This "Notes From the Margin of My Bible" column was written by Wayne Jackson. It appeared in the October 1989 edition of the "Christian Courier."
In First Corinthians 7:1, the apostle Paul instructed the Corinthian saints as follows: "...It is good for a man not touch a woman..." There are some, especially critics of the Bible who would suggest that this admonition reflects a radically "puritanical" disposition, and is, therefore, a reflection upon the credibility of the Scriptures. What shall we say to such a charge?
The Greek word rendered "touch" is haptesthai, and the term is sometimes used euphemistically in the Bible for sexual relations. Hence, in Genesis 20:6, when Abimelech took Sarah into his harem, the Lord permitted the ruler not to "touch" her, which harmonizes with the fact that Abimelech "had not come near her" (4). Sexual union was wrong because she was Abraham's wife. Similarly, in Proverbs 6:29, the inspired writer states that one "who goes in to his neighbor's wife" and "touches" her shall not go unpunished; indeed, such a one who commits adultery is void of understanding (32).
It is thus clear that Paul's prohibition in First Corinthians 7:1 is not against touching the opposite sex per se (as in a casual handshake); rather, the apostle is condemning a sexual act outside of marriage. This is further evidenced by the immediate context wherein Paul suggest that "fornications," i.e., illicit sexual activity, can be prevented by entering into a marriage relationship where such a union is legitimate. Thus, underline the word "touch" in your Testament, and in the margin write: See Genesis 20:6; Proverbs 26:9.
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