« | Philippians 4 |
1 Therfore my brethren beloued & longed for, my ioy and crowne, so continue in the Lorde ye beloued.
2 I pray Euodias, and beseche Syntyches, yt they be of one accorde in the Lorde.
3 Yea, and I beseche thee also faythfull yockefelowe, helpe those [women] which laboured with me in the Gospell, and with Clement also, and with other my labour felowes, whose names [are] in the booke of lyfe.
4 Reioyce in the Lorde alway, and agayne I say reioyce.
5 Let your pacient mynde be knowen vnto all men: The Lorde [is] at hande.
6 Be carefull for nothyng: but in all thynges, let your petition be manifest vnto God, in prayer and supplication with geuyng of thankes.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all vnderstandyng, shall kepe your heartes and myndes through Christe Iesus.
8 Furthermore brethren, whatsoeuer, thynges are true, whatsoeuer thynges (are) honest, whatsoeuer thynges (are) iuste, whatsoeuer thynges (are) pure, whatsoeuer thynges pertayne to loue, whatsoeuer thynges (are) of honest report: If there be any vertue, & yf there be any prayse, thynke on these thynges:
9 Which ye haue both learned, and receaued, and hearde, and seene in me: Those thinges do, and the God of peace shalbe with you.
10 But I reioyce in the Lorde greatly, that nowe at the last you are reuiued againe to care for me, in ye wherin ye were also carefull, but ye lacked oportunitie.
11 I speake not because of necessitie. For I haue learned, in whatsoeuer estate I am, therwith to be content.
12 I knowe howe to be lowe, and I knowe howe to exceade. Euery where & in all thynges I am instructed, both to be ful, and to be hungry, both to haue plentie, and to suffer neede.
13 I can do all thynges through Christe, which strengtheneth me.
14 Notwithstandyng, ye haue well done yt ye dyd communicate to my afflictions.
15 Ye Philippians knowe also, that in the begynnyng of the Gospell, when I departed fro Macedonia, no Church communicated to me, as concernyng geuyng and receauyng, but ye only.
16 For euen in Thessalonica, ye sent once, & afterward agayne vnto my necessitie.
17 Not that I desire a gyft, but I desire fruite aboundyng to your accompt.
18 But I haue receaued al, & haue plentie. I was euen fylled after that I had receaued of Epaphroditus the thynges [which were sent] from you, an odoure of a sweete smel, a sacrifice acceptable, plesaunt to God.
19 My God shall supplie all your neede, through his riches in glorie, in Christe Iesus.
20 Unto God and our father, be prayse for euermore. Amen.
21 Salute all the saintes in Christe Iesus. The brethren which are with me, greete you.
22 All the saintes salute you, most of all, they that are of Caesars housholde.
23 The grace of our Lorde Iesu Christe [be] with you all. Amen. [This Epistle was written from Rome, by Epaphroditus.]
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.