« | Philippians 2 | » |
1 If [there be] therefore any consolation in Christe, yf any comfort of loue, if any felowship of ye spirite, yf any compassion and mercie,
2 Fulfyl ye my ioy, that ye be lyke mynded, hauyng the same loue, being of one accorde, of one mynde,
3 Let nothyng [be done] through stryfe or vayne glorie, but in mekenesse of mynde euery man esteeme one ye other better then hym selfe.
4 Loke not euery man on his owne thynges, but euery man also on the thynges of others.
5 Let ye same mynde be in you, which was in Christe Iesus:
6 Who beyng in the fourme of God, thought it not robbery to be equall with God.
7 But made hym selfe of no reputation, takyng on him the fourme of a seruaut, and made in the lykenesse of men, and founde in figure as a man:
8 He humbled hym selfe, made obedient vnto death, euen the death of the crosse.
9 Wherfore God also hath highly exalted hym, and geuen hym a name which is aboue euery name.
10 That in the name of Iesus euery knee should bowe, [of thynges] in heauen, and [thynges] in earth, and [thinges] vnder the earth:
11 And that euery tongue should confesse that the Lorde, Iesus Christe [is] to the glorie of God the father.
12 Wherfore, my dearely beloued, as ye haue alwayes obeyed, not as in my presence only, but nowe much more in my absence, worke out your owne saluation with feare and tremblyng.
13 For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of good wyll.
14 Do all thyng without murmuryng and disputyng:
15 That ye may be blamelesse and pure, the sonnes of God, without rebuke in the myddes of a croked and peruerse nation, among who shyne ye as lightes in the worlde,
16 Holdyng fast the worde of lyfe, to my reioycyng in the day of Christe that I haue not runne in vayne, neither haue laboured in vayne.
17 Yea, and though I be offered vp vpo the offeryng and seruice of your fayth, I reioyce, and reioyce with you all.
18 For the same cause also do ye reioyce, and reioyce with me.
19 But I trust in the Lorde Iesus, to sende Timotheus shortly vnto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I knowe your state.
20 For I haue no man lyke mynded, who wyll naturally care for your state.
21 For all seeke their owne, not the thynges which are Iesus Christes.
22 Ye knowe the profe of hym, that as a sonne with the father, he hath serued with me in the Gospell.
23 Hym therfore I hope to sende, assoone as I knowe my state.
24 But I trust in the Lorde, that I also my selfe shall come shortly.
25 But I supposed it necessarie to sende to you Epaphroditus, my brother and companion in labour, & felowe souldier, but your Apostle, and the minister of my neede.
26 For he longed after you all, and was full of heauinesse, because that ye had hearde that he had ben sicke.
27 And no doubt he was sicke nye vnto death, but God had mercie on hym, and not on hym only, but on me also, lest I shoulde haue sorowe vpon sorowe.
28 I sent him therfore the more diligentlie, that when ye see him againe, ye may reioyce, and that I may be the lesse sorowfull.
29 Receaue hym therfore in the Lorde with all gladnes, & make much of such:
30 Because, for the worke of Christe, he was nye vnto death, not regardyng his lyfe, to fulfyll your lacke of seruice towarde 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.