1 Corinthians 5:7

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Articles, Bible studies, and sermons that contain The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians 5:7:

I Corinthians 5:6-8
Excerpted from: Unleavened Bread Basics

Leavening is an agent that causes change, typically through fermentation. The ingredients break down in a biochemical reaction that produces carbon dioxide, which causes expansion. The original ingredients are changed from what they were through a reaction that will keep going as long as there are ingredients that can fuel it. So, leaven spreads.

In its broadest sense, leaven is a symbol of corruption. It includes sin, but it is not limited to sin because it also includes the ideas, philosophies, and approaches that lead to sin. This connects with what we saw in Galatians. The Galatians (and Colossians) were being influenced by philosophies and doctrines that would lead them into bondage. Leavening was corrupting them, and a new slavery would be the result if they didn’t return to Christ.

Here, Paul says a little leaven leavens the whole lump. He uses the same phrase in Galatians 5:9. In the verse that comes right before that, Paul calls the heresy that was corrupting the Galatians a “persuasion.” Paul says, “This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you.” So, leavening can be an idea that persuades us to deviate from the truth, even as our minds may feel like they are expanding.

This fits with the various warnings Jesus gave about leavening. He warned about the leaven of the Pharisees, the leaven of the Sadducees, and the leaven of Herod. In each case, leavening is a symbol for corrupted ideas that lead to a wrong application.

In Matthew 16:12, we find that part of the leaven of the Pharisees was their doctrines, which elevated tradition above the word of God. Another part of their leaven was hypocrisy. They focused more on appearing righteous than being righteous. Jesus said of the Pharisees, “they say, and do not do” (Matthew 23:3). They exempted themselves from the standard they held others to. While they looked good, their self-centeredness and self-generated standard of righteousness made life very difficult for those caught in their orbit.

The leaven of the Sadducees was their corrupted teachings and attitudes, like skepticism, that undermined the essential doctrines of faith. As two examples, the Sadducees denied the resurrection and they denied the existence of angels. That is a significant corruption.

The leaven of Herod is interesting because of the politics of our day. It is not clearly defined, so we have to read between the lines. But from what we know of Herod, his leaven seems to be a worldly pragmatism, and an overall disregard for spiritual truth in favor of power. His corruption seems to include the use of religion for political ends. Herod wouldn’t stop his adoring crowd from likening him to God, and God struck him dead.

Here in I Corinthians 5, Paul uses malice and wickedness as additional types of leaven. Malice is an internal disposition, while wickedness is an outward manifestation. We can tell from the rest of the epistle that these corruptions were affecting the congregation, which is why Paul brought attention to them.

Paul contrasts those with sincerity and truth. Sincerity indicates purity. It means something is not a mixture. Truth here goes beyond simply being factual. It carries the implication of what is genuine and what is real. In the context, it indicates truth that is lived and not simply acknowledged.

Consider, though, that sincerity and truth epitomize the life lived by God in the flesh. He is the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, the bread of life, the bread that fills us with spiritual life and which contains no malice, wickedness, or other corruption. We cannot generate that sincerity and truth from within—it must come from Him. It is through Jesus living His life in us that we can keep this feast with sincerity and truth.

Verse 7 says the Corinthians are truly unleavened. Paul says it is because Christ is our Passover and was sacrificed for us. Given what the rest of the letter is about, … . . .

I Corinthians 5:7-8
Excerpted from: Freedom and Unleavened Bread

I think we are generally familiar with the word "truth." This is the same word that appears in John 17:17, where it says, "Thy word is truth." This word is used in a number of ways in the New Testament. It can mean genuine. It can mean real or reality, as opposed to mere appearance.

In John 17:17, it is used in the sense of something derived from a pure and holy God and declaring the will of that God as compared to that which is from the world, which is the course sullied by the experiences of men.

Here, in I Corinthians 5, it is used in the sense of truth in conduct. In other words, the truth has been taken in by means of word; it has been believed; and then it has been put into practice. This word "truth" in the Greek is very similar to the word "sincerity", which precedes it, and is contrasted with malice and wickedness, which are works of the flesh.

The word translated "sincerity" means "pure or clear." The English word "sincere" is a very good, accurate translation of that Greek word. The English "sincere" comes from the Latin and means "without wax." In other words, there is nothing at all that is contaminating it. This is behavior that is not contaminated.

The word of God in I Corinthians 5:7 has been imbibed in the person and it has resulted in a pure, a sincere, a realistic and genuine behavior or conduct.

The Sabbath and First-Day During the First Five Centuries

Articles
'Tis the Season: Help for Our Young People
A Subtle Yet Devastating Curse
Does Jesus Recognize Today's Christianity?
Does Paul Condemn Observing God's Holy Days?
Remaining Unleavened
Stuff
The Five Ws of Deleavening
The Offerings of Leviticus (Part Three): The Meal Offering
Why We Must Put Out Leaven

Bible Studies
Beware of Hypocrisy
Holy Days: God's Plan in the Holy Days
Holy Days: God's Plan in the Holy Days
Holy Days: Passover
Holy Days: Unleavened Bread
The Parables of Matthew 13 (Part Five): The Parable of the Leaven
The Seventh Commandment

Booklets
How Often Should We Partake of the Lord's Supper?
The Plain Truth About Easter  (2)

Essays
Rehearsing God's Plan
Repentance: The Genuine Article (Part Two)
The Leaven of Double-Mindedness
Why Do We Observe Unleavened Bread? (Part Two)

Sermons
Truly Unleavened
Principled Living (Part 2): Conquering Sin
The First Day of Unleavened Bread (Part One)
Why Are We Called To Overcome?
Themes of I Corinthians (Part 3)
Why Are We Here?
Magic Doesn't Work (Part 3)
Freedom, Liberty, and Bondage
Are God's Holy Days To Be Kept Today?
Do You Recognize This Man? (Part 2)
Corporate Sin
God's Law in Our Mouths
Behold Your King!
The Pharisees (Part 2)
Truly Unleavened
Christian Marriage (Part Two)
The Failure of Miracles to Produce Righteousness
Deleavening the Home
Letters to Seven Churches (Part Seven): Repentance
The Scepter, Duty, and the Days of Unleavened Bread
The Scepter, Duty, and the Days of Unleavened Bread
Sin Begets Sin
The Unleavened Life Is a Happy Life!
We are Called to Liberty
Simplifying Life (Part One)
The Unleavened Vanguard with Christ
Hope in Christ Purifies Us!
Flee From Idolatry (Part One): Self-Discipline
Stewards of the Mysteries of God
Two Realities
Go Forward
Are You Living An Illusion?
Don't Stand Still!
Leavening: The Types
Re-education (Part 2)
The Covenants, Grace and Law (Part 20)
James and Unleavened Bread (Part 1)
The Sacrifices of Leviticus (Part 4)
Parables of Matthew 13 (Part 2): Leaven
Do Little Things Not Count?
Testing Spiritual Character
Potential for Good
The Christian Medal of Honor
The Christian Medal of Honor
Jesus in the Feasts (Part One): Unleavened Bread

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