The verb appears once in the New Testament, at 1 Corinthians 5:8. Paul’s summons, “Therefore let us keep the feast”, calls the Corinthian believers to celebrate in a distinctly Christian manner, transcending ritual observance while honoring its original redemptive pattern.

Background in Israel’s Feast Theology

From Exodus 12 onward, Israel’s calendar was shaped by divinely appointed feasts. Passover and the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread commemorated deliverance from Egypt and the beginning of covenant life. The perpetual command, “You shall observe this ceremony as an ordinance for you and your sons forever” (Exodus 12:24), embedded the rhythm of redemption and holiness into the nation’s identity. Leaven symbolized corruption; its removal dramatized the call to be set apart.

Christological Fulfillment of Passover

The Gospels present Jesus sharing the Passover with His disciples—“I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before My suffering” (Luke 22:15)—and John identifies Him as “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29). Paul states explicitly, “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). Thus every feast image finds its substance in the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ. The apostolic use of the verb in 1 Corinthians 5:8 invites believers to participate in the ongoing, spiritual reality inaugurated by that sacrifice.

Pauline Exhortation to Ethical Purity

Paul addresses notorious immorality within the Corinthian assembly (1 Corinthians 5:1-7). By linking community discipline to Passover imagery, he insists that celebration requires congruent character. The “old leaven” of “malice and wickedness” cannot coexist with the “unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” Celebration is therefore inseparable from sanctification.

Implications for Christian Worship and Communion

Early Christian practice integrated the Lord’s Supper into regular gatherings (Acts 2:46; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34). While not bound to Israel’s festival calendar, the church understood every observance of the Supper as a Passover-shaped proclamation: “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). Keeping the feast, then, is both retrospective—remembering Christ’s sacrifice—and prospective—anticipating His return (Revelation 19:9).

Historical Usage in the Early Church

Patristic writers such as Ignatius (Letter to the Magnesians 9) echoed Paul’s refrain, urging believers to celebrate “no longer in the old leaven… but in the new life of Christ.” Quartodeciman debates over the dating of Easter reveal how crucial the Passover motif remained, though practiced under the lordship of Christ rather than Mosaic regulation.

Practical Ministry Applications

1. Church Discipline: Leaders safeguard the purity of the “unleavened” community (Matthew 18:15-17; 2 Thessalonians 3:14).
2. Lord’s Supper Preparation: Self-examination precedes participation (1 Corinthians 11:28).
3. Personal Holiness: Believers daily “put off the old self” (Ephesians 4:22) as a continual act of keeping the feast.
4. Evangelistic Witness: A holy community embodies the gospel’s power, inviting observers to the true celebration (1 Peter 2:9-12).

Related Biblical Themes and References

Exodus 12–13; Leviticus 23:4-8; Deuteronomy 16:1-8; Matthew 26:17-29; Mark 14:12-25; Luke 22:7-20; John 13:1–30; Hebrews 9:11-14; 1 Peter 1:18-21.

Summary

In Scripture the single occurrence of the verb becomes a theological touchstone: Christian celebration is anchored in Christ’s Passover sacrifice and expressed through holy living, communal purity, and joyful anticipation of the coming kingdom.