BE ZEALOUSLY AFFECTED ALWAYS

Gal 4:17-20 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you. My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

Paul continues his condemnation of the false, Judaizing and pagan teachers that came in among the Christians of Galatia, which resulted in their departure from the truth of the gospel of salvation. The gospel message he had delivered to them was the same message they heard when they were converted and became followers of Christ. Regarding the false teachers, to whom they were listening, Paul says that, They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. To be zealous, is to be ardently and fervently devoted to a purpose; to demonstrate passion and enthusiasm for a particular intention, desire, or plan. Considering this definition, one could be zealous for a thing whether it may be good or evil.

Paul told the Christians of Galatia, that there were false teachers among them, saying that they zealously seek you in no good way (RKJV). These false teachers were zealous, but they were not seeking spiritual good for the body of Christ. They were merely making a hypocritical show of zeal in order to win over these relatively new, and still weak, Galatian Christians, to their false, unscriptural doctrine. Their doctrine was designed to include various Jewish, and/or pagan, rites, ceremonies, and beliefs that they sought to include in the New Testament doctrine of Christ. (Y)ea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. These false teachers belittled, shunned, and even threatened to exclude these Christians from their association, in order to win their affection and convert them over to their doctrine of error and deceit.

In order for these false teachers to win the affection of these Christians, it was necessary to alienate the affection these members had for Paul. To refute Paul's gospel message, which was delivered to these Christians, it was necessary for these false teachers to ridicule and cast aspersions against Paul's apostleship, as well as his Christian character. What was true then, is just as true today. God's children give up, and sacrifice their hope of eternal salvation, making it null and void, by unwittingly attaching themselves to unscrupulous, false teachers that zealously seek you in no good way. Christians, beware of such teachers of error!

After demonstrating the evil side of zeal, Paul then told them about its good side. He wrote, But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing. In a like manner, Paul wrote to Titus reminding him how Jesus Christ gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and that in Him, His faithful followers would become a peculiar people, zealous of good works (See Titus 2:13-14). Paul's desire is that all Christians be zealous, never in an evil manner,but always in a good thing - always being zealous of good works. They were told to be zealous for the cause of Christ,not only when I am present with you, but at all times. This is another great lesson for all Christians today. We are to demonstrate all of the characteristics of being a good Christian, including our zeal forgood works, not only in the presence of elders, preachers, and other good Christians, but at all times. Remember, we are always in God's sight!

Just as Paul considered himself to be a spiritual father to the members of the church at Corinth, whom he had begotten ...through the gospel (1 Cor. 4:15), he considered himself in the same manner to the churches of Galatia by referring to them as my little children. The tender, affectionate feeling he had for these Christians was apparent in these verses. Realizing the peril they were in, being misled by false teachers that compromised the truths he had taught them through the gospel, Paul was in deep anguish over the thought of his little children being led astray.

His mental anguish, over this dire situation in Galatia, is likened to that of a mother giving birth, which he experienced when they were converted to Christ. He experienced it now during their loss of faith, and he would continue to experience it, until they were restored to the pure gospel of Christ, as mature and faithful children of God. To that end, Paul wrote that I desire to be present with you now. He assured them that he would change his tone of voice and speak the truths of God's word to them with tender, loving compassion for their souls. Because of the unfavorable reports he had received of them, Paul told them,I stand in doubt of you - doubt for their spiritual well-being, which always arises when biblical error creeps in. Paul pleads for all erring Christians to be rightly zealous and return to the fold of safety in Christ Jesus!