Textus Receptus Bibles
Geneva Bible 1560/1599
| 8:1 | We doe you also to wit, brethren, of the grace of God bestowed vpon the Churches of Macedonia, |
| 8:2 | Because in great triall of affliction their ioy abounded, and their most extreme pouertie abounded vnto their rich liberalitie. |
| 8:3 | For to their power (I beare record) yea, and beyonde their power, they were willing, |
| 8:4 | And praied vs with great instance that we woulde receiue the grace, and fellowship of the ministring which is toward the Saints. |
| 8:5 | And this they did, not as we looked for: but gaue their owne selues, first to the Lord, and after vnto vs by the will of God, |
| 8:6 | That we should exhort Titus, that as hee had begon, so he would also accomplish the same grace among you also. |
| 8:7 | Therefore, as yee abound in euery thing, in faith and woorde, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your loue towardes vs, euen so see that yee abound in this grace also. |
| 8:8 | This say I not by commandement, but because of the diligence of others: therefore prooue I the naturalnesse of your loue. |
| 8:9 | For ye knowe the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ, that hee being rich, for your sakes became poore, that yee through his pouertie might be made rich. |
| 8:10 | And I shewe my minde herein: for this is expedient for you, which haue begun not to doe onely, but also to will, a yeare agoe. |
| 8:11 | Nowe therefore performe to doe it also, that as there was a readinesse to will, euen so yee may performe it of that which yee haue. |
| 8:12 | For if there be first a willing minde, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. |
| 8:13 | Neither is it that other men should be eased and you grieued: But vpon like condition, at this time your abundance supplieth their lacke: |
| 8:14 | That also their aboundance may bee for your lacke, that there may be equalitie: |
| 8:15 | As it is written, Hee that gathered much, had nothing ouer, and hee that gathered litle, had not the lesse. |
| 8:16 | And thanks be vnto God, which hath put in the heart of Titus the same care for you. |
| 8:17 | Because hee accepted the exhortation, yea, hee was so carefull that of his owne accorde hee went vnto you. |
| 8:18 | And wee haue sent also with him the brother, whose praise is in the Gospel throughout al the Churches. |
| 8:19 | (And not so onely, but is also chosen of the Churches to be a fellowe in our iourney, concerning this grace that is ministred by vs vnto the glorie of the same Lord, and declaration of your prompt minde) |
| 8:20 | Auoiding this, that no man shoulde blame vs in this aboundance that is ministred by vs, |
| 8:21 | Prouiding for honest thinges, not onely before the Lord, but also before men. |
| 8:22 | And we haue sent with them our brother, whom we haue oft times prooued to be diligent in many thinges, but nowe much more diligent, for the great confidence, which I haue in you. |
| 8:23 | Whether any doe inquire of Titus, he is my fellowe and helper to you ward: or of our brethren, they are messengers of the Churches, and the glorie of Christ. |
| 8:24 | Wherefore shew toward them, and before the Churches the proofe of your loue, and of the reioycing that we haue of you. |
Geneva Bible 1560/1599
The Geneva Bible is one of the most influential and historically significant translations of the Bible into English, preceding the King James translation by 51 years. It was the primary Bible of 16th century Protestantism and was the Bible used by William Shakespeare, Oliver Cromwell, John Knox, John Donne, and John Bunyan. The language of the Geneva Bible was more forceful and vigorous and because of this, most readers strongly preferred this version at the time.
The Geneva Bible was produced by a group of English scholars who, fleeing from the reign of Queen Mary, had found refuge in Switzerland. During the reign of Queen Mary, no Bibles were printed in England, the English Bible was no longer used in churches and English Bibles already in churches were removed and burned. Mary was determined to return Britain to Roman Catholicism.
The first English Protestant to die during Mary's turbulent reign was John Rogers in 1555, who had been the editor of the Matthews Bible. At this time, hundreds of Protestants left England and headed for Geneva, a city which under the leadership of Calvin, had become the intellectual and spiritual capital of European Protestants.
One of these exiles was William Whittingham, a fellow of Christ Church at Oxford University, who had been a diplomat, a courtier, was much traveled and skilled in many languages including Greek and Hebrew. He eventually succeeded John Knox as the minister of the English congregation in Geneva. Whittingham went on to publish the 1560 Geneva Bible.
This version is significant because, it came with a variety of scriptural study guides and aids, which included verse citations that allow the reader to cross-reference one verse with numerous relevant verses in the rest of the Bible, introductions to each book of the Bible that acted to summarize all of the material that each book would cover, maps, tables, woodcut illustrations, indices, as well as other included features, all of which would eventually lead to the reputation of the Geneva Bible as history's very first study Bible.