1 Corinthians 5 8

1 Corinthians 5:8 kjv

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.

1 Corinthians 5:8 nkjv

Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

1 Corinthians 5:8 niv

Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

1 Corinthians 5:8 esv

Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

1 Corinthians 5:8 nlt

So let us celebrate the festival, not with the old bread of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread of sincerity and truth.

1 Corinthians 5 verses

1 Corinthians 5 8 Meaning

This verse calls believers to continuously live a spiritual "feast" in Christ, symbolized by the Jewish Feast of Unleavened Bread, emphasizing a life free from the "leaven" of moral corruption. It exhorts them to shed past sinful ways and ongoing wickedness (malice and active evil) and instead embody purity, integrity, and genuine conformity to God's truth. This spiritual feast is made possible because Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed, inaugurating a new and holy life for His followers.

1 Corinthians 5 8 Context

This verse is a direct command flowing from the previous verse, 1 Corinthians 5:7, which states, "Purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed." Paul is addressing a severe issue of immorality within the Corinthian church – a man was living with his father's wife, and the church was tolerating it, even boasting about it. Paul forcefully calls for discipline and the removal of this moral corruption from their midst.

The entire chapter uses the potent metaphor of "leaven" from the Jewish Passover traditions. During Passover, all leaven had to be meticulously removed from Jewish homes as a symbol of separation from their past bondage in Egypt and their purification unto God. Paul applies this spiritual reality to the Christian church. Since Christ, our true Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed, His followers are now in a new covenant and a new reality; they are, in essence, "unleavened" (spiritually pure by their standing in Christ). Therefore, their conduct must align with this new identity. The "feast" they are to keep is not merely an annual ritual but a continuous celebration of their new life in Christ, requiring ongoing spiritual purity and ethical integrity. This teaching implicitly stands against the moral laxity common in the pagan culture of Corinth, which often embraced idolatry, sexual immorality, and self-indulgence.

