Paul has criticized, censured, corrected these Galatian Believers as harshly as any people he’s ever won to Christ, ever pastored, ever written! (Because they were on the very verge of falling into serious apostasy, of denying the Faith!)
But today, in Galatians 4:18, he comes close to commending them!
Here’s the essence of our Verse, our Text today …
“You all did so good when I was there with you. You diligently followed the Gospel of Grace, trusted Jesus alone, as I carefully taught you. But now that I am gone, have left Galatia to travel and preach in other places … you have NOT maintained, continued to practice, that good and honorable Gospel. You are adding things to it! Polluting it, diluting it, changing it! Following somebody else’s teaching!”
Wow!
Now here’s that thought in Scripture, King James Version. “But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.” Galatians 4:18
That adjective “good” is clearly prominent in this short little Sentence, being used twice. In Greek it is spelled “kalos,” Here are some of its definitions, “beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious.” The word usually emphasizes “good” within itself. “Intrinsic,” the lexicons might say. (Whereas “agathos,” the other major Greek adjective for “good,” represents proper character, goodness, that is influential, beneficial to others! It cannot remain within a person, must be communicated. It is active, while “kalos” is more passive.)
Paul at the first liked what he saw in the Galatian Christians’ lives! They were becoming “good” in reality, beautiful Believers in Jesus, in Jesus alone (by that I mean not in Moses, not as Saviour)!
“But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.”
“Zealously affected” is “zeloo” again. Meaning “to be on fire, fervent, to burn with eagerness and enthusiasm!”
But, something has happened.
Wrong influence has overshadowed Paul’s Galatian converts!
And they are no longer pursuing, enjoying that Good Thing! (The pure Gospel of Jesus and the liberty it brings!)
Paul had left, is “no longer present” with them … and they have slidden backwards in their faith. In their faithfulness to the Word of God, to the Gospel!
Three little words add even more zest to the Verse as well.
“Always” and “not only!”
As in our Text once again … “But it is good to be zealously affected ALWAYS in a good thing, and NOT ONLY when I am present with you.”
Live right … “always!”
Believe right … “always!”
Regardless of the circumstances!
And do this “not only” when Paul is in the pulpit, is in your midst!
But when your own God-called Preachers (not the legalistic Judiazers from Jerusalem) are in the pulpit! Be true to the Doctrine Paul taught you! Doctrine centering on Jesus!
Christianity, you see, is not PAUL!
Christianity is, rather, CHRIST!
Real maturity means that I live according to the Scriptures … no matter the environment in which I find myself.
As old Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. used to often say … “DO RIGHT, EVEN IF THE STARS FALL!”
Do right … period!