17我们可以从以下经节找出〔宇宙的意义〕。首先是以弗所一章四至五节：“就如祂在创立世界以前，在基督里拣选了我们，使我们在爱里，在祂面前，成为圣别、没有瑕疵；按着祂意愿所喜悦的，预定了我们，借着耶稣基督得儿子的名分，归于祂自己。”再者，创世记一章二十六至二十八节：“神说，我们要按着我们的形像，照着我们的样式造人，使他们管理……。神就按着自己的形像创造人，乃是按着神的形像创造他；创造他们有男有女。神就赐福给他们；又对他们说，要繁衍增多，遍满地面，并制伏这地，也要管理……。”接着，罗马八章二十九至三十节说，“因为神所预知的人，祂也预定他们模成神儿子的形像，使祂儿子在许多弟兄中作长子。祂所预定的人，又召他们来；所召来的人，又称他们为义；所称为义的人，又叫他们得荣耀。”
17We can find the meaning of the universe in the following verses. Ephesians 1:4-5 says, “Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blemish before Him in love, predestinating us unto sonship through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.” Genesis 1:26-28 says, “God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them have dominion…And God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them; and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion…” Next, Romans 8:29-30 says, “Those whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers; and those whom He predestinated, these He also called; and those whom He called, these He also justified; and those whom He justified, these He also glorified.”