Galatians 4:17-18

In contrast to the simplicity of his own teaching, St Paul exposes the party spirit by which the false teachers were actuated.

They zealously affect you The sentence is abrupt, no persons being named; though St Paul evidently had in his mind those alluded to ch. Galatians 1:7. The expression -zealously affect" is not very intelligible to the ordinary reader. The verb, which is rendered -affect" in this same verse, is used frequently in N. T. with reference to both persons and things. Originally it meant to feel or shew zeal, jealousy or envy. From this sense the transition was easy to that of -desire earnestly", -pay court to", -seek to win or win over". The word is used in a good and a bad sense by St Paul, e.g. 1 Corinthians 12:31 where it is rendered -covet", i.e. desire, and 1 Corinthians 13:4 -Love envieth not". Here the meaning is -They seek to win you over to their own party". Error must be maintained and propagated by proselytising and partisanship.

The whole passage may be paraphrased -They seek to gain you to their own party, but not with right motives, nay, they would exclude you from my influence, in the hope of your reciprocating their desire for your adhesion. But let me remind you that a desire of this kind is only to be approved when the motives are pure and the object good. Under such conditions it is alwaysgood. Such were the conditions under which I sought to win you to Christ when I was present with you; such is still the case now that we are separated". This leads up to the tender yet sad remonstrance which follows. In support of this view of the connexion and train of thought we may compare St Paul's words, 2 Corinthians 11:2 "I am jealous over you (I would fain win you, not from party spirit or for personal ends, but) with a Godly jealousy (or longing desire)". True love is always jealous.

they would exclude you Some copies read -us" for -you". The sense is the same. There seems to be an allusion to some attempt on the part of the Judaizers to induce the Galatian converts formally to renounce their allegiance to St Paul.