Q: Why do the Orthodox use leavened bread since leaven
is a symbol of sin? Is not Christ’s Body sinless?
A: Orthodox Christians use leavened bread
because this is the ancient apostolic practice. The introduction of unleavened
bread dates to the 8th century. As the Catholic Encyclopedia notes: “It is a
debated question whether Christ used leavened or unleavened bread at the
institution of the Holy Eucharist, since different conclusions may be drawn, on
the one hand, from the gospel of St. John and the synoptic Gospels on the
other. History does not establish conclusively what the practice of the
Apostles and their successors was, but it may be asserted with some probability
that they made use of whatever bread was at hand, whether azymous or fermented.”
Most Orthodox scholars would argue that St. John’s chronology should be seen as
a clarification and therefore adhered to. This, combined with the fact that the
word ‘artos’ generally means regular bread, favor the view that the Lord used
leavened bread.
It is
true that yeast is often presented in Scripture as a symbol of sin, but as
common bread was used throughout the year for the Eucharist in the Apostolic
Churches, the leavened character was understood as symbolic of life – the
living and risen body of Christ. (See also Luke 13:20).
Source: https://www.orthodoxanswers.org/why-do-the-orthodox-use-leavened-bread-since-leaven-is-a-symbol-of-sin-is-not-christs-body-sinless/
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