Lessons #151 and 152
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+ 1. It is best to use this note after you have listened to the lessons because there are +
+ comments given in the actual delivery not in the note. +
+ 2. The Bible abbreviations are as follows: CEV =Contemporary English version, +
+ CEB = Common English Bible, ESV= English Standard Version, +
+ GW = God’s Word Translation, ISV = International Standard Version, +
+ NAB=New English Bible, NASB= New American Standard Bible, +
+ NEB= New English Bible, NET = New English Translation, +
+ NLT = New Living Translations NJB = New Jerusalem Bible, +
+ NJV = New Jewish Bible, TEV = Today’s English Version. +
+AMP = Amplified Bible, UBS = United Bible Society +
+ 3. Notes have not been edited for grammatical errors. +
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Specific case of sexual immorality in Corinth (1 Cor 5:1-8)
Apostle Paul having given the procedure involved in excommunicating the sexually immoral believer from the congregation of believers in Corinth, proceeds with two additional instructions that may be considered two sides of the same coin that is concerned with the purity of the local church in Corinth. But before the apostle provides his further instructions that are related to the specific case of sexual immorality in the local church in Corinth, he states two bases for his further instructions. A first basis concerns rebuke and the second, given metaphorically, is concerned with reason the local church in Corinth, and so all local churches of Christ, must not tolerate sexual immorality in their midst which is that such sin impacts the purity of the local church and may influence others. We will consider these two bases as the apostle gave in 1 Corinthians 5:6.
The first basis for the additional instruction of Apostle Paul to the Corinthians concerning the specific case of sexual immorality in their local church, as we have stated, is a rebuke that condemns the attitude of the Corinthians towards the incestuous believer that involves being content with what was going on as to be proud of it. They saw nothing wrong with the man’s conduct. In fact, as we have indicated, it is likely that some believers were holding the conduct of the incestuous believer as an example of freedom from the law or example of freedom that is found in Christ. Hence, the apostle penned a simple rebuke to indicate that their action or attitude is wrong; for he states to them that their attitude in their acceptance of the man’s conduct is improper as we read in the first sentence of 1 Corinthians 5:6 Your boasting is not good. To understand that what the apostle condemned as improper was their contentment with the incestuous believer to be proud of him, let us consider the key words used in the sentence.
The first key word “boasting” is translated from a Greek word (kauchēma) that may mean “boast,” that is, the act of taking pride in something or that which constitutes a source of pride as Apostle Paul used it to argue that if Abraham was justified by his works then he has a basis of boasting but, of course, he was not justified by work and so would not have basis of boasting, as stated in Romans 4:2:
If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God.
The word may refer to an expression of pride, and so means “what is said in boasting, boast,” as the word is used by the apostle to caution the Corinthians not to allow what he said in boasting about them to be false, as recorded in 2 Corinthians 9:3:
But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 5:6, it has the sense of “proud of” or “personal satisfaction,” that is, “a satisfied contentment with one’s own or another’s achievements.”
The second key word “good” used in 1 Corinthians 5:6 is translated from a Greek word (kalos) that mean “right” as in the answer of the Lord to the Canaanite woman that asked the Lord to heal her daughter, as we read in Matthew 15:26:
He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.”
The word may mean “pleasant, desirable, advantageous” as it is used in Peter’s declaration regarding how pleasant or advantageous for him and the others to be witnessing the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 17:4:
Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
It is true that most of our English versions translated our Greek word as “good” but a handful attempted to convey how pleasurable it was for Peter and others to be at the transfiguration location. Thus, the AMP translated the sentence it is good for us to be here of the NIV as it is good and delightful that we are here and the NJB translated it as it is wonderful for us to be here. The word may mean “beautiful” as in the description of the temple in Jerusalem in Luke 21:5:
Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said,
The word may mean “excellent” as it is used to describe the standing of a deacon who has served well in 1 Timothy 3:13:
Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.
