One of the greatest truths of the Bible is that the Gospel of salvation and grace is for all. Ancient Israel misunderstood God’s relationship with them. The political State of Israel today continues to misunderstand. For some reason, like selfishness or self-exaltation or the desire to be greater than and better than others, some have always included themselves and excluded others. The Pharisees did not want Jesus associating with Gentiles and eating with sinners. According to a Pharisee, a sinner was anyone who was not one of them.

So that no one would be confused about those included in the Gospel plan of redemption, the Bible often names them by groups.

"For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then are you Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise." (Gal. 3:26-29.)

Obviously, the disenfranchised ones in the first century and beyond were those under bondage, women, and Gentiles. Paul names all of these along with men, the free and the Jews (who assumed that they were included). It was the Jew who divided the world into "Jews and Greeks." The require-ment for inclusion in God’s plan had nothing to do with gender, race or financial standing. Furthermore, it had nothing to do with one’s genetic relationship to Abraham. By God’s grace, everyone qualified. Everyone could become a child of God by faith in Christ Jesus. If one walked in the faith of father Abraham, they were justified just as Abraham was.

"Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace, to the end that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all." (Rom. 4:16.)

In Christianity, all alike are sinners, and all alike are saved by grace through faith. The interpretation of Galatians 3 should be limited to salvation. That is the subject under discussion. Men, women, bond, free, Jew and Gentile may sit together around the table of the Lord. In the kingdom of God, all are equal in matters of salvation.

Christianity stands alone in the promotion of this redemption equality. The Jews failed in large measure because they exalted themselves above the Gentiles. In India, the Brahmin is regarded by his birth as the favorite of heaven. All others are supposed to be of a degraded rank according to caste. The Muslims shamelessly abuse their women and claim that they regard them more highly than Christians do. Islam has kept their women behind veils, under ignorance, and submissive to the carnal pleasures of the men. They even envision Paradise as a place where women exist only for the pleasure of men. Indians in North America likewise enslaved their women. Only in Christ are women exalted to their proper place of honor. At the foot of the cross, all are equal as sinners. At the communion table, all are equal as recipients of grace.

To prove that women were equally accepted in Christ, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon men and women. Joel foretold that such would occur. Peter confirmed it.

"But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel. And it shall come to pass in the last days, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams. And on my servants and on my handmaidens, I will pour out in those days of my Spirit and they shall prophesy." (Acts 2:16-18.)

Paul noted that women who prayed and prophesied must have their heads covered. (1 Cor. 11:5.) Philip the evangelist had four virgin daughters who could prophesy. (Acts 21:9.)

(See "Alexander Campbell on Evangelizing the Deaf," Jon Ashby, Restoration Quarterly, Vol. 24, First Quarter, 1981,12-17.)

Bible verses that refer to the importance of hearing the Gospel may have caused some to think that the deaf are not subjects to the Gospel. (Rom. 10:17.) There is a tradition that many American Protestant leaders of the 17^th to the 19^th centuries believed that the deaf were not a group that needed conversion to Christianity. They were placed in the same category as children who die before the age of accountability, the insane and feebleminded. The deaf are a proud people who do not enjoy being lumped together with infants and the feebleminded. The "hearing" church has often been viewed as one looking down condescendingly on the deaf.

Augustine appears to have been the one who taught that the deaf should not be included in evangelism. He said that the presence of defects like blindness and deafness in children are evidence of original sin. (Against Julian, chapter 4.) He further wrote, "deafness is a hindrance to faith itself," as the apostle said, "Faith comes by hearing."

Even though Campbell and other Restoration leaders emphasized the process of salvation beginning with hearing, there are no records that the deaf were regarded as excluded from the Gospel. In fact, the case of a deaf man’s conversion was reported in The Millennial Harbinger in 1831. The man was Joseph Pyatt from the Pittsburg Institute for the Deaf. Campbell reported, "On the day of his baptism, he made a very clear and satisfactory confession of his faith in Jesus Christ, and of his willingness to submit to his government in every thing. He was accordingly immersed into Christ and exhibited as much joy and consolation in his translation into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ as we recollect to have seen exhibited by any of those who can both hear and speak." (Vol. 11, December 1931, 547.)

Campbell also wrote, "The deaf and dumb can glorify God and condemn them who though they have ears and tongues are mutes in the praises of God and the Lamb." (Millennial Harbinger, Vol. 11, 1831, 547.)

By the way, Juan Diamante, the Ingles’ son-in-law, signs for the deaf in the Philippines. There are several deaf members in the Pitesti, Romanian church. Brother Hollis Maynard ministers to them.

In addition to everyone being invited into the Kingdom of God, the whole person is included in redemption. Due to the Greek philosophers, we have too often followed their lead in over emphasizing "the immortality of the soul." Yet in Scripture, immortality is only discussed in regard to the resurrected body of man and to God himself. An over emphasis upon just the soul, leaves the impression that only a part of man is subject to redemption. The Bible teaches that the whole man is involved in redemption. I believe in the holistic view of man.

"The very God of peace sanctify you wholly. I pray God that your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thess. 5:23.)

Paul wrote about the redemption of the body as well as the soul. "And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to know, the redemption of our body." (Rom. 8:23.) "Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise up us by his own power." (1 Cor. 6:14.) "What? Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have of God and you are not your own? For you are bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s." (1 Cor. 6:19-20.)

Part of the Colossian heresy was that Christians thought that they were more righteous if they neglected the physical needs of the body. (Col. 2:20-23.) Those who teach today that you are more spiritual if you remain celibate are continuing that falsehood. Some falsely think of the body as being evil and desire to be made free from its desires. It is true that this body will die, but it will also be raised a spiritual body. Without the resurrection, man’s redemption will not be realized.

Have you noticed that the Gospel is applied to the whole of man’s life and activities? The Bible refers to marriage, our occupation, the raising of children, our fears, our need for food and clothing, fellowship, etc. There is not an area where God is not concerned and cares for man.

Some continue to make false distinctions between various aspects of man’s life by trying to separate the spiritual from the social and physical. The very fact that the early church had agape meals shows the strong relationship between man’s social existence and his spiritual. Christianity applies to every aspect of man’s life. Jesus attended a wedding at Cana of Galilee and performed his first miracle there. (John 2.)

Have you noticed that when we come to the assembly to worship, we come with our bodies as well? It would be a spooky thing if only spirits showed up! We sing with our voices. We teach with the use of our bodies. We give on the first day of the week. This money is not just for maintaining the worship services. It is for the poor and needy, for orphans and widows. Those who try to make the activities of the church only spiritual are not consistent. A man cannot be chopped up into three parts and neatly divided on Sunday, or any other day.

The Gospel is for all and the whole of man is included.