« | 2 Corinthians 8 | » |
1 Moreouer, we do you to wite brethren, of the grace of God, which was geuen in the Churches of Macedonia.
2 Howe that ye aboundance of their reioycing is, that they are tryed with muche tribulation. And though they were exceedyng poore, yet haue they geuen exceedyng rychlye, and that in singlenesse.
3 For to their powers (I beare them recorde) yea & beyonde their powers, they were wyllyng.
4 And prayed vs with great instaunce that we woulde receaue this grace and societie of the ministerie to ye saintes.
5 [And this they dyd] not as we loked for: but gaue their owne selues first to the Lorde, and [after] vnto vs by the wyll of God.
6 So that we coulde not but desire Titus to accomplyshe ye same grace among you also, euen as he had begun.
7 Nowe therefore as ye are riche in all thinges, in fayth, in worde, in knowledge, in all feruentnesse, and in loue, which ye haue to vs: euen so, see that ye be plenteous in this grace also.
8 This say I not by commaundement, but because of ye feruentnesse of other, & alowing the vnfaynednes of your loue.
9 For ye knowe the grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poore, that ye through his pouertie might be made rich.
10 And I geue councell hereto: For this is expedient for you, which haue begun not to do only, but also to wil a yere ago.
11 Nowe therfore perfourme the thyng which ye began to do: that as ther was in you a redines to wyll, euen so ye may performe ye dede of that which ye haue.
12 For if there be first a wyllyng mynde, it is accepted accordyng to that a man hath, and not accordyng to that he hath not.
13 Truly, not that other be set at ease, & ye brought into combraunce:
14 But that there be equalnesse nowe at this tyme, and that your aboundaunce may succour their lacke, and that their aboundaunce maye supplie your lacke, that there may be equalitie.
15 As it written: He that had much, had not the more aboundaunce, and he that had litle, had not the lesse.
16 Thankes be vnto God, which put the same good mynde for you in the heart of Titus,
17 Because he accepted the exhortation, yea rather he was so well wylling, that of his owne accorde he came vnto you.
18 We haue sent with hym that brother whose praise is in the Gospel through out all the Churches.
19 (And not that only, but is also chosen of the Churches to be a felowe with vs in our iourney, concernyng this grace that is ministred by vs vnto the glorie of the same Lorde, and to stirre vp your redie mynde)
20 For this we eschewe, that any man shoulde rebuke vs in this plenteous distribution that is ministred by vs:
21 And make prouisio for honest thinges, not only in the syght of the Lorde, but also in the syght of men.
22 We haue sent with them a brother of ours, whom we haue oftentymes proued diligent in many thinges, but nowe much more diligent, for the great confidence [whiche I haue] in you:
23 Partly for Titus sake, which is my felowe & helper concernyng you: partly because of other which are our brethren and the messengers of the Churches, [and] the glorie of Christe.
24 Wherfore shewe ye vnto them ye profe of your loue, & of our reioycyng of you in the syght of the Churches.
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.