The word may pertain to a positive moral quality, with the implication of being favorably valued hence means “good, fine, praiseworthy” as it is used to describe the deeds of a widow that may be put in the list of widows the church may support in 1 Timothy 5:10:
and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 5:6, the word means “good” in the sense of having desirable or positive qualities or morally unobjectionable or appropriate. Of course, since it is used with negative word, there is the sense that what is described is morally objectionable or improper. Thus, we may note that it is the contentment of the Corinthians with the incestuous believer that manifests itself in their being proud of the man that the apostle condemned as improper or inappropriate. In any event, the first basis for the additional instruction of Apostle Paul to the Corinthians concerning the specific case of sexual immorality in their local church, as we have stated, is a rebuke that condemns the attitude of the Corinthians towards the incestuous believer that involve being content with what was going on as to be proud of it.
The second basis for the additional instruction of Apostle Paul to the Corinthians concerning the specific case of sexual immorality in their local church is that such sin impacts the purity of the local church and would affect others negatively. This second basis is given in form of a rhetorical question and metaphorically in the last part of 1 Corinthians 5:6 Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? The rhetorical question conveys that the Corinthians should have known by observing and reflection that what the apostle said metaphorical is true or that it should have been a common knowledge to them. We say this because of the intended meaning of the word “know” in our passage.
They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”
The sentence We don’t understand what he is saying is literally we don’t know what he is saying. The Greek word may mean “to remember, recollect” as Apostle Paul used it in deemphasizing his importance in water baptism in 1 Corinthians 1:16:
(Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.)
The Greek word may mean “to know” in the sense of having information about someone or something as Apostle Paul used the word to indicate that the Galatians, prior to their salvation, did not know the true God in Galatians 4:8:
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.
The Greek word may mean “to understand how, to learn how” as Apostle Paul used the word to convey the sense of learning how to control one’s sexual desire to avoid sexual immorality as stated in 1 Thessalonians 4:4:
that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable,
The sentence each of you should learn to control his own body of the NIV is literally each of you know how to possess his own vessel. The Greek word may mean “to honor, respect” as in the instruction of the Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul regarding what is expected of believers relating to their spiritual leaders as stated in 1 Thessalonians 5:12:
Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.
The verbal phrase to respect those who work hard among you is literally to know those laboring among you, which does not make much sense unless it is understood either to mean to respect or honor such individuals since believers would have known such persons. The Greek word may mean “to know” in the sense of being intimately acquainted with or stand in close relationship to someone so that it is used to know God, not merely to know theoretically of God’s existence, but to have a positive relationship with Him as in the claim in Titus 1:16:
They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 5:6, the sense of the word is that of having knowledge about something, normally acquired through reflection or thinking.
The knowledge the Corinthians should have from reflection or thinking concerns the literal activity involved in baking as in the clause that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough. The apostle intended to remind them regarding how sin can affect the entire community of believers when overlooked that he used key words that although literal in their meanings are intended to convey spiritual truth. To understand what the apostle meant in this rhetorical question given metaphorically, let us examine the key words used.
A first key word is “little” that is translated from a Greek adjective (mikros) that pertains to a relatively limited size, measure, or quantity and so when used of stature, it means “short” as in the description of Zacchaeus that came to see Jesus in Luke 19:3:
He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd.
When used with mass of something the word may mean “small” as it is used to describe mustard seed in Mark 4:31:
It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground.
It may mean “little” as it is used in the boasting of Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 11:16:
I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then receive me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting.
The word may mean “unimportant, insignificant” in status as it is used to describe those who paid attention to Simon the Sorcerer in Acts 8:10:
and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is the divine power known as the Great Power.”
The phrase high and low is literally little unto great, which is an idiom that refers to eminent citizens and ordinary citizens who were considered unimportant. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 5:6, the sense of the word is “small” in mass or quantity.
