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,”[1236] God the Word, the only-begotten Son, and was of the seed of David according to the flesh,[1237] by the Virgin Mary; was baptized by John, that all righteousness might be fulfilled[1238] 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,[1239] 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. CHAP. II.—_Christ’s true passion._ SHORTER. Now, He suffered all these things for our sakes, that we might be saved. And He suffered truly, even as also He truly raised up himself, not, as certain unbelievers maintain, that He only seemed to suffer, as they themselves only seem to be [Christians]. And as they believe, so shall it happen unto them, when they shall be divested of their bodies, and be mere evil spirits.[1240] LONGER. Now, He suffered all these things for us; and He suffered them really, and not in appearance only, even as also He truly rose again. But not, as some of the unbelievers, who are ashamed of the formation of man, and the cross, and death itself, affirm, that in appearance only, and not in truth, He took a body of the Virgin, and suffered only in appearance, forgetting, as they do, Him who said, “The Word was made flesh;”[1241] and again, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up;”[1242] and once more, “If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me.”[1243] The Word therefore did dwell in flesh, for “Wisdom built herself an house.”[1244] The Word raised up again His own temple on the third day, when it had been destroyed by the Jews fighting against Christ. The Word, when His flesh was lifted up, after the manner of the brazen serpent in the wilderness, drew all men to himself for their eternal salvation.[1245] CHAP. III.—_Christ was possessed of a body after His resurrection._ SHORTER.