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New
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Curriculu

Course Book
Wilson Zivave
For ZIMSEC Form 5 and 6
Christianity and Islam

Course book

Wilson Zivave
Contents

CHAPTER 1 TENETS OF CHRISTIANITY............................................................................................... 1

Unit 1 Authority of the Bible............................................................................................................................1
Unit 2 Sin............................................................................................................................................................7
Unit 3 Salvation.................................................................................................................................................14
Unit 4 Holy Spirit...............................................................................................................................................22
Unit 5 Concept of the church..........................................................................................................................25
Unit 6 Eschatology............................................................................................................................................38

CHAPTER 2 JESUS’ LIFE ....................................................................................................................... 42

Unit 7 Birth.........................................................................................................................................................42
Unit 8 Baptism...................................................................................................................................................47
Unit 9 Passion and death ................................................................................................................................52
Unit 10 Resurrection ........................................................................................................................................57

CHAPTER 3 MINISTRY OF JESUS......................................................................................................... 65

Unit 11 Kingdom of God..................................................................................................................................65
Unit 12 Parables................................................................................................................................................70
Unit 13 Miracles................................................................................................................................................75
Unit 14 Ethics of Jesus......................................................................................................................................80

CHAPTER 4 CHRISTIANITY AND CONTEMPORARY ISSUES ............................................................. 85

Unit 15 Christianity and the marriage institution.........................................................................................85
Unit 16 Christianity and enterprise................................................................................................................90
Unit 17 Christianity, politics and governance ...............................................................................................96
Unit 18 Christianity, health and wellbeing ....................................................................................................101
Unit 19 Status of women in Christianity .......................................................................................................105
Unit 20 Christianity, prophecy and miracles in Zimbabwe today...............................................................111

CHAPTER 5 TENETS OF ISLAM ............................................................................................................ 116

Unit 21 Authority of the Quran/Koran .........................................................................................................116
Unit 22 Concept of Allah .................................................................................................................................120
Unit 23 Five pillars of Islam .............................................................................................................................122
Unit 24 The Sharia Law....................................................................................................................................126

CHAPTER 6 MUHAMMAD, PROPHECY AND REVELATION................................................................ 131

Unit 25 Role of Muhammad............................................................................................................................131
Unit 26 Muhammad as a prophet..................................................................................................................136
CHAPTER 7 ETHICS IN ISLAM ............................................................................................................. 140
Unit 27 Love ......................................................................................................................................................140
Unit 28 Rules of behaviour..............................................................................................................................142

CHAPTER 8 ISLAM AND GENDER RELATIONS................................................................................... 146

Unit 29 Status of women in Islam ..................................................................................................................146
Unit 30 Participation of Islamic women in politics........................................................................................151

CHAPTER 9 ISLAM AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY............................................................................ 156

Unit 31 Humanitarian service..........................................................................................................................156
Unit 32 Islamic charity organisations/NGOs .................................................................................................160

CHAPTER 10 ISLAM AND POLITICS.................................................................................................... 165

Unit 33 Islam and governance........................................................................................................................165
Unit 34 Concept of Jihad .................................................................................................................................169
Unit 35 Islam and conflict transformation.....................................................................................................171

CHAPTER 11 ISLAM AND MARRIAGE................................................................................................. 174

Unit 36 Marriage institution ..........................................................................................................................174
Unit 37 Divorce in Islam...................................................................................................................................177

CHAPTER 12 ISLAM AND THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT................................................................ 180

Unit 38 Natural environment preservation ..................................................................................................180

Examination 1......................................................................................................................................... 186

Examination 2......................................................................................................................................... 187
Examination 3......................................................................................................................................... 188
Examination 4......................................................................................................................................... 189
Examination 5......................................................................................................................................... 190
Examination 6......................................................................................................................................... 191
Examination 7......................................................................................................................................... 192
Examination 8......................................................................................................................................... 193
Examination 9......................................................................................................................................... 194

Index ..................................................................................................................................................................195
References.........................................................................................................................................................197

iv Unit : 
 TENETS OF CHRISTIANITY
Unit Authority of the Bible
1
Unit objective
By the end of this unit, you should be able to:
•• evaluate the relationship between the Old Testament
and the New Testament.
Introduction
Scripture refers to a written document. In this case, scripture
refers to the Holy Bible. This means that Christianity is a
scripture religion. It believes that the Bible is the inspired
word of God as a whole. The Christian scripture is in two
parts namely, the Old Testament and the New Testament.
The purpose of this unit is discussing the authority of
scripture as well as evaluating the relationship between the
Old Testament and the New Testament. The unit also looks
at how the scripture is viewed among different Christian
denominations.
Key words
Authority – the power or right to give orders, make
decisions, and enforce obedience.
Scripture – the sacred writings of a religion.
Revelation – unknown fact that has been disclosed to
others.
Concept of scripture
Scripture is defined as sacred writings of a community
of faith and the term ‘scripture’ is derived from the Latin
word ‘scriptura’ meaning that which is written or writings
so basically, scripture means that which is written (Kramer,
1986). However, in terms of usage the term scripture has
been restricted to mean religious literature that claim to
have been revealed. Scripture has largely been associated
with Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In this context,
scripture refers to the Old Testament and New Testament
used by Christians.
The two parts namely the Old Testament and the New
Testament books makes up what is called the Bible which
is scripture of Christians. The New Testament has twenty-
seven books that were written after the death of Jesus
Christ. The New Testament is of great significance to
Christians as it is seen as the new covenant between God
and his people. The Bible is viewed differently by many
Christians, some believe that it is the true word of God and
cannot go wrong (infallible) while others believe that the
Bible is a book with spiritual truths and testimonies but is
not historical.
In Christianity, scripture has had a long history which has
been characterized by debates, divisions and queries as
to how particular verses should be interpreted. Christians
regard the books of the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament
as fully canonical basing their claim on 2 Timothy 3:16
which declares that, “all scripture is inspired by God.” In
this regard, Christians use the Old Testament together with
the New Testament as the inspired word of God. God used
human beings by inspiring them to write his word without
error. The scripture in Christianity contains an inspired
doctrine. Inspiration means that the scripture has the
message that God wanted to be written down.
There are various interpretations as to how the Bible should
guide Christians in some actions or beliefs. For example,
some feel that they should not marry on the basis of the
Bible while others feel that they should marry. Some shave
their hair and some do not, some take certain foods and
leave out others. This shows the different interpretations
applied to the Bible. Besides varied interpretation of the
Bible, the human authors of the Christian Bible had their
TENETS OF CHRISTIANITY 1
a perfect high priest. The old sacrifice is the shadow of the discontinuity of some Old Testament concepts like that of
new former which is Christ. According to Ezra 6:20 there is a the demi urge-creator of Old Testament and the God of love
Passover lamb which becomes the Lamb of God in the New in the New Testament. The Old Testament focuses on the
Testament (John 1:29). punishment of men by God with little hope of Grace while
the New Testament focuses on the everlasting love of God
The Old Testament cannot be understood without the New
and his mercy towards sinners.
Testament.
2. The New Testament is predicated in the Old
7. T
 he similarity of the teachings of the Old
Testament
Testament and New Testament
The Old Testament lays the foundation of the coming of
The revelation in Scripture in Christianity is progressive.
Christ in the New Testament who would be a sacrifice for
Therefore, the New Testament lays bare the teachings that
people’s sins. Jesus is prophesied in the Old Testament and
were only alluded to in the Old Testament. For example,
the New Testament records the ministry of Jesus which
the Book of Hebrews describes how Jesus is the true High
all leads to the salvation of humankind. Jesus is described
Priest and how His one sacrifice replaces all of the previous
as both loving, holy, merciful and righteous by the two
sacrifices, which were mere portrayals. The Old Testament
testaments. The two testaments cannot be separated
provides the Law, which has two parts, the commandments
without destroying the importance of each testament.
and the blessing/curse that comes from obedience or
They stand and fall together. The two speaks similar issues
disobedience to God. The New Testament then clarifies that
in different terminology and historical stages. The New
God gave those commandments to show men their need
Testament is predicated on the Old Testament.
for salvation (Romans 3:19). The Old Testament lovingly
describes the sacrificial system God gave to the Israelites In conclusion, although there are some glimpses of
that was designed to temporarily cover over their sins. uniqueness between the Old Testament and the New
Testament, the Old Testament lays the foundation for,
The New Testament goes on to clarify that this system
and was meant to prepare the Jews for the coming of
alluded to the sacrifice of Christ through whom salvation
the Messiah who would sacrifice Himself to save the
is found (Acts 4:12; Hebrews 10:5-10). The Old Testament
world because of its sins (1 John 2:2). To add on, the New
witnessed how the paradise was lost and the New
Testament provides the life of Jesus Christ, looks back on
Testament shows how paradise is regained for all of us
what Jesus did for humanity and shows how humanity
through the second Adam (Christ) and how it will one
responded to salvation (Romans 12). Both the Old and
day be restored. The Old Testament declares that man
the New Testament reveal the same holy, merciful
was separated from God through sin (Genesis 3) and the
and righteous God who must condemn sin but who
New Testament declares that man can now be restored
simultaneously desires to bring Himself to a fallen human
in his relationship to God (Romans 3-6). There is a close
race of sinners through the forgiveness only made possible
relationship between the Old Testament and the New
through Christ’s atoning sacrifice. In both the Old and the
Testament. Many New Testament teachings have a firm
New Testament, God reveals Himself to humanity and how
foundation from the Old Testament. Although the New
humanity is to come to Him through Jesus Christ.
Testament is an autonomous revealed scripture, it is a
carbon copy of Old Testament. There is an indelible mark of How different Christians in Zimbabwe value the
the Old Testament in the New Testament teachings.
Old Testament and New Testament respectively
The disconnection of Old Testament and Zimbabwe is home to various Christian groups which
New Testament perceive and value the Old and New Testament differently.
The differences in valuing these components of Christian
1. The difference in objectives scripture namely the Old Testament and the New Testament
However, the Old and the New Testament have a distant emanates from various interpretation of the Bible as well as
relationship because the Old Testament focuses on the differences in understanding the meaning of salvation.
history of the Israelites from creation stories up to exiling The mainline conservative churches and African
of the Israelites then back to restoration, while on the initiated churches with regard to strict value of the Old
other hand the New Testament focuses on the person Testament
and work of Christ. Christology is at the centre of New
Main line Christians who are conservative like the Seventh
Testament narrative. Thus the Old Testament deals with the
Day Adventists, Johanne Marange Apostolic Church and
history of the Jews while the New Testament deals with the
African Apostolic Sabbath church all tend to value the Old
church from a universal perspective. There is a complete

4 Unit 1: Authority of the Bible

Testament so much. For Christians, the Old Testament
is the foundation of the Christian beliefs. One example
which shows that they value the Old Testament so much is
evidenced by strict application and observance of the Old
Testament laws and practices. Observance of the Sabbath
shows that some churches value the Old Testament.
Furthermore, the valuing of polygamous marriage
institution also proves that the Old Testament is valued.
For example, the Johanne Marange Apostolic Church value
this practice which is common in the Old Testament which
was practiced by the patriarchy. Dietary laws emphasised
by some churches like the Seventh Day Adventist and some
apostolic churches also show that the Old Testament is of
greater significance for contemporary Christians.
Mainline churches and equality of the Old
Testament and New Testament
For some churches in the contemporary world, both the
Old and the New Testament are of equal value as their
doctrines and practices are derived from both sections
of the Christian scripture. For example, the Seventh Day
also believe that God’s promises are fulfilled in Jesus and
will be consummated through the second coming of Jesus
Christ as proclaimed by both the Old Testament and the
New Testament. Jesus is also at the centre of their Christian
doctrine in as much as the Old Testament laws are at the
centre of their practices.
Valuing of the New Testament than the Old
Testament: Prophetic ministry churches and
Pentecostal churches
Pentecostal churches like the Prophetic, Healing and
Deliverance Ministries, Christ Embassy and New Life
Ministry value the New Testament more than the Old
Testament. They believe that the coming of Christ removed
such barriers which has to do with dressing and dietary
issues. Whereas some churches value Old Testament, eating
of pork is strictly forbidden while in those which value the
New Testament eating pork is not a problem but a sign of
one being the child of liberty.
Main line churches
Main line churches like the Catholics, Anglican and
Methodist value the New Testament than the Old because
they believe that Christ ushered in a new era which is
based on faith rather than meticulous observance of the
old laws found in the Old Testament. Christian behaviour
is regulated by faith rather than the law. It is because of
this that the New Testament is valued strongly than the Old
Testament.
Masowe eChishanu Apostolic Church and the
disregard of both the Old Testament and New
Testament
For some Christians, the Old Testament and the New
Testament are of no value. They do not value the Bible
in its entirety because they believe that the Old and New
Testament are stale information from God. This is common
in Johanne Masowe apostolic church who believe that
God’s word is directly transmitted to the people through
the prophet. This creates more confusion than clarity as to
whether the Johanne Masowe followers are Christians since
they dismiss the scripture which witnesses Christ.
It is clear that the Old Testament and the New Testament
is valued differently by several Christians in Zimbabwe
because of differences in church doctrines as well as
interpretation of the written scripture. The Old and New
Testament are all of importance in shaping Christian
doctrine and practices.
Activity 1
Discussion
In groups, discuss the use of scripture in Christianity.
Activity 2
Debate
In groups, debate on the claim that, without scripture
Christianity would not have stood firm as a religion.” One
group support the claim whilst the other group will be
opposing the claim.
Summary of the unit
•• The Christian Bible is an infallible word of God and
it is inspired by God using human authors to write
his word.
•• Christianity uses the Holy Scripture.
•• The Old and the New Testament are both regarded
as scripture in Christianity.
•• Scripture is believed to be a result of inspiration in
Christianity.
•• The Bible is not a product of human authoring but
a product of divine inspiration.
•• Scripture is authoritative and the word in it is that
of God.
•• There is a close relationship between the Old and
the New Testament.
TENETS OF CHRISTIANITY 5
 •• There are various theories which explains inspiration in Christianity.
•• Scripture is the most important document in Christianity as it contains the doctrine and practices of Christianity.
•• The value of scripture is not uniform in Christianity.

Revision Exercises
Essay Questions

1. Discuss how different Christians in Zimbabwe value the Old and New Testaments.
2. Discuss the nature of scripture in Christianity.
3. Examine the relationship between the Old and New Testament.
4. Analyse the importance of scripture in Christianity.
5. “The New Testament is the continuation of the Old Testament”. Discuss.
6. Analyse Christian views of scripture.
7. To what extent does Christian scripture promote good citizenship?