A second key word “yeast” is translated from a Greek word (zymē) that literally means “leaven, yeast”, that is, a substance used to produce fermentation in dough or a liquid; the main ingredient that causes bread to rise. It is in the literal sense that the word is used in Jesus’ parable in Matthew 13:33:
He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
Figuratively, the word is used for “pretense, hypocrisy” as in the reporting of Jesus’ description of the conduct of the Pharisees in Luke 12:1:
Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
It is not only that it is used figuratively for conduct of the Pharisees but also for their teaching, as stated in Matthew 16: 6, 11-12:
6 “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
11 How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 5:6, it is used in a literal sense of “leaven.” Experts tell us that it is improper to use the word “yeast” as in the NIV and many of our English version because “yeast” was a product that was foreign to ancient baking practice. Thus, “yeast” is not quite the same as “leaven.” Leaven is small piece of dough from a previous week of baking that is set aside and allow to ferment. When baking starts the next week, it is added to the fresh dough and since it is still fermenting the leaven would cause the new batch of dough to rise due to heat given out by the fermenting leaven. The use of leaven in this way presents health hazard since it is possible to transmit germs that would cause disease from a previous week. God’s instruction to Israel concerning the celebration of the yearly Feast of the Unleavened Bread involves removal of all leaven in the house as stated in Exodus 12:15:
For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel.
This instruction implies that once a year Israelites would get rid of all leaven, although the NIV used the word “yeast,” and begin baking with fresh dough from which they would begin the process of generating leaven after a month of baking without leaven. Anyway, the point is that it is better to use the meaning “leaven” than “yeast” in our passage of 1 Corinthians 5:6.
The third key word is given in the expression of the NIV “works through” that is translated from a Greek word (zymoō) that means “to ferment, leaven,” as the word is used in Jesus’ parable regarding the kingdom of God in a passage we cited previously, that is, Matthew 13:33:
He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
The translators of the NIV are consistent in that in every occurrence of the Greek verb they used the expression “work through” although the word may mean “to ferment or leaven” as we have indicated. You see, the clause until it worked all through the dough is literally till the whole was leavened. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 5:6 the sense of the word is “to leaven,” that is, to cause a substance to undergo fermentation using leaven.
The fourth key word is the expression “batch of dough” that is translated from a Greek word (phyrama) that may mean “lump of clay” as it is used to describe the dough like mixture of clay from which a potter makes pottery, as in Romans 9:21:
Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?
The word may mean “batch of dough” as in Galatians 5:9:
“A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.”
The sense in our passage of 1 Corinthians 5: 6 is “lump,” that is, a compact, kneaded mass of dough.
We have considered the key words the apostle used, so what does he mean to convey to the Corinthians in the clause that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? To understand this, we should recognize that leaven or yeast in a physical sense is associated with infiltration through a given medium. Thus, it has either a positive or negative effect on the medium in which is introduced. It is in a positive sense that it is used in the parables of Jesus Christ regarding the growth of the kingdom of God in that the message of the kingdom of God will gradually permeate the world. Negatively, leaven or yeast is used as that which is evil hence Jesus Christ used it to describe hypocrisy and the destructive teaching of the Pharisees. It is in this negative sense that the word is used in our passage. Thus, the apostle intended to convey that another basis of his instructions that would follow is the fact that sin not dealt with in a local congregation has the tendency of rendering the entire congregation impure or affect the entire community of believers. The Holy Spirit might have brought in the apostle’s mind the case of Israel community suffering because of the sin of one man, Achan. But that is not all, when sin is not condemned there is the tendency for people to become accommodating of sin and will eventually gravitate towards that sin. You can understand this in our society where certain sins have gradually infiltrated the society because they were tolerated and not condemned so that within a short time these sinful conducts became almost a norm to many people. This is what the apostle was concerned and so that was the basis for the two instructions that follow. By the way, it is probably because of the corrupting influence of sin on others that the Holy Spirit through the apostle advocated public rebuke in a local church regarding sins that are public, as stated in 1 Timothy 5:20:
Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning.
By the way, we should recognize that it is not only sin that can infiltrate the body of Christ causing havoc so also false teaching. Apostle Paul in his other epistles had made references to the infiltration of false teaching of salvation by works in his epistle to the Galatians in which he used similar metaphor as he used here in 1 Corinthians 5:6 because we read in Galatians 5:9:
“A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.”
