1 Corinthians 5:7

“Purge out therefore the old leaven, etc.]] Meaning either the incestuous person, whose crime might well be compared to sour “leaven”, and be called old because of his long continuance in it; whom the apostle would have removed from them; this is properly the act of excommunication, which that church was to perform, as a quite distinct thing from what the apostle himself determined to do. The allusion is to the strict search the Jews made f55, just before their passover after leaven, to purge their houses of it, that none of it might remain when their feast began; which they made by the light of a lamp, on the night of the fourteenth of the month Nisan, in every secret place, hole, and corner…”

“old leaven--The remnant of the "old" (Eph 4:22-24) heathenish and natural corruption. The image is taken from the extreme care of the Jews in searching every corner of their houses, and "purging out" every particle of leaven from the time of killing the lamb before the Passover (Deu 16:3-4). So Christians are continually to search and purify their hearts (Psa 139:23-24). as ye are unleavened--normally, and as far as your Christian calling is concerned: free from the leaven of sin and death (Co1 6:11). Paul often grounds exhortations on the assumption of Christian professors' normal state as realized (Rom 6:3-4) [ALFORD]. Regarding the Corinthian Church as the Passover "unleavened lump" or…”

“Purge out therefore ... - Put away; free yourselves from. The old leaven - The apostle here takes occasion, from the mention of leaven, to exhort the Corinthians to put away vice and sin. The figure is derived from the custom of the Jews in putting away leaven at the celebration of the passover. By the OLD leaven he means vice and sin; and also here the person who had committed the sin in their church. As the Jews, at the celebration of the passover, gave all diligence in removing leaven from their houses - searching every part of their dwellings with candles, that they might remove every particle of leavened bread from their habitations - so the apostle exhorts them to use all diligence to…”

“Purge out therefore the old leaven - Both of sinners and of sin. That ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened - That is, that being unleavened ye may be a new lump, holy unto the Lord. For our passover is slain for us - The Jewish passover, about the time of which this epistle was wrote, Co1 5:11, was only a type of this. What exquisite skill both here and everywhere conducts the zeal of the inspired writer! How surprising a transition is here, and yet how perfectly natural! The apostle, speaking of the incestuous criminal, slides into his darling topic, - crucified Saviour. Who would have expected it on such an occasion. Yet, when it is thus brought in, who does not see and admire both…”

“5:7-8 Paul draws an analogy between the traditional Jewish Passover celebration and the sacrifice of Christ. In the Passover celebration, a lamb was sacrificed and unleavened bread was eaten (see Exod 12:1-27; 13:3-7). The sacrifice of Christ, which occurred at Passover (Matt 26:2; cp. John 1:29; 1 Pet 1:19), results in the removal of sin for believers.”

“Purge: Co1 5:13; Exo 12:15, Exo 13:6, Exo 13:7; Eph 4:22; Col 3:5-9 ye may: Co1 10:17 Christ: Co1 15:3, Co1 15:4; Exo 12:5, Exo 12:6; Isa 53:7-10; Joh 1:29, Joh 1:36, Joh 19:14; Act 8:32-35; Pe1 1:19, Pe1 1:20; Rev 5:6-9, Rev 5:12 sacrificed: or, slain 1 Corinthians 5:8”