Then: Yeast works the same way it always has. Stick it in a mixture of flour and water, and it starts the dough to rise. Everybody knows it, so Paul uses a popular phrase to explain the problem with the church. Not a quote, it is reminiscent of Jesus using yeast to illustrate aspects of the kingdom of God in Matthew 13:33 and Luke 13:20-21. Paul is explaining his decision. The temple of God must not be polluted by a belief that immorality is acceptable. It doesn't take much to spoil the church's standards.
Now: "The church is just a bunch of hypocrites." Paul's metaphor about yeast explains why that charge keeps bubbling up century after century. A little bit of flagrant immorality taints the whole group. Since no one this side of heaven is perfect, the charge is difficult to refute. Still, the goal is perfection. Collins (p.208) uses the terms "holiness" and "purity" to describe the church. We cannot set aside adherence to the highest goal of being like Christ because abandoning standards of purity and holiness abandons Christ. Having a procedure for maintaining holiness signals a desire to overcome the conflicting, carnal nature of specific members. It also encourages members to stay close to Christ, the church's standard bearer, listen to him, and be like him.
Extra source: First Corinthians by Raymond F. Collins and Daniel J. Harrington (Collegeville MN: Liturgical Press, c1999) http://books.google.com/books?id=c4VXq9fKoRwC&dq=Sacra+Pagina+and+1st+Corinthians&printsec=frontcover&source=in&hl=en&ei=NqEJS7XzEITklAeejdiEBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=11&ved=0CDUQ6AEwCg#v=onepage&q=&f=false
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