What did Paul mean in Galatians 4:18 about being zealously affected when he was present with them?
Being zealously affected in a good thing means maintaining zeal for the pure Gospel of Grace at all times, not merely while Paul was physically present. When Paul was with the Galatians, they could hold everything together, but once he was gone, false teachers came in like ravening wolves and tore the congregations apart.
Les explains that Galatians 4:18 says, “it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.” When Paul was in their actual physical presence, the Galatians could kind of hold everything together; but as soon as he was gone, false teachers came in like ravening wolves and simply tore the little congregations apart. The issue was that Judaizers were coming in demanding circumcision and law keeping, over against Paul’s pure Gospel of Grace, so their zeal for that good thing needed to continue even when Paul was absent.
But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.