Galatians 4:19Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Skilled physicians do not heal those who have suffered a long illness all at once, but with intervals. They do this so that the sick may not fall into despondency and die.

Blessed Paul acts in exactly the same way. These torments of his were more painful than bodily torments, as his love was stronger and their sin more serious.

The labor of birth does not end at that very hour. Immediately another labor begins, namely to nourish infancy, which lives on milk, with carefully prepared foods, and to bring it to the full stature of Christ. "My beloved children, whom I again bear in travail until Christ be formed in you." With what difficulties and with what pain the child comes forth from the womb is declared by the first curse in these words: "In pains you shall bear children" (Gen 3:16). Therefore the Apostle, wishing to show the care teachers have for disciples, and what feelings they endure from fear that their followers may fall away from salvation, says, "My beloved children, whom I again bear in travail." Indeed. He who elsewhere spoke as a father, "Though you have ten thousand tutors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers" (1 Cor 4:15), now addresses his disciples not as a father, but as a mother in Christ. Thus they may recognize in him the sufferings and good disposition of both the one and the other. This is the same as what Moses said concerning the people: "Have I conceived all this people in my womb?" (Num 11:12). Who among us, do you think, so grieves over the salvation of his disciples that he suffers not for a few hours, nor for two or three days, but throughout his whole life, until Christ is formed in them? We must carefully hold to the example adopted by the Apostle. It is the example of the child of a woman who conceives and forms seeds within herself, so that we may understand what is said. One should not be ashamed of nature. On the contrary, it should be an object of reverence. First the formless seed is introduced into the womb, vulvam, of a woman. Through her channels and inward parts it is caught as though by some adhesive substance. Recalling his own conception, the prophet also spoke of this: "Your eyes saw my formation" (Ps 138:16). Then, during nine months, under the action of blood, the future man hardens, receives body and outward form, is nourished, and becomes perceptible. After this he moves in the womb and at the appointed time comes into the light. He is born with as many difficulties as he is then fed through, lest afterward he perish. So also the seed of the word of Christ falls into the soul of the hearer and grows by its stages. I will omit much, because we can easily transfer the bodily description to spiritual understanding. It remains for just as long in an undefined state as she who conceived is giving birth. But that very hour the labor ends. Then another labor begins, namely to nourish infancy, which lives on milk, with carefully prepared foods, and bring it to the full stature of Christ. In married life it often happens that the man's seed is the cause why children are not born. Sometimes a barren woman does not retain the seed. Often neither spouse is capable of begetting. Conversely, both may be fruitful. The same phenomenon is observed in four ways among those who sow the seed of the word of God. It happens that, although the teacher fulfills his duty, the hearer is barren. Or the hearer has good natural gifts, but through the teacher's inexperience the seed of the word perishes. Or undoubtedly it also happens that both the one who teaches and the one who receives instruction are senseless. Rarely does it occur that teacher and disciple agree with one another. This happens when the first teaches as much as the latter can receive, or the learner can receive as much as the teacher communicates. We do not know which psalm, which part of prophecy, or which chapter of the Law is meant. Yet possessing freedom of speech, we boldly interpret what we in no way understand. But for us the point is that Christ be formed in the people. Thus each person, returning to his own house, has within himself the seed of the word of God. When he receives it, he can say with the prophet, "From fear of You, O Lord, we conceived and gave birth. We have brought forth sons of Your salvation upon the earth" (Is 26:17-18). Such people are turned into Apostles and deserve, or will deserve, to hear from the Lord: "Whoever does the will of My Father is My brother, and sister, and mother" (Mt 12:50). Here the difference of perfections is shown in the difference of names. Christ is also formed in the hearts of believers when all the mysteries, sacramenta, are disclosed to them, and what seemed obscure becomes clear. But one must also notice that through sin a man in some sense ceased to exist. Through repentance he is again conceived by the teacher, and the formation of Christ is again promised in him. This is said against the Novatians, who refuse to restore to the dignity of members of the Church those who have once committed sins.

"I would like to be present with you now and to change my voice." That is, to change it according to what he would see with his own eyes (Bishop Theophan).

"For I am perplexed about you."

Chrysostom says: Notice his impatience and his irrepressible longing, which he cannot conceal within himself. For such is the property of love.

It is not satisfied with words from afar, but seeks a meeting.

He wondered whether it would be useful to appear to them personally with a stern word. Such a word has great force while those being rebuked have not yet wholly fallen away from the spirit of the one who rebukes.

According to Chrysostom, the Apostle speaks as though saying this: "The false teachers are concerned in trying to deprive you of perfect knowledge and bring you to what is superficial and false.

"They do this only so that they themselves may enter the rank of teachers, and place you, who are now above them, in the position of disciples.

"But I, on the contrary, desire that you be better than they and serve as an example for the more perfect, as you were during my stay among you."

"You have shattered the image, lost your high kinship, and changed the likeness. You need another birth, a new re-creation.

"Yet I do not cease to call you children. I do not know what to say or what to devise.

"How, after reaching such a heavenly height, have you now suddenly descended to such humiliation and poverty, turning to circumcision and Sabbaths and joining yourselves to the Jews?

"Thus nothing remains but to weep."

Yet by calling himself one in the pains of birth, Saint Paul thereby expresses hope that the Galatians will again be born in the same spirit, after abandoning the deadening elements they had accepted.

The preceding speech gave the holy Apostle occasion to pour out before the Galatians all his parental love for them.

Remembering their zeal, he also remembered the perfection of faith and the good state in Christ Jesus the Lord in which they had been. They had now lost this state, or had begun to lose it.

His heart was compressed, his spirit was pained, and he kindled a most intense care for restoring them to their former rank.

So he cries out: little children! "Until Christ is formed."

By faith and baptism Christ was formed in them. They clung to Him, vividly contemplating deliverance by His death and the gift of new life by His grace.

By inclining toward Judaism, they allowed this brightly contemplated image of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ to be darkened and disordered in themselves.

They also allowed the very likeness of Christ, given to souls in grace, to be diminished.

In instructing them, the Apostle raises them to their former contemplation of salvation in the Lord. He raises them to the reflection of the likeness of Christ in their souls.

Hoping for this, he labors. As he labors, he suffers pain like a woman giving birth.

He assures them that he will not cease suffering such pain until they again become as they were before.

This is the limit to which those zealous for the salvation of others must bring those they guide. Once they have brought them there, they can confidently say that they have set them on their feet.

The image of such strong love, breathed by these words, should have acted victoriously on the Galatians. This is what the holy Apostle seeks in the present section.

"See how troubled he is, and how anxious," says Chrysostom. "'My brethren,' he says, 'I beseech you'; 'my little children, for whom I again suffer birth pangs.'

"This is the voice of a mother who fears for her children. 'Until Christ is formed in you.'

"Do you see both fatherly love and sorrow worthy of an Apostle? Do you hear a cry far more bitter than the cry of one giving birth?

"You have shattered the image, he says, lost the high kinship, and changed the likeness. You need another birth, a new re-creation.

"Yet I do not cease to call you children, though you are miscarried and born before the time.

"Nevertheless, he does not speak so, but otherwise. He spares them and does not wish to harden them by laying wounds upon wounds.

"Skilled physicians do not heal those who have suffered a long illness all at once, but by intervals. They do this so as not to drive them into despondency and destroy them.

"So also does blessed Paul. These torments of his were more painful than bodily torments, as his love was stronger and their sin more serious.

"Yet, as I have always said and will not cease saying, even a small transgression harms and disfigures the whole beauty and image of God in man."