6 Unit 1: Authority of the Bible

 TENETS OF CHRISTIANITY
Unit Sin
2
Unit objectives
By the end of this unit, you should be able to:
•• examine the biblical meaning of sin.
•• critique the various perceptions of sin among
Christians in Zimbabwe.
Introduction
Sin is a problem which affects Christians and the term has
several meanings which include transgression of God’s
law, failure to do what is right as well as doing what is bad
to other fellow human beings. The concept of sin is very
complex and has a wide variety of terminology which refers
to sin. It is within this context that this unit seeks to examine
the biblical meaning of sin as well as offering a critique of the
perception of sin among contemporary Christians.
Key words
Ignorance – lack of knowledge or information.
Lawlessness – a state of disorder due to a disregard of the
law.
Wickedness – the quality of being evil or morally wrong.
Sin
The word ‘sin’ is used in the Bible to cover many different
aspects of the idea of wickedness or opposition to the will
of God. As such there are such variants such as injustice,
lawlessness, evil, guilt and other terms used to refer to sin.
Sin by definition refers to any deliberate act, by thought,
word, or deed of a responsible individual, against the law of
God.
The terms sin and evil are often used interchangeably
and are considered synonymous. There are both natural
evil and social evil. Social evil and sin are directly related
while natural evil and sin are indirectly related. The
commandments and laws of God are the basis on which the
basic Christian idea of sin is formed.
The basic translation of the term sin in Greek is ‘hata’ which
means ‘to miss the mark’, ‘to lose’ or ‘to fail’ and through
all the terms used for sin there is the underlying idea of a
falling short of a norm given to man by God. This means
that sin has its origin in the deliberate and conscious
failure to conform to God’s law; in other words, sin is
fundamentally a responsible act of rebellion against God.
Origins of sin in Christianity
The origins of sin in Christianity is traced back to the time of
Adam during the creation of the universe. Man was created
in the image of God and was regarded with high esteem
before the coming of sin into the world. Adam and Eve were
deceived by the serpent and this was against the instruction
which had been given to them by God. They rebelled
against God by eating the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:1). This
shows that sin is attractive to human beings since Adam
and Eve disobeyed by undermining the authority of God.
Sin involves the refusal by mankind to accept the position
of God as the creator and the one with all knowledge. It
was the sin of the first human beings, Adam and Eve that
alienated men from God.
There was disharmony between God and the people
because of the sins of Adam. Sin resulted in the punishment
of the serpent, Adam and Eve which affected the entire
humanity. Man was cursed because of sin and was expelled
from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:21-24) and the penalty
of sin was death. Sin in this case led to the great loss of
dignity, harmonious relationship with God and eternal life
for Adam and Eve as well as the entire humanity. According
TENETS OF CHRISTIANITY 7
are attached to human race because of being human with
the origin from Adam.
2. Sin of commission
Sins of commission are sins that people commit by
doing something which they are not supposed to do. It
is a common sin among believers. For example, if a man
commits adultery on his wife whilst he knows that it is bad.
A sin of commission is something someone do but he or
she should not be doing. 1 Corinthians 6:10 summarises the
sins of commission as it says: “Or do you not know that the
unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be
deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous,
nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit
the kingdom of God”.
Examples of sins of commission:
•• Sexual sins: Adultery, fornication, bestiality,
homosexuality, bisexuality, molestation,
pornography among others.
•• Theft, covetousness.
•• Murder, physical abuse, bullying, mental abuse.
•• Gossip, slander, backbiting, among others.
•• Lying, manipulating, and cursing.
3. Sin of omission
Sins of omission refers to sins that people commit by not
doing something that one is supposed to do. It is sin which
comes by failure to perform what one is expected to do.
Examples of sins of omission that one may commit
(a) F
 ailing to pray regularly, or failing to pray for others in
our lives.
(b) Failing to tithe.
(c) F
 ailing to help another person when one has the
capacity.
(d) Failing to provide for our family.
4. Sins of unbelief
This is a sin that is caused by wrong and evil attitudes
in man’s heart. According to Hebrews 3:8, the major sin
committed by the Israelites is the sin of unbelief which came
as a result of failing to trust in God and failing to obey God.
This sin occurs when people fails to obey God by lacking
faith in God. Lack of faith is a sin of unbelief.
5. Sins of ignorance
These are sins that are committed without realising that
one has committed a sin. According to Leviticus 5:17-19
there are sacrifices for the sins of ignorance. These sins
include matters in which a person violated God’s law
unintentionally. In the New Testament in Hebrew 9:7 and
Hebrews 7:12, these sins can be forgiven through the blood
of Jesus Christ spilled on the cross.
The meaning of sin in Christianity
Sin is a riddle, a mystery and a reality that eludes definition
and comprehension. It does not only involve wrongdoing
or transgression of God’s law but also failure to do what is
right. Sin has the characteristic of offending other people;
being violent to others as well as an expression of lack of
love towards other people. It is a rebellion against God. This
shows that sin is complex, and the terminology is large and
varied.
1. Hata/Harmatiology
The Greek word hamartia is employed to translate fifteen
different Hebrew words and this does not include different
variations of the same verbal stem; adikia stands for
thirty-six different Hebrew words; anomia for twenty-four.
It is within this context that, Hata is the other word of sin
which means to miss the mark, to lose or to fail to do what
is expected. The term is used for sin with an underlying
idea of a falling short of a norm given to man by God. This
term ‘hata’ states that sin originated in the deliberate and
conscious failure to conform to God’s law. This word occurs
around 250 times in the New Testament to express the
concept of sin. The central meaning of this word is to “miss
the mark.”
However, the word is used in several ways. It can refer to
general sin or wrongdoing (John 8:21) or specific acts of sin
(Matthew 12:31; 1 John 5:16). The apostle Paul also used
it to personify an ungodly power that can control people
(Romans 6:6). It also refers to the inward element that
produces wrongdoing (Romans 3:9; 7:13). Hamartia entered
the world by Adam (Romans 5:12). He disobeyed God and
disregarded His instruction. Adam missed the mark and
fell short. Ultimately, this mark (of perfection) is nothing
short of the perfection of God’s character-the ultimate aim
of God’s spiritual children (Matthew 5:48). As sinners we
“fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). God’s laws
gives us a knowledge of hamartia, or sin (Romans 3:20). We
must not continue in such sin (Romans 6:1-2), but repent,
be forgiven and have our sins blotted out (Acts 2:38; 3:19.
From this context, sin is fundamentally a responsible act of
rebellion like living an immoral life which is against the will
and demands of God. Sin takes into consideration the issues
of morality and ethical behaviour.
Failure to acknowledge the role and teachings of the Holy
Spirit is also sin. The result of man’s failure to observe the
Divine law is regarded as sin.
TENETS OF CHRISTIANITY 9
Causes of sin
The Christian environment has always been punctuated by
sin. The causes of sin in Christianity are so many and it is
believed that sin is caused by the devil, human nature that is
sinful, bad influence and the need to satisfy sexual desires.
Below is a reflection of these causes of sin in Christianity.
1. Devil
The devil is the chief causer of sin in Christianity for it can
enter into a person and influence the action of a person. For
example, Judas was influenced to be greed and betray Jesus
because the devil entered him (John 13:27). The devil is the
greatest causer of sin in believers.
2. Human nature which is sinful
Human nature has been created in a way that it is receptive
of sin. This leads to the satisfaction of human desires at
the expense of the spiritual life. According to Romans 5:12,
“Therefore sin came into the world through one man and
death through sin”. This implies that Adam the ancestor of
all humanity brought sin into the world because from him
his sinful nature was transferred to all other people.
3. Bad influence from others
Sin is caused by bad influence from other people. If one is
always in company of people who are drunkards, there is a
high likelihood that such a person also becomes a drunkard.
This shows that sin can be propagated into a person
through people whom one socialises with.
4. The need to satisfy fleshly desires
There are several things that human flesh requires that is
against the will of God. As a result of the need to satisfy
human greediness it leads to sin. Sins like sexual perversion,
food which defiles the body and thieving are a result of the
need to satisfy the fleshly desires.
How to overcome sin in Christianity?
Sin is a predicament which demands every believer to
overcome it. There are a plethora of mechanisms that are
in place in Christianity that are used to overcome sin. This
subunit deals with ways of overcoming sin in Christianity
which include the following the exemplary life of Christ,
fasting, praying, avoiding sinful environment or bad
company as well as observance of Christian ethics.
1. Living an exemplary life of Christ
Sin is avoided by following the model of Jesus Christ in the
day to day living. Jesus lived a perfect life and faced several
temptations which ultimately would have led any ordinary
man to sin but Jesus did not. He set an example for his
followers to follow.
12 Unit 2: Sin
2. Fasting
Fasting involves inflicting pain on human body as well as
depriving the human flesh of things which it constantly
wants. It is within this context that fasting draws a believer
closer to God. When a believer is closer to God, sin is distant
to the believer. God hates sin and the closeness to Him is a
solution to sin.
3. Prayer
Some sins overpower people because of the absence of
prayer. Prayer is the best weapon to fight sin because
prayer has the ability of creating a harmonious relationship
with God thereby driving away sin from the believer. The
Lord’s Prayer is an indicator of how sin can be overpowered
by prayer.
4. Avoiding bad people
Sin comes into people because of the environment in
which one operates. If the environment is bad then the
good person can be corrupted by the evil ones. Therefore,
avoidance of corrupt people is a way of reducing sin or
avoiding sin.
5. Observing Christian ethics
The ethics of Jesus if put into practice have the power to
mitigate sin in Christian believers. From these ethics, Jesus
believes that a true Christian believer should be humble,
peace-loving, contended with what one has, avoid anger and
retaliation which are all virtues with the strong influence on
living a righteous life.
How does sin affect good citizenship?
Good citizenship refers to the life which upholds the norms
and values of a particular society. In this context we refer
to the Zimbabwean society. It involves doing things which
positively affect humanity. Sin can affect one to become a
good citizen in a positive and negative sense.
Negative impact of sin on good citizenship
Sin can result in so many bad things which affect the norms
and values of the society. As such the negative impact of sin
on good citizenship includes:
•• Oppression of others: rebellion against civil
authority is an effect of oppression which is a
sin. Therefore, sin can result in anarchy and
civil wars. This means that citizens will not be
obedient to ruling authority.
•• Witchcraft: is a sin which can cause conflicts
in family and society. Conflict is a mark of bad
citizenship since there will be no peace and
harmony.
•• Vandalism: is a sin which can cause loss of life
and damage to property. A good citizen protects
 property and upholds the right to life. However,
sin increases through vandalism which lead to
property damage as well as loss of life.
•• Homosexuality: sin like homosexuality can
result in one losing his or her identity. This
implies that sin makes one to be unaware of his
or her identity as man or woman.
•• Stealing or robbery: it hinders economic
development as thieves will be stealing
important asserts which lead to social and
economic development. For example those
who steal electricity cables leads to economic
stagnation.
•• Murder: killing is a sin which infringes on other
people’s rights. This means that sin can result
in the violation of the right to life and this
affects good citizenship since the mark of good
citizenship is seen by respecting life.
•• Prostitution: is a sin which leads to the spread
of diseases like STI’s as well as HIV and AIDS.
A good citizen promotes the welfare of others
through proper human conduct.
Positive impact of sin on good citizenship
Be that as it may, sin can positively build good citizenship.
This is because:
•• robbing/Stealing: it leads to self-enrichment
like Zacchaeus and this can promote social
responsibility as one who become rich will assist
others, though this is debatable.
•• disobedience: awards people freedom of
expression. Freedom of expression is a feature
of good citizenship.
•• stealing and prostitution: it gives opportunities
to the disadvantaged like women and the poor
as they can also survive through sin.
•• crimes: it allows punishment and rehabilitation
as those who commit crimes are jailed and
are rehabilitated to become responsible good
citizens who are afraid of committing crime.
Activity 1
Research
Visit the Christian society of your choice, check different
sins of that society and suggest causes of those sins.
Activity 2
Discussion
In groups, discuss on the perceptions of sin in society and
ways of overcoming sin. Present your findings to the class.
Summary of the unit
•• Sin came into the world at creation and it
was mainly caused by disobedience to God’s
commandments.
•• Sin is the main reason why Jesus died on the cross.
•• The origins of sin is traced to Adam and Eve.
•• There are five types of sin in Christianity namely the
original sin, sin of omission, sin of commission, sin
of disbelief and sin of ignorance.
•• The price of sin was paid by Jesus on the cross.
•• Sin can be prevented by fellowship with Christ
•• Human beings were created to follow the
commandment of God but failed.
•• Today sin is caused by greediness, association with
bad people as well as the needy to satisfy fleshly
desires.
•• Sin can only be overcome through fasting, praying
and avoidance of people with sinful practices.
Revision Exercise
Essay Questions
1. Examine the Christian concept of sin and the causes of
sin today.
2. Compare and contrast the concept of sin from the Old
Testament and New Testament.
3. To what extent does sin affect good citizenship?
4. Critique various perceptions of sin in your society and
ways of overcoming sin.
5. Discuss terms that are used to refer to sin in the New
Testament.
6. Evaluate various types of sin in the New Testament.
7. “Sin is caused by the devil in Christianity”. Assess the
validity of this assertion.
8. To what extent does sin violate human rights?
TENETS OF CHRISTIANITY 13
 TENETS OF CHRISTIANITY
Unit Salvation
3
Unit objectives
By the end of this unit, you should be able to:
•• examine the concept of salvation in the New
Testament.
•• analyse the different concepts of salvation across
denominations in Zimbabwe.
Introduction
This unit focuses on the Christian concept of salvation in
the New Testament which is understood as the main theme
of biblical doctrines that is based on the redemptive acts
revealed by God in the scriptures. It is this redemptive act
of God that sets Christians apart from other people who
are non-believers. Christians uphold and emphasise the
importance of salvation through a statement of faith. One
becomes a full member of Christianity after having declared
her or his experience of salvation and living according to the
Holy Scriptures. The unit concludes by analysing the different
concepts of salvation in some churches in Zimbabwe.
Key words
Predicament – a difficult, unpleasant, or embarrassing
situation.
Salvation – deliverance from sin and its consequences.
Clarification of the concept of
salvation
The term salvation is a translation of the Greek word soteria
which comes from the word soter which means saviour. The
term means deliverance, safety, preservation, restoration,
healing and soundness. Buthelezi (2011) says the Hebrew
14 Unit 3: Salvation
and Greek languages contain a number of significant
cognitive words of salvation, which are synonymous to each
other. These terms are Nasal, Malat, Palat, Gaal, Hayah, Yasa,
Soteria and Sozo.
Process of salvation in Christianity
Salvation in Christianity requires a simple process which
involves having faith in Jesus Christ that he died on the cross
for the remission of sin. This faith in Jesus Christ is seen by
repentance which leads to the forgiveness of sins. This then
leads to baptism of the believer who renounces sin and
lives a Christ like life. One then has to live a life that pleases
God until judgement day. However salvation is not a human
effort but is given for free, it is given because of grace.
Summary of the process of salvation
1. Being called to salvation by God, the Father.
2. Proving that God does exist and that the Bible is his
written word put to print.
3. Believing in Jesus Christ and his perfect sacrifice.
4. Repenting from violating God’s law.
5. Asking for forgiveness of sin and being baptised.
6. Receiving God’s spirit that transforms a person into a
son of God.
7. Growing in the grace and knowledge of God’s truth,
while overcoming the temptations of the flesh.
What qualifies one to get Salvation?
There are certain requirements and Christian attributes that
qualify a Christian to get Salvation. These requirements and
attributes are clearly spelt out in the Christian scripture and
they include the following:
•• Having faith in Jesus is the first pre-requisite
of getting salvation in Christianity. Faith is the
foundation of Christian salvation and without it
3. Humanity should reflect God’s love. On the day of
judgement, people will be judged on the way they
related to their neighbours (Matthew 25: 31-36).
4. Jesus showed God’s love (John14:6-7).
Jesus’ resurrection ushered in a new understanding of
salvation of his death as the perfect sacrifice. It is God’s final
and decisive gift to humanity. His death is an act of suffering
in which he carried the consequences of human sin and
took them away (2 Corinthians 5:21) and in the process has
reconciled people to himself. His death brings humanity to
a point of decision – believe and have salvation, reject and
face condemnation. The life and death of Jesus is seen as
the activity of the one God entering into the sinful plight
of the world and bearing its painful consequences so that
believers might be delivered from its guilt and its power
and share in the life of God himself (MacGrath, 2005: 333).
Romans 3:23 declares that ‘all have sinned and have fallen
short of the glory of God.’
This for Christians means that all the people are sinners and
therefore face judgement. The good news of the Christian
message lies in the fact that the same God is merciful
and longs for the salvation of all, he has provided the way
of forgiveness and life in Jesus. In his resurrection, Jesus
was exalted and therefore, became the Lord. Thus, to be
Christian is to make the confession “Jesus is Lord”.
Salvation demonstrates a lot about the nature of
God. Some of the key nature of God displayed by
salvation are:
1. It reveals the love of God. According to John 3:16, he
send his only begotten son to save people and this
demonstrates the love of God for his people.
2. Salvation is a manifestation of God’s grace. It shows
God’s unmerited favour as it is based on his grace
than works as compared to other religions of the
world where works guarantee one of salvation.
3. Salvation is a manifestation of God’s holiness. It comes
through the person and work of Christ because he is
holy.
4. Salvation restores the broken relationship between
God and humanity. The coming of sin into the world
alienated people from God but the coming of Christ
offered another chance for God to restore the broken
relationship.
Meaning of Salvation in the New
Testament
The two concepts of salvation, soteria and sozo are
dominant in the New Testament. The two terms play a
pivotal role in the understanding of salvation in the New
Testament. Salvation in the New Testament is modelled
after the Exodus deliverance and finds its roots in the
18 Unit 3: Salvation
understanding of God’s saving acts of the Israelites.
Soteria and sozo are two dominant Greek terms which are
frequently used to define the concept of salvation in the
New Testament. Both of these terms speak of salvation as
an inclusive act of God redeeming man from the penalty of
sin and its consequences.
Salvation in the New Testament means liberation
from sin (Romans 5:1 and 6:1-23)
Sin enslaves people by making them live under the
bondage of sin. Through the death of Christ on the cross,
one is liberated from sin. Furthermore, baptism marks the
salvation of the Christian believer as all the sins are washed
away. Sin has no power over the person who is liberated
from sin and Christ rescues people from sin by making them
righteous. The wages of sin is death and it is because of this
that salvation means freedom from sin.
Salvation also means deliverance from death
(Romans 8:1-8, 8:21)
Human beings were created to live forever but because of
sin death came into the world. Romans 6:21 shows that the
wages of sin is death, so it means that all people inherited
this punishment of Adam. There was need for human
salvation to liberate him from eternal death. Christ through
his death managed to die for people who were supposed to
die. By so doing he gave life forever to humanity which had
the probability of being destroyed by God.
Salvation also means deliverance from misery
(Romans 7:24)
Because of sin human situation became miserable as he
lived under the context of perpetual suffering. Human
beings had no joy and it is because if this that salvation
means being saved from misery. Jesus lived a miserable life
to redeem the miserable humanity. Furthermore, salvation
means redemption from the curse of the law. The law
which was given through Moses created sin and so many
Christians tried to avoid sinning by following the law which
led human into slavery to the law. Christ came to free
people from the law. The law was just a custodian of the
people before the coming of Christ but after the coming of
Christ the law was removed. This implies that salvation is
liberation from the curse of the law.
Lastly, salvation also means forgiveness of sins (Colossians
1:14). Forgiveness of sins is salvation per se because without
forgiveness of sins one cannot get salvation. Salvation starts
by forgiveness of sins.
Summary of the unit
•• Salvation has various meaning in Christianity.
•• Soteria is the common word used for salvation in the New Testament which means redemption or deliverance.
•• The concept of salvation is borrowed from the Jewish understanding of salvation.
•• Salvation is the answer to sin.
•• Jesus’ death on the cross marked the salvation process of those who believe in Him.
•• Salvation has led to the restoration of the relationship between humanity and God.
•• The meaning of salvation in Christianity has created several challenges to the understanding of the phenomena.
•• Salvation has a past, present and future meaning or implication.
•• Salvation in most prophetic ministries means liberation from poverty, illness and sin.

