“Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:”
My Notes
What Does 1 Corinthians 5:7 Mean?
Paul commands the Corinthians to deal with sin using Passover imagery: purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.
Purge out (ekkathairo) the old leaven — the command draws from the Passover preparation, when all leaven was removed from Israelite homes before the feast (Exodus 12:15). Leaven symbolizes sin — permeating, spreading, corrupting everything it touches. The old leaven is the sin that has been tolerated in the community (specifically the incestuous man of v.1-5). Purging is removal — complete, thorough, leaving nothing behind.
That ye may be a new lump — a lump (phurama) of dough without leaven. The church is to be a fresh batch — uncontaminated, pure, new. The identity of the community is at stake: either they are a new lump or they are an old, leaven-corrupted one.
As ye are unleavened — Paul states their identity: you are unleavened. Positionally, in Christ, they are already pure. The command to purge is not to become unleavened but to live consistently with what they already are. The indicative (you are unleavened) grounds the imperative (purge out the leaven). Be what you are.
For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us — the theological basis. Christ is the Passover lamb — the sacrifice that inaugurated the new exodus. The Passover lamb's blood delivered Israel from death in Egypt. Christ's sacrifice delivers believers from sin and death. Because the lamb has been sacrificed, the feast must be kept with unleavened bread — the community must live in purity consistent with the sacrifice that freed them.
The verse connects Christology to ethics: because Christ died as our Passover, we must live as an unleavened community. The sacrifice demands corresponding holiness.
Reflection Questions
- 1.How does the Passover imagery (removing leaven before the feast) connect to dealing with sin in the Christian community?
- 2.What does it mean that believers 'are unleavened' — and how does identity ground the command to purge?
- 3.How does 'Christ our passover is sacrificed for us' connect the cross to the demand for holiness?
- 4.What 'old leaven' are you tolerating that needs to be purged — and what would complete removal look like?
Devotional
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump. Leaven — the sin you have been tolerating. The compromise you have been accommodating. The thing that has been spreading through your life or your community that you have not addressed. Purge it. Remove it completely. Not manage it. Not gradually reduce it. Purge it out.
As ye are unleavened. Here is the remarkable part: Paul says you already are unleavened. In Christ, your identity is pure. The old leaven does not define you. But the presence of leaven contradicts your identity. The command is: live consistently with who you are. You are unleavened — so purge out the leaven that does not belong in your life.
For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us. This is why. Christ — your Passover lamb — has been sacrificed. The blood has been shed. The deliverance has been accomplished. The lamb is dead so that you can be free. And the feast that follows the sacrifice is a feast of unleavened bread — a life lived in purity because the sacrifice demands it.
The sacrifice and the purity are connected. You do not purge leaven to earn the sacrifice. You purge leaven because the sacrifice has already been made. Christ died to free you from sin — and tolerating sin in your life dishonors the sacrifice that freed you.
What leaven are you tolerating? What sin has been spreading through your life that you have not purged? Christ your Passover has been sacrificed. The lamb is slain. The deliverance is accomplished. Now live like it. Be the new lump. Purge the old leaven. Because you are unleavened — and the leaven does not belong anymore.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Purge out therefore the old leaven,.... Meaning either the incestuous person, whose crime might well be compared to sour…
Purge out therefore ... - Put away; free yourselves from. The old leaven - The apostle here takes occasion, from the…
Purge out therefore the old leaven - As it is the custom of the Jews previously to the passover to search their houses…
Here the apostle exhorts them to purity, by purging out the old leaven. In this observe,
I. The advice itself, addressed…
Purge out therefore the old leaven Reference is here made to the Jewish custom of searching for leaven, which is…
Cross References
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