Spying in the Bible 30 - AD 36 to AD 55

Spies in the Church

In c. AD 37, the year after Saul’s conversion, the Roman Emperor Tiberius died and his successor was the only remaining male in the family, Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, also known as Caligula, who was his adopted grandson and great nephew. Two years later, Herod Antipas’ nephew Agrippa I accused Antipas of conspiracy, who subsequently fled into exile. Agrippa I had grown up in the courts of Rome after his father died, and had been a favorite of Tiberius, so had grown up and been friends with Caligula. Caligula made Herod Agrippa tetrarch and king of Galilee. He had already been tetrarch of Peraea, Batanaea, and Trachonitis. When Caligula was assassinated in c. AD 41, Herod Agrippa I helped Caligula’s uncle Claudius (Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus) get to power. Claudius was the grandson of Mark Antony and Octavia, Augustus’ sister, and so the great-grandnephew of Julius Caesar. Herod Agrippa I was rewarded for his assistance and support by being named tetrarch over Judaea and Samaria. This made Herod Agrippa I the king of the Jews and the most powerful Herod to date, who ruled over the most territory. He was known as being favorable to the Jews and not to the Christians.

Herod Agrippa I died of disease in c. AD 44 when his son, Agrippa II was seventeen years old. Agrippa II was being educated in Emperor Claudius’ court at the time and remained there, while Claudius sent Cuspius Fades to be procurator of Judaea. Four years later he was given a small principality of Chalcis in Syria along with the right of superintending Jerusalem and being appointed high priest. Under Claudius, the Roman Empire underwent a major expansion and largely prospered. He also instituted a series of religious reforms, attempting to restore the official state religion and expelled many foreign astrologers and priests. At one time, he even expelled Jews from Rome, but largely left them to their religious practices in Judaea.

As is apparent, God’s people had a long history of spying and espionage by the time the early Christian church was formed. While God condoned state sponsored espionage, the apostle, Simon Peter, wrote against spying on one’s neighbor in 1 Peter, which was written as a general letter for multiple recipients, not to a specific person or church. It is sometimes called his “general” or catholic epistle. While the NIV translates his writing as “meddler”, other translations use the term, “spying on your neighbor” and equates to murder, stealing, and other criminal activity (1 Peter 4:15).

If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.

During his ministry, Paul established many churches throughout the region and kept in touch with them through letters, some of which are now known as the epistles. The Letter to the Galatians was one of these letters that was written to several churches in the heavily Jewish region who were sliding back in the Jewish custom, rules, and laws. This backsliding was happening because Jewish spies were infiltrating the Christian churches and pretending to be Christian to influencing them back into Judaism. This is a subtle, long term undercover spy mission to change a movement from the inside (Galatians 2:1-5).

Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain. Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.

In the New Testament there are many general warnings about false teachers who are heretics, but some are purposefully false teachers infiltrating as spies. Paul himself also talks of false believers being spies tracking him throughout his ministry. The NIV translates the term as “false believers,” but other translations use the term, “spies in our midst” (2 Corinthians 11:26).

I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.

During the early days of the Christian church and during Peter and Paul’s ministries in c. AD 54, Emperor Claudius died by poison and his step-son, Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, became the new emperor between. Shortly thereafter, Nero appointed Herod Agrippa II to be in charge of small parts of Galilee and Peraea. Nero was also friends with the Jewish historian Josephus and gave him information for his historical accounts.