The following has been said of a friend of mine. He seldom asks a question that he doesn’t already know the answer. Now I’m not extolling or condemning my friend. He really is an intelligent person who is very likeable. I’m just using this idea to spur our thoughts. Questions cause us to think.
Using questions can be an effective means of teaching. I spent many years teaching in a high school setting. There are various methods of imparting knowledge. One such way is to encourage the student to think by asking them leading questions. The objective is to cause the student to process information and come to conclusions on their own. This requires a higher order of thinking than simply recalling memorized facts.
There are many questions raised in Scripture with this same objective.
The gospel accounts contain 173 questions asked by Jesus. And most often they were asked not for His sake but for the sake of the one being asked. Jesus asked questions not because He needed to know but because the one being asked did. Jesus was the Master Teacher. He often used questions to prompt the listener to think.
For example…
Mark 8:36 – “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”
Matthew 16 – “Who do men say that I am? But who do you say that I am?”
Paul asked questions many times leading the listener to obvious conclusions. On 13 occasions he asked questions of a rhetorical nature and then replied with “certainly not!”
Let us note 10 of the 13 questions found in the book of Romans. Each of these questions are raised and answered emphatically with the response – Certainly not!
Romans
3: 3 – Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of GOD without effect?
3:6 – Is GOD unjust who inflicts wrath?
3:31 – Do we make void the law through the faith?
6:2 – Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
6:15 – Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?
7:7 – Is the law sin?
7:13 – Has then that what is good become death to me?
9:14 – Is there unrighteousness with GOD?
11:1 – Has GOD cast away His people?
11:11 – Have they stumbled that they should fall?
There are 3 more found in Paul’s writings found in 1 Cor 6:15; Gal 2:17, 3:21.
Again, each of these are asked and answered emphatically to cause the listener to think.
There seems to be a common thread or common point among all of these. I would ask the reader to be cautious when taking Scriptures out of context. It has been said that a text taken out of context is a pretext. Let us always consider the context of a passage. A further contextual study of the passages above will be beneficial in order to extract my point.
All of these teach a common theme. The theme is that GOD’S plan for using the Old Covenant to bring righteousness to the world in the form of Jesus Christ, the Son of GOD, was successful. Jesus is our means of salvation. Furthermore, He is our only means of salvation.
Paul was reasoning with the Romans the same truth we find in John 14:6. It is here we read, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”
I leave you with a question. Shall we neglect so great a salvation available to us through Jesus Christ? Certainly not!