My children
The Apostle Paul uses the term "children" to express a deep, personal affection and spiritual responsibility for the Galatian believers. In the Greek, the word "τεκνία" (teknia) conveys a sense of endearment and care, much like a parent for their offspring. This reflects Paul's pastoral heart and his role as a spiritual father to the Galatians, emphasizing the intimate relationship he has with them. Historically, this term underscores the early Christian community's familial bonds, which were crucial for support and growth in a hostile environment.

for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth
Paul employs the metaphor of childbirth to describe his intense emotional and spiritual labor for the Galatians. The Greek word "ὠδίνω" (odino) refers to the severe pain and effort associated with childbirth. This metaphor highlights the depth of Paul's commitment and the anguish he feels over their spiritual state. In the historical context, childbirth was a well-understood metaphor for intense labor and effort, making Paul's point vivid and relatable to his audience. It underscores the idea that spiritual formation is a process that requires effort, patience, and sometimes suffering.

until Christ is formed in you
The phrase "Christ is formed in you" is central to Paul's message. The Greek word "μορφωθῇ" (morphothe) suggests a transformation or shaping, indicating that the goal of Paul's labor is the spiritual maturity and Christlikeness of the Galatians. This concept is rooted in the Christian doctrine of sanctification, where believers are progressively conformed to the image of Christ. Scripturally, this aligns with passages like Romans 8:29, which speaks of being conformed to the image of God's Son. Historically, this transformation was seen as the ultimate goal of the Christian life, a process that begins with conversion and continues throughout a believer's life.

(19) My little children.--The form is a diminutive, not found elsewhere in the writings of St. Paul, though common in St. John. It is used to heighten the tenderness of the appeal. The simple form, however, "my children," is found in some of the best MSS., and perhaps should be adopted. St. Paul regards as his spiritual children all who first received the gospel from him.

Of whom I travail in birth again.--The struggle which ends in the definite winning over of his converts to Christ, the Apostle compares to the process of birth by which "a man is born into the world." In the case of the Galatians, after their relapse, this struggle has all to be gone through again.

Until Christ be formed in you.--Just as the formless embryo by degrees takes the shape of man, so the unformed Christian by degrees takes the likeness of Christ. As he grows in grace that likeness becomes more and more defined, till at last the Christian reaches the "stature of the fulness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13). There is some question as to the punctuation of this verse: whether it should be divided from the last by a full stop, and from the next by a comma, as is usually done; or from the last by a comma, and from the next by a full-stop. It is a nice question of scholarship, in which the weight or preponderance of authority seems, perhaps, rather to incline to the usual view, though some good commentators take the other side. It has been thought best not to alter the punctuation of the English text, though without a clear conviction that it is right.

