1 Corinthians 5:6-8 says...
Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, which read,
v.6 - Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?
Isn't it interesting that Paul has went from the sin of the church member that makes even the pagan Gentiles blush to the sin of the church with not dealing with the sin or dealing with it in an inappropriate way? They were boasting about it. I see a pattern here in this church. For the sin of pride, they used good holy men to make up their divisions within the church. For the sin of boasting, they used a well known written sin of the Scripture in a way to make them look good for allowing it rather than working to correct it. The perversion of the body of Christ in Corinth runs deep.
Leaven is that agent that you want to get through the whole batch of dough so that the bread will rise up evenly. The leaven in Scripture is used as an analogy of influence both ways as a good thing and a bad thing. This is one of those bad things this time. When the church does not deal with known sin or deals with it in an inappropriate way the results will affect the whole body of Christ. The influence can rise up good within the body of Christ or it can rise up bad within the body of Christ.
v.7 - Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.
Leaven also represents sin in the Bible. The Israelites were to rid themselves of leaven before the departure from the Egyptians. They were to give total surrender to God's way for this to happen. Paul marries this event with the event of Christ's death on the cross. The Israelites were freed from the bondage of the Egyptians by following God's instructions and we are freed from the bondage of sin by following God's instruction in relationship to the Lamb of God, Jesus.
It is easy to allow sin to remain in our lives. It takes cleaning it out to see God's victory over it. The house doesn't clean itself. Sin doesn't clean itself up by itself. You need to avail yourself to what Scripture says when it comes to sin. It is to be avoided first but if needed then repented of (turn away) and forgiveness sought and restitution if necessary. It was in no way easy for Jesus to die on the cross for our sins and so it is in no way easy for us to deal with our sin in a Biblical manner but if you want a life that reflects Him then it needs to be done.
v.8 - Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
The feasts of the Israelites where celebrated once a year. The Christians were to celebrate Jesus together every week. I really like this transition. Of course, individually we celebrate Jesus every day but our corporate time is usually weekly and that is so much better than yearly. How do we come together to celebrate the feast? Do we come with malice and wickedness? Do we come with revenge and envy? Do we come with hidden sins and selfishness?
Or do we come to celebrate the feast with a pure heart and lives displaying the fruit of the Spirit? Do we come with a mind and heart that is focused on whatever is right and pure and holy? Do we make sure we clean out the old leaven which is a form of worship that what Jesus said and what Jesus did is the truth to how I will live for Him even when I sin and need to correct my course to His again?
I think the main point that Paul is trying to get across to the Christians in Corinth is that their actions in this matter are making a profound impact on the whole of the church. Therefore, make sure those actions are mirrored after Christ and not after the world.
"Lord, I know that at times that I have not dealt with my own sin quick enough. I have let it lie in my life instead of laying it at Your feet. I know that by not cleaning it up it has affected others and usually those closest to me and those I most dearly love. May I see the true nature of sin and what it seeks to do so that I run from it rather than ride the fence with it. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.6 - Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?
Isn't it interesting that Paul has went from the sin of the church member that makes even the pagan Gentiles blush to the sin of the church with not dealing with the sin or dealing with it in an inappropriate way? They were boasting about it. I see a pattern here in this church. For the sin of pride, they used good holy men to make up their divisions within the church. For the sin of boasting, they used a well known written sin of the Scripture in a way to make them look good for allowing it rather than working to correct it. The perversion of the body of Christ in Corinth runs deep.
Leaven is that agent that you want to get through the whole batch of dough so that the bread will rise up evenly. The leaven in Scripture is used as an analogy of influence both ways as a good thing and a bad thing. This is one of those bad things this time. When the church does not deal with known sin or deals with it in an inappropriate way the results will affect the whole body of Christ. The influence can rise up good within the body of Christ or it can rise up bad within the body of Christ.
v.7 - Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.
Leaven also represents sin in the Bible. The Israelites were to rid themselves of leaven before the departure from the Egyptians. They were to give total surrender to God's way for this to happen. Paul marries this event with the event of Christ's death on the cross. The Israelites were freed from the bondage of the Egyptians by following God's instructions and we are freed from the bondage of sin by following God's instruction in relationship to the Lamb of God, Jesus.
It is easy to allow sin to remain in our lives. It takes cleaning it out to see God's victory over it. The house doesn't clean itself. Sin doesn't clean itself up by itself. You need to avail yourself to what Scripture says when it comes to sin. It is to be avoided first but if needed then repented of (turn away) and forgiveness sought and restitution if necessary. It was in no way easy for Jesus to die on the cross for our sins and so it is in no way easy for us to deal with our sin in a Biblical manner but if you want a life that reflects Him then it needs to be done.
v.8 - Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
The feasts of the Israelites where celebrated once a year. The Christians were to celebrate Jesus together every week. I really like this transition. Of course, individually we celebrate Jesus every day but our corporate time is usually weekly and that is so much better than yearly. How do we come together to celebrate the feast? Do we come with malice and wickedness? Do we come with revenge and envy? Do we come with hidden sins and selfishness?
Or do we come to celebrate the feast with a pure heart and lives displaying the fruit of the Spirit? Do we come with a mind and heart that is focused on whatever is right and pure and holy? Do we make sure we clean out the old leaven which is a form of worship that what Jesus said and what Jesus did is the truth to how I will live for Him even when I sin and need to correct my course to His again?
I think the main point that Paul is trying to get across to the Christians in Corinth is that their actions in this matter are making a profound impact on the whole of the church. Therefore, make sure those actions are mirrored after Christ and not after the world.
"Lord, I know that at times that I have not dealt with my own sin quick enough. I have let it lie in my life instead of laying it at Your feet. I know that by not cleaning it up it has affected others and usually those closest to me and those I most dearly love. May I see the true nature of sin and what it seeks to do so that I run from it rather than ride the fence with it. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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