Contradiction with Proverbs 4:14
This verse advises against engaging with wickedness, while Matthew 13:33 uses leaven as a metaphor for the Kingdom of Heaven, which can be seen as a positive influence.
Proverbs 4:14: Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil [men].
Contradiction with Galatians 5:9
This verse warns that "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump," implying a negative connotation for leaven, whereas Matthew 13:33 uses leaven positively to describe the Kingdom of Heaven's influence.
Galatians 5:9: A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
Contradiction with 1 Corinthians 5:6
This verse cautions about the corrupting influence of leaven, using it as a symbol of sin, whereas Matthew 13:33 uses leaven to describe the positive spread of the Kingdom of Heaven.
1 Corinthians 5:6: Your glorying [is] not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
Contradiction with Exodus 12:15
This verse commands the removal of leaven during Passover, associating it with impurity, contrary to Matthew 13:33, where leaven represents the growth of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Exodus 12:15: Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
Contradiction with Deuteronomy 16:3
This verse refers to unleavened bread as "the bread of affliction," associating leaven with sin or impurity, contrasting with Matthew 13:33, where leaven symbolizes the expansion of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Deuteronomy 16:3: Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, [even] the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.
Paradox #1
Matthew 13:33 might appear conflicting to some because it describes a small thing affecting a larger whole, which can be seen as contradictory to teachings that emphasize clear separations between good and evil. Some interpret this as challenging when considering how purity and corruption are typically depicted in other parts of the Bible. However, many see it as simply illustrating how the kingdom of heaven influences the world.
Paradox #2
The verse is a parable comparing the kingdom of heaven to leaven mixed into flour, which eventually leavens the whole batch. A contradiction could arise if one sees "leaven" as symbolizing something negative or corrupt, which is how it is often portrayed in other parts of the Bible, thus creating an inconsistency with it representing something positive here. However, parables often use everyday items to convey spiritual truths, so this isn't necessarily a contradiction, but rather a different use of symbolism.