« | Titus 3 |
1 Warne them to be subiect to rule & power, to obey magistrates, to be redie to euery good worke:
2 To blaspheme no man, to be no fyghters, [but] gentle, shewyng all mekenesse vnto all men.
3 For we our selues also were some tyme foolyshe, disobedient, deceaued, seruyng diuers lustes & voluptuousnes, lyuyng in maliciousnesse and enuie, full of hate, hatyng one another.
4 But after that the kyndenesse and loue of our sauiour God to manwarde appeared,
5 Not of workes which [be] in ryghteousnesse wrought, but accordyng to his mercie, he saued vs by the fountayne of regeneration and renuyng of the holy ghost,
6 Which he shed on vs richlie through Iesus Christe our sauiour:
7 That we iustified by his grace, should be made heyres accordyng to the hope of eternall lyfe.
8 [This is] a faythfull saying: And of these thynges I wyll that thou confirme, that they which haue beleued in God, myght be carefull to shewe foorth good workes. These thynges are good and profitable vnto men.
9 But foolishe questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and striuinges about the lawe, auoyde: for they are vnprofitable and vayne.
10 A man that is an aucthour of sectes, after the first and the seconde admonition, auoyde:
11 Knowyng, that he that is such, is subuerted and sinneth, beyng dampned of hym selfe.
12 When I shall sende Artemas vnto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come vnto me vnto Nicopolis: For I haue determined there to wynter.
13 Bryng Zenas the lawyer, & Apollos, on their iourney diligently, that nothing be lackyng vnto them.
14 And let ours also learne to excell in good workes to necessarie vses, that they be not vnfruitefull.
15 All that are with me, salute thee. Greete them that loue vs in the fayth. Grace be with you all. Amen. [Written from Nicopolis, (a citie) of Macedonia.]
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.