Apostle Paul applied this proverb either to the handful teachers who insist on circumcision as only a small thing but necessary for salvation or to their teaching. Thus, the apostle was concerned of how this false teaching could spread in the church of Christ among the Gentiles. Likewise, the apostle referred to false teaching as capable of infiltration and spreading in the church of Christ as he warned Timothy about Hymenaeus and Philetus and their teaching in 2 Timothy 2:17:
Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,
False teaching in a specific area has a way of spreading and affecting other doctrines of the Christian faith since in a sense Christian doctrines are interconnected. Let me illustrate this truth that an error in one doctrine quite often leads to errors in other Christian doctrines by focusing on the cult known as Christian Science founded by Mary Baker (Eddy) in 1866 but became a church in 1877. This cult states that there is no such thing as sin; that sin is an illusion. Therefore, if there is no reality to sin then that would affect the teaching of this cult as far as salvation is concerned. Consequently, it is not surprising that Christian Science teaches that man does not need salvation because man has not sinned or departed from the original state of perfection. Their view of sin inevitably led to their teaching that Jesus did not actually die but appeared only to die. The implication is that Jesus Christ did not offer Himself as the sacrifice for our sins. Salvation to them consists of casting out the idea of sin. Thus, you see how error in one doctrine of sin has affected their doctrine of atonement and redemption.
Take another example. The true teaching of the Bible is that Jesus Christ is One divine person with two distinct natures. In other words, He is truly God and truly human. Now, there are those who have distorted this doctrine, and that has affected their teachings in other areas of Christian doctrines. The Jehovah Witnesses teach that Jesus Christ is the “first-born” creature that was changed into man at His birth into this world. As a result of this distortion of the person of Jesus Christ, it is not surprising that they teach that Christ’s death on the cross gave individuals chance to earn their salvation. This is in keeping with their denial of the deity of Christ. For if they accept Him as God then they would have recognized that His work on the cross is complete and requires nothing from man but faith, which is also a gift of God. They are not alone in this distortion of the person of Jesus Christ. Liberalism teaches that Jesus Christ is eminently holy human being. To them He is only “a man among men.” This distortion leads to their doctrine that salvation is attained by following the teachings of Jesus Christ. Do you see how error in one doctrine of the person of Jesus Christ has affected the doctrine of salvation as the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Liberalism advocate? This is the apostle’s point. One error in the various cults is not limited to the particular doctrine distorted but it spreads to other areas of Christian doctrines. The point is that the church of Christ should not only guard against sexual immorality but also against false teaching that at their onset may seem to be of little consequence but later causes great harm since false doctrine has a way of spreading. Anyway, Apostle Paul’s concern is with the truth that sin ignored has a way of infiltrating the church of Christ hence the two instructions he gives next to the Corinthians in the passage we are considering.
The first instruction is for the Corinthians to remove urgently from their midst the sin of sexual immorality and by implication to quickly or urgently remove the incestuous believer. It is this that the apostle instructs figuratively in the first expression of 1 Corinthians 5:7 Get rid of the old yeast. By the way, our previous comment applies to the word “yeast” used. The instruction is not to get rid of “old yeast” but “old leaven” and so when I use the word “yeast” in keeping with the NIV you should remember that we mean “leaven.”
The expression “get rid of” is translated from a Greek word (ekkathairō) that appears twice in the Greek NT; it may mean “to cleanse” as it is used of getting rid of something unclean, primarily sin, in 2 Timothy 2:21:
If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 5:7, it means “to clean out” in a literal sense but it is used figuratively of getting rid of sin. Thus, the command is for the Corinthians to see the urgency of getting rid of sexual immorality among them. This implies that the command requires that the local church in Corinth should urgently act to remove the offender in their midst who has committed sexual immorality. The action expected of them is similar to that of the Israelites who wanted to purge Israel of evil of sexual immorality by stoning to death the wicked men that raped a man’s wife, as stated in Judges 20:13:
Now surrender those wicked men of Gibeah so that we may put them to death and purge the evil from Israel.” But the Benjamites would not listen to their fellow Israelites.
That aside, sexual immorality is a sin that has been in existence for a very long time, following man’s fall. Thus, it is sexual immorality that is specifically described in phrase old yeast although in application it refers to pre-salvation sins.
The adjective “old” is translated from a Greek adjective (palaios) that may mean “old”, as it pertains to being in existence for a long time as the word is used to describe wineskins or containers in Luke 5:37:
And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined.
