Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?
English Standard Version (ESV)
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1 Corinthians 5:6
What does 1 Corinthians 5:6 mean?
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1 Corinthians 5:6
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Paul isn't just talking about any bad influence; he's highlighting how easily a single, unaddressed sin can corrupt the entire community's spiritual health. The "little leaven" is a stark image of how even seemingly minor compromises can spread and infect everything, subtly but surely.
Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is addressing a serious issue of sexual immorality within the Corinthian church, specifically a case of a man openly living with his father's wife. He's frustrated that the church isn't confronting this sin and is instead boasting about their spiritual maturity. This verse is his urgent warning that tolerating such unrepentant sin will corrupt the entire community, like a small amount of yeast spreading through dough.
Paul kicks off this chapter with a strong rebuke about boasting. What's so wrong with being proud of your community?
The Danger of Pride
Paul isn't against all forms of pride. But here, the boasting is tied to tolerating sin within the church community. It's like bragging about a festering wound. The Corinthians seemed to think their 'freedom' in Christ meant they could overlook serious sin, perhaps even seeing it as a sign of their advanced spiritual status. Paul immediately corrects this misconception, calling their pride 'not good.' Real spiritual maturity doesn't ignore sin; it confronts it with love and truth.
The image of leaven is striking. Why would Paul use something as common as bread-making to illustrate the spread of sin?
How Sin Spreads
Leaven (or yeast) is a small ingredient that, when added to dough, causes it to rise and transform the entire lump. It works invisibly at first, then its effects are undeniable. Paul uses this powerful metaphor to show how sin within the church doesn't stay contained. It permeates and corrupts everything. Tolerating even one instance of serious, unrepentant sin can have a devastating effect on the spiritual health and purity of the entire community. It's a warning against complacency and the normalization of sin.
Understand the original words
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kauchēma · Greek Noun
A self-confident pride that relies on human achievement or status rather than on God, often involving arrogance or an inflated sense of one's own importance. In a spiritual context, it is condemned as incompatible with reliance on divine grace.
zymē · Greek Noun
A small portion of fermented dough used to make bread rise, used metaphorically in Scripture to represent the pervasive, contagious, and corrupting influence of sin, false teaching, or moral evil within a community.
The church in Corinth was a melting pot of cultures and philosophies in a bustling, often immoral, Roman city. Paul's letter, including this warning about 'leaven,' directly addresses the real-world struggle of maintaining holiness and unity amidst pervasive sin and division.
c. AD 49-50
Paul and Barnabas' First Missionary Journey
Paul establishes churches in key cities of Asia Minor (modern Turkey), laying the groundwork for his ministry and letters.
c. AD 50-51
The Jerusalem Council
A critical meeting addressing the inclusion of Gentiles in the church, determining that faith in Christ, not adherence to Mosaic Law, was the key. This decision profoundly shaped early church practice.
c. AD 52-57
Paul's Ministry in Ephesus
Paul spends over two years in Ephesus, a major Roman city in Asia Minor, where he has significant impact and faces opposition. This period likely influences his understanding of the challenges facing churches in the region.
c. AD 53-57— this verse
Paul writes 1 Corinthians
While in Ephesus, Paul writes this letter to the church in Corinth, a vibrant but deeply troubled city. He addresses numerous issues of division, immorality, and doctrinal confusion that have arisen.
c. AD 57
Paul's Visit to Corinth
After writing 1 Corinthians, Paul makes a painful visit to Corinth, which he refers to as a 'visit involving pain' (2 Corinthians 2:1), suggesting further issues arose or persisted.
Paul directly echoes this same warning about the pervasive nature of sin, using the same 'leaven' metaphor to describe how a small amount of wrong influence can corrupt the whole community.
Matthew 13:33Jesus uses the parable of the leaven to illustrate how the Kingdom of Heaven, though small in its beginnings, will spread and influence everything, drawing a parallel to how spiritual realities grow and impact.
1 Corinthians 15:33This passage shares a similar theme of association and influence, cautioning believers that 'bad company corrupts good character,' reinforcing the idea that what we allow to influence us matters greatly.
Proverbs 10:9This verse highlights the contrast between integrity and deception, suggesting that even a small amount of hidden sin (like leaven) can lead to exposure and trouble, reflecting the seriousness of unaddressed wrongdoing.
Paul isn't just talking about any bad influence; he's highlighting how easily a single, unaddressed sin can corrupt the entire community's spiritual health. The "little leaven" is a stark image of how even seemingly minor compromises can spread and infect everything, subtly but surely.
Paul is addressing a serious issue of sexual immorality within the Corinthian church, specifically a case of a man openly living with his father's wife. He's frustrated that the church isn't confronting this sin and is instead boasting about their spiritual maturity. This verse is his urgent warning that tolerating such unrepentant sin will corrupt the entire community, like a small amount of yeast spreading through dough.
Paul is addressing a serious issue of sexual immorality within the Corinthian church, specifically a case of a man openly living with his father's wife. He's frustrated that the church isn't confronting this sin and is instead boasting about their spiritual maturity. This verse is his urgent warning that tolerating such unrepentant sin will corrupt the entire community, like a small amount of yeast spreading through dough.
"Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?" — Paul isn't just talking about any bad influence; he's highlighting how easily a single, unaddressed sin can corrupt the entire community's spiritual health. The "little leaven" is a stark image of…
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Last reviewed October 2026