Paul has learned that a man has married his step mother which was against the church's laws and tells the saints he must be excommunicated. If the man is allowed to stay in the church, he is like bad leaven, or yeast, and will affect the whole church. Paul tells the saints that he cannot be responsible for governing and judging the whole world. His responsibility is to keep the church pure.
Leaven in this chapter is used as a negative influence. Usually leaven is found in the scriptures as a positive instruction from the Lord telling us that we need have a good influence on those around us. I once read a book by a medical physician who had a near death experience. One of the things he was allowed to see was the results of a simple act of kindness towards someone. His kind act resulted in the person doing something kind and the good deed multiplied 10,000 times. We should never underestimate the power that comes from be caring, concerned, and helpful. Love is still the most powerful force on the planet. And even if our kindness doesn't change anything or anyone else, it still changes us.
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