The word may mean “old, obsolete” as it pertains to that which is obsolete or inferior because of being old as it is used to describe the old self that Christians should have removed to keep them from behaving in a way that is not compatible to life in Christ, as we read in Colossians 3:9:
Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices.
It is in the sense of “old” in terms of long duration or not new that the word is used in our passage of 1 Corinthians 5:7 although it is used in a figurative sense with the word “yeast” or “leaven.” It is because sexual immorality has existed since the fall of mankind into sin that it is described using the metaphorical phrase old yeast that the Corinthians should urgently get rid of from their midst by expelling the incestuous believer.
The apostle focused on the sexual immorality in the local church of Corinth that he wanted them to get rid from their midst the individual that is guilty of it. However, we should recognize that his instruction reminds all believers that we are to get rid of sins that are associated with old self as unbelievers. This we say because the apostle addressed this truth in Ephesians 4:22:
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.
The sentence You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self would suggest that one of the first things Apostle Paul taught believers is to renounce their way of life as unbelievers. This truth is also implied in the instruction of the apostle to the Colossians, as recorded in Colossians 3:5–9:
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices.
Based on these two passages, we should deduce that the apostle when he was in Corinth would have taught them to put off the conduct associated with being unbelievers. Consequently, when he instructed the Corinthians in the command Get rid of the old yeast, he probably meant for them not only to think of the present issue of sexual immorality that requires getting rid of the incestuous believer but the full concept of getting rid of the lifestyle associated with being unbelievers.
It is usually the case that when the Holy Spirit issues a command to believers, He, through the human authors, provides reason or result and often, a further explanation for the command. Few examples would suffice to illustrate my point. The Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul commands believers not to be involved in discussions that show no reverence to God as we read, for example, in 2 Timothy 2:16:
Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.
The reason for the command Avoid godless chatter is that it would not lead to advancement in one’s spiritual life. Instead, it would cause a person to be so angry as to act in a way that will not please the Lord. Take another example, the Holy Spirit through James commands believers to resist Satan with the explanation that if we stand our ground, he will leave us alone, albeit temporarily, as we read in James 4:7:
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Take another example, the Holy Spirit through Peter instructs Christian wives to be submissive to their husbands. The reason given is that it will be a testimony to their husbands of their relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ such that if their husbands were unbelievers it would draw them to faith in Christ. Of course, if the husband is a believer who is not serious with the word of God, but the wife is, her submission could also draw the husband to understand the importance of right devotion to the Lord. This command and explanation or reason is given in 1 Peter 3:1:
Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives,
Thus, you get the point that when the Holy Spirit commands us to action He often, through the human author, provides reason or further explanation for the command. In our passage, the Holy Spirit provided the Corinthians both the result and explanation for the command. We are confident that the Holy Spirit provided the result of the command because the next clause of 1 Corinthians 5:7 begins in the Greek with a Greek conjunction (hina) that here could be interpreted as a marker of purpose leading to the translation “in order that, that” or it could be interpreted as a marker of result in which case it may be translated “so that, that.” Often, it is difficult to differentiate purpose from result as we see from the common meaning of “that” in both usages. In fact, some English versions like the 1984 edition of the NIV used the word “that” leaving the reader to guess whether they meant to state purpose or result. Of course, the 2011 edition of the NIV and many other English versions used the phrase “so that” in which case there can be no doubt that they meant that what follows is a result of the command. That aside, it is true that majority of our English versions interpreted the Greek conjunction as a marker of result, it is possible to consider it as a marker of purpose as well. Nonetheless, it is probably the case that both result and purpose are intended. We mean that the purpose and result merge that it is difficult to take one of the meanings and ignore the other. The apostle gives the purpose and the result of the command of urgently getting rid of the sexual immorality among the Corinthians through removal of the incestuous person.
