Chapter I.—Thanks to God for your faith.

I Glorify God, even Jesus Christ, who has given you such wisdom. For I have observed that ye are perfected in an immoveable faith, as if ye were nailed to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, both in the flesh and in the spirit, and are established in love through the blood of Christ, being fully persuaded with respect to our Lord, that He was truly of the seed of David according to the flesh,⁹⁷⁵⁹⁷⁵    Rom. i. 3. and the Son of God according to the will and power⁹⁷⁶⁹⁷⁶    Theodoret, in quoting this passage, reads, “the Godhead and power.” of God; that He was truly born of a virgin, was baptized by John, in order that all righteousness might be fulfilled⁹⁷⁷⁹⁷⁷    Matt. iii. 15. by Him; and was truly, under Pontius Pilate and Herod the tetrarch, nailed [to the cross] for us in His flesh. Of this fruit⁹⁷⁸⁹⁷⁸    i.e., the cross, “fruit” being put for Christ on the tree. we are by His divinely-blessed passion, that He might set up a standard⁹⁷⁹⁹⁷⁹    Isa. v. 26, Isa. xlix. 22. for all ages, through His resurrection, to all His holy and faithful [followers], whether among Jews or Gentiles, in the one body of His Church.

I Glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who by Him has given you such wisdom. For I have observed that ye are perfected in an immoveable faith, as if ye were nailed to the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, both in the flesh and in the spirit, and are established in love through the blood of Christ, being fully persuaded, in very truth, with respect to our Lord Jesus Christ, that He was the Son of God, “the first-born of every creature,”⁹⁸⁰⁹⁸⁰    Col. i. 15. God the Word, the only-begotten Son, and was of the seed of David according to the flesh,⁹⁸¹⁹⁸¹    Rom. i. 3. by the Virgin Mary; was baptized by John, that all righteousness might be fulfilled⁹⁸²⁹⁸²    Matt. iii. 15. by Him; that He lived a life of holiness without sin, and was truly, under Pontius Pilate and Herod the tetrarch, nailed [to the cross] for us in His flesh. From whom we also derive our being,⁹⁸³⁹⁸³    Literally, “we are.” from His divinely-blessed passion, that He might set up a standard for the ages, through His resurrection, to all His holy and faithful [followers], whether among Jews or Gentiles, in the one body of His Church.