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:

1 CORINTHIANS 5:7KJV
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1 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV)

What does 1 Corinthians 5:7 mean?

1 Corinthians 5:7 urges the believers in Corinth to remove what is corrupting their community, using the image of cleaning out old leaven (yeast) so that they can be like a new, pure batch of dough. The verse connects this action to Jesus, saying that Christ, like the Passover lamb, has been sacrificed for them.

Paul is writing to the church in Corinth, addressing a situation where they have tolerated serious wrongdoing among their members. He uses the picture of leaven, which in Jewish tradition often symbolized sin or impurity, to explain that even a small amount can affect the whole group. By referencing Christ as "our passover," Paul ties their need for purity to the story of Passover, when Israelites removed all leaven from their homes and sacrificed a lamb as a sign of being set apart for God.

The Greek behind 1 Corinthians 5:7

  • ζύμη (zymē; "leaven"): This word refers to yeast or fermenting agent, and in Jewish tradition, it often symbolized sin or corruption. Paul uses it to illustrate how even a little wrongdoing can spread through the whole community.
  • πάσχα (pascha; "passover"): This word points directly to the Jewish festival commemorating Israel's deliverance from Egypt. Paul calling Christ "our passover" highlights Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice, connecting the Christian faith to the roots of the Passover story.
  • ἐκκαθάρατε (ekkatharate; "purge out"): This verb means to cleanse thoroughly. Paul is not just suggesting a minor adjustment but a complete removal of what corrupts, emphasizing the seriousness of the call to holiness.

Why 1 Corinthians 5:7 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Paul is not just talking about individual behavior but about the health and purity of the whole church community.
  • The connection to Passover helps readers see how early Christians understood Jesus' death as fulfilling and transforming Jewish traditions.
  • Paul’s use of the leaven image shows how small compromises can have a big impact, urging believers to take even minor wrongs seriously for the sake of the whole group.

Where else these words appear

“out” Greek G1571 · used in 2 verses

  • 2 Timothy 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

“lump” Greek G5445 · used in 5 verses

  • Romans 9:21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
  • Romans 11:16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
  • 1 Corinthians 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

“unleavened” Greek G106 · used in 9 verses

  • Matthew 26:17 Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?
  • Mark 14:12 And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover?
  • Acts 12:3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also.(Then were the days of unleavened bread.)

“leaven” Greek G2219 · used in 11 verses

  • Matthew 13:33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
  • Matthew 16:12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
  • Luke 13:21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.