Now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners; but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and the domestics of God,20 Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone:21 In whom all the building, being framed together, groweth up into an holy temple in the Lord.22 In whom you also are built together into an habitation of God in the Spirit.
Understand now for me the mystery of the truth, granting pardon if I shrink from advancing further in the treatment of it, by announcing this alone: "All things were made by Him, and without Him was not even one thing." Certainly He is called "the chief corner stone; in whom the whole building, fitly joined together, groweth into an holy temple of God," according to the divine apostle.
The heavens shew forth the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the work of his hands.3 Day to day uttereth speech, and night to night sheweth knowledge.4 There are no speeches nor languages, where their voices are not heard.5 Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth: and their words unto the ends of the world.
He it is who "comes forth as a bridegroom from his bridal chamber." For he [returns] even to the height; "since no one has ascended into heaven except him who has descended from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven." He repeats this very same fact when he says, "Father, glorify me with the glory that I had with you before the world existed." If this Word descended from heaven as a bridegroom to take on our flesh, so that in taking flesh he might ascend again as Son of man to that place where, as Son of God, the Word had descended, then assuredly, because of a mutual bond, the flesh bears the Word of God, and the Son of God assumes the weakness of the flesh. He ascends with his spouse, the flesh, to the same place from which he had descended without the flesh and receives now that glory that he is shown to have had before the creation of the world. This proves, without the least doubt, that he is God. Nevertheless, since the world itself is said to have been created after him, it is evident that it was created through him. This fact itself gives proof of the glory and the authority of the divinity that is in him, through whom the world was made.
And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and he passed the whole night in the prayer of God.13 And when day was come, he called unto him his disciples; and he chose twelve of them (whom also he named apostles).14 Simon, whom he surnamed Peter, and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon who is called Zelotes,16 And Jude, the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, who was the traitor.
The two next are James and John, as it follows, James and John, both indeed sons of Zebedee, who were also fishermen. After them he mentions Philip and Bartholomew. John says Philip was of Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. Bartholomew was a simple man, devoid of all worldly knowledge and guile. But Matthew was called from those who used to collect taxes; concerning whom he adds Matthew and Thomas.
About CSB. A personal translation of the New Testament, rendered directly from the public-domain Greek in a literary style — not a scholarly critical edition, and not for liturgical or doctrinal authority. It is one reader's work, offered for enjoyment; where it matters, weigh it against an established translation. (Placeholder text — final wording to come.)