Galatians 4:19-20 Labor as an Expectant Mother for the Flock, That Christ may be Fully Formed in Them

Galatians 4:19-20 My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you—but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

Paul again shows that he is perplexed—unable to understand exactly what is going on in the mind of the Galatians; only this time Paul says it explicitly rather than just implying his bewilderment. The Galatians saw the freedom that was in Christ. They received the Spirit by faith in Christ (or so Paul assumed they had truly received the Spirit). It makes no logical sense to Paul why the Galatians would turn to be enslaved to the Law. He is “again in labor until Christ is formed in” them. It is if Paul again is giving birth to them as Christians; he is in birth-pangs until they come to Christ—again, in his eyes. He had already given birth to them, as their spiritual mother; yet it is as if he was going through this same process once again. Paul is absolutely concerned for them with pastoral care, with motherly care, desiring them to truly be Christians.

Brothers and sisters, especially my brothers who are in pastoral positions, have this same mind in you. Love your disciples (or your flocks, for those of you who are pastors) and, if need be, continue working with them even in the fundamentals until they fully grasp the things of Christ and are truly in Christ. If they continue to turn away, perhaps to be enslaved to the Law, even again and again, do not give up on them. Perhaps they originally did come to know Christ and receive the Spirit, perhaps they did not. Be in labor until their faith is evident. Since you can be with them (or at least I hope that you can be), ask them questions and seek to get to the heart of the issue. This is what Paul would have done. He would have been able to change his tone and he would not have been so perplexed, for he would know their reasoning, could he have talked to them.

Many may well remark (this is the doctrinal portion), “This understanding goes against the perseverance of the saints,” or the more Americanized rendering of that doctrine, “Once saved always saved.” However, I contend that it does not. We must understand that Paul, just like all humans, is not certain that the Galatians had ever truly received Christ (he saw momentary fruit and so perceived that it was good and lasting fruit, but they may have been thin soil). If they were saved then, then they still are saved, and so they will return to living under Christ. This is why Paul pleads with them as he does. Perhaps, however, they never had come to Christ. So Paul’s previous work did not result in their conversion, and so he hopes, as an expectant mother does, that this time the birth pangs will result in children. Paul knows that this is a state in which they cannot remain. Either they will follow Christ or they will turn from Him—proving one way or the other their state before God.