Page 156 - Jesus is coming - Class version

OBJECTIONS CONSIDERED. 153

The Leaven.
There is, perhaps, but little opposition to this interpreta-
tion of the parables, excepting that of the Leaven, which
has quite extensively been interpreted to teach exactly the
opposite, viz. : that the power and influence of the gospel or
Christian life is to permeate the masses of the world,
until the whole is leavened into holiness. The inconsistency
of this is seen when we consider that precisely the contrary
is taught by the parable of the sower and the tares, each
of which most undisputedly shows that evil is to continue
and grow up to the end of the age. This is surely the most
sufficient and scriptural reason for assigning the same
typical meaning to the Leaven, in this and the correlative
113
passage, which we find it to bear in the numerous other
passages, where the same word is used, viz. : the corrupting
influence of e.vil and the symbol of death. See carefully
11*
Mat. 16 I6-12.
(113) Luke 13:20. And again the doctrine of the Pharisees and
he said, Whereunto shall I liken of the Sadducees.
the kingdom of God? Mark 8 :15. And he charged
21. It is like leaven, which them, saying, Take heed, beware
a woman took and hid in three of the leaven of the Pharisees,
measures of meal, till the whole and of the leaven of Herod.
was leavened. Luke 12 :1. In the mean time,
(114) Mat. 16:6. Then Je- when there were gathered to-
sus said unto them, Take heed gether an innumerable multitude
and beware of the leaven of the of people, insomuch that they
Pharisees and of the Sadducees. trode one upon another, he be-
7. And they reasoned among gan to say unto his disciples first
themselves, saying, It is because of all, Beware ye of the leaven
we have taken no bread. of the Pharisees, which is hy-
8. Which when Jesus per- pocrisy.
ceived, he said unto them, O ye 1 Cor. 5 :6. Your glorying is
of little faith, why reason ye not good. Know ye not that a
among yourselves, because ye little leaven leaveneth the whole
have brought no bread? lump?
11. How is it that ye do not 7. Purge out therefore the old
understand that I spake it not leaven, that ye may be a new
to you concerning bread, that ye lump, as ye are unleavened. For
should beware of the leaven of even Christ our passover is sac-
the Pharisees and of the Sad- rificed for us :
ducees? 8. Therefore let us keep the
12. Then understood they how feast, not with old leaven, neither
that he bade them not beware with the leaven of malice and
of the leaven of bread, but of wickedness ; but with the un-