Is Marriage A Good Thing?

Question: Why does the Old Testament say that it is not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18), and that finding a wife is a good thing (Proverbs 18:22); yet, the New Testament says it is good that a man should not touch a woman (1 Corinthians 7:1)? Is marriage a good thing?

Answer: A wife is such a good find that marriage protects both man and wife. Paul did not say that a man could not touch a woman, thus making marriage bad. The word “touch” used by Paul includes the idea of “fasten to, adhere” and “to set on fire.” What he said was, “Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband.” In other words, marriage protects from immorality.

Look at it this way: if two people are married, even flirting with someone is not permissible because it misdirects emotions and this can lead to lust, which is adultery. The man is to have his own woman and the woman her own man.