What does 'spy out our liberty' mean in Galatians 2:4?
To 'spy out our liberty' means false brethren came in secretly or privately to inspect the freedom believers have in Christ Jesus—freedom from the law—with the aim of bringing them into bondage. Paul, Barnabas, and the Antioch Gentile believers did not give in for an hour.
Les explains that the setting is Paul’s ministry to Gentiles at Antioch, where the Scripture says they were first called Christians. The Jerusalem believers, including Peter and the rest, were shaken that Paul claimed these Gentiles as saved without keeping the law of Judaism. In Galatians 2:4, false brethren had been brought in unawares and came in secretly to spy out the liberty—the freedom from the law—that believers have in Christ Jesus. Their purpose was to bring them into bondage, back under the law. Les points out these Jewish believers of Jerusalem were still trying to hang the law on Paul and Barnabas and on the Antioch Gentile believers. But Paul says they gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour—they did not give in.
And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: