Is It Good To Not Touch A Woman? (1 Corinthians 7:1-17) Series

So that, I think, is what's happening in Corinth. You have married people who feel like marriage gets in the way of God. They are considering divorcing their spouses so they can devote themselves to God. AND/OR, they feel like "touching" their spouse distracts them from God. It's beneath them.

And, on top of that, they are maybe pressuring single people in the church not to get married. They are warning them about the dangers of marriage for people who are dedicated/holy to God.

So that's the framework that I've come to, for helping myself to understand this chapter. Parts of this framework are possibly wrong-- there is a shocking amount of disagreement among scholars over this chapter. But it's what I've settled on for now.

So let's reread verse 1:

(1) Now, concerning the things which you wrote, "[it is] good for a man a woman/wife not to touch."

So this is a very broad slogan. So broad, in fact, that you can't make a simple response. So what Paul does in verse 2, is reframe this issue and narrow it to talk specifically about marriage. "Is it better to be married (and be touching your spouse), or to be single?"

Verse 2:

(2) Now, because of sexual immorality, each man his own woman/wife must have,

and each woman/wife her own husband must have.

In a vacuum, it's good not to touch a woman. In a vacuum, it's maybe better to be single, than to be married. But life is not lived in a vacuum. Paul begins verse 2 with a reason frame-- "because of sexual immorality." Life is lived under the constant threat of sexual immorality. And because of sexual immorality, Paul commands everyone to have a spouse. Each man must have a wife-- not a man, and not more than one woman. Each man must have... a.... wife. And each woman must have a husband-- not a wife, and not more than one husband. And the verbs here are commands. Paul isn't saying each man "may" have a wife, and each woman "may" have a husband. They must. They must be married.

For two weeks in a row, we've talked about the dangers of sexual immorality. Sexually immoral people don't inherit God's kingdom (1 Corinthians 6:8-9). They are "taken away" from the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 6:15). They sin against their body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). Sexual immorality is a terrible sin, that costs you everything. And so because of sexual immorality-- because of how easy it is to fall into it, and how terrible the consequences are when you do fall-- Paul says everyone must marry.

Verse 3:

(3) To his woman/wife, the husband his obligation must fulfill.

Now, likewise, also the woman/wife to her husband.

(4) The wife of her own body does not have authority over,

but her husband.

Now, likewise, also the husband of his own body doesn't have authority over,

but his wife.

When you are married, part of being married to your spouse is you have fulfill "the obligation." You must "touch" your spouse. This is your duty. It's not supposed to be a difficult duty. It's supposed to be something that makes you happy. But it is an obligation. And this is true for both the husband and the wife. Husbands have to fulfill their obligation to their wife. And, let me add this as delicately as I can: husbands must live in a way, that they are able to fulfill their obligation.