Galatians 4:18

“But it is good to be zealously affected, etc..] A zealous affection when right is very commendable, as the instances of Phinehas, Elijah, John the Baptist, and our Lord Jesus Christ show, and a contrary spirit is very disagreeable. But then it must be expressed in a good thing; in a good cause, for God, and the things of Christ; for the Gospel, and the ordinances of it, and for the discipline of God's house, and against immorality and profaneness, errors and heresies: and it should be “always”; not at certain times, and upon some particular accounts, but it should be constant, and always continue; it should be ever the same towards God, Christ, and his ministers: and not only when I am…”

“good to be zealously affected--rather, to correspond to "zealously court" in Gal 4:18, "to be zealously courted." I do not find fault with them for zealously courting you, nor with you for being zealously courted: provided it be "in a good cause" (translate so), "it is a good thing" (Co1 9:20-23). My reason for saying the "not well" (Gal 4:17; the Greek is the same as that for "good," and "in a good cause," in Gal 4:28), is that their zealous courting of you is not in a good cause. The older interpreters, however, support English Version (compare Gal 1:14). always--Translate and arrange the words thus, "At all times, and not only when I am present with you." I do not desire that I…”

“But it is good to be, zealously affected - The meaning of this is, “Understand me: I do not speak against zeal. I have not a word to say in its disparagement. In itself, it is good; and their zeal would be good if it were in a good cause.” Probably, they relied much on their zeal; perhaps they maintained, as errorists and deceivers are very apt to do, that zeal was sufficient evidence of the goodness of their cause, and that persons who are so very zealous could not possibly be bad men. How often is this plea set up by the friends of errorists and deceivers! And not only when I am present with you - It seems to me that there is great adroitness and great delicacy of irony in this remark; and…”

“In a good thing - In what is really worthy our zeal. True zeal is only fervent love. Galatians 4:19”

“4:18 Paul’s statement might mean that it was fine for people to seek the Galatians’ loyalty, but those other teachers were not in fact eager to do good things for them. Alternatively, this verse could be translated It is good to be always sought eagerly for good things, and not just when I’m with you. In this case it would mean that it was good for the Galatians to continue eagerly embracing Paul and his message and not change their attitude toward him in his absence.”

“it is: Num 25:11-13; Psa 69:9, Psa 119:139; Isa 59:17; Joh 2:17; Co1 15:58; Tit 2:14; Rev 3:19 I am: Gal 4:20; Phi 1:27, Phi 2:12 Galatians 4:19”