Rhetorical Questions

Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?  – Amos 3:3

When a dramatic effect is desired or a point is needing to be made, a rhetorical question is often utilized, and no answer is expected. The question might not even have an answer, but more often the answer is obvious.  You can often find rhetorical questions peppered about in the Bible. Isaiah uses them when ridiculing the worship of idols. “Shall I bow down before a block of wood?” (Isaiah 44:19). The devil poses a rhetorical question to God in Job 1:9-10, “Does Job fear God for no reason?” Paul uses this grammatical construct in his letter to the Romans, “Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?” (Romans 6:1). Today’s verse is another example of a rhetorical question. 

In order for Christians to have unity, there must be agreement between them. Of course, there will always be areas where disagreements persist, but keeping the main thing the main thing is the glue that binds believers together.  Jesus told His disciples the core of His Gospel—the main thing. Jesus is the Son of God, He was crucified for the sins of the whole world, He was resurrected from the dead, one must repent of sin and believe Him, and seek to follow Him, and the believer will inherit eternal life. 

Has your spiritual life become cluttered with the non-essentials? Get back to making the main thing the main thing. Pray for pastors and church leaders to adhere to the words of Jesus and the entirety of Scripture, to speak boldly and with clarity the things that are true. Beseech the Lord for the Holy Spirit to instill a desire for truth in the nation’s governing officials. 

Today’s Verse: Amos 3:3

“Do two walk together, 
    unless they have agreed to meet? 

All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Recommended for further reading: Mark 8:27-38

27 And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” 29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” 30 And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. 

31 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” 

34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” 

All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Back to top
FE3