An earlier version of this post was published on The Gospel Coalition website.
“‘Touch not mine anointed.’ That’s what this book says!” the preacher stormed, flapping his Bible above his head. “There are people in this church right now who are trying to touch God’s anointed—but I won’t let them stretch their hands against me!”
I was fourteen years old, and common sense was in short supply for me at the time. Still, something about the chapel sermon that day in this tiny fundamentalist school didn’t seem right.