The result and purpose of the command is that the Corinthians would become the body of Christ in a superior spiritual state that is without influence of sin. This result or purpose is given in the clause of 1 Corinthians 5:7 that you may be a new batch without yeast. This clause means that the Corinthians would be in a superior spiritual state as the body of Christ without the sin of sexual immorality when they expel the one guilty of sexual immorality. We say this because the word “batch” in the metaphor refers to the community of believers in Corinth and “yeast” or “leaven,” as we have already stated refers to sin of sexual immorality. The phrase new batch may be translated fresh batch. Our use of the word “fresh” is because of the word “new” that is translated from a Greek adjective (neos) that may pertain to being in existence but in a relatively short time so that it means “new, fresh”, as it is used to describe wine that is still fermenting in Matthew 9:17:
Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
The word may pertain to being superior in quality or state to what went before, hence means “new” as it is used to describe the new person in Christ or new self that is certainly superior to the old self in Colossians 3:10:
and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
The word may pertain to being in the early stages of life and hence means “young.” It is with this meaning that the word is used as a comparative adjective in some passages in the Scripture. For example, it is in this sense that it is used for the instruction to Timothy with respect to how he should treat the younger men in his congregation, as stated in 1 Timothy 5:1:
Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers,
It is in the sense of “fresh,” that is, recently made that the word is used to refer to “batch” of dough in our passage of 1 Corinthians 5:7 although it has figurative implication of the Corinthians being in superior spiritual state in Christ.
We assert that the result of the Corinthians obeying the instruction of getting rid of the sin of sexual immorality among them by removing the incestuous believers is so they maintain their superior spiritual status without the influence of sin. Our assertion is based on the apostle’s declaration regarding the Corinthians in the clause of 1 Corinthians 5:7 as you really are. Literally, the Greek reads as you are unleavened. This is because we have a Greek word (azymos) that means “without fermentation” or “without yeast.” It is used to describe unleavened bread in the Septuagint as we find, for example, in Leviticus 2:5:
If your grain offering is prepared on a griddle, it is to be made of fine flour mixed with oil, and without yeast.
The word is used for the festival of unleavened bread as in Acts 12:3:
When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 5:7, it is used with the meaning “unleavened,” that is, “made without any substance used to produce fermentation in a dough so that we have bread in form of a flat cake. However, it is used in a figurative sense in our passage.
The apostle asserted that the result of getting rid of sin and so the sexually immoral person is that they become unleavened as they are. So, what is it that the apostle tells the Corinthians they are? There are two factors that help to answer the question. The first is the word “are” that is translated from a Greek word (eimi) that basically means “to be” with several nuances. For example, the word may mean to exist in the sense of “to be present, available, provided” as it is used in Acts 7:12:
When Jacob heard that there was grain [i.e. available] in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit.
The word figuratively may mean “to live, be controlled” as that is the sense in Romans 8:8:
Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
The clause Those controlled by the sinful nature is literally those who are in the flesh. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 5:7, it is used in the sense of “to have the quality of “being” so means “to be.” In addition, the apostle used the present tense in the Greek. The present tense in our passage is used to emphasize the present reality of something which came into being in the past. The implication is that whatever it is the apostle described the Corinthians with, is that which came to be in the past from the time he wrote this epistle and that stated is a reality. It is probably to acknowledge this that some English versions such as the NIV used word “really” in their translation. A second factor that helps us in understanding what the apostle meant in the clause as you really are or literally as you are unleavened is that “leavened” in our contest refers to sin. When we put these two factors together then we understand the apostle to be stating of the superior spiritual status without the influence of sin that the Corinthians attained. That state means that they are considered without sin which does not refer to their experience but their position in Christ as those who have received forgiveness of sins or cleansed of sins as Holy Spirit described believers in 2 Peter 1:9:
But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
The church of Christ is considered pure and that is the reason Christ will present the church pure to Himself as the Holy Spirit states through the apostle in Ephesians 5:27:
and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
The point is that the apostle conceived the Corinthians as the body of Christ that is without sin by virtue of their position in Christ having been cleansed of sins at the point of salvation. Therefore, he wants their experience to coincide with their position in Christ. Consequently, when they get rid of sexually immoral person, the remainder would represent that body of Christ that is sinless or pure without contamination of sin. That the apostle was thinking of superior spiritual status of the Corinthians that is free from sin because of the work of Christ on the cross is evident in what he wrote next, which is where we begin our study next week.
08/02/19