Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?

1 Corinthians 5 (NASB) from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Immorality Rebuked

It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. ²  You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.

³ For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. ⁴ In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, ⁵ I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

⁶ Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? 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. 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.

⁹ I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; ¹⁰ I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. ¹¹ But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. ¹² For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? ¹³ But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.

 Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Paul is speaking about immorality in the church and how the tolerance of immorality tends to work it’s way through the entire church. In verses 9-11 Paul clarifies that what he is talking about is immorality, unrighteousness, sin within the church not in the world.

If we are going to look at how this text applies to us today, we will have to understand both what Paul and scripture says about sin in the church and sin in the world. Let’s begin then with what Paul is addressing here, sin and immorality in the church. People, both within the church and outside the church love to quote Matthew 7:1 regarding judgment. It says:

“Do not judge so that you will not be judged. In our sound bite culture and society we have a tendency to take small phrases and build a case, argument or doctrine around them. 2 Timothy 3:16 says:  All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness     All is a key word there. It not only means every scripture but also the entirety of scripture is what we should use as the basis for teaching, correction and training. So we need always to look at scripture verses in the context of where they are written and also look at what is being said in that specific incident or place in the context of the rest of scripture.

Looking at Matthew 7 that way we see that it continues to say:    

 ² For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. ³ Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

It doesn’t say we should not judge. We are supposed to judge ourselves first so that we see clearly to help our brother. We also need to remember that we judge sin, we judge actions. We are unable to judge the heart and motivations of other people. God alone can judge the heart. Jeremiah 17:10 says: "I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds. Just because we cannot judge the heart of a person does not mean we should tolerate and accept sin and immorality.

Again Paul is first addressing immorality within the church and he says that the church should have higher standards of morality than the world. His rebuke in this text says:    It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles. The church should not hold itself to the standard and morality of the world. Not everything that is legal or accepted is good.  In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus says:

 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; ¹⁵ nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

The church is to be different than the world, set apart. If the church uses the same standards of morality as the world how will the world know and see the light of Christ.

Another favorite argument of people who do not follow Christ is to say that Jesus never specifically mentioned certain things or lifestyles as sin. First of all it always amuses me that the only time these people will quote a scripture is when they think it supports their argument. Otherwise they ignore all the references that speak against their view. But to answer the claim or question as to what Jesus did and didn’t say let’s begin with this. There are many things that Jesus did not specifically address in His teaching and instruction. One part of that is to acknowledge that there is no need to address things which are already obvious and assumed. If even the culture and society acknowledges something as wrong, unnatural and immoral then there is no need for farther commentary and clarification. That speaks to what Jesus did not say. What Jesus did say is:

 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. ¹⁸ For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. ¹⁹ Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

By saying this Jesus did not need to specifically speak to any individual behavior, act or lifestyle that was already addressed in the law. He says He came to fulfill the law. That means that rather than nullify what the law calls wrong, He paid the price to redeem and restore man to God.

Paul closes the text saying: ¹² For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? ¹³ But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.

God is the judge. The Holy Spirit is responsible to convict sinners. Jesus says: "And He (the Holy Spirit), when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment

Paul speaks to the church saying,  Do you not judge those who are within the church? ¹³ But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.

We are not to tolerate the sin and unrighteousness of the world. Jesus loved sinners, but the price He paid for sin was the anguish of the cross. Surly He does not love, accept or tolerate what cost Him so much.

Neither should we.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, help me to live as Jesus did. To love sinners yet hate sin. Help me to live my life in such a way that I would be salt and light to this dark and unholy world. Thank You Jesus for paying the price, giving the ultimate sacrifice of Your life on the cross as the fulfillment of the law. Not to make evil good but to cleanse us from evil. May I never take lightly the price You paid by accepting and toleration the very thing that cost You Your life.      Amen