Bible Question:
If faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, how would a deaf, mute and blind person come to know Jesus before the scriptures were printed?
Bible Answer:
The scripture you are thinking about is,
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Romans 10:17 (NASB)
Yes, it is true that a deaf person cannot hear the gospel, unless they have some other means of communication. They are unable to understand that the God-man, Jesus Christ, died to forgive their sins. The passage above assumes the obvious – most people can hear. But it is not a rigid formula requiring a person to hear or see in order to be forgiven. Men and women, before and after the scriptures were printed, have communicated in a variety of ways. Some by hearing or seeing and others by sign language.
The Lord cares for the blind, deaf and those who cannot speak,
You shall not curse a deaf man, nor place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall revere your God; I am the LORD. (NASB) Leviticus 19:14
Exodus 4:11 says He makes the blind, deaf and mute. Scripture indicates that God shows mercy to those who are unable to understand the gospel – even the child who dies shortly after birth. A great example of this is the death of the child who was born to King David and Bathsheba. After the child died, David makes the following comment,
. . . I shall go to him, but he will not return to me. (NASB) 2 Samuel 12:23
David says he will see the child in heaven someday. This means the child went to heaven even though it never heard about Jesus. Will God do the same for one who does not understand because they are blind, deaf and cannot speak? I believe the answer is yes! The infant had no hope of knowing either.
Conclusion:
The Lord Jesus cares about all of us because He made us all,
Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.
Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes,
And the deaf, even though they have ears. Isaiah 43:7-8 (NASB)
He has made you and I just as He wanted us to be. Praise God!