Discard Bad Apples

Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. 1 Corinthians 5:7

There’s a farmers’ market in our town, and I go crazy there each summer buying way too much fruit at one time. Before we can eat it all, one piece will develop a bit of decay, and if I don’t get the offending fruit out of the basket right away, the entire bunch goes bad overnight.

With apologies to Michael Jackson, who had a hit song to the contrary, one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch.

Paul warns against people who plant seeds of discontent. He compares them to a bit of yeast that spreads quickly through a batch of dough by multiplying itself.

A tiny speck of yeast can ruin a batch of unleavened bread, and a bad apple can turn the whole basket to mush. One person with a bad attitude can spell big trouble for your team.

Paul’s advice is clear. Read the verse again.