Leaven is always a picture of evil in its typical meaning in the Bible. It is never offered in
sacrifices. When the Israelites were to keep the feast of unleavened bread, which began with the
passover, no leaven was to be found in their houses. This passover is a picture to the Christian of
the death of Christ on the cross. The feast of unleavened bread, observed for seven days, is a
picture of the complete life of th«J Christian here during which the old leaven of malice and
wickedness is to be purged out! We are called to be unleavened in our walk of holiness so as to
be consistent with the position we enjoy before God_"as ye are unleavened". (I Cor. 5:7). This
is preceded with the verse "Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?" In I
Corinthians the leaven pictures moral evil. But the same truth is given again in Galatians 5:9
where a "little leaven leaveneth the whole lump" applies to doctrinal evil. In practice the purging
out of leaven, of both kinds in our personal lives is not without the discomforts and heart
searchings of self-judgment. In our assembly lives, the purging out of evil, when imbibed by
many, or about which only a few hearts have been truly exercised, has necessitated the separating
from evil and consequently from those in association with said evil; judging it to be leaven and
them part of the leavened whole. The plea often when evil doctrines or practices arise is that it is
only a little evil. How wise of God to have anticipated this plea."A little leaven leaveneth the
whole lump." (Gal. 5:9).

How is it then that the various branches of the evangelical camp of Christendom are sometimes
referred to as "fundamentally sound"? They are fundamentally leavened! What with the caste
system of clergy and laity denying both the place of the Holy Spirit and the priesthood of all
believers, to say nothing of its practical denial of the truth of "holding the Head," how can God’s
people, enlightened by and walking in the path of separation, refer to such leaven as
"fundamentally sound"? The independence of the churches in doctrine and discipline savors not
of the truth of the One Body either! How can the evil of every man doing "that which is right in
his own eyes", to the total neglect or gross perversion of God’s word as to the truth of the
assembly, be called anything but leaven?

It is needless to multiply words but rather to come to the point. If God’s word and truth have
separated us from "the camp", if we have really gone forth unto Christ outside that camp; then
let us not be found in attendance at "camp meetings" for the gospel or otherwise, lest we come
away from the leavened gathering with but a little of the little leaven which will leaven all! Don’t
deceive yourselves, my brethren; those who are well taught in the Word know better and have no
need for "camp preaching". But be warned that those whose state is so lonesome and poor, with
the desire to be warmed by "another gospel", have not "their senses exercised to discern both
good and evil" and cannot come away with only good.

The Lord says "Occupy till I come." (Luke 19:13). Occupy means to fill our hands with the work
of God in the place He has called us to walk. There is more to do here than we imagine. If in the
path because of conviction and exercise, then walk so as not to be personally leavened with the
leaven of the Pharisees "which is hypocrisy." What is it but hypocrisy to be professedly separate
as to our ecclesiastical position and yet ‘go back to the camp when it is convenient or there is a
special speaker, leavened but a little?