The early church father Augustine of Hippo (city in Roman North Africa) was named after the Roman name of Augustus.

More: Increase and decrease

If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself. Saint Augustine (Early Christian father)

---

Do people today pick and choose which parts of the Bible they will believe?
Do pastors today pick and choose which parts of the Bible they will believe? Do they then pass on those parts to their flock and not tell them about other parts?

Note that you can ignore parts of the Gospel that you do not know about or do not understand (ignorance of the law) or you can ignore parts of the Gospel in order to deceive others (and yourself).

Seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. Saint Augustine (Early Christian father)

If two friends ask you to judge a dispute, don't accept, because you will lose one friend; on the other hand, if two strangers come with the same request, accept because you will gain one friend. Saint Augustine (Early Christian father)

Augustine is here using what in modern terms is called decision analysis.

Miracles are not contrary to nature, but only contrary to what we know about nature. Saint Augustine (Early Christian father)

Hear the other side. Saint Augustine (Early Christian father)

Take care of your body as if you were going to live forever; and take care of your soul as if you were going to die tomorrow. Saint Augustine (Early Christian father)

Two criminals were crucified with Christ. One was saved; do not despair. One was not; do not presume. Saint Augustine (Early Christian father)

The truth is like a lion; you don’t have to defend it. Let it loose; it will defend itself. Saint Augustine (Early Christian father)

Sight is one of the senses by which one "senses" or "perceives" the world.

It is no advantage to be near the light if the eyes are closed. Saint Augustine (Early Christian father)
For a song based on open eyes, see Song: Open my eyes that I may see.

What then is time? If no one asks me, I know what it is. If I wish to explain it to him who asks, I do not know. Saint Augustine (Early Christian father)

Punishment is justice for the unjust. Saint Augustine (Early Christian father)

The words printed here are concepts. You must go through the experiences. Saint Augustine (Early Christian father)

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. Saint Augustine (Early Christian father)

Complete abstinence is easier than perfect moderation. Saint Augustine (Early Christian father)

For those with overeating issues, try eating just a little of your favorite food and leave the rest for later. How long might that be?

It seems to me that an unjust law is no law at all. Saint Augustine (Early Christian father)

He who has God has everything; he who has everything but God has nothing. Saint Augustine (Early Christian father)

Learn to dance, so when you get to heaven the angels know what to do with you. Saint Augustine (Early Christian father)

Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. Saint Augustine (Early Christian father)

Give me chastity and continence, but not yet. Saint Augustine (Early Christian father)

There is no saint without a past, no sinner without a future. Saint Augustine (Early Christian father)

Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe. Saint Augustine (Early Christian father)

Does this create an issue if you believe the wrong thing?

In order to discover the character of people we have only to observe what they love. Saint Augustine (Early Christian father)

Do what you can and pray for what you cannot yet do. Saint Augustine (Early Christian father)

Saint Augustine (Early Christian father) :

• The New Testament is in the Old Testament "concealed".
• The Old Testament is in the New Testament "revealed".

One can find hints of this "after the fact", but such truths are not plain or obvious "before the fact".

Do you see it? Do you need to see to believe? Or can you believe and then see?

More: Steganography: hidden messages

Saint Augustine (Early Christian father) argued that the significance lay in the fact that 153 is the sum of the first 17 integers (i.e. 153 is the 17th triangular number), with 17 representing the combination of divine grace (the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit) and law (the Ten Commandments). Wikipedia

There are 16 prophets at the end of the OT (Old Testament) (Protestant Bible). The first 4 are called major prophets and the last 12 are called minor prophets.

Note that Lamentations is the short form of the longer "Lamentations of Jeremiah".
Saint Augustine (Early Christian father) appears to be the first person to make this division.

More: Minor prophets