Revision Exercise
Essay Questions

1. Examine the salient features of salvation process and show the meaning of salvation to contemporary Christians.
2. Discuss the idea of salvation according to Christian understanding.
3. Assess the problems associated with the Christian soteriology in your society today.
4. To what extent does the Christian concept of Salvation shape moral behaviour?
5. “Salvation is based on faith and works.” How valid is this assertion?
6. Analyse terms that are used to refer to salvation in the New Testament.

TENETS OF CHRISTIANITY 21
 TENETS OF CHRISTIANITY
Unit Holy Spirit
4
Unit objectives
By the end of this unit, you should be able to:
•• explain the concept of the Holy Spirit.
•• explore the function of the Holy Spirit in Christianity.
Introduction
The Holy Spirit is central to New Testament authors because
of its vital role it played in the early church up to the present.
This unit deals with the concept of the Holy Spirit by defining
the Holy Spirit, explain the functions and importance of the
Holy Spirit as well as analysing its role in the New Testament.
The unit ends with a discussion on the role of the Holy Spirit
in the contemporary churches in Zimbabwe.
Key words
Denominations – a recognized autonomous branch of the
Christian Church.
Pentecost – the Christian festival celebrating the descent of
the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus after his Ascension,
held on the seventh Sunday after Easter.
The concept of Holy Spirit
The term pneumatology is used to refer to the Holy Spirit.
It is derived from the Greek word pnuema meaning wind
or spirit which is used to refer to the Holy Spirit and
logos which means word, matter or thing. The concept of
pneumatology refers to the doctrine of Holy Spirit which
deals with the personality of the spirit, the deity of the spirit
as well as work of the spirit in the scripture.
The definition of the Holy Spirit is elusive. Jesus defines
the Holy Spirit as the Comforter, ‘the Spirit of truth, which,
22 Unit 4: Holy Spirit
proceeded from the Father. In other sense, the Holy Spirit
is a person in divine form. According to John 14:16, “and he
will give another Counsellor, to be with you…” The phrase
another Counsellor means that the Holy Spirit is a person
just like Jesus and is like God. Bright (2006:4) says the Holy
Spirit is a person, the third person of the Trinity: Father, Son
and Holy Spirit; He is not a vague, ethereal shadow, nor an
impersonal force. He is a person equal in every way with
the Father and the Son. All the divine attributes ascribed
to the Father and the Son are equally ascribed to the Holy
Spirit. Jesus often regarded the Holy Spirit as parakletos or
Paraclete which means an encourager or comforter which
requires to be a person. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit has
such attributes like teaching, guiding, revealing, convicting,
get angry, possessing rational mind and pacified which
makes the Holy Spirit more of a person.
The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost gave birth to the
church. The Holy Spirit has many functions in the life of the
Christian community. Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as
the ‘comforter’ and for many Christians; the Holy Spirit is a
person. The Holy Spirit is recognized as being divine in the
same way as the Father and the Son such that the Christian
concept of God has to recognize an essential ‘three-ness’
or ‘Trinity’ in the nature of God as one being who exists
in three persons (MacGrath, 2005). Christians believe
that God is revealed in Christ through the Holy Spirit. The
doctrine of the Trinity distinguishes Christianity from all the
other religions and it is important to note that all Christian
denominations are united in the belief of the Triune God.
The one God is indivisible while the three persons are
distinct and unconfused. The doctrine of the Trinity is not
without its own problems. For example, how can three
people existing separately be regarded as the same? It is
also difficult to envisage how the three beings conduct their
operations without conflict.
Breaking language barrier is another major function of
the Holy Spirit. The apostles were only well conversant
with their native language Hebrew which made it difficult
to preach to areas outside the Palestine. Some were also
using the Greek language which was the language of the
commerce within the Roman Empire. The Holy Spirit broke
this limitation in language use by apostles by empowering
them to speak in tongues in which everyone would hear his
language being spoken. Removal of language barrier shows
that the church had a universal outlook.
In the light of the above, it is vital to argue that the Holy
Spirit was central in all the activities of the early church.
Without the Holy Spirit, the church would have found it
difficult to grow amidst several antagonism and persecution
from the orthodox Jews as well as some Roman officials.
The Holy Spirit and the modern society
In recent years there has been sprouting of many churches
in Christianity. It is within this context that some churches
have claimed to have the Holy Spirit while other are
regarded as not having the Holy Spirit. Despite all this
debate on whether some churches have the Holy Spirit or
not, the Holy Spirit has several roles in the contemporary
church.
Speaking in tongues is one of the salient roles of the Holy
Spirit in the modern Christian church. Machingura (2001:94)
believes that speaking in tongues is undoubtedly the most
distinctive doctrine of Pentecostalism and has become
the cornerstone of the beliefs of Pentecostal movements.
For many Pentecostal churches, speaking in tongues is
the evidence and experience a Christian needs in order to
have the fullness of Christian life, an irrefutable evidence
for baptism or filling with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:2, 4, 4:8, 31,
7:55, 10:44-47, 11:24, 13:9).
Healing deliverance done in churches is attributed to the
Holy Spirit. For example, many believers who have various
ailments visit Prophetic, Healing and Deliverance Ministries
of Prophet Walter Magaya as well as Mercy and Goodness
Ministries of Prophet T Fred. All these miracles are done
using the power of the Holy Spirit.
There are also Holy Spirit sessions which are conducted
by present day churches. Marara (2013:43) says Holy Spirit
sessions enables church leaders to invite members to come
and receive the Holy Spirit. A phenomenon which is new in
the contemporary churches.
Furthermore, sermons given by several preachers in
different churches are attributed to the Holy Spirit. Sermons
are inspired by Holy Spirit and Christians believe that when
the word of God is preached it is not the preacher’s word
but the Holy Spirit’s. Behind every word of God preached in
churches the Holy Spirit is functional.
24 Unit 4: Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit has also another function of empowering
believers economically. This is the reason why there has
been gospel of prosperity in contemporary Christian
ministry. Poverty is attributed to the devil and curses while
prosperity is attributed to the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the
Holy Spirit has the function of blessing believers to be rich
economically.
Lastly the Holy Spirit protects and guides believers.
Christians believe everything that is done in life is guided by
the Holy Spirit. For example, when travelling Christians ask
for protection from the Holy Spirit. Every aspect of Christian
life is punctuated with Holy Spirit.
Activity 1
Observation
Visit a church of your choice and observe the role of the
Holy Spirit. Create notes and present to the class.
Summary of the unit
•• The Holy Spirit is an important figure in Christianity.
•• The Holy Spirit is one of the three in the Holy Trinity.
•• The Holy Spirit is very active especially after the
death of Jesus.
•• In the gospel according to John, the Holy Spirit is
regarded as Paraclete which means the comforter.
•• The Holy Spirit has several functions which include
giving guidance to the apostles, punishing people,
miracle performance and giving courage to
believers.
•• The Modern day also give special emphasis of the
importance of the Holy Spirit.
Revision Exercise
Essay Questions
1. Discuss the functions of the Holy Spirit in the early
church.
2. Compare the role of the Holy Spirit in the early church
and the contemporary church.
3. Analyse the works of the Holy Spirit for Christians
today.
4. Analyse the importance of the Holy Spirit for
Christians today.
5. Analyse the impact of the Holy Spirit in the
development of the early church.
6. “The function of the Holy spirit today is to promote
enterprise”. Discuss.
7. “The Holy Spirit resolved conflicts in the early church.”
To what extent is the Holy Spirit playing the same role
today in resolving conflicts?
 TENETS OF CHRISTIANITY
Unit Concept of the church
5
Unit objectives
By the end of this unit, you should be able to:
•• explain the concept of the church.
•• draw conclusions from Acts and relevant epistles
about the origins and development of the early
church.
Introduction
This unit focuses on the concept of the Church that is derived
from the Greek word Ekklesia which literally means to be
“called out”. The unit explains the various meanings of the
church as used in the New Testament. Furthermore, the unit
deals with the origins and development of the church by
looking at the factors which hindered and aided the church,
the organisation of the church, key stages in the development
of the church and how the problems of the church were
solved.
Key words
Baptism – the Christian religious rite of sprinkling water
on to a person’s forehead or of immersing them in water,
symbolizing purification or regeneration and admission to
the Christian Church.
Evangelism – the spreading of the Christian gospel by
public preaching or personal witness.
Persecution – hostility and ill-treatment, especially because
of race or political or religious beliefs; oppression.
The concept “church”
As previous adumbrated, the term church is derived from
the Greek term ecclesia which means an assembly of
believers and the term church began as a political term
which was used to apply to an assembly of citizens called
out for a particular purpose. According to Matthew 16:
13-18 Jesus promised to build his church and therefore
the term church refers to those who are called out for the
gospel. The church is a congregation of believers or an
assembly of believers who assemble for a religious purpose.
Those who believe that Christ’s blood redeemed them from
curses are believers and are the church. In Antioch they
were called The Way.
The concept of the church in the New
Testament
The concept of the church is explained in various ways in
the New Testament. The New Testament use of ekklesia to
refer to the church. The word “ekklesia” is used in the NT in
several senses. Paul employs it with three levels of meaning:
1. He could designate as a church the Christians who
assembled in a particular place, a local congregation
(as in the house churches mentioned in Philemon 2
and Col 4: 15).
2. He could refer to all the Christians in a city, such as
the church of the Thessalonians (1 Thess 1: 1). He
sometimes used the plural to include all the churches
in a region (1 Thess 2: 14, Gal 1:2).
3. He could use the singular to refer to all Christians
everywhere (Gal 1:13).
4. The universal church seems to be meant in Matthew
16:18 and the local church in Matthew 18:17. Jesus
referred to the church in Matthew 16:18, “And I tell
you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my
church and the powers of death shall not prevail
against it”. In this context Peter is regarded as the
foundation of the church. Soon after the death of
Jesus, Peter became the foundation of the church
in Jerusalem as he was the pillar of the church until
the taking over by James the brother of the Lord.
TENETS OF CHRISTIANITY 25
He was the first Christian martyr who was stoned to death
because of his strong belief in Christianity. The death of
Stephen was a signal of the general persecution which was
to follow. His persecution was blessing in disguise.
The death of Stephen opened a chapter of unprecedented
importance as it prevented the conversion of Christianity
into one of the Jewish sects. Furthermore, his death
contributed to the success of the gospel instead of checking
it. Philip is the product of Christian scattering after the
death of Stephen. The fleeing of Philip led to the spread of
Christianity into areas that were despised by Jews, Samaria.
The contribution of Paul to the early church
The success and growth of the church cannot be complete
without mention the contribution of Paul. Paul had a great
influence in the development of the church from being a
Jewish appendage to a distinct religion. His conversion,
background, education and missionary activities all helped
in the mission of the early church.
The development of the church to become a universal
religion was done by Paul. It was through his tragic
persecution of the church that led to the progress of the
church instead of checking it. As a radical Jew taught under
Gamaliel, Paul was a fervent Jew whose allegiance to the
Jewish cultural and religious heritage was undoubted. He
was infuriated with the manner the Christian movement
was growing and he asked for a permission to kill all
Christians. He was granted the permission and began to
persecute the church. Stephen was the victim of Paul’s
persecution and his martyrdom due to persecution led to
Christian dispersion. As Christians were running away from
the Persecution which was done by Paul and other Jews, the
Christian gospel went to places like Samaria.
Miracle working is a contribution of Paul to the church.
He healed the seven sons of Sceva and he exorcised the
slave girl who had the spirit of divination (Acts 16:16). It
was through his miracles that the church grew as a great
number of converts believed after seeing some acts of
wonder being performed by Paul. By performing miracles,
