For to this end the Lord endured to deliver up His flesh to corruption, that by the forgiveness of sins we might be cleansed, which is in the blood of His sprinkling.
For it is written concerning Him, some things toward Israel and some toward us, and it says thus: "He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our sins; by His stripes we were healed. He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb dumb before its shearer."
We ought, then, to give exceeding thanks to the Lord, because He has made known to us the things past, and has made us wise in present things, and concerning things to come we are not without understanding.
And the Scripture says: "Not unjustly are nets spread out for the birds." This means that a man justly perishes who, having knowledge of the way of righteousness, holds himself fast to the way of darkness.
And this also, my brothers: if the Lord endured to suffer for our soul, being Lord of all the world, to whom God said from the foundation of the world, "Let us make man according to our image and likeness," how then did He endure to suffer under the hand of men?
Learn. The prophets, having grace from Him, prophesied concerning Him; but He, in order to abolish death and to show forth the resurrection from the dead, since He must be manifested in the flesh, endured;
that He might fulfill the promise to the fathers, and Himself, preparing for Himself the new people, might show, while He was on earth, that having brought about the resurrection He will Himself judge.
And when He chose His own apostles, who were to preach His gospel, men more lawless than any sin, that He might show that He came not to call the righteous but sinners, then He manifested Himself to be the Son of God.
For if He had not come in the flesh, in no way could men have been saved by looking upon Him, seeing that they cannot look steadily into the rays of the sun, which is destined to cease and is a work of His hands.
Therefore the Son of God came in the flesh to this end, that He might complete the full measure of the sins of those who persecuted His prophets to death.
Therefore to this end He endured. For God says that the smiting of His flesh was from them: "When they smite their own shepherd, then the sheep of the flock shall perish."
But He Himself willed to suffer thus; for it was necessary that He should suffer upon a tree. For the one prophesying concerning Him says: "Spare my soul from the sword," and: "Nail my flesh, for the assemblies of evildoers have risen up against me."