1 Corinthians 12:29-30 - Rhetorical Questions.

Another complication in 1 Corinthians 12-14 is the use of rhetorical questions. Rhetorical questions are questions with an expected or understood answer. They are often used to make a statement, even though they are actually phrased as a question. For example, if a friend tells you he is going to sell his car and bet the money on a horse, you would probably exclaim: "Are you nuts?" You would not expect that person to answer your question because what you are really saying is: "You�re nuts!" In 1 Corinthians 12:29-30, there is a list of such questions: "Are all apostles? Are all prophets?�.Do all speak in tongues?�" Now the problem is, how do we know what the expected answers are? They could be "yes" or "no". However, when it comes to rhetorical questions, Biblical Greek is not as ambiguous as English. The Greek makes it clear that the expected answer is "no!". "Are all apostles?" - "no!". "Do all have gifts of healing?" - "no!" etc. This fits in nicely with what the Apostle Paul is explaining to the Corinthian church about the diversity of spiritual manifestations in the church. The Spirit works through each person as He determines and each manifestation is important to the church community.