What connections exist between Leviticus 6:16 and New Testament teachings on holiness?

Setting the Scene in Leviticus 6:16

“ ‘The rest of it Aaron and his sons are to eat; it must be eaten without leaven in a holy place; they are to eat it in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting.’ ” (Leviticus 6:16)

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Holiness Highlighted in the Verse

• A holy portion reserved for priests

• Unleavened—free from fermentation, a picture of purity

• Consumed in a holy place, not among the common

These three details form the backbone of the verse and become bridges to New Testament teaching.

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New Testament Echoes of the Priestly Meal

• Participation at the altar

– “Are not those who eat the sacrifices partakers in the altar?” (1 Corinthians 10:18)

– The priests’ eating prefigures believers sharing in Christ’s offering (Hebrews 13:10).

• The Lord’s Supper

– “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” (1 Corinthians 11:24)

– As priests ate the grain offering in a holy place, believers eat the bread of communion, set apart from ordinary meals (1 Corinthians 11:20-22, 28-29).

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Unleavened Bread and Sinless Living

• “Get rid of the old yeast, that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” (1 Corinthians 5:7)

• “A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough.” (Galatians 5:9)

Leaven represents sin’s corrupting influence. The priests’ unleavened portion foreshadows the believer’s call to moral purity.

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Holy Space Then and Now

• Priests ate “in a holy place.” (Leviticus 6:16)

• Believers now bring their worship into God’s presence:

– “We have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus.” (Hebrews 10:19)

• The new holy place is the life consecrated to God (Romans 12:1).

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The Priesthood Expanded to All Believers

• “You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood.” (1 Peter 2:5)

• “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood.” (1 Peter 2:9)

Just as Aaron’s sons uniquely enjoyed the grain offering, every Christian now has priestly access to God, with a mandate to remain holy.

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Taking the Lesson to Heart

• Leviticus 6:16 models separation from sin, fellowship through a sacred meal, and life within God’s designated holy sphere.

• The New Testament applies these patterns to the church: Christ’s sacrifice, the call to unleavened sincerity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:8), and a priesthood marked by everyday holiness (1 Peter 1:15-16).