Psalm 22 (21):31Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

My soul will exist for Him. Though my soul may seem lifeless to the world in its disdain, it exists not for its own sake but for Him. And my descendants will worship Him (Psalm 21:31). The deeds I perform, or those who place their faith in Him through me, shall dedicate themselves to His service.

My offspring shall serve Him. For the life that Christ led in the flesh was pure and without fault. He alone was without sin, yet He conformed to our nature, assuming a body marked by sin. By the seed of God, we recognize those whom He has chosen through faith. The Lord will declare the future generation to the Lord. This message is specifically directed towards the Gentiles.

My soul is sustained by Him, and my descendants shall serve Him. The offspring of the Lord Christ are those who have been reborn through the cleansing waters and have been granted the gift of divine sonship. This is why He declared that His 'soul lives unto Him' and does not act independently; instead, His offspring engage in work, for the understood nature is united with the divine essence and shares in the same glory and honor.

And my offspring shall serve Him. The offspring of Christ, or His children, refers to all those born again through the gospel—Christians whom He has entrusted to the Father. The future generation will be made known to the Lord. The fellowship of Gentile believers is what will be revealed to God, indicating that it shall emerge in the days of humanity through the Son. It is noted that His soul is alive to Him, yet it does not perform works; however, the offspring does engage in works, as the perceived nature is united with the perceived Godhead, sharing in the same glory and honor.

With these words, he finishes the psalm, vowing to honor God during his lifetime, not just for himself but also for his descendants, ensuring that the remembrance of the kindness shown will be passed down from generation to generation until the close of time.

The spirit of Christ, united with His sinless body, resides at the right hand of the Father. The Apostles represent the offspring of Christ, along with all who genuinely place their faith in Him. This is the true offspring of Christ, as it is stated: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, but of God (John 1:13).