« | 2 Corinthians 9 | » |
1 Of the ministryng to the saintes, it is but superfluous for me to write vnto you:
2 For I knowe the redinesse of your mynde, whereof I boast my selfe of you, vnto them of Macedonia, that Achaia was prepared a yere a go: and your zeale hath prouoked many.
3 Yet haue I sent the brethren, lest our boastyng which I make of you, should be in vayne in this behalfe, that ye (as I haue sayde) may prepare your selues.
4 Lest yf they of Macedonia come with me, and fynde you vnprepared, we (I wyll not say you) shoulde be ashamed in this matter of boastyng.
5 Therfore, I thought it necessarie to exhort the brethren, to come beforehand vnto you, and to prepare your good blessyng promised afore, that it myght be redy, so that it be as a blessyng, and not a defraudyng.
6 This yet [I say] he which soweth litle, shall reape litle: and he that soweth in geuyng largely and freely, shall reape plenteouslie.
7 Let euery man do, accordyng as he hath purposed in his heart, not grudgyngly, or of necessitie: For God loueth a chearefull geuer.
8 God is able to make you riche in all grace, that ye in all thynges hauyng sufficient vnto the vtmost, may be riche vnto all maner of good workes,
9 As it is written: He hath sparsed abrode, and hath geuen to the poore, his ryghteousnesse remayneth for euer.
10 He that ministreth seede vnto ye sower, ministreth bread also for foode, and multiplieth your seede, and encreaseth the fruites of your ryghteousnesse:
11 That in all thynges ye may be made riche into all singlenesse, which causeth through vs, that thankes are geuen vnto God.
12 For the administration of this seruice, not only supplieth ye neede of the saintes: but also is aboundaunt by the thankes geuyng of many vnto God,
13 Which by the experiment of this ministration, prayse God for the obedience of your consentyng to the Gospell of Christe, and for your singlenesse in distributyng to them, and to all men:
14 And by their prayers for you, which long after you, for the aboundaunt grace of God in you.
15 Thankes be vnto God, for his vnspeakeable gyft.
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.