Verse 19. - My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you (τεκνία μου [or, τέκνα μου] οὔς πάλιν ὠδίνω ἄρχις οῦ μορφωθῇ Ξριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν); my little children (or, my children) of whom I am again in travail, until Christ be formed in you. It has been above remarked to be doubtful whether this verse should be conjoined with the preceding verse or with that which follows. The objection to the latter arrangement, presented by the δὲ at the commencement of ver. 20, is thought by many to be obviated by a number of instances which have been alleged in which this conjunction is used with a sentence following a vocative compellation (see Alford, Ellicott). But such cases appear marked by a tone of vivacity and surprise which is not present here. On the other hand, the tone of loving affectionate anxiety breathing in this verse links it more closely with the preceding than with the following one, in which such pathos is no longer discernible, but is replaced by a deliberative attitude of mind. The word τεκνία occurs as a compellation here only in St. Paul's writings, though repeatedly in St. John's Epistle and once in his Gospel (John 13:33), where it appears as used by our Lord in an access of deeply moved affectionate-ness. St. Paul addresses Timothy as "his child" (τέκνον) in 2 Timothy 2:1 and 1 Timothy 1:18, not only as a term of endearment, but as denoting also his having been spiritually begotten by him (comp. Philemon 1:10; 1 Corinthians 4:15). Here the like sense attaches to the word, as is clear from the following clause, "of whom I am again in travail;" but the diminutive form of the noun, agreeing well with the notion of a child at its birth, combines in this case apparently a tender allusion also to the extremely immature character of their Christian discipleship .(compare "babes (νήπιοι) in Christ," 1 Corinthians 3:1) - so immature, in fact, that the apostle is travailing of them afresh, as if not yet born at all. This particular shade of meaning, however, must be sacrificed, if we accept the reading τέκνα μου, "my children," which is highly authenticated. The verb ὠδίνω cannot be understood as pointing to gestation merely; it can only denote the pangs of parturition. The apostle by this figure describes himself as at this hour in an anguish of desire to bring the souls of his converts both to a complete state of sonship in Christ Jesus, and to a complete consciousness of that state - now at length bring them thereto, though that former travail had seemingly been in vain. In 1 Corinthians 4:15 and Philemon 1:10 he refers to himself as a spiritual father of his converts, and this too with touching pathos. Great is the pathos too of his reference to himself as, in his fostering care of his Thessalonian converts, like a tender "nursing mother cherishing her own children," and also as of a "father" of them (1 Thessalonians 2:7, 11). But neither of those passages equals the present in the expression of intense, even anguished, longing to effect, if only he might be able to effect it, a real transformation in the spiritual character of these Galatian converts. "Until" - I cannot rest till then! - "Christ be formed in you." The verb μορφόω, form, occurs only here in the New Testament in its uncompounded shape. A passage is cited from 'Const. Apost.,' 4:7, in which it occurs in the phrase, "formed man in the womb." In the Septuagint of Exodus 21:22 we have ἐξεικονισμένον of the unborn infant. It certainly seems as if the apostle used the word as one belonging to the same region of thought as the ὠδίνω, but, with the like bold and plastic touch as elsewhere characterizes his use of imagery, refusing to be tied to thorough-going consisteney in its application. Compare for example 2 Corinthians 3:2. When the hour of ὠδῖνες is come, the period of the" formation" of the babe has expired. Further, as showing the freedom of the writer's use of imagery, the easiest way of taking ἐν ὑμῖν is to suppose that "Christ" is here viewed as "within" them, and not as a likeness to which they are to be conformed: camp. Galatians 2:22, "Christ liveth in me;" and Colossians 1:27, where the "mystery" of the gospel is summed up in the words, "Christ in you the hope of glory." He cannot rest, he means, till the image, thought, of Christ as the Object of their sole and absolute trust, as the complete ground of their acceptance with God and their sonship, shall be perfectly and abidingly formed in their hearts. The hour in which a perfectly formed "Christ," that fair' Divine Child of joy and hope, has come to be there, in their hearts, will be the hour in which the apostle's travailing pangs have issued in their birth. No doubt the apostle is writing to persons baptized into Christ and thus clothed with Christ (Galatians 3:27); persons, in the language of the Church, "born again." But however straitly we choose to be restrained in the use of such images, solidifying into rigid dogma similitudes used for such passing illustration as the occasion of the moment requires, the sacred writers themselves recognize no such restriction. As Chrysostom observes in his 'Commentary,' the apostle's language in effect is, "Ye need a fresh new-birth, a fresh remoulding (ἀναγεννήσεως ἑτέρας ὑμῖν δεῖ καὶ ἀναπλάσεως)." Baptized into Christ as those Galatians were, they were, however, in his view no true sons of God, until Christ had been really formed in their hearts.

Parallel Commentaries ...


My
μου (mou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

children,
Τέκνα (Tekna)
Noun - Vocative Neuter Plural
Strong's 5043: A child, descendent, inhabitant. From the base of timoria; a child.

for whom
οὓς (hous)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

I am again
πάλιν (palin)
Adverb
Strong's 3825: Probably from the same as pale; anew, i.e. back, once more, or furthermore or on the other hand.

in the pains of childbirth
ὠδίνω (ōdinō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 5605: To be in travail, suffer birth-pangs. From odin; to experience the pains of parturition.

until
μέχρις (mechris)
Preposition
Strong's 3360: As far as, until, even to.

Christ
Χριστὸς (Christos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5547: Anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ. From chrio; Anointed One, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.

is formed
μορφωθῇ (morphōthē)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3445: To form, fashion, shape, mold. From the same as morphe; to fashion.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

you,
ὑμῖν (hymin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.


Galatians 4:19 NIV
Galatians 4:19 NLT
Galatians 4:19 ESV
Galatians 4:19 NASB
Galatians 4:19 KJV

Galatians 4:19 BibleApps.com
Galatians 4:19 Biblia Paralela
Galatians 4:19 Chinese Bible
Galatians 4:19 French Bible
Galatians 4:19 Catholic Bible

NT Letters: Galatians 4:19 My little children of whom I am (Gal. Ga)