1 Corinthians 5:6-8 (NRSVUE)
6 Your boasting is not a good thing. Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all of the dough? 7 Clean out the old yeast so that you may be a new batch of dough, as you really are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore, let us celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
In the book of 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses the church in Corinth, urging them to remove a specific yeast that is causing harm and division among them. This passage, 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, speaks about the power of removing that yeast and the significance it holds for our lives as Christians.
Firstly, Paul reminds the Corinthians that boasting is not a good thing. Boasting is the child of pride and gives a sense of superiority, which are not traits that align with the teachings of Christ. Instead, Paul calls for humility and unity among believers.
He then goes on to use a metaphor of yeast to illustrate his point. Just as a small amount of yeast can leaven an entire batch of dough, so can a small amount of boasting and pride affect the entire church community. It only takes one person to sow seeds of division and malice within a community, and before we know it, the whole community can be affected.
You may be more familiar with a this updated version that says the same thing, “One bad apple spoils the whole barrel."
We may think that our actions and words do not have a significant impact on others, but the reality is that they can spread like a cancer and affect those around us. Therefore, we must be mindful of our words and actions, ensuring that they align with the teachings of Christ.
Paul then urges the Corinthians to clean out the old yeast so that they may be a new batch of dough. This statement carries a deeper meaning than just removing pride and boasting from their midst. It speaks about transformation and renewal.
As Christians, we are called to continuously strive for renewal and transformation in our lives. We are called to let go of our old ways and embrace the newness that comes with being in Christ. This process is ongoing and requires us to constantly examine ourselves and make changes when needed.
Paul then makes a powerful statement that Christ, our Paschal lamb, has been sacrificed.
To better understand the significance of Paul's analogy of the Paschal lamb let me explain.
In the twelfth chapter of Exodus God commanded the Israelites to sacrifice a lamb and use its blood to mark their doorways, ensuring that the "destroying angel" would spare their homes during the last plague in Egypt which destroyed the first born male of humans and their livestock.
The roasted Paschal lamb was then consumed alongside unleavened bread and bitter herbs as part of the Passover feast. This lamb represented liberation and rescue from captivity.
Paul's words explain that in the New Testament,
Christians view Jesus as the "Lamb of God," who is offered as a sacrifice to redeem the sins of humanity, mirroring the significance of the Passover lamb in the Old Testament.
In the gospel of John chapter one verses twenty-nine and thirty-six we read where John the Baptizer sees Jesus and exclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." Christian doctrine holds that a divine Jesus chose to suffer crucifixion at Calvary to save the world from its sins.
Well that's not quite right. Jesus didn't save the world. He saved the people from their sins.
Hmm! Let's try that again. Jesus died to save me from my son and you from yours. Salvation is a very personal thing.
This is imagery by Paul is a reminder of the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross. His death and resurrection have freed us from the power of sin and death, and have given us a new life in Him.
This truth should fill us with joy and gratitude, especially as we approach the season of Christ's Resurrection. It should also serve as a reminder that our actions and attitudes should reflect this new life in Christ. We are called to live differently, to be holy, that means set apart from the ways of the world.
Therefore, Paul urges the Corinthians (and us) to celebrate the festival, not with the old yeast of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. This is a call to let go of our old ways of living and embrace a new way of life in Christ.
He reinforces this idea in his second letter to the church at Corinth where he writes, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
It is essential to note that Paul is not calling for perfection here. He knows that we are all flawed and will make mistakes, but he is urging us to continually strive for a life that is pleasing to God.
Since strive is not a word commonly used today we could substitute
“struggle for”, “earnestly seek”, or “give it our all to gain.” As a Christian our past is gone so we need to actively try to live a life filled with sincerity and truth, where we are honest with ourselves and with others. This is the positive yeast that lifts us and those around us.
Boasting in an unhealthy yeast that is selfish and self-centered. In pride we attempt to lift ourselves above others. To not care for anyone but ourselves. This is less like yeast and more like cancer where the cells grow in an unhealthy manner.
In conclusion, 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 highlights the significance of removing the yeast of pride, boasting, malice, and evil from our lives. It reminds us of the power that our words and actions hold and how they can impact those around us.
It also urges us to continuously strive for renewal and transformation in our lives, letting go of our old ways and embracing a new life in Christ.
Ultimately, it calls us to celebrate the festival of the Resurrection with sincerity and truth, reflecting the purity and simplicity of our faith in Christ.
©2025 Thomas E Williams
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