Faith and Hearing

The Bible describes a vital link between hearing and faith. When Jesus taught through parables he said, "If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear" (Mark 4:23). When asked if he was the Christ, Jesus responded, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:27).

When Paul wrote to the church in Rome he reminded them that "faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:7). And he asked the believers in Galatia, "Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?" (Galatians 3:2).

So, what about the deaf? How do we communicate the gospel to them?

The above passages, of course, refer to ears and hearing in the spiritual sense. People "hear" in different ways. The important thing, as Paul points out, is that they hear "through the word of Christ."

Thankfully, there are people like Toby Welch who are ministering to the deaf and hearing impaired. Welch is pastor of the Deaf Presbyterian Church in Houston, Texas, and teaches American Sign Language (ASL) to homeschool students in the Houston area. He also has a blog that seeks to communicate the truth of God's word and the principles of the Reformed faith through sign language as well as the written word. Check it out here.