1 Corinthians 5:7

Purge out (ekkaqarate). First aorist (effective) active imperative of ekkaqairw, old verb to cleanse out (ek), to clean completely. Aorist tense of urgency, do it now and do it effectively before the whole church is contaminated. This turn to the metaphor is from the command to purge out the old (palaian, now old and decayed) leaven before the passover feast ( Exodus 12:15 ; Exodus 13:7 ; Zephaniah 1:12 ). Cf. modern methods of disinfection after a contagious disease. A new lump (neon purama). Make a fresh start as a new community with the contamination removed. Neo is the root for neanisko, a young man, not yet old (ghraio). So new wine (oinon neon Matthew 9:17 ). Kaino is fresh as compared with the ancient (palaio). See the distinction in Colossians 3:10 ; Ephesians 4:22 ; 2 Corinthians 5:17 . Unleavened (azumoi). Without (a privative) leaven, the normal and ideal state of Christians. Rare word among the ancients (once in Plato). They are a new creation (kainh ktisi), "exemplifying Kant's maxim that you should treat a man as if he were what you would wish him to be" (Robertson and Plummer). For our passover also hath been sacrificed, even Christ (kai gar to pasca hmwn etuqh Cristo). First aorist passive indicative of quw, old verb to sacrifice. Euphony of consonants, q to t because of -qh. Reference to the death of Christ on the Cross as the Paschal Lamb (common use of pasca as Mark 14:12 ; Luke 22:7 ), the figure used long before by the Baptist of Jesus ( John 1:29 ). Paul means that the Lamb was already slain on Calvary and yet you have not gotten rid of the leaven.