Mark’s healing Jesus and African Pentecostal Churches in Zimbabwe : a comparison of methods and purpose

Abstract

The research compares healing miracles practice and purpose within African Pentecostal Churches in Zimbabwe and Jesus’ Mark 1:1-44. Who heals and who has power to heal the African Pentecostal Churches Prophets or Jesus? Do methods used for healing has impact on healing, include objects used by men of God. The research was triggered by the growing of healing miracle practices and purpose within African Pentecostal Churches in Zimbabwe, and the use of objects such as oil, stickers and clothes as a means of healing or contact points to the miracles and focusing on the Men of God as a healer. Instead of being channels that lead people to depend only on Christ for their spiritual security, healing Pentecostal prophets present themselves as super spiritual authorities who must be relied upon by the believers in addition to Christ. The position of the Man of God and Jesus becomes debatable and varies as we move from one Christian Church to the other. The studies outline all healing methods used by Jesus and how people of the time reacted to them and compare them to that of the African Pentecostals Churches. Therefore, the question stood of the African Pentecostal Churches in Zimbabwe’s healing miracles methods and purposes authenticity. The purpose of the comparison is to show that while African Pentecostal healing focuses on the ‘man of God’, Jesus’ healing aimed at the restoration of the healed person to his gender roles within the household.