Galatians 2:4-5 4Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery, 5to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain for you.
These verses provide further illustration and application to the problems in Galatia. Paul had faced a similar issue as these churches. These verses connect his experience with theirs and continues to press the issue of following the true gospel of freedom in Christ. Paul’s language gets stronger in these verses as he introduces a key theme of the letter of slavery and freedom. The identity of the false brothers is not clear but the context implies that they also preached a wrong version of the gospel. The slavery mentioned here was likely bondage to Jewish regulations and a narrow interpretation of the law. These were legalists who wanted people to follow the Jewish law, particularly having Gentiles circumcised. These were crafty people who slipped in to spy. They snuck in to confirm suspicions and to influence the situation to their way. One of Paul’s key points in this letter is that we are free in Christ because Christ completes the law and enables us to fulfill the law by filling us with love through the Holy Spirit. To be in Christ Jesus is to have this freedom to love. The purpose of the law is to point the way to love.
It is not clear where Paul was when this happened, but if we can use Acts 15 as a backdrop, then this likely was in Antioch and prompted Paul, Barnabas, Titus, and others to check out just what was happening in Jerusalem. Who had sent these spies? What was their goal? Why did they believe this? Most of those in Jerusalem had not experienced how Gentiles out in the Roman Empire had found salvation in Christ, been filled with the Spirit, and experienced freedom from the power of sin.
This far away issue had direct impact on the churches in Galatia. These same type of spies had come to Galatia and were causing problems there. The churches must follow the example of Paul in v. 5: we did not yield. He, his ministry colleagues, and any believers with them did not give in to their message or pressure. They totally rejected their false teaching. Paul’s example here helped “preserve” the gospel so that it was not distorted and so that the influence of these spies could be put to a stop. If Paul had not done something about this when he faced the issue, it could have continued to grow and affect all of early Christianity. That is why he made the effort and took the risk of traveling all the way to Jerusalem. He needed to do this quietly, lest the Jewish officials in Jerusalem hear that he was in town and arrest and dispose of him. The issue was global in nature. This was a defining moment in the early church. Things may have turned out very differently if this team of missionaries had not confronted this difficult issue.
It can be difficult and risky for us today to confront wrong teaching and interpretation of the gospel. Legalism and liberalism are all around us and even in Christian churches. Those who preach and teach must help people see and experience the balance between freedom and obligation that is found in Christ. We must preach love, but this love does not mean we can do whatever we want. Nor does it mean that we are bound by a set of rules and regulations. It takes great maturity to find this balance.
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