My name is John Thurne, I have been preaching to the deaf in Alabama and Tennessee. I am not presently preaching because I have been informed by the elders of my home congregation that I have to cease preaching to the deaf because we do not have a scriptural authority for a separate services. … My question is, 1. Is it wrong to have a separate service for the deaf? 2. The elders said it was wrong because of the Lord’s Supper, is it wrong to have the Lord’s Supper separately? 3. Did not Jesus command us to preach the gospel to every creature?
Typically, interpretation, whether for the deaf or for other spoken languages, takes place in the same assembly of a congregation. In the case of the deaf, the interpretation occurs simultaneously with the spoken lesson without interruption or confusion since only one audible voice at a time is heard. Where two or more spoken languages characterize an audience, such as on some mission fields, a preacher speaks and then pauses while his words are translated to the other language. This latter situation is precisely what the inspired apostle Paul instructed the church at Corinth (1 Corinthians 14:26-33).
Sometimes, in areas where a number of worshippers speak a language that is not shared by a larger number of worshippers, the two language groups will form separate congregations. Two such groups may have an agreement where they use the same facilities at different times, though they are essentially two distinct congregations (e.g., English speakers and Spanish speakers).
Biblically speaking, the worship assembly of a single congregation is defined as the whole church coming together in one place (1 Corinthians 11:17-20; 14:23). One of the activities in the worship assembly is the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11) in which the church participates together. The other aspects of worship, likewise, are jointly pursued by the whole church coming together at one time in one place.
The Greek word for the English “church” can refer to the universal church spanning the entire world and across the centuries since the establishment of the church (Acts 2:47; Ephesians 1:22). Additionally, the word “church” can mean a congregation that meets in a certain city (1 Corinthians 1:2) or it can refer to the assembly of a congregation to worship (1 Corinthians 11 and 14).
Yes, the Gospel is intended by God for every accountable person on earth. However, no one dare ignore the areas in which God through the Bible specifies the details of how something is to be fulfilled. We look to the Bible for authority through commands, approved examples and implication (from which we are obligated to correctly infer). There is a biblical pattern or definition for what constitutes an assembly of the Lord’s church (see above). In all things, we need to apprise ourselves of God’s Word and determine to operate within the boundaries of divine authorization where God has specified. There is a way of doing the will of God (e.g., preaching to the deaf) without running afoul of divine instruction.
