Who was Paul writing to in this passage, and what was their background?
Paul was writing to the congregation in the wicked city of Corinth, Gentile believers who had come out of an abject, immoral, idolatrous pagan background. They were confused about marriage because pagan idolatry had no moral integrity or fidelity, so they questioned whether it was right to marry.
Les teaches that Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles, is writing to a congregation in the wicked city of Corinth. They had come out of an abject, immoral, idolatrous background, and they were hung up on the marriage relationship that was now Biblical compared to what it had been in paganism. Under idolatry, the marriage relationship did not amount to much; it was just a place to propagate the family, but the pagans knew nothing of moral integrity or fidelity in marriage. Because of that, they were going off the deep end, asking, “Is it right for us to marry?” Les explains that Paul clarifies they should not misinterpret his statement that it is good for a man not to touch a woman. He is not saying they should not get involved and get married, but that believers must be careful in their everyday contact with the opposite sex. Les says the Greek means a man should not get physically involved with a woman to excite the sexual senses; it is not forbidding shaking hands with women or the early church’s holy kiss.