Galatians 4:19

τεκνία אcACDbc vulg. (filioli) Text. Rec. only here in St Paul’s writings. τέκνα א*BD*G.

μέχρις οὖ א*B 37. 116. ἄχρις οὖ Text. Rec. with אcACD etc.; cf. Galatians 3:19 W.H. marg.

19. τεκνία μου. τέκνα W.H. marg. See notes on Textual Criticism. The phrase, 1 John 2:1[129]; τεκνία, John 13:33; 1 John septies[130]. To be joined closely with ὑμᾶς, Galatians 4:18, a new sentence beginning with ἤθελον δὲ (Galatians 4:20).

[129] Is affixed it means that all the passages are mentioned where the word occurs in the Greek Bible.
[130] Is affixed it means that all the passages are mentioned where the word occurs in the Greek Bible.

οὓς (ad sensum) πάλιν ὠδίνω. As though the first time was a failure. “These words show too the folly of the Novatians, who close the door of repentance” (Theodoret). Cf. the Letter of the Church of Vienne and Lyons of the re-birth of those who had denied Christ: “The Virgin mother [the Church] had much joy in receiving alive those whom she had brought forth as dead” (οὓς ὡς νεκροὺς ἐξέτρωσε, cf. § 11 ὦν καὶ ἐξέτρωσαν ὡς δέκα τὸν�, and ἔκτρωμα, 1 Corinthians 15:8) … “many who had denied were brought forth again and re-begotten” (ἀνεμητροῦντο καὶ�, see Heinichen for the text, Euseb. Ch. Hist. Galatians 4:1. §§ 45, 46). “The point of comparison is the loving exertion, which perseveres amidst trouble and pain in the effort to bring about the new Christian life” (Meyer). On St Paul’s comparison of himself to a father in Philemon 1:10 see note there.

μέχρις οὗ (Mark 13:30[131], contrast Galatians 3:19) μορφωθῇ[132] Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν, “until you have become Christians in whom Christ alone lives, Galatians 2:20” (Weiss). Although μορφοῦσθαι occurs here only in the Greek Bible μεταμορφοῦσθαι occurs in Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18, as well as in Mark 9:2 || Matthew 17:2. The thought is that the life of Christ in the believer may have so perfect a development that every part of the believer himself may be moulded by it and may be the outcome of it (cf. Romans 8:29). In contrast to σχῆμα, a mere external appearance having no organic connexion with that which is within, such as a dress or even a human figure carved in stone, μορφή is the outcome of the inner life. St Paul longs that Christ’s transfiguration may become true in each believer. See Lightfoot’s classical note on Philippians 2:7.

[131] Is affixed to a word it means that all the passages are mentioned where that word occurs in the New Testament.
[132] Is affixed it means that all the passages are mentioned where the word occurs in the Greek Bible.