« | 2 Timothy 2 | » |
1 Thou therfore my sonne, be strong in the grace that is in Christe Iesus.
2 And the thynges that thou haste hearde of me by many witnesses, the same commit thou to faythfull men, which shalbe apt to teache other also.
3 Thou therfore suffer afflictions as a good souldier of Iesus Christe.
4 No man that warreth, entangleth hym selfe with thaffayres of [this] lyfe, that he may please hym which hath chosen hym to be a souldier.
5 And if a man also wrestle, yet is he not crowned except he wrestle lawfullie.
6 The labouryng husbandman, must first be partaker of the fruites.
7 Consider What I say: and the Lorde geue thee vnderstandyng in all thinges.
8 Remember that Iesus Christe, of the seede of Dauid, was raysed from the dead, accordyng to my Gospell,
9 Wherin I suffer trouble as an euyll doer, euen vnto bondes: But the worde of God is not bounde.
10 Therfore I suffer all thynges for the electes sakes, that they myght also obtaine the saluation, which is in Christ Iesus, with eternall glorie.
11 It is a faythfull saying: for yf we be dead with hym, we shall also lyue with hym:
12 If we be patient, we shall also raigne with hym: If we denie hym, he also shall denie vs.
13 If we be vnfaythful, he abideth faithfull, he can not denie hym selfe.
14 Of these thynges put them in remembraunce, testifie before the Lorde, that they striue not about wordes to no profite, [but] to the peruertyng of ye hearers.
15 Studie to shewe thy selfe approued vnto God, a workman not to be ashamed, rightlie deuidyng the worde of trueth.
16 But prophane voyces of vanitie passe ouer: For they wyll encrease vnto greater vngodlynesse.
17 And their worde shall fret as doth a cancker: of whom is Hymeneus and Philetus,
18 Which about the trueth haue erred, saying that the resurrection is past alredie, & do ouerthrowe the fayth of some.
19 But the strong foundation of God standeth styl, hauyng this seale: The Lorde knoweth the that are his: And, let euery one that nameth the name of Christe, depart from iniquitie.
20 But in a great house are not onely vessels of golde, and of siluer, but also of wood and of earth: some to honour, and some vnto dishonour.
21 If a man therfore pourge hym selfe from these, he shalbe a vessell vnto honour, and meete for ye vses of the Lorde, and prepared vnto euery good worke.
22 Lustes of youth auoyde, but folowe ryghteousnesse, fayth, loue, peace, with them that call on the Lorde out of a pure heart.
23 But foolishe & vnlearned questions put from thee, knowyng that they do but gender strife.
24 And the seruaunt of the Lorde must not striue: but be gentle vnto all men, apt to teache, sufferyng euyll in mekenesse,
25 Instructing the which are contrarie mynded, yf God at any tyme wyll geue them repentaunce, to the knowledge of the trueth:
26 And that they may come to the selues agayne, out of the snare of the deuyll, which are holden captyue of hym at his wyll.
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.