it shows that Paul was now under the influence of the God
and it justified that he was a new creature in Christ.
The Gentile mission that was established by Peter was
under threat from orthodox Jews who opposed the
admission of gentiles without following the Mosaic Law and
being circumcised first. It was Paul’s radical stance that saw,
gentile mission being rubber stamped as the plan of God
with no human effort to stop it. At the Jerusalem council,
Paul argued that gentiles were part of God’s grand plan
of salvation and their reception of the Holy Spirit was a
testimony of approval of gentiles into the church. As such
forcing gentiles to become Jew first before being accepted
into the church was a negation of the grand plan of God
that salvation was not only confined to the Jews but to all
humanity.
The doctrine of the church was shaped by Paul especially
the requirements for one to be saved. Paul boldly stated
that salvation was based on faith, belief in Jesus Christ that
he is the saviour and son of God. Orthodox Jews wanted
to influence Christian doctrine in a way that advanced
the interests of Judaism thereby making Christianity a
carbon copy of Judaism. It was at the Jerusalem council
that the trajectory of the Christian doctrine was shaped.
Believing that salvation was gained through the observance
of the Mosaic Law and circumcision was a fallacy and
misrepresentation of the Christian doctrine.
The church was able to grow from being a small religion to
a universal religion because of unity. Paul united the church
by the presentation he made at the Jerusalem council.
The shrewdness of Paul as a unifier is seen by admitting
the recommendations that were made at the council.
Contentious issues that led to the Jerusalem council had the
ability of causing permanent fissures in the early church. As
such Paul united Jewish Christians and gentile Christians.
Even in his missionary activities Paul condemned divisions
like those that were happening at Corinth where the church
was like a spiritual fan club. For Paul Christians are body
parts of Christ and they function together.
The missionary work of Paul led to the development of the
church. Christianity became a universal religion because of
the work done by Paul. He went to various places during the
1st missionary journey, second missionary journey and third
missionary journey. It was through these journeys that Paul
established churches at Ephesus, Colossae, Corinth, Philippi,
Thessalonica, Galatia and other places found throughout
the Roman Empire.
Early church leaders as models of good
citizenship
Good citizenship refers to law abiding dwellers of a country
and doing what is good for the nation as whole by the
resident of the country. It is within this context that early
Christian leaders who include Peter, Stephen, Paul and
others were examples of good citizenship. Below is an
exposition of how they were good citizens.
A good citizen is law abiding and does not break the law
even if they are opportunities to do so. In Acts 16: 1-34, Paul
and Silas remained in prison when he was arrested and
put in prison despite the fact that prison was opened by an
angel. This is a mark of good citizenship because Paul did
not want to portray himself and Christianity as subversive.
Non-retaliation is a feature of good citizenship which
lead to peace settlement and avoidance of conflict. When
TENETS OF CHRISTIANITY 29
the language barrier, the limitation of language by and
large was great challenge to the church. This is the reason
why many Jerusalem apostles were confined within the
parameters of Palestine and areas which required other
language was difficult to penetrate. Paul had an advantage
of being well conversant with the native language and the
common language of the empire, Greek. This was caused by
his educational background.
4. Conflicts due to Gentile admission
The issue of gentile admission destabilised the church.
This emanated from the relevance of the Jewish law and
circumcision in the salvation process. It is one of the Issues
which led to the Jerusalem council, for it was a serious issue
which threatened the unity of the church. At the centre
of this problem was the Jewish belief that the law and
circumcision were prerequisite requirements for one to be
a Christian. This was now a burden for Christians and it led
Paul to argue that the law was not necessary for human
salvation but faith was important. Thus, there was no need
to restrict gentiles from joining the church. The death of
Christ had broken barriers to salvation.
5. Heresies
The church met the challenge to its beliefs which was as a
result of heresies. There were heresies such as stoicism,
Gnosticism and Epicureanism. They claimed that one
has to acquire a certain kind of knowledge. The thrust of
Gnosticism as a heresy was centred on hidden knowledge
which is believed that the material world is evil and they
rejected the incarnation of Christ. Furthermore, they also
believe that certain angelic powers had control over human
lives and these angels needed to be worship. Heresies
taught that acquiring secret knowledge was key to salvation.
There were also some heresies coming from Jews which
advocated for the observance of special days, Jewish law
and circumcision. There was a lot of idol worship which also
threatened the church. Everett Ferguson (1993) notes that
the deeply ingrained religious beliefs and practices in both
Greece and Rome were associated with the traditional
civil cult. The state both funded and profited by these cults.
Each city had its patron deity. For example, Ephesus (Acts
19) was associated with Artemis, the goddess of nature
and childbirth. Deities such as Artemis were honoured with
festivals, prayers and sacrifices. Presence of such belief
system hindered growth and development of the church.
The idolatrous nature of the city of Ephesus made it difficult
for Paul to preach within the city.
All this threatened the church as it jeopardised the position
of Christ in the salvation of mankind.
6. Divisions
The church also faced the problem of divisions like at
the church of Corinth. There was factionalism related to
the person who had propagated the gospel. Some who
were legalistic belonged to the Petrine party, those who
were liberal belonged to Paul, and the educated belonged
to Apollos and others to Jesus. The church was now like
spiritual fan clubs and this affected the progress of the
church.
Factors which aided the church
1. Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is major factor which contributed to the
development of the church. Firstly, it removed the language
barrier at Pentecost which enabled the apostle to preach
the word of God despite differences in languages among
people who were found throughout the Roman Empire.
Thus, the Holy Spirit empowered apostles to speak other
languages. Secondly it removed fear among apostles who
were hiding in an upper room in Jerusalem and after the
reception of the Holy Spirit apostles could go outside the
room and start preaching the word of God. It gave courage
to the apostles to proclaim the gospel without fear like
what Stephen did during his martyrdom. It also disciplined
believers as well as solving church disputes. All these
contributed to the growth of the church. The Holy Spirit
was the heartbeat of the church, the soul of the church and
engine of the church without which the church would have
encountered a still birth.
2. Persecution
Although persecution was bad in that it led to the
elimination of believers, it also led to the development
of the church through Christian dispersion. Christian
dispersion is the fleeing of Christians from the place
of residence to other places for security reasons. The
martyrdom of Stephen led to massive Christian dispersion
as Christians fled from Jerusalem to other places where they
proclaimed and witnessed Jesus as the saviour. This was
after Saul who was later named Paul became overzealous
as a radical Jew exterminate all believers because they
were opposing the Jewish tradition which they represented.
There was great persecution in Jerusalem which led many
believers to flee to other places. One Christian who fled
away from this persecution was Philip the deacon who
went to Samaria where he continued to witness Jesus as the
risen Christ. By so doing it led to the spread of Christianity
to places outside Jerusalem thereby justifying the great
commission made by Jesus.
TENETS OF CHRISTIANITY 31
3. Sharing of property Stages in the growth of Christianity
The church required believers who were selfless who could
sponsor church activities through the selling of personal
property for the benefit of the church. Ananias and Saphira
sold their property for the benefit of the church. However,
they were dishonest as they kept some of the proceeds
which were meant to benefit the church for themselves.
They were punished by the Holy Spirit. Barnabas also sold
his field for the benefit of the church. This funding helped
in the development of the church as the required economic
support for it to grow.

4. Pax Romana

Roman Empire existed before the coming of the church

(Christianity) hence it created conducive environment
which led to the successful propagation of the gospel. The
peaceful environment was as a result of the peace that was
found throughout the empire which stretched out to Africa
as far as Egypt, Mediterranean region and Asia. As such
the empire was pacified as the Romans introduced the law
which was used to judge the universe. This system of law
created uniformity for all people who lived in the empire.
People could feel secure in empire even Christian evangelist
felt secure. It is because of this peace that necessitated
Paul to embark on the missionary journeys which were
successful. Although Paul encountered problems in some
Fig. 1: Stages of early Christian development
parts of the empire he was protected by the laws of the
empire.
Stage 1: Death and resurrection of Jesus
5. Communication network The origins and foundation of the church is in the death
The Roman Empire had very good communication and the and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Before the death and
infrastructure was very good as roads and sea routes were resurrection of Jesus there was no church, the church only
well developed. These good roads and communication started after the death and resurrection of Jesus. This
network contributed to the success of the Christian gave believers faith in Jesus that he was not only the son
mission during the infant stages of the church. The of God but God himself. It is within this context that Jesus’
missionary journeys of Paul were a success because of the death and resurrection marks the origins of the Christian
communication network system that was good. There were community bound by faith in resurrected Christ. The faith of
no challenges to evangelism in terms of communication Christians is based on the belief that Jesus died for people’s
network throughout the empire. This led to the success of sins and he resurrected as an example for those who
the church as the word of God could be transmitted from believe that they would live forever.
one city to the other without any hindrance. The missionary mandate of the apostles was based on the
belief that Christians are the new Israel hence they began
Origins and development of the by replacing Judas who had betrayed Jesus and led to his
early church condemnation. They chose Matthias as the replacement of
Judas by casting lots.
The origins and development of the early church is in
various stages which include the death of Christ, the Stage 2: Pentecost
resurrection of Jesus Christ, the replacement of Judas
Iscariot, Pentecost, organisation of the church, the death of Furthermore, the Pentecost is the cornerstone of the
Stephen, gentile admission and the council of Jerusalem. All development of Christianity as it empowered the apostles
these were critical in the development of the early church. through the reception of the Holy Spirit. The apostles were

32 Unit 5: Concept of the church

 Activity 2

Discussion

In groups, compare the New Testament concept of the church to contemporary understandings of the church. Present your
findings to the class.

Activity 3

Research

Research on the challenges associated with the mission of the church in society. Present your findings to the class.

Summary of the unit

•• The term ‘church’ has several meanings, at one end it refers to the building and at the other end it is a congregation of
believers as well as all believers who believe in Christ.
•• The church started after the death of Jesus when the apostles were empowered by the Holy Spirit.
•• Many problems like persecution from orthodox Jews as well as resistance to gentile admission affected the early church.
•• The main role of the church is to preach the word of God and to bring members of the church to spiritual maturity.
•• The church’s preaching is mainly centered on Jesus Christ.
•• In terms of the organisation of the church, the church was led by the apostles followed by deacons, elders, prophets and
teachers.
•• The killing of Stephen marked the spread of Christianity from Jerusalem up to the end of the whole world.
•• Gentile mission was spearheaded by Paul.
•• Just like the early church, the contemporary church is affected by several problems like litigation, laws and increase of
fake Christian healers.

Revision Exercise

Essay Questions

1. Examine the concept of the church in the New Testament.

2. Discuss the origins of the early church.
3. Discuss the problems which were associated with the early church and how they were solved.
4. Explain the development of the early church in the apostolic age despite persecution.
5. Account for the increase of converts of Christians in today’s Christian church.
6. Analyse how the early church leaders are examples of good citizens.
7. Compare the New Testament concept of the church to contemporary understandings of the church.
8. Analyse the role of persecution in the development of the early church.
9. To what extent is the modern-day church persecuted?

