This paper examines the enigmatic phrase in 1 Corinthians 7:1b (καλὸν ἀνθρώπῳ γυναικὸς μὴ ἅπτεσθαι) by investigating why some Corinthian believers advocated for sexual abstinence within marriage. While previous scholarship has attributed this position to Greek philosophical dualism or Stoic-Cynic ethical debates, this study proposes that the Corinthians’ stance resulted from their application of Paul’s temple metaphor (1 Cor 3:16-17; 6:19) through the lens of their religious background. Drawing on semiotics theory, the study of how signs and symbols create meaning within cultural systems and interpretive communities, this paper argues that the Corinthians reinterpreted Paul’s metaphorical identification of believers as “temples of the Holy Spirit” according to their cultural understanding of cult purity. An examination of purity regulations in three prominent Greco-Roman cults active in first-century Corinth (Apollo, Isis, and Asklepios) demonstrates that sexual abstinence was a fundamental requirement for maintaining temple purity in the Corinthians’ religious milieu. The evidence suggests that some Corinthian believers, influenced by their pre-existing cultural framework, concluded that marital sexual abstinence was necessary for spiritual holiness as they navigated their new identity as God’s temple. Paul’s response in 7:2-7, particularly his concession for temporary abstinence during prayer (7:5), reveals his nuanced approach to temple purity ideology while correcting the Corinthians’ misapplication. This analysis provides fresh insight into the interpretive challenges faced by Paul’s predominantly Gentile audience as they navigated their new Christian identity amid Corinth’s complex religious landscape.