A psalm of David himself.
1. The Church speaks to Christ: The Lord feeds me, and I shall lack nothing Psalm 22:1. The Lord Jesus Christ is my Shepherd, and I shall lack nothing.
2. In a place of pasture there has He placed me Psalm 22:2. In a place of fresh pasture, leading me to faith, there has He placed me to be nourished. By the water of refreshing has He brought me up. By the water of baptism, whereby they are refreshed who have lost health and strength, has He brought me up.
3. He has converted my soul: He has led me forth in the paths of righteousness, for His Name's sake Psalm 22:3. He has brought me forth in the narrow ways, wherein few walk, of His righteousness; not for my merit's sake, but for His Name's sake.
4. Yea, though I walk in the midst of the shadow of death Psalm 22:4. Yea, though I walk in the midst of this life, which is the shadow of death. I will fear no evil, for You are with me. I will fear no evil, for You dwell in my heart by faith: and You are now with me, that after the shadow of death I too may be with You. Your rod and Your staff, they have comforted me. Your discipline, like a rod for a flock of sheep, and like a staff for children of some size, and growing out of the natural into spiritual life, they have not been grievous to me; rather have they comforted me: because You are mindful of me.
5. You have prepared a table in my sight, against them that trouble me Psalm 22:5. Now after the rod, whereby, while a little one, and living the natural life, I was brought up among the flock in the pastures; after that rod, I say, when I began to be under the staff, You have prepared a table in my sight, that I should no more be fed as a babe with milk, 1 Corinthians 3:2 but being older should take meat, strengthened against them that trouble me. You have fattened my head with oil. You have gladdened my mind with spiritual joy. And Your inebriating cup, how excellent is it! And Your cup yielding forgetfulness of former vain delights, how excellent is it!
6. And Your mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: that is, as long as I live in this mortal life, not Yours, but mine. That I may dwell in the house of the Lord for length of days Psalm 22:6. Now Your mercy shall follow me not here only, but also that I may dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
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St. Augustine (354 - 430)
Was an early Christian theologian and philosopher [5] whose writings influenced the development of Western Christianity and Western philosophy. He was the bishop of Hippo Regius in north Africa and is viewed as one of the most important Church Fathers in Western Christianity for his writings in the Patristic Era. Among his most important works are The City of God and Confessions.When the Western Roman Empire began to disintegrate, Augustine developed the concept of the Church as a spiritual City of God, distinct from the material Earthly City. His thoughts profoundly influenced the medieval worldview. The segment of the Church that adhered to the concept of the Trinity as defined by the Council of Nicaea and the Council of Constantinople closely identified with Augustine's On the Trinity.
Aurelius Augustinus, Augustine of Hippo, or Saint Augustine is one of the most important figures in the development of Western Christianity. In Roman Catholicism and the Anglican Communion, he is a saint and pre-eminent Doctor of the Church, and the patron of the Augustinian religious order. Many Protestants, especially Calvinists, consider him to be one of the theological fountainheads of Reformation teaching on salvation and grace. In Orthodox Churches he is considered a saint by some while others are of the opinion that he is a heretic, primarily for his statements concerning what became known as the filioque clause.
Born in Africa as the eldest son of Saint Monica, he was educated in Rome and baptized in Milan. Augustine drifted through several philosophical systems before converting to Christianity at the age of thirty-one. Returning to his homeland soon after his conversion, he was ordained a presbyter in 391, taking the position as bishop of Hippo in 396, a position which he held until his death.
St. Augustine stands as a powerful advocate for orthodoxy and of the episcopacy as the sole means for the dispensing of saving grace. In the light of later scholarship, Augustine can be seen to serve as a bridge between the ancient and medieval worlds. A review of his life and work, however, shows him as an active mind engaging the practical concerns of the churches he served.