TENETS OF CHRISTIANITY 37
 TENETS OF CHRISTIANITY
Unit Eschatology
6
Unit objectives
By the end of this unit, you should be able to:
•• explain eschatology.
•• examine biblical view of the last things.
•• develop a logical view of death and life after death.
Introduction
One of the fundamental beliefs in Christianity is the belief in
the end of time. Thus, thrust of this unit is going to explain
the concept of eschatology as well as examining the biblical
perception of eschatology. Thus, the unit begins by looking at
how the gospel and Pauline letters view eschatology.
Key words
Eschatology – the part of theology concerned with death,
judgement and the final destiny of the soul and humankind.
Rapture – transport of a believer from earth to heaven at
the Second Coming of Christ.
The concept of eschatology
The term eschatology is a term that is derived from the
Greek word eschaton or eschatah meaning last things and
about the end (telos). The crux of the matter of the New
Testament is about the end of time. Everything points to
the end and the main objective of human history is to reach
the end. Eschatology is seen in ambivalent way as it means
judgement on one end and salvation on the other end.
Stagg (1962) states that human history is moving towards
one going when judgement and salvation will be brought to
consummation. Eschatology is associated with judgement,
resurrection of the dead, the second coming of Jesus and
inauguration of the New Kingdom.
38 Unit 6: Eschatology
Realised eschatology
The eschatological message of Jesus did not refer to a future
event, but the present time. The term realised eschatology
stresses the present salvation being received in the present
life. Thus, entry into the “Kingdom” is not a future event; it
transcends time. Those who accept God’s word are already
in the Kingdom. Living in the right way and aiming to
establish God’s kingdom on earth is more important than
any apocalyptic expectation and judgement is immediate
from the moment someone hears God’s word; it is not a
future event. It is the present reality of the kingdom of God
which has been well supported by C.H Dodd who says, there
is realised eschatology which shows that the kingdom of
God is being operational in the present life. There is a lot of
evidence which shows that eschatology is a present reality.
This evidence includes the fulfilment of the word (Mark
1:15), the miracles which were done by Jesus were a mark of
eschatological events, the over throwing of demonic powers
(Matthew 12:28) and living a life that pleases Christ.
The coming of Christ led to the realisation of his kingdom
as he performed several miracles and cast out demons to
show that the kingdom of God is a present reality. Jesus
even testified that the “kingdom of God is in the midst of
you” which means that eschatology is a present reality.
According to John 5:24, Colossians 1:13 and Luke 17:21, the
Kingdom of God has already been inaugurated and anyone
who believes in Christ is already in the Kingdom of God. It
is because of this, Dodd argued that the Kingdom of God is
a present reality rather than a future event. As such, any
reference to a future based eschatology is to be interpreted
symbolically, not as physical events.
The Kingdom of God is not a physical place and being in
‘the Kingdom’ is not a promise of a place in Heaven but
a moral attitude, living in the right way in the present life
thereby making eschatology a present reality. Those who
the context of the resurrection of the saints: “Behold, I tell and it recognizes a fundamental theological
you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be distinction between Israel and the church.
changed, in a moment in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trumpet; for the trumpet will sound and the dead will be
raised imperishable, and we shall be changed”. The word Activity 1
translated changed in this verse is the Greek verb allasso,
meaning to change the form or nature of a thing.
Research
It is connected with resurrection. Rapture and resurrection
are very closely related, yet still completely separate Conduct a research on the view of Pentecostal churches on
and distinct concepts. Therefore, Jesus’ resurrection and eschatology.
ascension (rapture) at the beginning of the Church Age,
is the type, model, or precedent for the resurrection and
Rapture of His Body (the Church) at the end of the Church Activity 2
Age.
In groups, compare the Christian view of death and the
9. Secret rapture here-after with similar concepts in society. Present your
findings to the class.
The rapture belief makes the Second Coming of Christ to
be seen as a two-stage affair. The rapture is the secret
snatching away of the Church prior to the Tribulation to
Summary of the unit
complete its task of bringing in the great final tribulation.
This secret catching-away will cause the disappearance of •• Eschatology is a key feature of Christian belief and
millions of Christians who will vanish and meet the waiting expectation.
Christ in the clouds. In so doing, they will avoid the ‘Great •• Eschatology is a concept that is borrowed from the
Tribulation’ which would follow their disappearance. Old Testament where the Jews expected the day of
the Lord in which Israel was going to be uplifted
Assuming that the rapture begins the Parousia, several
above other nations.
characteristics important in the discussion the history of the •• Eschatology is associated with judgement,
rapture should be noted. resurrection of the dead, the second coming of
•• The coming of Christ at the rapture is imminent, Jesus and inauguration of the New Kingdom.
in the sense that he will come any moment. •• Matthew’s parables are about eschatology.
Though there are no signs for the rapture, there •• Paul anticipated eschatology to happen in his life
are signs of the second coming to follow and time.
these may appear before the rapture. Phil 3:20- •• Eschatology is also marked by the resurrection of
21; 1 Thess 1:10; 4:16; Titus 2:13; Jas 5:7-9 the body.
•• The coming of Christ at the rapture is literal and
Revision Exercise
visible. Rev 1:7 states “Every eye shall see Him.”
•• The coming of Christ at the rapture is for all Essay Questions
church saints, deceased or living. First Thess
1. Discuss the concept of eschatology as used in the
4:14, 17 and 1 Cor 15:51 record the order of this
Gospels and Pauline letters.
great event.
2. Examine the key features of eschatology.
•• This coming of Christ occurs before the
3. Examine the Christian view of life after death.
outpouring of the great trial upon the earth.
A literal translation of Rev 3:10 states that the 4. Compare eschatology as presented in 1 Thessalonian
believer is kept in “a continuing state outside of” 4 and 1 Corinthians 14.
the hour of testing upon the earth. 5. “Eschatology deals with the last things”. Discuss.
•• This coming of Christ is premillennial, that
is, before Christ returns to fight the battle of
Armageddon and set up the 1,000-year kingdom,
and judge unbelievers. First Cor 15:23-24 along
with Dan 12:1-2 places the coming of Christ
before these events.
•• This coming of Christ assumes a literal, normal
hermeneutic in the interpretation of Scripture,

TENETS OF CHRISTIANITY 41
 JESUS’ LIFE
Unit Birth
7
Unit objectives
By the end of this unit, you should be able to:
•• examine the birth narratives in the gospels.
•• investigate challenges associated with the birth of
Jesus.
Introduction
This unit focuses on analysing the birth narratives found
in the gospel. It gives reasons why the birth narratives are
found in Matthew and Luke. The unit further discusses the
challenges associated with the birth narratives like the place
of birth, date of birth as well as the virginal conception.
The unit concludes by giving the possible solutions to the
challenges associated with the birth narratives.
Key words
Genealogy – a line of descent traced continuously from an
ancestor.
Universalism – the belief that all humankind will eventually
be saved.
Birth narratives in the gospels
The gospel according to Mark was the first gospel to be
written but it records nothing concerning the birth of Jesus.
Mark starts his gospel with the baptism of Jesus and the
birth narrative are absent from his gospel. The removal
of the birth narratives by Mark is what is known as the
narrative of omission. It was done for a specific purpose to
suit Mark’s purpose of writing his gospel.
The “narrative of omission” by Mark serves the unique
purpose of Mark’s Gospel of maintaining the messianic
42 Unit 7: Birth
secret. He did not want Jesus to be known as the Messiah.
Furthermore, the main purpose of the narrative of omission
was to make readers understand that Jesus’ Messiahship is
not defined by his birth or his family background but by his
ministry which begins with his baptism. This is the reason
why Mark omitted the birth narratives of Jesus. Jesus’ role
as the messiah is defined by his mission which his followers
should emulate rather than his birth.
Matthew, in stark contrast to Mark’s “narrative of omission”
begins his account with an elaborate genealogy that places
Jesus as an ancestor of King David and Abraham as the
king and great ancestors of the Jews. Here already Matthew
shows his special interest of showing Jesus as a Jewish
Messiah and the intended audience for his Gospel are Jews
as well who would accept his view that Jesus is the king of
the Jews. He is writing to the Jews and presents Jesus as a
King, better than David and a teacher greater than Moses.
Matthew’s birth narratives focus on the role of Joseph, who
is “a just man” in Matthew’s words of this event. Joseph is
contrasted with Herod, an unjust and wicked ruler. Matthew
takes great care to show how the birth event of Jesus fulfils
prophecies made in the Old Testament and makes use of
these prophecies to present Jesus as a governor, the ruler of
Israel, a prince and as God’s Son.
It is in Matthew accounts like the wise men that came to
worship, bringing gifts fit for a king; the murderous acts of
the bad king Herod; records the journey of the holy family
to and back from Egypt (in no small part to illustrate how
Jesus’ life mirrors that of the people of Israel); and of the
angels who in dreams direct Joseph are found. Matthew, in
his powerful birth account, presents Jesus as the fulfilment
of the Old Testament prophecies and presence Jesus as the
King of the Jews who has been given all authority in Heaven
and Earth. He is Emmanuel which means God with us.
 JESUS’ LIFE
Unit Baptism
8
Unit objectives
By the end of this unit, you should be able to:
•• explain the rite of baptism in the New Testament.
•• assess the significance of baptism to Jesus, the early
church and Christians today.
Introduction
Baptism is one of the most Christian rites which marks the
change of a person from old personality to new personality.
In this unit, the origins of the rite of baptism is explained,
the baptism of Jesus is also discussed together with the
reasons why Jesus was baptised. Forms of baptism in the
contemporary are also explained. The unit concludes by
exploring the significance of baptism to Jesus, the early
church and the Christians today.
Key words
Immersion – the action of dipping someone or something
in a liquid.
Rite – a religious or other solemn ceremony or act.
The rite of baptism in the New
Testament
Historically, baptism has been used as a rite of initiation,
showing the believer’s entrance into a new belief or
observance. Baptism in the church is also a token of
the forgiveness of sins that one experience at salvation.
Christians show they are cleansed by Christ when they are
baptised by water.
It should be noted that there is no formal treatment on the
subject of baptism in the New Testament. Etymologically the
term baptism is derived from the verb baptein which means
to dip. So, baptism means to be dipped in water, one has
to be immersed in water. In the New Testament, it is used
in its proper sense which means to dip in Luke 16:24 and
John 13:26. So baptism refers to the physical immersion of
the body in water. The mode of baptism that is advanced by
the New Testament is that of the immersion of the body in
water.
Origin of baptism
Many Christians argue that baptism by immersion is traced
back to the period of John the Baptist though the practice
which was inherited from Judaism. Christianity cannot be
understood in isolation from Judaism and it is because of
this that Christianity is an offshoot of Judaism that was
cradled in Judaism. John the Baptist adopted the Jewish
proselyte baptism and transformed it to be a new Christian
rite. As a matter of fact, there are many Jewish illustrations
of baptism which were regarded as ritual cleansing (Isaiah
1:16, Ezekiel 36:25).
However, the origin of proselyte baptism is not known and
it was done to gentile converts in the presence of witnesses
where the gentile was immersed in water as a sign of
cleansing and break from the previous sinful life. This
marked the admission of the gentile into the community of
Israel and was accepted as a Jew. John adopted this when
he baptised people by immersion. Even Jesus was baptised
using this method. The baptism of John was done in a river
where water flowed and he performed this rite as a mark of
one’s induction into the new community. From the baptism
done by John, it has to be public. John baptised Jews as an
eschatological practice which was to usher the Israelites
into a new Israel which was governed by the Messiah. There
is need for a moral change in the conversion of one into
Christendom. His baptism is regarded as the baptism of
repentance for the remission of sins.
JESUS’ LIFE 47
1. Immersion
Immersion is the most popular form of baptism that is used
in churches today. By definition, immersion is the process
of being deepened in water for the cleansing of sins. It is
usually done in rivers, dams and in some urban churches in
swimming pools or fish ponds. The churches that use this
form of baptism include the Seventh Day Adventist Church,
Apostolic Faith mission, Johanne Masowe Apostolic Church
and ZAOGA FIF among other churches. Immersion is the
original form of baptism which was used by John the Baptist
to baptise Jesus in river Jordan (Matthew 3:13-17). However,
on this form of baptism there is confusion on how many
times is one supposed to be deepened in water. Some deep
once in water as a symbol of death and resurrection of
Christ while other deep three times to symbolise the Father
(God), the Son (Jesus) and the Holy spirit. Jesus was baptised
by John the Baptist to show that he was to die and resurrect.
2. Use of anointing oil on the forehead
Use of anointing oil is a form of baptism in churches today.
For example, in PHD ministries people are being baptised
using oil to cleanse sins. The sign of a cross is drawn in the
forehead and one is proclaimed to have been baptised. In
most cases this form of baptism is used privately especially
on those who are bed ridden. This makes baptism private
instead of being public.
3. Pouring or sprinkling of water
Because of non-availability of running water due to physical
and climatic factors, baptism in the modern church can
be done in form of pouring a cup of water or sprinkling of
water. For example, in the Roman Catholic Church they
use dishes and cups of water to baptise people. Water is
poured on the head and this contradicts the example set
by Jesus that one has to be immersed in water. Cleansing of
sins is done to the whole body since the whole body will be
destroyed on judgement day. The head is part of the body
and to pour water on the head seems to imply that the head
is the only sinful part of the human body. Furthermore,
the definition of baptism is to be deepened in water and
pouring of water on the head directly contradicts the whole
essence and meaning of baptism.
4. Carrying the cross
Some churches make the believer carry the cross as
the form of baptism. They derive this from the fact the
Jesus died on the cross and it’s a symbol of salvation.
Furthermore, Matthew 16:24 says, “If anyone would come
after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and
follow me…”. Here take up the cross may mean leaving
the old life and begin a new life in Christ which also makes
sense when one looks at the fact that baptism means dying
50 Unit 8: Baptism
of the old sinful nature and live a new life. One dies of the
old self and resurrects with the new look.
The significance of baptism to Christians
today
Baptism is an important Christian rite which is done
for several reasons like washing away of sins, sign of
repentance, it enables one to be the member of the church
and it strengthens one to overcome sin. This section will
deal with importance of baptism as a Christian rite.
1. Cleansing of sins
The importance of baptism is that it cleanses one of his or
her own sins. Christians believe that through baptism one
is symbolically cleansed of his or her sins. The immersion in
water is way of washing away sins from a believer as water
can cleanse sin. After baptism one is no longer a sinner
but a new pure person free from sin. It is after baptism
that one is allowed to participate in the Eucharist or Holy
Communion a rite which requires purity which comes
through baptism.
2. It enables total repentance
Baptism turns the person who has been baptised into a
new person and this leads to total repentance. A mark of
repentance begins with baptism. For example, if a person
was evil, the day he is baptised is the day he or she is
regarded as a person who had repented from evil.
3. Participation in church activities
For one to be identified as a member of a Christian
community one has to be baptised. It is this baptism which
enables one to participate in church activities like the Holy
Communion as well as holding an office in the church.
Baptism therefore makes the person a full participant of all
activities organised by the church and within the church.
4. Overcoming the devil
Through baptism one is strengthened to overcome the
devil. Jesus was baptised to overcome the devil because
soon after his baptism he was led into the wilderness to be
tempted by the devil.
5. To follow the example of Jesus
A Christian is a follower of Christ. Jesus set an example to
be followed by every Christian. Jesus was baptised as a way
to offer a mode of operation for anyone who wants to be
a Christian. Thus, baptism is done as a way of assimilating
what Jesus did.
•• It is a sign that a person has totally changed.
•• It indicates that the believer has chosen to live a
Christ like life.
 •• It is a public confirmation of forgiveness of sins.
•• It indicates that a believer accepts to be a member of Christian community.

