Mat 13:33 | KingComments | STEP | This is not about mixing good and bad seed, not even a small seed that becomes a big tree. This fourth parable teaches that the kingdom will be corrupted through and through by false doctrine. In Scripture, leaven is a picture of sin. Leaven is not a picture of the gospel that will win the world over to Christ, as is sometimes completely wrongly claimed. The Lord speaks as a prophet. He knows how the kingdom, seen from the side of man, will go. The kingdom will not only be a great power, one from a mustard seed grown from its strength, but it will also have the character of a doctrinal system that will spread far and include all those who come into its sphere of influence. Leaven does not speak of faith or life, but of error or pernicious doctrine that has permeated Christianity. We see that in the six cases where leaven is spoken of: 1. The leaven of the Pharisees is hypocrisy ( ; ). 2. The leaven of the Sadducees, which is connected by the Lord to the leaven of the Pharisees ( ). The Sadducees are the rationalists, people who only believe what they can reason, with which they can agree with. They are full of unbelief and biblical criticism. 3. The leaven of the Herodians, which is also connected by the Lord to the leaven of the Pharisees ( ). The Herodians are a political party that believe that politics and religion should be linked. It is the leaven of the conformance to the world. 4. The leaven of harlotry ( ). This is loose morality, immorality. 5. The leaven of legalism ( ). This is religious performance, subjecting oneself and/or others to certain commandments, in order to gain respect before God and people. 6. The leaven of idolatry ( ). We see that in the woman and the three measures of flour. In the book of Revelation the roman catholic church is presented as a woman, a harlot ( ). She herself is corrupt and does corrupt things. She moderates herself to the position of the true church, but her intentions are corrupt. We see that in her actions. In the good teaching about Christ that is presented in the three measures of flour, which we can connect with the meal offering ( ) as a picture of Christ, she does false teaching. She mixes the evil and the good with each other, making the good corrupt. This is something that we see becoming clearer and clearer in Christianity today.

‏ Matthew 13:33

Parable of the Leaven

This is not about mixing good and bad seed, not even a small seed that becomes a big tree. This fourth parable teaches that the kingdom will be corrupted through and through by false doctrine. In Scripture, leaven is a picture of sin. Leaven is not a picture of the gospel that will win the world over to Christ, as is sometimes completely wrongly claimed. The Lord speaks as a prophet. He knows how the kingdom, seen from the side of man, will go.

The kingdom will not only be a great power, one from a mustard seed grown from its strength, but it will also have the character of a doctrinal system that will spread far and include all those who come into its sphere of influence. Leaven does not speak of faith or life, but of error or pernicious doctrine that has permeated Christianity.

We see that in the six cases where leaven is spoken of:

1. The leaven of the Pharisees is hypocrisy (Lk 12:1; Mt 16:6).

2. The leaven of the Sadducees, which is connected by the Lord to the leaven of the Pharisees (Mt 16:6). The Sadducees are the rationalists, people who only believe what they can reason, with which they can agree with. They are full of unbelief and biblical criticism.

3. The leaven of the Herodians, which is also connected by the Lord to the leaven of the Pharisees (Mk 8:15). The Herodians are a political party that believe that politics and religion should be linked. It is the leaven of the conformance to the world.

4. The leaven of harlotry (1Cor 5:1 ; 6-7). This is loose morality, immorality.

5. The leaven of legalism (Gal 5:9). This is religious performance, subjecting oneself and/or others to certain commandments, in order to gain respect before God and people.

6. The leaven of idolatry (Mt 13:33). We see that in the woman and the three measures of flour.

In the book of Revelation the roman catholic church is presented as a woman, a harlot (Rev 17:1-6). She herself is corrupt and does corrupt things. She moderates herself to the position of the true church, but her intentions are corrupt. We see that in her actions. In the good teaching about Christ that is presented in the three measures of flour, which we can connect with the meal offering (Lev 2:1-16) as a picture of Christ, she does false teaching. She mixes the evil and the good with each other, making the good corrupt. This is something that we see becoming clearer and clearer in Christianity today.