In 1 Corinthians 6, the phrase “Don’t you know” appears at the beginning of six sentences in verses 2, 3, 9, 15, 16, 19. Amazing! How forgetful and/or neglectful the members of the Corinthian church were. Paul spent about 18 months with them, teaching them everything that he repeats in these six verses, but here, he has to say it all over again.

But he doesn’t simply repeat himself. Rather, he puts each matter in the form of a stinging question which points out their failure to recall or obey what he had told them about God’s will for their lives. Surely, having to do so didn’t mean that their flawed behavior was because of that master teacher’s inability to teach them!

Certainly, today, there are preachers who would like to get into their pulpits and shoot forth a sally of similar questions about what he has been endeavoring to get into the heads—and lives—of his people. But most of them would be afraid to be as bold as Paul. Right? But, now wait a moment. Maybe you can, after all.

Perhaps a way to begin to do something like this is to preach a message on Six Questions that Shouldn’t Have Been Asked. Then, use this sextet of verses to show how some people respond to truth. He might, then, raise the issues that were in his mind about his people covering at least six that he thinks they need to pay attention to. Best wishes. People need such preaching, pastor—don’t you know?