Activity 1

Discussion

In groups, discuss the significance of the baptism of Jesus. Present your findings to the class.

Activity 2

Discussion

In groups, critique various forms of baptism in the different churches in Zimbabwe today. Of what significance are those
different forms of baptism? Present your findings to the class.

Summary of the unit

•• Baptism is an important Christian rite which marks one’s entrance into Christianity.
•• It is a practice that was done in the Old Testament by Jews during the conversion of proselytes
•• Baptism refers to the dipping in water as a way of washing away sins.
•• Jesus was baptised in the river Jordan by John the Baptist as an example for other Christians.
•• The baptism of Jesus in water is known as the baptism of Jesus.
•• Baptism involves the reception of the Holy Spirit.
•• Baptism symbolises the death and resurrection of Jesus.
•• Paul understood baptism as an ex opera operato (magical sacrament).
•• Today there are various ways of baptising people.
•• Baptism is done today largely for acceptance into the church and as a form of religious identity.

Revision Exercise

Essay Questions

1. Critique various forms of baptism in the different churches in Zimbabwe today.

2. “Baptism is an important Christian rite”. How far true is this statement?
3. Analyse the reasons why Jesus was baptised. Why are Christians baptised today?
4. Critique various forms of baptism in the different churches in Zimbabwe today.
5. Compare the biblical concept of baptism and contemporary Christian baptism.
6. Explain the rite of baptism in Christianity today and show reasons why people are baptised today.
7. To what extent does Christian baptism promote good citizenship?

JESUS’ LIFE 51
 JESUS’ LIFE
Unit Passion and death
9
Unit objectives
By the end of this unit, you should be able to:
•• interpret the passion narratives.
•• assess the reasons for the crucifixion of Jesus.
Introduction
Passion narratives are written stories on the suffering and
death of Jesus. The term passion comes from the Latin word
“patior/passus” which means suffering. Passion narratives
reflect the climax of events in the life and ministry of Jesus
because they deal with Jesus’ suffering and death. This unit
focuses on the passion narratives of Jesus by analysing the
passages as well as explaining differences in the passion
narratives as presented by the gospels.
Key words
Blasphemy – the action or offence of speaking
sacrilegiously about God or sacred things; profane talk.
Prophecy – a prediction of what will happen in the future.
Passion – the suffering and death of Jesus.
Background of passion narrative
Passion narrative begins with the journey to Jerusalem
and there is need to explore the reasons for the Jesus’ final
fate on his journey to Jerusalem. In the gospels there is an
impression that Jesus went to Jerusalem to mark the end
of his ministry. This journey is central in understanding the
passion narratives as it led to Jesus’ suffering and death.
Mark stresses that Jesus went to Jerusalem to die (Mark
8:31). In this context the presentation of Jesus as a suffering
servant becomes explicit.
52 Unit 9: Passion and death
It is in Jerusalem that his mission would end.
Reasons why Jesus went to Jerusalem
•• To bid farewell to his relatives.
•• To suffer and die.
•• To proclaim the kingdom of God.
•• Wanted to make Jerusalem the center of
Christian belief.
Interpretation of the passion narratives
The passion narratives begin with the triumphal entry (Mark
11:1, Matthew 21:1, Luke 19:28). It is of interest that the
passion narratives are arranged in order and they have a
deeper meaning.
Arrangement of the passion narratives
•• Triumphal entry (Mark 11:1-10).
•• Cleansing of the temple (Mark 11:15-19).
•• Jesus’ authority questioned (Mark 11:27-33, 12:1-
12).
•• Apocalyptic discourse (Mark 13).
•• Anointing of Jesus (Mark 14:3-9).
•• Last supper (Mark 14:12-25).
•• Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:32-
42).
•• Jesus’ trial and arrest (Mark 14:43-45).
•• The release of Barabbas (Mark 15:6-15).
•• Crucifixion and death of Jesus (Mark 15:16-47).
The triumphal entry was well misunderstood as well as
misinterpreted by Jesus’ enemies who saw the event as
the usurpation of political authority by Jesus. Jesus was
often seen as a political Messiah whose mandate was to
overthrow the Roman imperial rule. His entry into Jerusalem
was not clear as he went and drove money changers from
the temple which angered the Sadducean party. Jesus
assaulted the people present and it is believed to be an
 JESUS’ LIFE
Unit Resurrection
10
Unit objectives
By the end of this unit, you should be able to:
•• interpret the resurrection narratives.
•• evaluate the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus.
Introduction
The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of Christian
faith without which the basis of Christian faith is eroded.
As such, the thrust of this unit is to explain and interpret
the resurrection narratives as presented in the gospels.
Firstly the unit discusses the concept of resurrection as well
as analysing the resurrection theories. The nature of the
resurrection tradition in New Testament writings will also be
presented. In conclusion the unit ends with an evaluation
of the evidence of the resurrection of Jesus as well as
discussing the importance of resurrection and explain how
contemporary Christians commemorate Jesus’ resurrection.
Key words
Hallucination – an experience involving the apparent
perception of something not present.
Impersonation – an act of pretending to be another
person.
Resuscitation – the action or process of reviving someone
from unconsciousness or apparent death.
Resurrection – the rising from the dead.
The concept of resurrection
The term resurrection refers to the raising of someone from
the dead. It is central to Christian faith. Smart (1970:401)
says the experience of the resurrection was the focal point
in Christianity for the followers of Jesus. After the Jesus’
death, he resurrected and appeared to his disciple to
strengthen the faith of his followers as well as to prove his
divinity. According to 1 Corinthians 15:14, “If Christ has not
been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith
is in vain…” Without the resurrection of Christ, they would
not have been the gospel, no history of the apostles and no
history of the church. The resurrection of Christ is important
for Christians because it authenticate Christian faith and
history. However, the historical reliability of the resurrection
stories is questionable. The resurrection tradition is open
to deep analysis to arrive at a conclusion whether it was
authentic or not. Spivey says, “Its realistic quality allows for
and demands historical investigation”.
Resurrection theories
There are several theories which tries to explain the
resurrection of Jesus. These theories include the swoon
or resuscitation theory, the hallucination theory,
impersonation theory the theft theory and the unknown
tomb theory.
1. Swoon or resuscitation theory
According to this theory, Jesus did not die but he just
swooned. This means that the disciples saw a resuscitated
body of Jesus. This theory holds that Jesus was nailed on
the cross where he fainted because of loss of blood. He
then became resuscitated or swooned from fainting or
exhaustion after he was placed in the tomb half dead. This
means he was buried alive and he was revived because of
the coolness of the tomb. He rose and went away.
Critique of the swoon or resuscitation theory
This theory is widely dismissed because it ignores the
evidence of his death. According to the gospel writers there
JESUS’ LIFE 57
 visited the tomb and then Peter and the beloved
disciple. Peter was not alone when he visited the
empty tomb.
•• In Mark and Matthew, Jesus appeared to the
disciples in Galilee but in Luke and John, Jesus
appeared to the disciples in Jerusalem.
•• Paul’s tradition reports that when Jesus
resurrected, he appeared to the five hundred
people and James but in the gospels, there is no
such event.
•• Mark and Matthew do not report the eating of
Jesus and the disciples but Luke and John report
that.
•• According to Luke, Jesus disappeared from the
sight of the two disciples on the way to Emmaus
but other gospel writers do not report such
incident.
•• Both Luke and John report that Jesus passed
through closed doors but other writers do no
report that.
The challenges associated with the
historicity of the resurrection of Jesus
Although the resurrection of Jesus was an article of faith
in the Christian community, the resurrection of Jesus is
associated with several problems. Its historical authenticity
and verifiability are of great doubt because of several
factors which make resurrection a centre of debate among
modern historians and theologians. For some scholars the
resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the best attested
fact in human history for it is the foundation of Christian
beliefs. However, there are some challenges associated with
the resurrection of Jesus as a historical event and these
challenges include:
•• The event was only witnessed by his disciples.
It should be noted that only people who
were close to Jesus claim that indeed Jesus
resurrected. There are no outside witnesses
to this event. Furthermore, the disciples of
Jesus, both male and female disciples did not
actually see Jesus resurrecting but only saw
the empty tomb. There is also the possibility
of hallucination on the part of these disciples.
Thus, this is a challenge because no one outside
the inner circle of Jesus witnessed it and the
appearance stories are also limited to his
disciples. This makes the whole event historically
flawed because history has to be verified with
different witnesses to the event. Here only one
witness, the disciple is the key witness of the
resurrection event.
•• The other challenge is on the resurrected body.
Jesus is said to have entered the closed doors
and also ate with the disciples. This makes the
resurrection stories historically questionable
because of the nature of Christ’s resurrection.
Reasons why Jesus first appeared to his
disciples
When Jesus resurrected from the dead, he first appeared
to his disciples. The reasons why he appeared first to his
disciples are because Jesus wanted to fulfil what he had
said, to strengthen the faith of the disciples, to reassure the
disciples of the kingdom of God, to give the final orders to
the disciples and to prove that he was the risen Christ.
1. Jesus wanted to fulfill what he had said
Jesus promised his disciples that they would see him after
his resurrection. It is within this context that Jesus first
appeared to his disciples to fulfil what he had promised
his disciples. The disciples were to be the first witnesses of
Jesus’ resurrection.
2. To strengthen the faith of the disciples
The death of Jesus left the disciples in quandary and their
faith in Jesus was also tested. Resurrection of Jesus and his
appearance was to cement the faith of the disciples since
his death wavered their faith. Thus, Jesus first appeared
to the disciples to reinvigorate the faith of the disciples in
order to make them ready for the mission that was at hand
of preaching the word of God for the salvation of many
people.
3. To reassure the disciples of the kingdom of God
The ministry of Jesus was centred on the kingdom of God
and part of the kingdom of God involve it as a future event.
The first step towards establishment of the kingdom of God
as a future event was the death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ. It is because of this reason that Jesus first appeared
to his disciples after his resurrection to reassure the
disciples that the kingdom of God was imminent. According
to Acts 1: 3 “To them he presented himself alive after his
passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty
days and speaking of the kingdom of God”. The appearance
of Jesus to the disciples was not only a proclamation of the
kingdom of God but also a guarantee for the kingdom of
God for those who believe in Jesus.
4. To give the final orders to the disciples
The death of Jesus came at a time when Jesus had not yet
informed his disciples of what they were supposed to do
after his death. Thus, Jesus first appeared to his disciple
in order to give his final orders to them. The disciples met
with Jesus on the mountain that he had directed them to
meet him (Matthew 28:16). Part of the final order given to
the disciples was the great commission, “All authority in
JESUS’ LIFE 61
groups the millenniast, post millenniast and pre-millenniast.
A millenniast believe that Jesus will return to earth and
at that time resurrection of the dead happens along with
the establishment of the new heaven and new earth while
the post millenniast believe that there will be a millennial
age, a thousand years in which Christians reigns with
God. At the end of the one thousand years, Christ return
and resurrection takes place for the dead Christians.
Pre-millennialists believe that resurrection occurs when
Christ returns to earth. Following Christ’s return there will
be a millennial age in which Christ reigns on earth for one
thousand years and at the end of time, the resurrection of
believers will occur. This will lead to new heaven and earth
that will be established.
The importance of Jesus’ resurrection
Resurrection is central to Christian belief as it rises claims
of Jesus’ divinity and various doctrines of Salvation. It
is the most important concept for Christians because it
establishes an important truth. It demonstrates the power
of God and his intention on human life. If there is no
resurrection of Jesus, then Christianity as religion becomes
a hoax.
1. It proves that Jesus is the son of God
Firstly, the resurrection of Jesus is one of the main proofs
that Jesus is the son of God. This is supported by Paul when
he affirms that, “designated son of God in power according
to the spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead…”
(Romans 1:4).
2. It acts as an assurance of the forgiveness of sins
The resurrection of Christ presents assurance of forgiveness
of sins of humanity. According to 1 Corinthians 15:17 “If
Christ has not been raised then faith is futile and you are
still in your sins”. The resurrection of Jesus Christ gives
hope for the forgiveness of sins of the people. Without
resurrection there is no divine guarantee of forgiveness of
sins.
3. I t demonstrates that the kingdom of God is
governed by Christ
Unlike Islam where Muhammad did not resurrect,
Christianity views resurrection as demonstrating that the
kingdom of God is ruled by a living Christ who rose from
the dead. This is affirmed by Revelations 1:17-18 which says
“I am the first and last, the living one and I was dead and
behold I am alive for evermore.”
4. It proves that death marks the transition into
another state
The resurrection of Christ also proves that death is not
the end of life but the beginning of life that is eternal.
Physical death is not the termination of human existence
but a perpetuation of human eternal existence. Through
resurrection, God demonstrate that he has power to
reanimate the human body. Christ is the first fruit of
resurrection and those who follow Christ are the seeds of
this fruit.
5. It proves the divinity of Christ
Resurrection shows the divinity of Jesus. The fact that Jesus
conquered death shows his divine nature. Jesus is not only
human as demonstrated by his life but he is also a divine
being. Furthermore, the resurrection of Christ shows the
intention of God with human life that he did not intend to
make human beings die but to live life forever. The events
in the Garden of Eden which led to the pronouncement of
death upon humanity is not final. It is reversed with the
coming of Jesus.
6. It gives hope for dying Christians that they will
rise again
Lastly, the resurrection of Jesus gives hope for the dying
Christians that they will rise again. This helps in cementing
the faith of Christians as they believe that death is only an
event which leads to a transition which enables them to
live for eternity. The resurrection proves that those who
trust in Christ will not be subject in eternity to a half-human
existence in just their souls. It proves that our bodies will be
resurrected one day. Because of the resurrection of Christ,
believers will one day experience, forever, the freedom of
having a glorified soul and body.
7. T
 he resurrection of Christ proves that God will
judge the world one day
The resurrection of Jesus proves that he will judge the
world. Thus, the resurrection of Jesus is the proof that Jesus
is God’s agent for judgement (Acts 2:24).
8. The resurrection of Christ provides genuine
hope for eternal life
This is because Jesus says those who trust in Him will be
forgiven of their sins and thereby escape being condemned
at the judgment. The New Testament answers the main
question why Jesus resurrected from the dead. He
resurrected to save sinners. The penalty for sins was to be
paid through death.
Ways in which Christians commemorate
the resurrection of Christ
(a) Easter holiday
Jesus’ resurrection is celebrated through Easter holiday
JESUS’ LIFE 63
especially on Sunday a day which Jesus rose from the dead.
For them Easter Sunday demonstrates that Jesus had victory
over death and this marked the beginning of a new hope of
living in eternity when Christ returns.
(b) Sunday
Most Christians worship on Sunday because they
believe that Jesus rose from the dead a Sunday. As such,
worshipping on a Sunday is not only a sign of reverence to
Christ but also a way of remembering that Jesus resurrected
from the dead.
(c) Holy Communion
Participation in Holy Communion is also another way used
by Christians to remember the death as well as resurrection
of Christ. The Holy Communion is an event in which
Christians participate in Jesus’ death and resurrection.
(d) Baptism
Baptism in Christianity symbolise death and resurrection
of Jesus. So, by being baptised Christians will also be
remembering the resurrection of Christ as they die to the
old self and rise with the new self, that is, the new life in
Christ.
Activity 1
•• There are theories which explain the resurrection of
Jesus as a non-historical event.
•• The resurrection theories are flawed since they fail
to account for the empty tomb and appearance
stories.
•• The empty tomb and the resurrection appearances
form strong evidence of Jesus’ resurrection.
•• The resurrection of Jesus is in both physical and
spiritual form since he ate and passed through
closed doors respectively.
•• The resurrection narratives are the center of
Christian faith.
•• Christian celebrate the resurrection of Jesus
through Easter holiday and Holy Communion.
Revision Exercise
Essay Questions
1. “The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of
Christian faith.” Assess the validity of this statement.
2. Critically analyse the resurrection narratives in the
gospels and Pauline letters.
3. “The resurrection of Christ is a non-historical event”.
Discuss.
4. Analyse various theories on the resurrection of Jesus.
5. Discuss reasons why Jesus resurrected.
6. “The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of
Christian heritage”. Discuss.

