and [it was] on account of the false brethren brought in surreptitiously, who came in surreptitiously to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage;
Paul is telling the Galatians why he went up to Jerusalem. Here he names the reason: men who were not what they seemed had slipped into the Christian company. They were not after a small custom. Their target was the freedom believers have in Christ, and their aim was slavery.
Paul's description has two parts, and each does its own work.
In Galatians 2:4, Paul refers to these as "false brothers secretly brought in". Notice they were "brought in", and so he calls them "brothers", but he brands them as "false".
The word Paul uses describes an entry nobody noticed. One writer reaches for a modern military picture to show how it worked.
They were not true believers in Christ at all. They had outwardly accepted Christianity. But they knew nothing of the power of the precious blood of Christ to cleanse their sins. They were only professing Christians… Someone had brought these false brothers in by stealth, without the other brothers knowing. The Greek word describes what we now call "fifth columnists." These are enemies brought in secretly. They pretend to be friends and do their evil work from the inside, instead of attacking from the outside as honest men do.
Commentators differ on how much malice to read into their first arrival. One writer calls their profession premature rather than planned fraud:
We need not suppose that all, or even any, of the people described here joined the Church with openly fraudulent intentions at the start. But their confession of the name of Christ was certainly premature, if not insincere. Their hearts were still willingly wearing the yoke from which Jesus died to set His people free.
Paul says they came to spy. One writer explains who sent them and what the visit was for.
The enemy had sent false brothers, spies, into that public gathering to spy out the liberty of the brothers. The liberty they had in Christ Jesus was at stake. The enemy used these spies, these false brothers (not believers), to examine the territory. They were preparing to return later with a greater attack.
Another writer sees no confusion in it at all:
It was no misunderstanding of principles that caused them to act this way. Their motives were wilfully, deliberately evil. That is a strong statement, but the Spirit of God inspired it.
They were looking in from the outside at something they had never known.
Paul plainly hints at what these false brothers aimed at. This shows the connection between legalism and the untruthfulness of those who come in secretly to spy out a liberty they do not understand.
Their aim was to put believers under law. One writer says what law does to a person:
Paul urges us not to be trapped by the yoke of bondage. Law occupies me with myself, and a man who is occupied with himself is bound to be wretched. There is nothing in him that can answer to God's claims… Liberty — freedom — is what belongs to a Christian. It is not liberty for the flesh, but freedom from the flesh, and from all that kept the soul in bondage, darkness, and distance.
Paul treated two of his own companions differently. One writer names the principle behind it.
Paul resisted the circumcision of Titus, yet he allowed the circumcision of Timothy. The cases look alike, but Paul acted very differently. Behind that difference lies a principle. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing. In itself the matter does not count either way. But the moment someone tries to impose it, we must firmly resist, so that the liberty of the gospel is not damaged and conscience towards God is not wounded. Here it was "false brothers," not unbelieving Jews, who tried to impose circumcision, and so to bring the gospel under Jewish law.
The words Paul chose are strong ones.
The word "to spy out" is used in the Greek Old Testament for spying out a city. It means to spy out with the intention of overthrowing, as an enemy does… These false teachers were so sure of success that they had no doubt they would bring the church of God into abject slavery — slavery with no hope of release. That is the true position of those who are under the law.
- False — Paul lets the name "brothers" stand because they were brought in. He marks them "false": Christians in name only, strangers to the cleansing power of Christ's blood.
- Secretly — they slipped in as pretended friends and worked from the inside. Commentators differ on whether the deceit was planned from the start or grew from a heart still wearing the old yoke.
- Spying — they came to inspect a freedom they did not understand, aiming to overthrow it and return with a greater attack.
- Bondage — their goal was to put believers under law. Law occupies a person with himself and leaves him wretched, since nothing in him can meet God's claims.
- Refusal — circumcision in itself is nothing. But when someone demands it, believers must resist, or the freedom of the gospel is lost.
to whom we yielded in subjection not even for an hour, that the truth of the glad tidings might remain with you.
Paul looks back at a crisis in Jerusalem. False brothers had slipped in to inspect the freedom believers have in Christ, and they pushed for Titus to be circumcised. Paul would not give ground for a moment, because he says the survival of the gospel among his readers hung on it.
Paul did not just disagree with these men. He refused to take a place under them. One writer shows why that word matters:
Let us mark well what the word "submission" means. Error never puts itself on a level with truth. It makes a bold bid for the mastery. It is one form of the natural opposition of the flesh to the Spirit, and Satan is the one who stirs up the flesh in all its forms. So if we tolerate open error in doctrine, we give the devil both a place and the first place in the house of God.
The same writer notes that Scripture elsewhere tells believers to yield to one another:
He will not compromise when the truth is at stake, not even on the plea of showing grace and love. Other Scriptures tell us to "be subject to one another" (1 Peter 5:5). But when the issue is "false brothers," and the truth is at stake, the apostle will not submit for an hour.
The demand looked like a small thing. What it added to Christ made it a different gospel:
They had to be circumcised. Circumcision was not put exactly in the place of faith. But after they believed, it was brought in as a way to get righteousness. It was something added to the work of Christ. This might seem a small matter, but the apostle never wrote more strongly than he did on this subject. Their different gospel, which was not really another gospel, said this: having Christ was not enough without circumcision and the law.
Paul did not argue the case with words only. He kept an uncircumcised Greek believer at his side:
Titus was a living demonstration of the liberty of the gospel of grace for both Jewish and Gentile believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. That is why it was so important. If they had forced Titus to be circumcised, it would have meant that Paul's ministry had been in vain.
Paul's refusal here can look inconsistent. One writer sets the two cases side by side and names the principle that settles them:
The apostle resisted the circumcision of Titus, and yet he allowed the circumcision of Timothy (Acts 16:1-3). The two cases look alike, but the apostle acted very differently in each. "Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing." It does not matter in itself. But the moment someone tries to impose it, we must resist firmly and at once. If we do not, the liberty of the gospel is damaged, or conscience towards God is wounded. Here it was "false brothers," not unbelieving Jews, who tried to impose circumcision, and so to make the gospel Jewish.
Another writer points to what was really at stake in Titus's case:
It shows how something we must resist firmly in one situation may be allowed in another. In the case of Titus, they demanded circumcision to set up a principle that cut at the very root of the gospel.
Paul made this stand for his readers, not for his own name. Older translations end the verse with "remain with you," and one writer weighs that word:
Others might yield, for the sake of peace. But Paul would never yield — no, not even for an hour. The word translated "remain" carries the sense of "firm possession." Paul and Barnabas fought a bitter fight. They fought so that we in China, and the whole Church of God, might hold a precious truth firmly and never give it up. That truth is complete justification and sanctification by faith alone, and not by works of the law.
- Threat. The pressure came from inside the church. It was "false brothers," not unbelieving Jews, who pushed for circumcision.
- Demand. What they asked for looked small, but it added something to the work of Christ — and an added gospel is a different gospel.
- Refusal. Paul refused to agree, and refused to take a place under them. To tolerate open error is to give the devil the first place in God's house.
- Discernment. Circumcision was nothing in itself. Paul allowed it for Timothy and refused it for Titus. What decides the matter is whether someone is forcing it on you.
- Result. Paul stood firm for his readers — so that the gospel would be their firm possession, and the Church's after them.