Philippians 1 | » |
1 Paul & Timotheus the seruauntes of Iesus Christ: To all the saintes in Christ Iesus, whiche are at Philippos, with the bisshops & deacons:
2 Grace [be] vnto you, and peace fro God our father, and [from] the Lorde Iesus Christ.
3 I thanke my God, with all remembraunce of you,
4 ( Alwayes in all my prayer for all you, makyng prayer with gladnesse,)
5 For your felowship in the Gospell, fro the first day vntyll nowe.
6 And beyng perswaded of this same thyng, that he which hath begun good worke in you, wyll perfourme it vntyll the day of Iesus Christe,
7 As it becommeth me to iudge this of you al, because I haue you in my heart, and in my bondes, in the defence and confirmation of the Gospell, you all beyng partakers of my grace.
8 For God is my recorde howe greatly I long after you all, in the bowels of Iesus Christe.
9 And this I pray, that your loue may abounde yet more and more in knowledge, and in all vnderstandyng:
10 That ye maye discerne thynges that differ, that ye maye be pure, and without offence, tyll the day of Christe.
11 Beyng fylled with the fruites of righteousnesse, which [are] by Iesus Christ, vnto the glorie and prayse of God.
12 But I woulde ye should vnderstande brethren, that the thinges which [came] vnto me, hath come rather vnto the furtheraunce of the Gospell:
13 So that my bondes in Christe, are manifest, throughout all the iudgement hall, and in all other [places.]
14 And many of the brethren of the Lord, beyng incouraged through my bondes, dare more plentifully speake the word, without feare.
15 Some preache Christe of enuie & strife, and some of good wyll.
16 The one preache Christe of strife, not sincerely, supposyng to adde more affliction to my bondes:
17 But the others of loue, knowing that I am set to the defence of the Gospell.
18 What then? So that Christe be preached any maner of way, whether it be by pretence, or by trueth, I ioy therein, and wyll ioy.
19 For I knowe that this shall turne to my saluation, through your prayer, and ministryng of the spirite of Iesus Christe,
20 Accordyng to my expectation, and my hope, yt in nothyng I shalbe ashamed: but yt with all boldnesse, as alwayes, so now also, Christ shalbe magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
21 For Christe [is] to me lyfe, and death [is] to me aduantage.
22 But if I lyue in the fleshe, this (is) the fruite of my labour, and what I shall chose, I wote not.
23 For I am in a strayte betwixt two, hauyng a desire to be loosed, and to be with Christ, which is much farre better.
24 Neuerthelesse, to abyde in ye fleshe, [is] more needefull for you.
25 And this am I sure of, that I shall abyde & continue with you all, for your furtheraunce and ioy of fayth,
26 That your reioysyng may be ye more aboundaunt in Iesus Christe for me, by my commyng to you agayne.
27 Only let your conuersation be, as it becommeth the Gospell of Christe: that whether I come and set you, or els be absent, I may yet heare of your matters, that ye continue in one spirite, in one soule, fyghtyng together for ye fayth of the Gospell.
28 And in nothyng fearyng your aduersaries, which is to them a token of perdition: but to you of saluatio, and that of God.
29 For vnto you it is geuen for Christe, not only this to beleue on hym: but also this, to suffer for his sake,
30 Hauing the same fight, which ye sawe in me, and nowe heare in me.
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.