Pregnancy as a Framing Metaphor 

“My dear children, 

for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth 

until Christ is formed in you” 

(Paul, writing in Galatians 4:19, NIV)

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Dear Church In Utero,

‘Until Christ is formed in you’–what a potent phrase, pregnant with meaning, embraced by one of the most important male apostolic leaders of the infant Church. What are the implications of the Scriptural authors using pregnancy as a framing metaphor for formational maturity in Christ?

Let’s consider three, one for each trimester that a newborn is developing in utero within a mother’s womb:

1. Paul was comfortable; more so even, intentionally welcoming, in using the gendered metaphor of pregnancy to illustrate his loving care for the newborn faith community that God was birthing in Galatia. I don’t know why I continue to shake my head in amazement at his poetic license, and deliberate upending of socio-cultural gender norms of the Ancient Near East (let alone our 21st-century, equally polarized cultural moment!), but then of course I also do know why (See in part: Patriarchy, extreme complementarianism, normative gender roles, poor hermeneutical and cultural methodology, and the overtly male struggle for power and dominance in our world; rinse and repeat). For Paul, one of the most educated Jewish leaders, a recovering persecutor of Christians, to embrace such an upside-down metaphor, is stunning in its breadth, freedom, and joy. Saul had truly changed, it seems, to the degree that the (now) Apostle Paul found it fit to confirm his apostolic voice and own scribal involvement in this epistle to Galatia with these words: “See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!” (Galatians 6:11, NIV). Gutsy, to say the least. Necessary in our day once more, to state the obvious.

2. Jesus, as recorded by John with particular care, describes our sanctification journey of transformation as one of being born again a second time by the Spirit. This is neither accidental nor carelessly worded on Christ’s part. Let’s listen in as Jesus dialogues with Nicodemus in the dead of night:

“Jesus declared, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’

‘How can a man be born again when he is old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!’

Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’”  (Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3:3-7, NIV).

If we were less familiar with John 3, perhaps this dialogue would stop us in our tracks as it is meant to. But it’s no wonder that the combination of the run-up to John 3:16, the most familiar verse in the Scripture, and our unease with considering feminine language such as this with God has coalesced into an uneasy alliance that flattens the central surprise of this text: The Spirit gives birth to us as a means of our welcome entrance into the Kingdom of God! This is the way we must comprehend our adoption into the Kingdom, Jesus says–and then for good measure, similar to Paul’s own hand, Jesus tells Nicodemus to not be surprised at this statement. Why would this be the case, if Christ didn’t foresee our shock at the Kingdom’s birth within our midst?

Jesus describes our sanctification journey of transformation as one of being born again a second time by the Spirit. This is neither accidental nor carelessly worded on Christ’s part. Share on X

3. Our formational journey is ongoing until Christ is fully ‘formed in [us].’ This is both good news–we are still maturing into the full likeness of Christ, living within us–and a framing of the journey ahead: There is further growth still ahead. What does this mean in pragmatic terms? We continue to lean into the transformational growth that the Spirit is birthing within and around us. This is both a co-creative act of agency with God, for we participate in our own change, even as God is the initiating agent of loving change within our world, as well as a miraculous, mysterious gift we receive with gratitude. 

As a father of two beautiful girls, I had a front-row seat in 2014 and 2017 to the pregnancy and birthing process that my wife suffered through in love. I could read all the books available on pregnancy and the birthing process, and participate in every class with a birth doula, but it wasn’t until I saw with my own eyes my two girls being born by my incredibly resilient wife that I caught but a momentary glimpse of the miraculous mystery that is human birth. Our formative journey in Christ is similarly miraculous and mysterious in the same breath: We are invited by God to welcome the Spirit’s activity within our souls, a growing of new life within our very essence. This activity is clear divine work at hand (the ongoing miracle) and yet challenging, if next to impossible, to describe with accuracy (the ineffable mystery).

This is our core work as Christ-followers. Our invitation is to press further into our formation in Christ, as the Spirit forms our spirits into maturity and full union with God. What a mysterious miracle!

As John ends his gospel, I echo the Beloved of Christ’s sentiment: 

“This is the disciple [Chris Kamalski] who testifies to these things and wrote them down. We know that [Chris’] testimony is true. Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” (John 21:24-25, with a little personal subject change for emphasis)

May these words be ever true, Spirit of God. Within me, and more deeply, within our world.

Amen.

Until Christ is formed in us all, 

Chris Kamalski

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'Until Christ is formed in you'–what a potent phrase, embraced by the most important male apostolic leader of the infant Church. What are the implications of pregnancy as a framing metaphor for formational maturity in Christ? Share on X

*Editorial Note: Letters to the Church is Missio Alliance’s latest long-form series. We invite you to prayerfully listen to the Spirit as you read, asking God what you might say to the Church in your own voice. ~CK

“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what God is saying to the churches.” (Revelation 2:29)

A Final Editorial Note From Chris Kamalski

Dear Friends of Missio Alliance,

I want to share good but emotional news about a new season that is dawning for the Missio Alliance Writing Collective, and my involvement as Editorial Director for the road ahead. I am transitioning from my work as Editorial Director with Missio Alliance, and ongoing involvement with our small team, from this week. It is time for me to step more fully into the Kingdom work ahead of me as I seek to follow the “natural ecology of my life,” as Quaker writer Parker Palmer so eloquently describes the vocational journey we all undergo as Christ-followers.

A bit more on my own personal journey and what is next below, but first I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the writing over the past four years that I have been privileged to help steward within our site and beyond. It has formed me, deeply and profoundly. Thank you for the goodness that has been put out into the world, in written form.

As for my own next steps, a few exciting pieces are emerging, the first of which I have been working on for the last 18 months:

1. I am thrilled to be launching a Doctor of Ministry cohort with Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan, this upcoming Fall! Entitled “Spiritual Formation & Discernment of Place,” I am praying for a dozen-plus doctoral students to join me on this three-year journey of holistic formation rooted in the particular social location we call home. You can learn more here and contact me at chris.kamalski@westernsem.edu if you are interested applying!
2. It’s time for me to write and publish my own words! I hope to turn some of my doctoral work and a few other pieces into several writing projects in the next few years. Perhaps one will even become published! I’ll finally begin my own Substack and push out my writing onto other social platforms (@chriskamalski on Substack & IG).
3. My ongoing work in spiritual direction, vocational discernment, and leadership development coaching through Restore Voice will continue to expand slowly, to the point where I finally develop a formal website in the next few weeks. Contact me at chris@restorevoice.com if you’d like to find your voice. 

As for all things Missio, please email editor@missioalliance.org or head to our site.

Good things are coming,

Chris Kamalski

Editorial Director (Mar 2022–Apr 2026)