Galatians 2:4
And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage),
Truth to Learn
Legalism results in bondage. Simple faith in the blood of Jesus Christ results in freedom, which can’t be earned.
Behind the Words
The word translated “secretly brought in” is a form of pareisaktos which is derived from a verb meaning “to lead in by the side of others, to introduce along with others; and then to lead or bring in by stealth, to smuggle in.” It is used here by Paul to refer to those who had been secretly brought into the discussion at hand in order to bolster the arguments of those who opposed him.
Meaning Explained
Who these false brethren were, we do not know. Nor do we know for certain whether Paul is referring to false brethren in Antioch where this dissention first arose, or in Jerusalem where Paul is currently defending his position. He could be referring either to the false teachers in Antioch who wanted all Christians to submit to the requirements of the Law or he could be referring to Jews in Jerusalem who were pretending to be Christians. It is clear, however, that they opposed the apostle Paul, they regarded him as teaching dangerous doctrines, they perverted and misrepresented his views, and they claimed to have clearer insight into the nature of true faith than he did.
What we do know is that Paul is using this argument as a reason for something (“And this occurred because…”). Whether that something was his defense of not circumcising Titus or whether it was his reason for meeting privately with the apostolic leaders is not entirely clear. Iit seems to make more sense, however, that he is explaining why he met privately with the leaders of the church in Jerusalem.
Apparently, those in Jerusalem who were opposed to Paul’s doctrine of Christian liberty had secretly brought in others to bolster their argument regarding the necessity of Christians keeping the Law of Moses. And this is why Paul approached the apostolic leaders in private to share his experiences in preaching the gospel and the miraculous conversion of Gentiles apart from works of the Law.
In the book of Romans Paul spends considerable time and effort showing how the Law brought us into bondage, and that to break even one requirement of the Law was equivalent to breaking the whole Law. Because of this, he declared “there is none righteous, no not one.” But through faith in the blood of Christ we have been freed from the bondage of sin and we have received our righteousness, not because we obey the law, but because God in his grace declared us righteous through that faith.
Application
Paul is absolutely convinced that obedience to the law is not a requirement for salvation and, as a result, is not about to let these legalizers introduce the requirements of the Law into the simple faith of Christianity.
And we should all be greatly thankful for that!
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2007 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
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