1 Corinthians 12:19 (ESV)

19 If all were a single member, where would the body be?

Paul’s letter to the Corinthians is filled with rhetorical questions. Through these questions, he calls on them to think for themselves and evaluate if what he says is true (see 1 Corinthians 10:15). Here, as in 1 Corinthians 12:17, his question emphasizes the importance of variety (of people and of spiritual gifts) in the church.