« | 2 Timothy 3 | » |
1 This knowe also, that in the last dayes, perylous tymes shalbe at hande.
2 For men shalbe louers of their owne selues, couetous, boasters, proude, blasphemers, disobedient to fathers and mothers, vnthankefull, vngodlye:
3 Without naturall affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, riotous, fierce, despisers of them which are good,
4 Traytours, headdy, hye mynded, louers of pleasures more then louers of God:
5 Hauyng a fourme of godlynesse, but denying the power therof: turne away from these.
6 These are they, which enter into houses, & leade captiue [simple] women laden with sinne, caryed with diuers lustes:
7 Euer learnyng, and neuer able to come vnto the knowledge of the trueth.
8 For as Iannes and Iambres withstoode Moyses, so do these also resist the trueth: Men of corrupt myndes, reprobate concernyng the fayth:
9 But they shall preuayle no longer. For their madnesse shalbe manifest vnto all [men] as also theirs was.
10 But thou hast folowed my doctrine, fashion of lyuyng, purpose, fayth, long sufferyng, loue, patience,
11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came vnto me at Antioche, at Iconium, at Lystra, which persecutions I suffred patiently: And from them all, the Lord deliuered me.
12 Yea, and all that wyll lyue godly in Christe Iesus, shall suffer persecution.
13 But the euyll men and deceauers, shall waxe worse and worse, deceauyng and deceaued.
14 But continue thou in the thynges which thou haste learned, which also were committed vnto thee, knowyng of whom thou hast learned [them]:
15 And that from an infant thou hast knowen the scriptures, which are able to make thee wyse vnto saluation, thorowe fayth which is in Christe Iesus.
16 All scripture is geuen by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable to doctrine, to reproue, to correction, to instruction which is in ryghteousnesse,
17 That the man of God may be perfect, instructed vnto all good workes.
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.