Stone of stumbling; Simeon; end of the law; Christ justifies as God

A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; and the one who believes upon him will not be put to shame. When righteous Symeon received the divine infant into his arms, he said to God: “Now you release your servant, Master, according to your word in peace, because my eyes have seen your salvation which you prepared before the face of all the peoples,” and what follows; and he added: “Behold, this one is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign spoken against.” So the same one is the stone of stumbling and the rock of offense; and some, striking against him through disobedience, were shattered, while those who received the faith toward him escaped being put to shame. Have we then believed as toward a human, or as toward God? Clearly as toward God. Therefore Christ is God; for it was upon him that righteous Symeon spoke the words just now cited to us.

Concerning the Jews he says: “For not knowing the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they were not subjected to the righteousness of God; for Christ is the end of the law unto righteousness to everyone who believes.” If Christ is the end of the law, and he himself is the righteousness who justifies through the faith toward him, and the power to justify belongs to God alone as his own, how is Christ not God?

“But the righteousness from faith says thus: Do not say in your heart, Who will ascend into heaven?—that is, to bring Christ down—or, Who will descend into the abyss?—that is, to bring Christ up from the dead. But what does it say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart—that is, the word of faith which we proclaim: that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord,”