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1 We besech you brethren, by the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christe, and by our assembling vnto hym,
2 That ye be not sodenlye moued from [your] minde, nor be troubled, neither by spirite, nor by worde, nor yet by letter, as from vs, as though the daye of Christe were at hande.
3 Let no man deceaue you by any meanes, for [the Lorde shall not come] excepte there come a fallyng away first, & that that man of sinne be reuealed, the sonne of perdition,
4 [Whiche is] an aduersarie, and is exalted aboue all that is called God, or that is worshipped: so that he as God, sitteth in the temple of God, shewing hym selfe that he is God.
5 Remember ye not, that when I was yet with you, I tolde you these thynges?
6 And nowe ye knowe what withholdeth, that he myght be reuealed in his tyme.
7 For the misterie of iniquitie doth alredie worke, tyll he whiche nowe onlye letteth, be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that wicked be reuealed, whom the Lorde shall consume with the spirite of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightnesse of his commyng:
9 [Euen hym] whose commyng is after the workyng of Satan, in all power & signes, and wonders, of lying,
10 And in all deceauablenesse of vnryghteousnesse, in them that peryshe: because they receaued not the loue of the trueth, that they myght be saued.
11 And therefore God shall sende them strong delusion, that they should beleue lyes:
12 That all they myght be dampned whiche beleued not the trueth, but had pleasure in vnryghteousnes.
13 But we are bounde to geue thankes alway to God for you, brethren beloued of the Lorde, because that God hath fro the begynnyng chosen you to saluation in sanctifiyng of the spirite, & [in] fayth of the trueth:
14 Wherevnto he called you by our Gospell, to the obteyning of the glorie of our Lorde Iesus Christe.
15 Therfore brethren stande fast, and holde the ordinaunces whiche ye haue ben taught, whether it were by our preachyng, or by our epistle.
16 Our Lorde Iesus Christe, and God and our father, whiche hath loued vs, and hath geuen vs euerlastyng consolation, and good hope in grace,
17 Comfort your heartes, and stablysshe you in all good saying and doyng.
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.