1 Corinthians 5:6 Meaning and Explanation
“Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Paul warns that their boasting is misplaced, because tolerated sin, like a little yeast, spreads quietly through the whole community.
What Does 1 Corinthians 5:6 Mean?
Paul returns to the Corinthians' self-congratulation and pronounces it 'not good.' He reaches for a familiar image from the kitchen: a small amount of leaven works its way invisibly through an entire batch of dough.
Sin left unaddressed does not stay contained. What one person practices openly and the church accepts will shape the conscience and conduct of all. The warning is not harsh for its own sake; it is the realism of love that wants to protect the whole body from a slow corruption it may not even notice until it has spread.
1 Corinthians 5:6 in the Original Language
zyme (ζύμη), 'leaven' -- yeast, used throughout Scripture as an image of how a hidden influence permeates the whole.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Corinthians 5:6
What does 1 Corinthians 5:6 mean?
Paul warns that their boasting is misplaced, because tolerated sin, like a little yeast, spreads quietly through the whole community.