Paul begins the 5th chapter of 1 Corinthians criticizing this congregation about a certain fornicator who had been with his father's wife.
He says that when they "gather together" (1 Corinthians 5:4), they should, by the authority of the Messiah, put this person out of their midst. What are they "gathered" together for?
He then begins in verse 6 giving an example of how they are supposed to know leaven/yeast leavens a whole lump. It reads (YLT):
1 Corinthians 5:7
cleanse out, therefore, the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, according as ye are unleavened, for also our passover for us was sacrificed -- Christ,
He says that since Passover sacrifice was sacrificed for them. Why did he use this example and include it into his point? Seems pretty arbitrary, but it is interesting to note that during both the feast of Pesach/Passover and the one that comes after, Chag Matzah/Feast of Unleavened Bread, that all leaven was supposed to be put out of your house. For seven days you are supposed to eat unleavened bread according to Leviticus 23:6.
Continuing:
1 Corinthians 5:8
so that we may keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of evil and wickedness, but with unleavened food of sincerity and truth.
Keep what feast? The feast after Pesach (unleavened bread) since the Pesach, which represents Christ, was already sacrificed for them. So they are to keep this moed/appointed time to gather together (*hint* verse 4) in truth.
He continues talking about not taking company with fornicators (as the man from verse 1), and continues with:
1 Corinthians 5:11
and now, I did write to you not to keep company with [him], if any one, being named a brother, may be a whoremonger, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner -- with such a one not even to eat together;
Why is he talking about gathering together and eating? These verses indicate that it was about time for Chag Matzah and that they needed to get themselves together so they could fellowship for the feast without being defiled by sinners in their midst.
At the end of the letter, he says:
1 Corinthians 16:8
and I will remain in Ephesus till the Pentecost,
Shavuot/Pentecost! Three subsequent feasts mentioned in the same letter. The Pesach, symbolic of Christ being sacrificed for us, the Corinthian congregation was eating during the very next feast, Chag Matzah, and Paul declared he would be at Ephesus until the next consecutive feast after Chag Matzah: Shavuot!
This gives us strong evidence that Paul was not abitrarily pulling concepts out of his headcovering in the 5th chapter! He was using the actual event of these three moadim (which they were obviously keeping) to make a comparison with how they ought to be conducting themselves when they were gathered together to eat the feasts!
The Pesach had been previously sacrificed, symbolic of Christ's death on the cross as the lamb, so they needed to observe the next feast acting as if the symbolism of the last feast remained true; purging leaven (symbolic of sin) out of their midst! Paul then reminded them that he was leaving Ephesus at Shavuot (probably going to Jerusalem according to the commandment to go and appear before YHWH at the three ascension feasts: Chag Matzah, Shavuot, and Chag Sukkot/ Feast of Tabernacles - Exodus 23:14-17).
That's evidence to me. :-D
He says that when they "gather together" (1 Corinthians 5:4), they should, by the authority of the Messiah, put this person out of their midst. What are they "gathered" together for?
He then begins in verse 6 giving an example of how they are supposed to know leaven/yeast leavens a whole lump. It reads (YLT):
1 Corinthians 5:7
cleanse out, therefore, the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, according as ye are unleavened, for also our passover for us was sacrificed -- Christ,
He says that since Passover sacrifice was sacrificed for them. Why did he use this example and include it into his point? Seems pretty arbitrary, but it is interesting to note that during both the feast of Pesach/Passover and the one that comes after, Chag Matzah/Feast of Unleavened Bread, that all leaven was supposed to be put out of your house. For seven days you are supposed to eat unleavened bread according to Leviticus 23:6.
Continuing:
1 Corinthians 5:8
so that we may keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of evil and wickedness, but with unleavened food of sincerity and truth.
Keep what feast? The feast after Pesach (unleavened bread) since the Pesach, which represents Christ, was already sacrificed for them. So they are to keep this moed/appointed time to gather together (*hint* verse 4) in truth.
He continues talking about not taking company with fornicators (as the man from verse 1), and continues with:
1 Corinthians 5:11
and now, I did write to you not to keep company with [him], if any one, being named a brother, may be a whoremonger, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner -- with such a one not even to eat together;
Why is he talking about gathering together and eating? These verses indicate that it was about time for Chag Matzah and that they needed to get themselves together so they could fellowship for the feast without being defiled by sinners in their midst.
At the end of the letter, he says:
1 Corinthians 16:8
and I will remain in Ephesus till the Pentecost,
Shavuot/Pentecost! Three subsequent feasts mentioned in the same letter. The Pesach, symbolic of Christ being sacrificed for us, the Corinthian congregation was eating during the very next feast, Chag Matzah, and Paul declared he would be at Ephesus until the next consecutive feast after Chag Matzah: Shavuot!
This gives us strong evidence that Paul was not abitrarily pulling concepts out of his headcovering in the 5th chapter! He was using the actual event of these three moadim (which they were obviously keeping) to make a comparison with how they ought to be conducting themselves when they were gathered together to eat the feasts!
The Pesach had been previously sacrificed, symbolic of Christ's death on the cross as the lamb, so they needed to observe the next feast acting as if the symbolism of the last feast remained true; purging leaven (symbolic of sin) out of their midst! Paul then reminded them that he was leaving Ephesus at Shavuot (probably going to Jerusalem according to the commandment to go and appear before YHWH at the three ascension feasts: Chag Matzah, Shavuot, and Chag Sukkot/ Feast of Tabernacles - Exodus 23:14-17).
That's evidence to me. :-D
