What liberty did the Judaizers come in secretly to spy out?
The Judaizers secretly spied out the liberty believers possess in Christ Jesus—freedom from the Law, including circumcision, dietary regulations, and Moses' Laws. They sought to bring Paul back under bondage by pressuring him to enforce circumcision and keep the Law, hoping to submarine his Gentile ministry.
Les explains that the Judaizers—most of whom were now believers in Christ as the Messiah—slipped in secretly to spy on Paul and Barnabas, especially in their relationship with Titus, a Gentile. They watched to make sure circumcision was practiced and even observed how they ate, checking whether they kept kosher. Their aim was to submarine the apostle, sink him, and put him out of business, rather than let him go to the Gentiles with his message. They wanted to bring Paul back under bondage, which means the Law, pressuring him to admit he was wrong and tell his congregations to practice circumcision, keep the dietary laws, and keep the Laws of Moses. So the liberty they spied out is the freedom believers have in Christ Jesus from that bondage.