« | Colossians 4 |
1 Maisters, do vnto your seruauntes that which is iust & equall, knowyng that ye also haue a maister in heauen.
2 Continue in prayer, and watche in the same with thankes geuyng:
3 Praying also for vs, that God may open vnto vs the doore of vtteraunce, that we may speake ye misterie of Christ, wherfore I am also in bondes:
4 That I may vtter it, as I ought to speake.
5 Walke in wisdome towarde the that are without, redeemyng the tyme.
6 Let your speache be alway in grace, powdered with salt, to knowe howe ye ought to aunswere euery man.
7 All my state shall Tychicus declare vnto you, [who is] a beloued brother and faythfull minister, and felowe seruaunt in the Lorde:
8 Whom I haue sent vnto you for the same thyng, that he myght knowe your state, and comfort your heartes,
9 With Onesimus a faythfull and beloued brother, which is of you. They shall shewe you of all thynges which [are] here.
10 Aristarchus my prison felowe saluteth you, & Marcus Barnabas sisters sonne, (touchyng whom ye receaued commaundementes:) If he come vnto you, receaue hym:
11 And Iesus, which is called Iustus, which are of the circumcision. These only are my workefelowes vnto the kyngdome of God, which hath ben vnto my consolation.
12 Epaphras which is of you, a seruaunt of Christe, saluteth you, alwayes labouryng feruently for you in prayers, that ye may stande perfect and fylled in all the wyll of God.
13 For I beare him recorde, that he hath a great zeale for you, and them [that are] in Laodicea, and them [that are] in Hierapolis.
14 Deare Lucas the phisition greeteth you, and Demas.
15 Salute the brethren [which are] in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the Churche which is in his house.
16 And when the epistle is read of you, make that it be read also in the Church of the Laodiceans: and that ye likewise reade the epistle from Laodicea.
17 And say to Archippus: take heede to the ministerie that thou hast receaued in the Lorde, that thou fulfyll it.
18 The salutation, by the hande of me, Paul. Remember my bondes. Grace be with you. Amen. [Written from Rome to the Colossians, by Tychicus and Onesimus.]
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.