1 Corinthians 5:7 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

Navigator

1 Corinthians 5:7

Comments

Purge out therefore, the old leaven, that is, the old person, the old nature, the sinful fleshly nature. It is still in you. You have a new nature. Hopefully, it is dominant, but the old nature is still there – residual sin, as the Puritans called it: the sin tendency. We reject the modern notion even among Bible believers which says that there can only be one nature at a time. Old man, new man: this is Scriptural illustration. The old nature is still there. ‘Purge out therefore’, it is a continuous activity. Go on purging out the old leaven, that yeast of the old nature. ‘That ye may be a new lump’, both as a church and as individuals, ‘as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.’ Now we know what the apostle Paul is speaking of here. At the time of the exodus, just before the exodus, the Passover was established. When the children of Israel were delivered from Egypt, on last night when the destroying angel passed across the land destroying the firstborn of Egypt, the Jewish people were protected because each family selected a lamb, and slaughtered it, and the blood daubed on the door posts of the house. That lamb represented Christ. Just as the blood of the lamb on the doorposts saved the people from the destruction of the firstborn, so the sacrifice of Christ, the perfect, holy Lamb of God, who took in his own body on the tree the sins of all those who would be saved; so through our Passover, Jesus Christ, our sins may be forgiven and we may find him.But the loaves for the Passover feast had to be made of unleavened bread, no yeast could be used. That had a practical purpose at that time of the exodus, because, so quickly were they going to leave Egypt, there would not be time for the bread to be leavened, so that took what was to hand: unleavened bread. And the Passover feast, would for ever after be kept with unleavened bread to remember this circumstance. It became a great illustration. The leaven, the yeast, stood for the old nature and sin. You are unleavened bread, the apostle says, ‘For even Christ, our Passover is sacrificed for us.’ The Jewish Passover is finished; it is an Old Testament feast which is no longer in force. Now Christ has come and he has redeemed us; his sacrifice is for ever and the reality has superseded the old picture. His sacrifice was once and for all, and our Passover is like Christ's sacrifice, once and for all. The Old Testament feast of Passover was every year, but our Passover is throughout all our Christian life as we think on our Saviour’s sacrifice for us. It is from the day of our conversion to the day of our home call: we are feasting on Christ. Paul says to the Corinthians, ‘You still have the old leaven in your midst. You have got deep corruption in your ranks, and you have not purged it out. For a whole week before that final night, the people had to search in the home and get rid of all the leaven, and eat only unleavened bread. Just as they did this, so we have to expel from our ranks blatant and wilful sin.

Application

We come across people, increasingly, who believe in the doctrine of justification by faith very deeply, but they are not saved. Extraordinary! They hear clearly explained the doctrine of justification by faith alone, and they understand it. They grasp that Christ made an atonement for us, and that we may be forgiven, cleansed, justified, by faith alone. What a system of theology, what remarkable depth, what a plan of salvation. They learn even of the doctrines of grace, and God’s ordaining predestination love. But they are not saved. What gives us the audacity to say that? Well, because their lives are not the lives of Christian men and women. If they are tired, they lie in bed Sunday morning. If they feel like it, they pop off to a movie, a film, on Sunday afternoon, Sunday evening. There are people who believe in the doctrine of justification by faith, and they swear, they curse! There are people who believe in the doctrine of justification by faith, and you cannot keep them away from parties, because that is where their heart really is. They will dress in very challenging clothing, and flaunt sexual attributes and sexuality, and things like this. They love the old music and the old entertainment. They are still listening to the same songs, the same music, all the stuff that has been created in the sewers of this world. They are not saved. Have you actually been smitten and convicted in your heart: ‘O Lord, I did not realise how great a sinner I was, how evil I was, how much I deserve everlasting judgement. I have not yet cast myself at thy feet, and truly repented, and said, “Lord, change me, cleanse me, get rid of the old leaven of unrighteousness, of wickedness and insincerity, loving the things of this world. Give me a new nature, a new heart.”’ ‘Purge out therefore the old leaven, that you may be new lump as ye are unleavened.’

Questions

Outline

Purpose

Introduction

1 Corinthians 5:7 Commentary and Bible Study