Ye Are Unleavened

Text: 1 Cor 5:7-8

Keeping the Feast

“Therefore let us keep the feast” (v 8). The verb “keep” is in present, active, subjunctive, denoting a continuous action: Let us keep on keeping the feast, a perpetual feast (Lightfoot). My dear friends, are you and I keeping the feast now? Then how can we keep the feast? The requirement is that “as ye are unleavened” (v 7), which is in present tense. Are you and I unleavened now?

Purging out the Old Leaven

The Israelites were strictly ordered not to have any leaven in their house nor eat any leavened bread while keeping the Passover. Likewise, while we are to keep the feast continuously, we are to keep ourselves from all kinds of “leaven.” “Purge out therefore the old leaven” (v 7). The verb “purge out” is in first aorist, imperative, denoting a command to cleanse out completely, urgently and effectively, do it now and do it effectively before the whole church is contaminated (Robertson, Word Pictures). Then what should we cleanse out completely and effectively right now?

Old leaven (vv 7-8) is the product of our old life before we come to know our Lord Jesus Christ. It is our sinful nature, sinful lusts, selfishness, self-will, self-boasting, self-indulgence, etc. The believers in Corinth were contaminated by this leaven and were asked to purge it out completely right away. How about you and I?

Leaven of Malice and Wickedness (v 8): According to Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary, these two terms have much in common but are distinctive and still not interchangeable. The former denotes whatever is evil in character, morally or ethically “evil,” whether of persons or emotions, passions, deeds, etc. while the latter indicates what is evil in influence and effect, causing labour, pain, sorrow, malignancy, etc. The believers in Corinth were commanded to purge out not only the leaven of evil habits of thought, mind, and character but also the leaven of evil deeds and words that hurt others. How about you and I?

Beware of other Kinds of Leaven

Our Lord Jesus warns His disciples to take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees (Matt 16:6-12), and of Herod (Mark 8:15). Then what does it mean to us?

Leaven of Hypocrisy: The leaven of the Pharisees is hypocrisy (Luke 12:1), not practising what they preach or say,  loving  the honour and praise of men, looking righteous outwardly, loving honoured positions and highly respectful titles, adding human traditions and teachings to God’s Word, etc. This leaven is very common and spreads through many Christians. If I am only good and godly outwardly, my family members will do the same and so will the church members.

Leaven of Unbelief: The Sadducees did not  believe  in  the  resurrection,  angels or spirits (Acts 23:8), and they only accepted the five books of Moses as the Law (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary). We can see many churches nowadays are contaminated by this leaven of unbelief. Some do not believe that God has preserved His Word perfectly for His children. Some do not believe that our Lord Jesus Christ will come to establish His millennium Kingdom of peace on earth. The leaven of an unbelieving few can cause many to have a spirit of unbelief and criticism. Such a leaven of unbelief has quietly and secretly spread through many generations, and to many Christians, churches, and seminaries! We are to take heed, and be wary of this leaven of unbelief!

Leaven of Compromise and Politics: The Herodians, regarded as a political party, sided with the Sadducees in their pro-Roman sympathies, and joined with the Pharisees to plot against the Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 3:6; 12:13). Their goal was to gain worldly power and influence for selfish interests. They were thus willing to compromise regardless of truth and

justice. Sadly, today we also see many leaders playing politics in the church, trying to win the hearts of members through their compromises and man-pleasing ways to draw many to themselves or to their groups.

Leaven of False Teaching: The believers in Galatia were influenced by unbiblical doctrines or a different gospel from false teachers, and this leaven was detected by Paul (Gal 1:6; 5:9). We are to beware of unbiblical doctrines!