Revision as of 17:24, 28 April 2023

Leaven is not literal

Mr 8:15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.

Mr 8:16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, [It is] because we have no bread.

Mr 8:17 And when Jesus knew [it], he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?

Mr 8:18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?

Mr 8:19 When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.

Mr 8:20 And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.

Mr 8:21 And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?

Mt 13:33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

Mt 16:12 Then understood they how that he bade [them] not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Jesus was dismayed that after he had miraculously produced bread that his disciples would think he was concerned about bread when he made reference to leaven. He was using leaven figuratively, not literally.

The Pharisee's leaven is 'teaching'

Mt 16:6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Mt 16:11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?

Mt 16:12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine [teaching] of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Lu 12:1 In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy [teaching one thing and doing another].

God's leaven

Mt 13:33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

Lu 13:21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

The kingdom of heaven is likened to leaven. If leaven referred to 'sin' as some people say, this verse makes no sense. But leaven is 'teaching' as seen above. The number three, in this parable, says the woman hid God's teaching, as a hint of the Trinity. Three portions of leaven are hidden in three lumps of meal. Meal is the harvest of the field (the church) which has gone through threshing and grinding (tribulation). There are three portions of meal because the church also belongs to God. Since we are 'like' Christ, the three portions of meal also refer to the teaching which is hidden in Christ as God. But who is the woman? Mary taught Jesus what she knew of the teaching of God. And Christ taught the church. (see Woman as Christ)

Paul says to get rid of bad teaching

1Co 5:1 ¶ It is reported commonly [that there is] fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.

1Co 5:2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.

1Co 5:3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, [concerning] him that hath so done this deed,

1Co 5:4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,

1Co 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

1Co 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

1Co 5:8 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.

Paul is distraught not only at the blatant sin of one of the members, but at the arrogance of the church in permitting him to continue in his sin as part of the church. The example was teaching others to sin. The leaven is not the sin. Paul commanded them to purge the leaven, and one cannot purge his own sin, but he can purge out his old beliefs and teachings. The new leaven is that "Christ our passover is sacrificed for us"; the teaching of the cross.

Cleaning of leaven

Ex 12:15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.

Ex 12:19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.

Which imagery fits better?

• That we are required to clean ourselves of sin before we receive the grace of the cross.

Some would say that this is a symbol of repentence as a purging of sin. This makes no sense; if repentance purged sin, there would be no need for the cross.

• We purge old teaching in order to learn the new teaching through and as a result of the cross.

This fits the metaphor of the New Jerusalem being the 'new teaching of peace'

This fits the parable of new wine and old wineskins.

Have nothing to do with leaven

Ex 13:7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters.

Which imagery fits better?

• That we should not sin seven days; you shall not be seen with sinners, nor will sinners be permitted in your quarters.

Is there one among us who is without sin? How could it possibly mean that?

• We should not teach seven days (a confession that we are all learners); You shall not receive teaching from others (in anticipation of being taught by Christ through the cross); You shall not have teaching materials in your house (put away all currently held doctrines, to be replaced by the teaching of Christ and him crucified).

Tit 1:10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:

Tit 1:11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.

Tit 1:12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.

Tit 1:13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;

Tit 1:14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

No leaven with the sacrifice

Ex 34:25 Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning.

Which imagery fits better?

• You shall not offer the sacrifice with sin;

This makes no sense: The sacrifice is supposed to remove sin, how can you offer the sacrifice without sin?

• You shall not offer the sacrifice with teaching (do not reinterpret the sacrifice. The sacrifice IS the teaching.)

No leaven with meat offering

Le 2:11 No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire.

IF the meat offering is communion then which teaching makes sense?

• No communion shall be had if you have sin. This makes no sense since all have sinned.

• No teaching takes place in communion

Heb 8:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

References

Le 6:17 It shall not be baken with leaven. I have given it unto them for their portion of my offerings made by fire; it is most holy, as is the sin offering, and as the trespass offering.

Le 10:12 And Moses spake unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons that were left, Take the meat offering that remaineth of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and eat it without leaven beside the altar: for it is most holy:

Le 23:17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.

Am 4:5 And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.

Mt 13:33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

Mt 16:6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Mt 16:11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?

Mt 16:12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Mr 8:15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.

Lu 12:1 In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Lu 13:21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

1Co 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

1Co 5:8 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.

Ga 5:9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.