« | Ephesians 4 | » |
1 I therfore, a prisoner in the Lorde, exhorte you, that ye walke worthy of the vocatio wherewith ye are called,
2 With all lowlynesse & mekenesse, with long sufferyng, forbearyng one another in loue.
3 Endeuoryng to kepe the vnitie of the spirite in the bonde of peace:
4 One body and one spirite, euen as ye are called in one hope of your calling.
5 One Lorde, one fayth, one baptisme.
6 One God, and father of all, whiche is aboue all, and through all, and in you all.
7 But vnto euery one of vs, is geuen grace, accordyng to the measure of the gyft of Christe.
8 Wherfore he saith: When he went vp an hye, he ledde captiuitie captiue, and gaue gyftes vnto men.
9 (But that he ascended, what is it? but that he also descended first into the lower partes of the earth?
10 He that descended, is euen the same also that ascended vp farre aboue all heauens, to fulfyll all thynges.)
11 And he gaue some apostles, and some prophetes, and some euangelistes, and some shepheardes and teachers,
12 To the gatheryng together of the saintes, into the worke of ministration, into the edifiyng of the body of Christe:
13 Tyll we all meete together into the vnitie of fayth, and knowledge of the sonne of God, vnto a perfect man, vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christe:
14 That we hencefoorth be no more children, wauering and caryed about with euery wynde of doctrine, in the wylynesse of men, in craftynesse, to the laying wayte of deceyte.
15 But folowyng trueth in loue, let vs growe vp into him in all thynges whiche is the head, Christ:
16 In whom all the body beyng coupled and knit together by euery ioynt of subministration, accordyng to the effectuall power in ye measure of euery part, maketh increase of the body, vnto the edifiyng of it selfe in loue.
17 This I say therfore, and testifie in the Lorde, that ye hencefoorth walke not as other gentiles walke, in vanitie of their mynde:
18 Darkened in cogitation, being alienated from the lyfe of God by the ignoraunce that is in them, by the blindnesse of their heartes.
19 Whiche beyng past feelyng, haue geuen the selues ouer vnto wantonnesse, to worke al vncleanenesse with greedynesse.
20 But ye haue not so learned Christe.
21 Yf so be that ye haue hearde hym, and haue ben taught in hym, as the trueth is in Iesus,
22 To lay downe, accordyng to the former conuersation, ye olde man, which is corrupt, accordyng to the lustes of error:
23 To be renued in the spirite of your mynde,
24 And to put on that newe man, which after God is shapen, in righteousnesse & holynesse of trueth.
25 Wherfore, puttyng away lying, speake euery man trueth vnto his neyghbour, forasmuch as we are members one of another.
26 Be ye angry, and sinne not, let not the sunne go downe vpon your wrath,
27 Neither geue place to the deuyll.
28 Let hym that stole, steale no more: but let hym rather labour, workyng with his handes the thyng whiche is good, that he may geue vnto hym that needeth.
29 Let no fylthy communication procede out of your mouth, but that whiche is good to edifie withal, as oft as neede is, that it may minister grace vnto the hearers.
30 And greeue not the holy spirite of God, by whom ye are sealed vnto the day of redemption.
31 Let all bytternesse, and fiercenesse, & wrath, and crying, and euyll speakyng, be put away from you, with all maliciousnesse.
32 Be ye curteous one to another, merciful, forgeuing one another, euen as God for Christes sake hath forgeuen you.
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.