Research

Conduct a research in the New Testament on the

resurrection of Jesus and examine the nature of Jesus’
resurrection. Present your findings to the class.

Activity 2

Discussion

In groups, discuss the challenges associated with the

historicity of the resurrection of Jesus. Present your
findings to the class.

Summary of the unit

•• Jesus was nailed on the cross, died and rose on the
third day.
•• Jesus first appeared to the women and then to his
disciples.
•• Jesus first appeared to the disciples for theological
reasons.
•• The resurrection stories are found in the gospels
and Pauline epistles.

64 Unit 10: Resurrection

 MINISTRY OF JESUS
Unit Kingdom of God
11
Unit objectives
By the end of this unit, you should be able to:
•• explain the meaning of the Kingdom of God from the
gospels.
•• examine the dimensions of the Kingdom of God.
Introduction
The concept of the Kingdom of God is central to Jesus’
ministry and as such this unit seeks to explain the origins of
the concept and the meaning of the concept of the kingdom
of God as presented in the gospels. Furthermore, the unit
also discusses Jesus’ understanding of the kingdom of God by
evaluating the sayings and accounts of Jesus on the kingdom
of God. Various dimensions of the kingdom of God will be
identified and explained in this unit. The unit concludes with
an analysis of how the kingdom of God is central to Jesus’
ministry.
Key words
Apocalyptic – describing or prophesying the complete
destruction of the world.
Servitude – the state of being a slave or completely subject
to someone more powerful.
Theocracy – a system of government in which priests’ rule
in the name of God.
The concept of the kingdom of God
The Kingdom of God is quite often on the lips of Jesus. Jesus
used it as a figurative speech and the concept is a religious
one without political and economic interpretation. Jesus
himself was the King and therefore all his work was the
work of the Kingdom. Jesus rarely speaks of God as a king
but as a father. Therefore, the concept is a family one.
The emphasis given by Jesus on this concept is that God
has the moral character. If one has to be the member of
the kingdom, he had to be the child of God. Therefore, what
binds the kingdom together binds the family together. This
binding thing is none other than love, it is the fibre which
keeps the family together.
Origin of the idea of the kingdom of God
It started off with the promise of God to Abraham when he
entered into a covenant with Abraham, “you are a chosen
race…” (Genesis 2:17-18). From this verse, Israel became the
kingdom of God, a theocracy. Isaiah 9: 2-7 and 16:5 speaks
in similar terms. Jeremiah on his new covenant also speaks
of the kingdom of God which is available to all.
The kingdom of God is also not a contrast to the kingdom of
heaven. The phrase kingdom of heaven is used by Matthew
about thirty times. The “Kingdom of God” is prevalent in
Luke and Mark. The use of Kingdom of heaven by Matthew
shows that he was influenced by Jewish background which
prohibited the use of the name God. Jews used terms like
“Almighty”, “Blessed one” as well as “Holy one” and it is
possibly the reason why Matthew used the term “kingdom
of heaven” than “Kingdom of God.”
The term “kingdom of heaven” is not only a Jewish coinage
but could also mean that the kingdom was not coming from
earth but from heaven that is above. The coming of the
kingdom from heaven above is coming as a gift from God.
Therefore, no human effort can pull it down. The kingdom
is the will of God, the will of the father. This will of the
father will come from the heaven above and it will be done
on earth as explained by the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy kingdom
come”.
MINISTRY OF JESUS 65
that God had already defeated the devil by sending his son
on earth. It is because of this that the Kingdom of God is
interpreted as the past event.
2. Present reality
Jesus’ mission and message testify that the Kingdom of
God is a present reality. There are several passages which
refer to this Kingdom as a present reality. In Jesus’ miracles
of exorcism, the spirit of God at work shows that the
kingdom’s presence. In Matthew 12:28 and Luke 11:20 says
“the Kingdom of God has come upon you”. In Luke 17:20,
the Kingdom is said to be in the midst of the people which
is indicative of the kingdom of God as a present reality.
Furthermore, during his commission of the seventy, the
disciples are instructed to heal and exorcise people as a sign
of the presence of a new Kingdom which had overthrown
that of the devil. Spivey (2013) states that, his parables,
exorcisms and miracles indicate the present irruption
of the kingdom of God. Jesus is presented stressing the
immediacy of God’s power and will, demanding ethical
behaviour in the light of the kingdom’s imminence and
insisting that every encounter of man’s life is in reality an
encounter with God and a demand for decision and ethical
response (Hayes 353).
3. Future event
The kingdom of God has futuristic emphasis which is quite
overwhelming in the gospels. It is an event that happens in
the future. The Lord’s Prayer testifies this, “our father who
art in heaven…. thy kingdom come” (Matthew 6:10, Luke
11:2). Furthermore, after his confession at Caesarea Philippi,
Jesus told his disciples that some amongst his disciples
were not going to enter into the kingdom of God that was to
come (Mark 9:1, Matthew 16:28, Luke 9:27). The last supper
also supports the idea of the Kingdom of God as a future
event when Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, I shall not drink
again of the fruit of this vine until that day when I drink it
new in the Kingdom of God” (Mark 14:25, Matthew 26:29,
Luke 22:18). The kingdom of God is associated with the end
of time (eschatology) that is, the Parousia, tribulations of the
last days and the impending judgement. This points to the
kingdom of God as a future event.
The Kingdom of God as central to the
ministry of Jesus
The concept of the Kingdom is at the heart of Jesus’ ministry
as his teachings, miracles, parables and daily activities were
always pointing to the Kingdom of God. Hayes states that
the idea of the kingdom of God was central the central
element in the preaching of Jesus. There is no event which
does not link up to the kingdom of God in Jesus ministry.
The term kingdom is mention about fifty-five times in
Matthew, twenty times in Mark and forty times in Luke as
well as five times in John. Kingdom of God and kingdom
of heaven are equivalent expressions which occurs about
eighty times which shows the centrality of the concept in
Jesus’ ministry.
Miracles of Jesus opine that the kingdom of God is central
to Jesus ministry. The miracles which he performed show
that the devil’s kingdom is displaced and Jesus is ushering
in a new kingdom. Diseases and various ailments in people
in the New Testament are attributed to the devil and when
Jesus healed the sick, he was simply demonstrating that the
kingdom of God was in the midst of the people. Miracles
represent the eruption of the kingdom of God.
The parables of Jesus prove that the kingdom of God is
central to Jesus teaching. Jesus used figurative language
to proclaim the kingdom of God. Dean Inge argues that
parables compare the known and the unknown which is the
kingdom of God. Jesus used known stories to explain the
kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is represented in the
parables. In Luke 16:2 the kingdom of God is present as a
present reality, “the kingdom of God is amongst you”.
Jesus encouraged repentance to show that the Kingdom
of God is central to his ministry. Matthew 4:17, from the
time Jesus began to preach, saying “Repent for the kingdom
of Heaven is at hand”. It is clear that from the beginning
of Jesus’ ministry, the kingdom of God and his gospel are
intertwined. Those who repent and be baptised enter the
kingdom of God.
The commission of the twelve (Matthew 9:35) also indicate
that the kingdom of God is central to Jesus’ teaching
and ministry. “Jesus went about all the cities and villages
teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of
the kingdom and healing the sick and every disease among
the people”. This reflects that the kingdom of God was on
the lips of Jesus in his proclamation of the gospel.
The Sermon on the Mount which is more of an ethical
teaching is centred on the kingdom of God. Matthew 5:3
says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom
of heaven”. Practical Christianity which is being presented
by the sermon shows that entrance of the kingdom of God
requires humility and other virtues.
The private meeting between Jesus and his disciples is
centred on the kingdom of God. According Matthew 18:3,
“Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,
young will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever
humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the
kingdom of heaven”.
His prayer also stresses on the kingdom of God. According
to Matthew 6:9-13, “Our father who art in heaven, hallowed
thy name. Thy kingdom come…” In this prayer Jesus admits
MINISTRY OF JESUS 67
 Activity 2

Research

Research on the extent to which the Kingdom of God is central to the ministry of the church today. Submit your findings to
the facilitator for marking.

Summary of the unit

•• The kingdom of God is central to Jesus’ ministry.
•• The meaning of the kingdom of God is very complex
•• The kingdom of God is understood as realised eschatology meaning it is a present reality.
•• The kingdom of God is past event, present reality and future event.
•• The miracles of Jesus proved the coming of the kingdom of God during his time.

Revision Exercise

Essay Questions

1. “The kingdom of God is at the core of Christian life and ministry”. Discuss.
2. Summarise one’s entry qualifications into the kingdom of God as shown in the gospels.
3. The Kingdom of God is central to Jesus’ teaching and ministry”. Assess the validity of this assertion.
4. “The Kingdom of God is central to the ministry of the church today”. Discuss.
5. “The concept of the Kingdom of God creates more confusion than clarity”. How true is this statement?
6. Discuss various meanings of the kingdom of God in the gospels.
7. Discuss the challenges associated with the nature of the kingdom of God.
8. “There is no single definition of the kingdom of God in the Gospels”. Assess the validity of this assertion.

MINISTRY OF JESUS 69
 MINISTRY OF JESUS
Unit Parables
12
Unit objectives
By the end of this unit, you should be able to:
•• examine the nature of a parable.
•• explain why Jesus taught in parables.
Introduction
This unit focuses on the parables of Jesus. Firstly, the
definition of parables is explained, categories of parables
are also given together with the functions of the parables.
Parables on the kingdom of God are also identified and
explained. The unit concludes by discussing the methods
used by contemporary church leaders and religious officials
in conveying their messages.
Key Words
Humility – the quality of having a modest or low view of
one’s importance.
Judicial – appropriate to a law court or judge; relating to the
administration of justice.
Parables
The term parable is derived from the Greek word parabol
which means comparing and the Hebrew word for parable
is Mashal which means “Be Like”. As such, a parable is a
metaphor or simile drawn from nature or common life,
arresting the hearer by its vividness or strangeness and
leaving the mind in sufficient doubt about its precise
application to tease it into active thought (Dodd 1961:5).
This means that a parable is an embodiment of an idea and
an illustration of religion and ethical principles. A parable
consists of comparing the unknown with the known, the
70 Unit 12: Parables
strange with the familiar. Therefore, a parable is a mode
of instruction founded on the resemblances or analogies
between spiritual and natural objects or events.
Function of parables
1. They were given to fulfill scripture (Matthew 13:34, 35).
The Old Testament had predicted that Jesus would
speak in hidden language (Parables) about the truths
of God (PS 78:2). In speaking with parables, Jesus was
fulfilling Old Testament prophecy.
2. To enlighten his disciples (Matthew 13:10-12).
3. To blind the hearers (Matthew 13:10-15).
Types of parables
There are three types of parables namely the didactic
parables, evangelical parables and Judicial parables which
addresses topics such as kingdom, service, prayer, humility
loving others, God’s concern for the lost, gratitude of the
redeemed, preparation for Christ’s return, judgement on
Israel and judgement in the kingdom of God.
1. Didactic parables
These are parables in which Jesus teaches people about life.
They are instructional as they make the listener learn about
various aspects of life. These parables include the parables
of Good Samaritan which teaches about loving one another,
the prodigal son which teaches about forgiveness and
patience. These parables offer lessons which are important
in day to day living.
2. Evangelical parables
These are parables which given with the purpose of
making someone believe in God by convincing the listener.
Evangelical parables they demonstrate how the kingdom of
God is staged through Jesus’ story and convince that Jesus is
author of salvation.
Examples of these parables include parable of lost sheep, Didactic Evangelical Prophetic and
lost coin, lost son and the parables of the two debtor. parables parables Judicial parables

3. Prophetic and judicial parables the unjust

steward
Prophetic parables are stories which explains what will the Great
happen in future. Gingrich (2002) identified the seven Banquet
prophetic parables which are often called the seven
parables of the kings and these parables are the parable Parable-like images in the gospel
of the ten maidens, faithful and unfaithful servant, the according to John
watchful potter, the barren fig tree, the unforgiving servant
and the parables of the marriage feast. On the other hand, The Greek word parable is never used in the Gospel
judicial parables are stories in which the concept of Justice according to John. However, there are some metaphors
is explained. For example, the parables the unjust judge and images that are almost similar to but also significantly
and the parable of the persistent widow. They address the different from the Synoptic parables. John’s Gospel four
issues of justice. times also uses the related word paroimia which means
“proverb” or “figure of speech”.
Didactic Evangelical Prophetic and
parables parables Judicial parables Shepherd and Sheep (John 10:1-16)
Parable of the •• In Matthew 18:12-14 and Luke 15:3-7, Jesus tells
sower (Mtt a parable about a Shepherd who lost one of his
The Lost Sheep The Ten Virgins
13:3-8, Mk 4:4- 100 sheep.
8, Luke 8:5-8 •• In John, Jesus directly says, “I am the Sheep gate”
Parable of (10:7, 9) and “I am the Good Shepherd” (10:11,
The Faithful and
Tares (Mtt The Lost Coin 14).
Unfaithful Servants
13:24-30 •• Vine and Branches (John 15:1-8).
The Mustard •• In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus tells several
Seed (Mtt The Lost Son The Watchful Potter parables involving workers in vineyards (Mark
13:31-32 12:1-11 and par.; Matt 20:1-16; Matt 21:28-32).
The leaven The Two •• In John, Jesus directly says, “I am the true vine,
The Two Sons and my Father is the vine grower” (15:1) and “I
Luke 13:20 Debtors
am the vine; you are the branches” (15:5).
Hidden
The Barren Fig Tree
treasure Paroimia = “proverb” or “figure of speech”
The pearl of
The Marriage Feast. •• John 10:6 - Jesus used this figure of speech with
the great price
them, but they did not understand what he was
The drag net
saying to them.
Labourers in •• John 16:25 – “I have said these things to you in
the vineyard figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will
The parable of no longer speak to you in figures, but will tell you
talents plainly of the Father.”
Parable of •• John 16:29 - His disciples said, “Yes, now you are
pounds speaking plainly, not in any figure of speech.
Parables of
Purpose of parables
the friend at
midnight •• Instead of hiding the truth in parables as it is
The unjust verified by Mark 4:11-13, Parables quickens
Judge the understanding of the hearers. Hunter
The Pharisee argues that Jesus used parables to quicken the
and the understanding by putting truth in a vivid and
publican memorable way. For example, God tells the truth
in parables because they are easier for common
The rich fool
man to understand.

