Galatians 4:18 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

In a good thing,— That by the word καλω here, he means a person and himself, the scope of the context evinces. In the preceding verses he speaks only of himself, and the change of their affection to him since he left them. There is no other thing mentioned aspeculiarly deserving their affection, to which the rule given in this verse could refer. He had said, Galatians 4:17 they affect you, and that you may affect them. This is only of persons, and therefore the words ζηλουσθαι εν καλω, which immediately follow, may best be understood of a person; else the following part of the verse, though joined by the copulative and, will make but a broken sense with the preceding. But there can be nothing more coherent than this, which seems to be St. Paul's sense: "You were very affectionate to me when I was with you; you are since estranged from me. It is the artifice of the seducers, who have cooled you to me; but if I am the good man you took me to be, you will do well to continue the warmth of your affection to me when I am absent, and not to be well affected towards me only when present among you." Though this be his meaning, yet the way that he has taken to express it is much more elegant, modest, and graceful. Let any one read the original, and he will be fully satisfied that it is so. Some connect this with the following verse, thus:—and not only when I am present with you, my little children, of whom, &c. until Christ be formed in you: Galatians 4:20. But I desire, &c.