Leaven and Doctrine

In the New Testament, sin is sometimes compared with leaven.  Even as a small amount of leaven will leaven the entire lump of dough, sin allowed to remain in a life or a church will permeate and corrupt it.  Leaven is not always a direct reference to sin, however.  Jesus refers to doctrine as leaven.  Doctrine means "instruction, teaching."  Matthew 16:6 states, "Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees."  The section concludes in Matthew 16:12:  "Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees."  As there is sound doctrine, there is also bad doctrine.  The doctrine or teaching to which a man holds will influence his life, even as leaven permeates and changes the consistency of dough.  Jesus told His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, for adherence to it would corrupt them.  The Pharisees and Sadducees were Hebrew sects who taught the traditions of men as the commands of God, and actually held their traditions in higher regard than God's Word.

We do well to take heed of the doctrine that we expose ourselves to.  If it is doctrine founded upon the naked Word of God, we find a firm, safe foundation for our feet.  The Bible is food indeed for our souls.  Peter affirmed that Jesus alone had the words of life.  There are many teachers and teachings in the world which clamour for acknowledgement and acceptance.  Some are doctrines of demons, doctrines of men, traditional or extra-biblical "revelations" that pull a dark shroud over seeing eyes, and worldly philosophies of men.  As the quality of food we eat correlates directly to the physical health of our bodies, so the doctrine we feed upon will have a spiritual impact.  Even as people have different tastes for food, various doctrines will have more appeal for one person above another.  We must heed and beware of doctrines that do not find their source in the holy scriptures and lure our hearts from remaining fixed upon Christ.

Behold the wisdom of God, that He would use a timeless book through the Holy Spirit's leading to direct us to know Him, receive instruction concerning God's character, daily living for eternity, the natural sinful condition of the heart of man, and the hope of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.  May our lives remain unleavened, as we feed daily upon the Bread of Life.  The stream is no purer than the source.  Let us take heed that the streams we seek to satisfy our thirst from spring only from the Source of all wisdom, truth, and strength:  Jesus Christ.