1 Corinthians 5:8 Meaning and Explanation
“Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Paul invites believers to keep the feast of their new life not with malice and wickedness but with sincerity and truth.
What Does 1 Corinthians 5:8 Mean?
Continuing the Passover picture, Paul casts the whole Christian life as an ongoing festival. But the bread of this feast must be unleavened, free from the old yeast of malice and evil that once filled their lives.
In its place he sets 'sincerity and truth' -- a transparent heart and honest living. To follow Christ is to celebrate a deliverance already won, and the celebration is spoiled by harbored bitterness or hidden sin. The believer keeps the feast by becoming, in daily conduct, what the cross has already made them.
1 Corinthians 5:8 in the Original Language
eilikrineia (εἰλικρίνεια), 'sincerity' -- purity tested as if held up to sunlight, with nothing hidden mixed in.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Corinthians 5:8
What does 1 Corinthians 5:8 mean?
Paul invites believers to keep the feast of their new life not with malice and wickedness but with sincerity and truth.