Titus 1 | » |
1 Paul a seruaunt of God, & an Apostle of Iesus Christe, according to the fayth of Gods elect, & the knowledge of ye trueth, whiche is after godlynesse,
2 In the hope of eternall lyfe, which God that can not lye, promised before the worlde began:
3 But hath made manifest his worde, at ye time appoynted through preaching, which is committed vnto me, according to the ordinaunce of God our sauiour:
4 To Titus a natural sonne after the common fayth: Grace, mercie, peace, from God the father, and the Lorde Iesus Christe our sauiour.
5 For this cause left I thee in Creta, that thou shouldest refourme ye thynges that are left, and ordayne elders in euerye citie, as I had appoynted thee:
6 If any be blamelesse, the husbande of one wyfe, hauyng faythfull chyldren, not accusable of riote, or vntractable.
7 For a bishop must be blamelesse, as the stewarde of God: not stubborne, not angry, not geuen to wyne, no striker, not geuen to filthie lucre:
8 But a louer of hospitalitie, a louer of goodnes, sober, ryghteous, godly, temperate,
9 Holdyng fast the faythfull worde, which is accordyng to doctrine, that he may be able both to exhort in wholsome doctrine, and to improue them that say agaynst it.
10 For there are many vnruly, and vayne talkers, and deceauers of myndes, specially they [that are] of ye circumcision,
11 Whose mouthes must be stopped, which subuert whole houses, teachyng thynges which they ought not, for fylthie lucre sake.
12 One of them selues [euen] a prophete of their owne, sayde: The Crettans [are] alwayes lyers, euyll beastes, slowe bellyes.
13 This witnesse is true: wherfore rebuke them sharpely that they may be founde in the fayth,
14 Not takyng heede to Iewes fables and comaundementes of men, turnyng from the trueth.
15 Unto the pure, [are] all thynges pure: but vnto them that are defyled and vnbeleuyng, [is] nothyng pure, but euen the mynde and conscience of them is defyled.
16 They confesse that they knowe God: but with workes they denie hym, seyng they are abhominable and disobedient, and vnto euery good worke reprobate.
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.