MINISTRY OF JESUS 71
8. Go back to sender practice Revision Exercise

Some churches have used the go back sender practice to
teach other people that if you do bad to others then bad
will also follow you. This has been used to teach those who
practice witchcraft on others that they will be affected by
their own evil. The method used here is there to teach evil
doers to be good and at the same time it teaches retaliation.
This method is against Jesus teaching on loving enemies.
9. Outreach programmes
Outreach is an activity of providing services to any
populations who might not otherwise have access to those
services. As such churches conduct outreach programmes
by moving place to place spreading the word of God. In
Seventh Day Adventist, Church, they do what is known as
Zunde meaning an outreach program of calling people to
Christ.
Essay Questions
1. Critique views on Jesus’ parables.
2. Examine the reasons why Jesus taught in parables. To
what extent are present religious leaders using the
same method?
3. Assess the significance of Jesus’ parables to him and
his audience.
4. Assess the roles of parables in the proclamation of the
kingdom of God.
5. “The main role of parables was to explain the kingdom
of God”. Discuss.
6. “Parables were a unique way used by Jesus to teach
his audience”. Discuss.
7. Discuss the importance of Jesus’ parables to
Zimbabwean.
8. Examine various types of parables in the gospels.

Activity 1

Research

In groups, research on the views on Jesus’ parables. What

was the significance of parables in the teachings of Jesus?
Submit your findings to the facilitator.

Summary of the unit

•• Parables is a Jewish way of teaching adopted with
Jesus.
•• Parables were used to show the fulfillment of
scripture, to confuse enemies and enlighten
disciples.
•• There are three types of parables namely the
didactic parables, evangelical parables and judicial
parables.
•• Jesus used parables to quicken the understanding
by putting truth in a vivid and memorable way
among other purposes.
•• Parables have explicit and immediate reference to
the Kingdom of God thus they are secret bearer of
the Kingdom.
•• Parables challenged hearers of the imminence of
the Kingdom of God.
•• Modern Christian leaders have adopted parables as
a way of teaching in church.
•• Miracles, sermons, real life stories, letters and
symbolic actions are some of the methods used by
contemporary Christian teachers.

74 Unit 12: Parables

 MINISTRY OF JESUS
Unit Miracles
13
Unit objectives
By the end of this unit you should be able to:
•• examine the concept of miracles in the New
Testament.
•• assess the significance of miracles in the New
Testament.
Introduction
Miracles were part of Jesus’ ministry with so many purposes.
It is within this context that this unit deals with the miracles
of Jesus. Firstly, the definition of miracle is given and terms
used to refer to miracles are also explained. Various types
of miracles like miracles of exorcism, healing miracles,
miracles of resuscitation and nature miracles are also
explored. The unit further looks at the reasons why Jesus
performed miracles and concludes with an assessment of the
importance of miracles in the New Testament.
Key words
Exorcism – the practice of expelling demons and evil spirits
from persons and places.
Miracle – an occurrence or happening which is contrary to
what is known of nature.
Sign – a miracle which conveys a truth about Jesus.
Definition of the concept
A miracle is a term which can be defined as an occurrence
or happening which is contrary to what is known of nature.
To support this Spivey (2013) says miracles are occurrences
contrary to known scientific laws. Miracles caused people to
be amazed and terrified and to wonder whether they were
a demonstration of God’s power or Satan’s power. This is
because even the devil can perform miracles.
Terms used by New Testament writers to
refer to miracles
New Testament writers used various terms to refer to
miracles which include signs, mighty works, power and
wonders. Most of these terms are found together in biblical
passages like Acts 2:22 and also 2 Corinthians 12:12, “Men
of Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man
attested to you by God with mighty works, and wonders
and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you
yourself know…” The use of these different terms to refer to
miracles is caused by the background of the author as well
as the theological motive of writing their books.
1. Signs (semeion)
A sign is a miracle which conveys a truth about Jesus and
the term “sign” was used by Luke to refer to miracles.
According to the gospel of Luke 11:29, “This generation is
an evil generation, it seeks a sign but no sign shall be given
to them except the sign of Jonah…” A sign is a miracle and
in this case the Pharisees had demanded for a miracle from
Jesus. Matthew 12:38 and Mark 8:11 also refers to a miracle
as a sign.
2. Mighty works (ergon)
This refers to the might works of Christ. The term is used
in Matthew 11:2, John 5:20, 26 and 7:3. Mighty works are
done in the presence of God. Spivey state that miracles are
occurrences contrary to scientific laws and it is within this
context that might works are healing done by Jesus which
was contrary to scientific laws.
MINISTRY OF JESUS 75
that have been and are performed by several prominent
prophets.
Miracles of exorcism are done by Zimbabwean prophets.
Many people with evil spirits and who are mentally
challenged have been healed by prophets.
Paul Sanyangore also claimed to have done a nature miracle
when he walked on water. The media recorded that the
controversial man walked on water after his friends invited
him for a swim in Glen Lorne. This shows that Christian
leaders in Zimbabwe are performing miracles.
Healing miracles have also been done by contemporary
prophets. According to an online radio Nehanda radio, on
16th of May 2016, Prophet Walter Magaya hosted a miracle
night at his church in Waterfalls, Harare. He performed
several healing miracles.
Revision Exercise
Essay Questions
1. Explore various terms used by New Testament writers
to refer to miracles.
2. “Without miracles the message of Jesus would have
been misunderstood and without miracles his ministry
would have been a failure”. Discuss.
3. Examine reasons why Jesus performed miracles. To
what extent are Zimbabwean church leader’s miracle
workers?
4. Evaluate the significance of miracles in the gospels.
5. To what extent does your society value miracles?
6. “Miracles promote enterprise” Discuss.
7. Show how miracles promoted gender equality in the
New Testament.

Prosperity miracles where people have been moving from

poverty to prosperity have also been done. This is evidenced
by the miracle money performed by Uebert Angel. This
miracle has seen many poor people in society becoming rich
or better in terms of economic status. They argue that Jesus
did not come to make his believers poor but to enrich them.

Activity 1

Discussion

Discuss various terms used by New Testament writers to

refer to miracles. Present your findings to the class.

Summary of the unit

•• The ministry of Jesus was characterised by miracles.
•• There are several terms that are used to refer to
miracles which include signs, mighty works, power
and wonders.
•• Miracles are classified into four categories namely
exorcisms, healing, resuscitations and nature
miracles.
•• Miracles demonstrated the presence and acts of
God in Jesus. God is present and acting in Jesus
•• Miracles demonstrated the coming of the Kingdom
of God.
•• Jesus performed miracles to save human needs as
well as for spiritual reasons.
•• Miracles performed by Jesus converted people to
believe in God.
•• The early church was characterised by Miracles.
•• Many churches which fall into Pentecostal churches
and Prophetic ministries are conducting miracles.

MINISTRY OF JESUS 79
 MINISTRY OF JESUS
Unit Ethics of Jesus
14
Unit objectives
By the end of this unit, you should be able to:
•• identify the basic elements of Jesus’ ethics from the
gospels.
•• evaluate the challenges associated with the ethics of
Jesus.
Introduction
Morality and good behaviour are important Christian virtues.
It is within this context that Jesus taught about the ethics in
which he explained what a Christian should do and should
not do. This unit defines ethics, then identify and explains the
basic ethics taught by Jesus. Contemporary ethical dilemmas
are also explained highlighting the challenges of Jesus’ ethics
in the modern world.
Key words
Adultery – any voluntary sexual intercourse between
married people.
Ethics – customary way of acting or the normal way of doing
things.
Definition of ethics
The term ethics comes from the Greek word “ethos”
which means a norm or customary. This is equivalent to
morality. It means customary way of acting or the normal
way of doing things. Ethics are a branch of philosophy
which deals with morality. It involves moral problems and
moral judgements. As such ethics deals with judgement of
what is right and wrong, virtues and vices, desirable and
undesirable actions. The term ethics is connected with
values which emanates from what is acceptable as moral.
80 Unit 14: Ethics of Jesus
From a Christian perspective, ethics are acceptable actions
and principles derived from the Christian faith which a
Christian is expected to follow. It deals with what is right
and wrong to be done by a Christian. The motivation of
Christian ethics is based on the exemplary life of Jesus
Christ. Therefore, there is a close link between Christian
character and conduct. The character of a Christian shapes
his conduct which will make one to be regarded as a moral
or immoral person. Christian ethics therefore are a way
of life exemplified and taught by Jesus applied to human
problems and decisions made in human existence.
The sermon on the mount clearly explains Christian ethics
by highlighting some of the unethical issues which are not
allowed in Christianity.
Basic elements of Jesus’ ethics from
the gospels
The main areas of ethical discussion are:
1. Murder and anger (Matthew 5:21-26)
Life is an important gift given to humanity by God for
free. Thus, killing or murder is considered unethical in
Christianity. This is because Moses gave a stern warning
on murder and this was well supported by Jesus who
stated that murder is ungodly. There are three phases
of the inner attitude that can lead to murder are anger,
scorn and personal insult. Murder has internal influence.
This is supported by Eddleman (1955) who argue murder
originates from the heart and anger is controlled by the
heart. In Christianity every human being is seen as brother
or sister and should be treated like a human being. Anyone
who kills will be thrown in the hell of fire.
 EXAMINATION 8
FAMILY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES EXAMINATION PAPERS
6074/2 Christianity and Islam

Time: 3 Hours

Instructions to candidates.

Answer four questions

Answer at least one question from each of the Section A and B

Each question in this paper carries 25 Marks

You are reminded of the need for good English and clear presentation in your answers.

SECTION A: CHRISTIANITY
1. Evaluate five resurrection theories propounded by different scholars.
2. Examine the importance of the Holy Spirit in the early church and contemporary church today.
3. Discuss the role of women as sponsors and evangelists in the New Testament with special reference to Acts of the
Apostles.
4. Analyse the marriage institution in Christianity.
5. Examine the contribution of Christianity to nation building.

SECTION B: ISLAM
6. Write brief explanatory notes on the following:
(i) Prophet Muhammad
(ii) Koran
(iii) Shariah
(iv) Ramadan
(v) Jihad
7. To what extent did Muhammad’s personal background influence his teaching?
8. To what extent can the Sharia be viewed as an antidote to HIV and AIDS?
9. Analyse factors which contributed to the development of Islam.
10. Evaluate the perception of women in Islam.

193
Index G

Good citizenship 12, 29, 98, 195

Governance 96, 165, 166, 195, 199, 200
A
H
Allah iii, 116, 117, 118, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 126, 127,
128, 129, 130, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, Hadith 127, 137, 143, 144, 148, 153, 158, 165, 175, 181, 183,
140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 156, 165, 195, 198, 200
166, 167, 169, 170, 175, 176, 180, 181, 182, 183, 188, Healing 5, 24, 76, 79, 93, 101, 103, 114, 195
195 Health 35, 82, 101, 102, 103, 104, 162, 195
Almsgiving (Zakat) 195 Hijab 129, 195
Analogical reasoning 195 Holy spirit 24, 50, 195
Atonement 11, 195 Humanitarian service iv, 156, 195

B I
Baptism iii, 20, 25, 27, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 64, 195 Ijza 195
Beliefs 195, 198 Infrastructural development 195
Bible iii, 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 14, 20, 27, 73, 83, 86, 109, 111, Islamic attitude 181
112, 189, 195, 199, 200, 201 Islamic attitudes 195
Birth narratives 42, 195 Islamic charity organisation 162, 163, 195
Islamic jurisprudence 177, 195
C Islamic mysticism 195

Caliph 156, 195

J
Categories of love 195
Church 2, 4, 5, 16, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 36, 41, 50, Jerusalem council 23, 28, 29, 31, 34, 35, 36, 195
73, 74, 82, 86, 87, 88, 89, 93, 94, 98, 103, 106, 107, Jesus’ ministry 65, 67, 69, 75, 195
108, 109, 112, 195, 199 Jihad iv, 118, 122, 128, 134, 135, 138, 143, 156, 158, 159,
Confession 195 169, 170, 187, 190, 193, 195, 198, 199, 201
Conflict transformation 171, 172, 195 Judgement 40, 158, 195
Contemporary church 73, 195
Crucifixion 52, 195 K

D Kaffara 195
Khula 195
Doctrines 195, 201 Kingdom of God iii, 38, 39, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 72, 74, 76, 77,
78, 79, 186, 195
E Koran iii, 116, 117, 118, 119, 121, 123, 126, 128, 132, 133,
134, 135, 137, 142, 146, 149, 165, 166, 167, 174, 186,
Early church 29, 35, 195
188, 191, 193, 195
Empty tomb 60, 195
Enterprise 90, 93, 94, 195
M
Environmental practice 195
Environmental preservation 195 Mahr 149, 195
Eschatology iii, 38, 39, 40, 41, 195 Marriage institution iv, 195
Ethics iii, 80, 140, 142, 195, 198, 199, 200 Mecca 118, 120, 122, 123, 124, 128, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135,
Exorcism 75, 195 156, 157, 195
Medina 117, 118, 123, 133, 135, 138, 139, 157, 195
F Military jihad 195
Miracles of Jesus 67, 78, 195
Fairness 195
Mission of the church 36, 195
Faith 14, 15, 50, 68, 140, 158, 195, 198, 200
Monotheistic belief 195
Fasting 12, 27, 123, 134, 148, 195
Fatwas 195
Five pillars iii, 122, 125, 195
Futuristic salvation 195

195
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