be not blamed:
4 But in all thynges let vs behaue our selues as ye ministers of God, in much pacience, in afflictions, in necessities, in anguisshes,
5 In stripes, in prisonmentes, in strifes, in labours,
6 In watchynges, in fastinges, in purenesse, in knowledge, in long suffryng, in kyndnesse, in the holy ghost, in loue vnfaigned:
7 In the worde of trueth, in the power of God, by the armour of righteousnes, of the ryght hande and on the lefte,
8 By honour and dishonour, by euyll report and good report, as deceauers and yet true,
9 As vnknowen, and yet knowen, as dying, and beholde we lyue, as chastened, and not kylled,
10 As sorowyng, and yet alway merie: as poore, and yet make many riche: as hauyng nothyng, and yet possessyng all thynges.
11 O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open vnto you, our heart is made large:
12 Ye are in no strayte in vs, but are in a straite in your owne bowels.
13 I promise you lyke rewarde as vnto children: Set your selues at large,
14 And beare not ye a straunge yoke with the vnbeleuers. For what felowship hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse? Or what communion hath lyght with darkenesse?
15 Or what concorde hath Christe with belyall? Eyther what part hath he that beleueth, with an infidell?
16 Or howe agreeth the temple of God with images? For ye are the temple of the lyuing God, as saide God, I wyll dwell in them, & walke in [them] & wyll be their God, & they shalbe my people.
17 Wherfore come out fro among them, and separate your selues from them (saith the Lorde) and touche none vncleane thyng, and I wyll receaue you,
18 And wyll be a father vnto you, and ye shalbe my sonnes and daughters, saith the Lorde almightie.
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.