But that this was done by Divine interposition He affirms, by immediately afterwards adding, “And have ye not read this Scripture, The stone which the builders refused is become the headstone in the corner?”
As if He had said, how is this prophecy to be fulfilled, save in that Christ, being rejected and slain by you, is to be preached to the Gentiles, who will believe on Him? Thus then as a corner stone, He will found the two people on Himself, and of the two people will build for Himself a city of the faithful, one temple. For the masters of the synagogue, whom He had just called husbandmen, He now calls “builders”, because the same persons, who seemed to cultivate His people, that they might bear the fruits of life, like a vineyard, were also commanded to construct and adorn this people, to be, as it were, a house worthy to have God for its inhabitant.
Reproduced in full. Translation: Oxford 1841 (Newman), public domain (Public domain).