1 Corinthians 5 8 Word analysis

• Therefore (ὥστε, hōste): This conjunction signifies a logical conclusion or a result. It links the command to "keep the feast" directly to the profound theological truth established in the previous verse: Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed, and believers are now "unleavened" in Him. It means, "In light of this reality, let us act accordingly."
• let us keep the feast (ἑορτάζωμεν, heortazōmen):
  • heortazōmen (from heortazō) means "to celebrate a feast or festival." The verb is in the subjunctive mood, signaling an exhortation, a call to action. It also denotes a continuous action.
  • Significance: This is not referring to an annual, physical Passover festival. For Christians, the "feast" is the ongoing reality of living in Christ's redemption. It is a spiritual celebration that never ends, characterized by joy, gratitude, and moral purity. Just as ancient Israel constantly commemorated their liberation from Egypt, so Christians continually live out their liberation from sin through Christ.
• not with old leaven (μὴ ἐν ζύμῃ παλαιᾷ, mē en zymē palaiā):
  • zymē (leaven): A small piece of fermented dough used to cause an entire batch to rise. Biblically, it frequently symbolizes corrupting influences, such as sin, wickedness (as in this context), or false doctrine (Matt 16:6-12). It implies something that subtly but thoroughly permeates and pollutes.
  • palaiā (old): Refers to that which is outdated, former, or obsolete. Here, it denotes the previous state of sinful life before conversion, the former habits, desires, and corrupt practices associated with living apart from Christ. It directly connects to the call in 1 Cor 5:7 to "purge out the old leaven."
• neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness (μηδὲ ἐν ζύμῃ κακίας καὶ πονηρίας, mēde en zymē kakias kai ponērias):
  • mēde: "And not" or "nor," further emphasizing the exclusion and drawing a clear distinction.
  • kakias (malice): Refers to inherent moral badness, ill-will, a vicious disposition of heart. It is a deeply rooted inner depravity, a state of corrupt character that is hostile to good.
  • ponērias (wickedness): Denotes active mischief, depraved conduct, actual harmful deeds, viciousness. It describes the outward manifestation of evil thoughts and intentions (kakia).
  • This phrase concretely defines what the "old leaven" represents, specifically pointing to internal dispositions (malice) and their resultant outward actions (wickedness) that defile an individual and the church.
• but with the unleavened bread (ἀλλὰ ἐν ἀζύμοις, alla en azymois):
  • alla: "But rather," introducing a strong contrast and redirection.
  • azymois (unleavened): The direct opposite of zymē. It refers to "unleavened things" or "unleavened bread," which for Jews represented purity, sincerity, and separation unto God during Passover. Spiritually, it signifies moral integrity, honesty, and freedom from corrupting sin.
• of sincerity and truth (εἰλικρινείας καὶ ἀληθείας, eilikrineias kai alētheias):
  • eilikrineias (sincerity): Means purity, freedom from admixture or hypocrisy, transparency, genuineness. Derived from a word implying purity as judged in sunlight (free from hidden flaws). It refers to the internal condition of being unmixed with evil intent or deceit.
  • alētheias (truth): Not merely factual accuracy, but moral truth, reality, genuineness, living in accordance with divine revelation and the reality of Christ. It embodies living consistently with God's moral character and His word, both internally and externally.
  • These virtues define the spiritual characteristics that should constitute the Christian life and "feast." They are the counter-qualities to malice and wickedness, representing internal purity and external integrity.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Therefore let us keep the feast": A call to action rooted in a foundational theological truth. The Christian life is meant to be a joyful, continuous celebration of God's redemption, not a burden or a mere ritual.
• "not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness": A strong negative injunction. It explicitly identifies the corrupting elements to be excluded from this spiritual feast: both former patterns of sin (old leaven) and ongoing, active moral depravity (malice and wickedness). This implies an active, ongoing effort to renounce and remove sin from personal lives and from the church community.
• "but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth": A positive command presenting the qualities that should characterize the Christian feast. It shifts the focus from merely avoiding evil to actively embracing and embodying positive virtues: transparency, honesty, moral purity, and genuine adherence to God's reality. This defines the nature of the "new lump" in Christ.

1 Corinthians 5 8 Bonus Section

• The passage emphasizes the corporate responsibility of the church to maintain its purity. The call to "purge out the old leaven" (1 Cor 5:7) and "keep the feast" free from malice and wickedness implies collective action and communal oversight in spiritual discipline, as the leaven can corrupt the whole "lump" (the entire congregation).
• The analogy of "leaven" speaks to the pervasive and corrupting nature of sin. Just a small amount can spoil the whole, highlighting the seriousness with which moral impurities, especially those tolerated within the church, should be addressed.
• The transition from the ritualistic cleansing of Passover to the continuous spiritual feast in Christ underscores the New Covenant reality where external rites point to profound internal transformation and an ongoing relationship with God, characterized by holiness.

1 Corinthians 5 8 Commentary

1 Corinthians 5:8 encapsulates Paul's forceful charge for moral purity within the Corinthian church. Building upon the declaration that Christ, our true Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed (1 Cor 5:7), Paul extends the Old Testament Passover commandment (to purge all leaven from homes) to the spiritual reality of Christian living. The "feast" believers are called to keep is not an annual ceremony but the ongoing Christian life itself – a continuous celebration of redemption. This life must be characterized by internal and external purity, symbolized by "unleavened bread." This means actively ridding oneself and the community of "old leaven" – residual habits of sin from one's pre-conversion life – and especially the "leaven of malice and wickedness," referring to specific internal ill-will and outward immoral actions that corrupt the church. The desired outcome is a life and community defined by "sincerity" (pure, unmixed motives and integrity) and "truth" (living authentically according to God's revealed will). It's a call not just to abstain from evil, but to positively embody Christ-like virtues, demonstrating the transformative power of the cross.