Minister’s Corner - 231 Yeast Spreads

“Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” (1 Corinthians 5:6).

Loved ones, yeast is a single-celled fungus that lives on sugary solutions and ferments sugars to form alcohol and carbon dioxide. It is used in the leavening of breads, among other things. Was Paul giving the Christians in Corinth a baking lesson when he wrote about yeast? No. The lesson in its context is about sin (1 Corinthians 5:1-13).

Corinth was proud of its acceptance of a man who was living immorally with his father's wife. Paul was rebuking them for their attitude toward this man. They were giving tacit approval of his behavior, which would lead to more and more sins. Like yeast, this sin could affect the whole congregation.

Part of the work of the church is to promote holiness. Sins are to be repented of, not encouraged with tolerance. Private sins can be handled privately, but public sins, like this one in Corinth, must be addressed publicly so the church is not seen as giving tacit approval.

It strikes me that today there are some who understand this principle and some who do not. Those who understand that "a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough" know that the Lord expects His people to be holy. However, congregations that teach tolerance of sins instead of repentance of sins are setting themselves up to become more and more sinful.

Yeast is abundant. It is found even in the air. Sin, too, is common among us. But our attitude toward sin will determine whether it is repented of, rendering it harmless, or is tolerated, making it spread...like yeast. “Stop being proud! Don't you know how a little yeast can spread through the whole batch of dough?” God is so good. Love you. Samuel – 18 October 2026