Question 1

In v.6, what is Paul criticizing when he says, “Your boasting is not good,” and what does the immediate context suggest about its object?

Accepted Answer

In v.6 Paul directly evaluates their “boasting” as morally inappropriate. From the surrounding section (1 Cor 5:1–5), the most natural setting is that the church has remained confident or self-satisfied while tolerating a serious moral situation. The boasting is not presented as neutral confidence; it functions as a sign they are not treating the problem with the seriousness it deserves. Paul’s next line (“Don’t you know…?”) implies they should already understand why this attitude is dangerous: what is tolerated will spread.

Question 2

What does the yeast-and-dough picture in v.6 contribute to Paul’s reasoning, and what specific feature of yeast is emphasized?

Accepted Answer

The picture contributes logic, not decoration. Paul appeals to shared knowledge: a small piece of yeast affects the whole lump of dough. The emphasized feature is yeast’s ability to permeate and change everything it touches over time. That makes his point about influence: a problem that seems limited—whether a single case, a single person, or a single tolerated pattern—does not remain isolated inside a close-knit community. The image undercuts any claim that the situation is minor or safely contained.

Question 3

In v.7a, what action does Paul call for, and what goal does he attach to it using the “new lump” language?

Accepted Answer

Paul calls for removing what he labels “the old yeast” (v.7a). The verb carries the idea of cleaning out thoroughly, like clearing out yeast before Passover. The goal is stated in the metaphor: “that you may be a new lump.” In other words, the community is to be reshaped as something fresh and uncontaminated by the old, spreading influence. The metaphor implies that leaving “old yeast” in place continues its effects, while removing it aims at a renewed communal condition.

Question 4

How does the phrase “even as you are unleavened” function in Paul’s argument in v.7a?

Accepted Answer

The phrase “even as you are unleavened” functions as a grounding statement that supports the call to remove the “old yeast.” Paul treats “unleavened” as true of them in some sense, and then argues their communal life should align with that. The text itself does not fully explain the “sense,” which is why readers debate whether it is mainly an identity/status claim or a description of what their community is supposed to be in this Passover-shaped moment. Either way, it intensifies the mismatch between their current tolerance and their proper condition.

Question 5

What is Paul claiming in v.7b when he says, “Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed,” and how does it support the yeast instruction?

Accepted Answer

Paul claims that Christ is “our Passover” and that this Passover sacrifice “has been sacrificed.” He is not merely making a historical remark; he uses it as the reason (“for”) that supports the call to cleanse out the old yeast. In Passover thinking, sacrifice and yeast-removal belong together as part of becoming ready for the feast. Paul draws that framework into the Corinthians’ situation: since the decisive Passover sacrifice is already accomplished in Christ, the community should correspondingly remove what represents the old, corrupting element.

Question 6

Based on vv.6–7 alone, what are the possible referents of “a little yeast” and “old yeast,” and what limits does the text place on those options?

Accepted Answer

Possible referents include (1) the specific immoral case discussed in the chapter, (2) the individual involved, and/or (3) the broader corrupting attitude that tolerates and even boasts in what should alarm them. The text limits the options by tying the yeast to something morally negative and socially contagious (“your boasting is not good… a little yeast…”). It also connects the removal of yeast to becoming a “new lump” and to Christ as Passover, which points to communal cleansing rather than private self-improvement. The focus remains corporate and influence-based.

1 Corinthians 5:6-7

Scripture