In the latest edition of the Friday Church News Notes, David Cloud mentions a Catholic newspaper called The Leaven, calling it out because according to Cloud, “To name a church paper ‘the leaven’ [sic] one would doubtless have to be ignorant of the fact that the Bible always uses the term leaven to describe sin and error.”
Note that last part, in which Cloud makes the absolute claim (he even calls it a fact) that the word “leaven” is always likened unto sin and error when mentioned in the Bible.
Prior to pointing that out, he says that the newspaper title “reminds me that Roman Catholics simply don’t
know the Bible.” In light of Cloud’s “fact” about leaven, I cannot help but wonder how well he knows the Bible.
So I offer this handful of verses which do not portray leaven as symbolic of sin & error. He can call “exception” if he wants, but he’s the one who stated that the symbolism was “always” sin & error.
If you read any of them, make sure at least one of them is one of the New Testament references.
- Leviticus 7:13
- Leviticus 23:17
- Amos 4:5
- Matthew 13:33
- Luke 13:21
Frankly, if leaven is symbolic of the Kingdom of God, then The Leaven is a great church newspaper title. (Though I’m most hesitant of stating it would be an apt title for a Roman Catholic newspaper… Okay, I wouldn’t say that at all.)
And before anyone points it out: Yes, I do realize I’m not exactly using “lackluster” in the right context in this post’s title; I simply couldn’t pass up the alliteration it provides (though even it ain’t too clever)!