1 Corinthians 5:6

5:6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast affects the whole batch of dough?

1 Corinthians 10:23

Live to Glorify God

10:23 “Everything is lawful,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is lawful,” but not everything builds others up.

1 Corinthians 11:17

The Lord’s Supper

11:17 Now in giving the following instruction I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse.


sn In this passage (5:6-8) yeast represents the presence of evil within the church, specifically the immoral person described in 5:1-5 and mentioned again in 5:13.

tn Grk “a little yeast leavens.”

snEverything is lawful.” Here again Paul cites certain slogans the Corinthians used to justify their behavior (cf. 6:12-13; 7:1; 8:1, 4). Paul agrees with the slogans in part, but corrects them to show how the Corinthians have misused these ideas.

tn Grk “builds up.” The object “others” is not expressed but is implied, as v. 24 shows. Paul picks up a theme he introduced at the start of this section of the letter (8:1).