Roho Mtakatifu, Karama za Roho na Kupambanua — Sehemu ya 6: Uponyaji wa Kimungu II: Mateso, Dawa na Maadili ya KichungajiThe Holy Spirit, Spiritual Gifts, and Discernment — Unit 6: Divine Healing II: Suffering, Medicine, and Pastoral Ethics

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Neema yangu yakutosha; maana uweza wangu hukamilishwa katika udhaifu. Basi, nitajisifia udhaifu wangu kwa furaha nyingi zaidi, ili uweza wa Kristo ukae juu yangu." (2 Wakorintho 12:9, SUV)"And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Corinthians 12:9, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

Utakapomaliza kipindi hiki, unapaswa kuweza:When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

1. Kueleza kwa nini baadhi ya waumini hawaponywi, kwa kutumia mifano ya Paulo, Timotheo, Trofimo na Epafrodito.1. Explain why some believers are not healed, using the examples of Paul, Timothy, Trophimus and Epaphroditus.

2. Kueleza "tayari na bado" ya ufalme na kwa nini inawalinda wachungaji dhidi ya ahadi za uongo.2. Explain the "already and not yet" of the kingdom and why it protects pastors from false promises.

3. Kueleza fundisho la Kipentekoste kwamba maombi na dawa hufanya kazi pamoja, na kueleza kwa nini hakuna muumini anayepaswa kuambiwa akatae matibabu.3. Describe the Pentecostal teaching that prayer and medicine work together, and state why no believer should be told to refuse medical treatment.

4. Kutaja angalau kanuni tano za maadili kwa mchungaji anayeombea wagonjwa.4. Name at least five ethical rules for a pastor who prays for the sick.

5. Kumtunza mshiriki mgonjwa au anayekufa, na familia ambayo maombi yao ya uponyaji hayajajibiwa, kwa uaminifu na upendo.5. Care for a sick or dying member, and for a family whose prayer for healing has not been answered, with honesty and love.

Sauti ya Kipindi HikiThe Voice of This Unit

Kipindi hiki kimeandikwa kutoka ndani ya mapokeo ya Kipentekoste ya kawaida, kwa ajili ya wanafunzi wanaoyashiriki. Ni cha kihafidhina na cha kiutatu (Utatu Mtakatifu). Kipindi cha 5 kilifundisha kwamba Mungu huponya, na tunashikilia hilo kwa uthabiti. Kipindi hiki kinafundisha nusu nyingine ya kweli: kwamba waumini bado huteseka na kufa, kwamba madaktari na dawa ni karama nzuri za Mungu, na kwamba mchungaji lazima awe mkweli na mpole. Kanisa linalofundisha nusu ya kwanza tu litawajeruhi watu. Kozi ya 4, Kipindi cha 6 kitashughulikia utendaji wa huduma ya madhabahuni na kuwekea mikono, na Kozi ya 5, Kipindi cha 6 kitashughulikia mafundisho ya ufanisi na utajiri (prosperity teaching).This unit is written from inside the classical Pentecostal tradition, for students who belong to it. It is conservative and Trinitarian. Unit 5 taught that God heals, and we hold that firmly. This unit teaches the other half of the truth: that believers still suffer and die, that doctors and medicine are good gifts of God, and that a pastor must be truthful and gentle. A church that teaches only the first half will wound people. Course 4, Unit 6 will deal with the practice of altar ministry and laying on of hands, and Course 5, Unit 6 will deal with prosperity teaching.

Swali Gumu ZaidiThe Hardest Question

Kila mchungaji anayeombea wagonjwa atakutana na swali hili mapema au baadaye: "Niliomba, na kanisa liliomba, na mtoto wangu hakuponywa. Kwa nini?" Mchungaji hapaswi kulijibu kwa msemo wa kawaida.Every pastor who prays for the sick will meet this question sooner or later: "I prayed, and the church prayed, and my child was not healed. Why?" A pastor must not answer it with a slogan.

Tunaanza kwa kusema wazi kwamba hatujui kwa nini Mungu huponya mtu mmoja na si mwingine. Yeyote anayedai kujua anadai zaidi kuliko Maandiko yanavyotoa. Lakini Biblia haituachi bila mwanga. Inaonyesha kwamba waumini waaminifu wakati mwingine waliugua, kwamba makusudi ya Mungu ni makubwa kuliko faraja yetu, na kwamba yupo pamoja na anayeteseka.We begin by saying plainly that we do not know why God heals one person and not another. Anyone who claims to know is claiming more than Scripture gives. But the Bible does not leave us without light. It shows that faithful believers were sometimes sick, that God's purposes are larger than our comfort, and that He is present with the sufferer.

Biblia Inaonyesha Waumini Ambao HawakuponywaThe Bible Shows Believers Who Were Not Healed

Paulo. Paulo aliponya wengi, lakini hakupokea uponyaji aliouomba katika jaribu moja. Katika 2 Wakorintho 12:7-9 anaandika juu ya "mwiba wa mwilini" na kusema kwamba alimwomba Bwana mara tatu auondoe. Jibu la Bwana ndilo mstari wetu mkuu: "Neema yangu yakutosha; maana uweza wangu hukamilishwa katika udhaifu." Wafasiri wanatofautiana juu ya mwiba huo ulikuwa nini. Wengine wanadhani ulikuwa ugonjwa, wengine adui au mtesaji, wengine shambulio la kiroho. Hatuhitaji kulitatua hili ili kuona somo. Paulo aliomba kwa imani, hakupewa alichoomba, na akapewa neema badala yake. Hakusema kwamba imani yake ilikuwa dhaifu. Alisema kwamba uweza wa Kristo ulikaa juu yake.Paul. Paul healed many, yet he did not receive the healing he asked for in one trial. In 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 he writes of a "thorn in the flesh" and says that he asked the Lord three times to take it away. The Lord's answer is our key verse: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Interpreters differ about what the thorn was. Some think it was an illness, some an enemy or persecutor, some a spiritual attack. We do not need to settle this to see the lesson. Paul prayed in faith, was not given what he asked, and was given grace instead. He did not say that his faith was weak. He said that the power of Christ rested on him.

Timotheo. Paulo alimshauri mfanyakazi mwenzake kijana, "Usinywe maji tu tena, ila tumia divai kidogo, kwa ajili ya tumbo lako na maradhi yako ya mara kwa mara" (1 Timotheo 5:23). Timotheo alikuwa na maradhi ya mara kwa mara. Paulo hakumwambia adai uponyaji kwa kukiri. Alimpa ushauri wa kimatibabu wa vitendo.Timothy. Paul advised his young co-worker, "No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent infirmities" (1 Timothy 5:23). Timothy had frequent illnesses. Paul did not tell him to claim a healing by confession. He gave practical medical advice.

Trofimo. Paulo aliandika karibu na mwisho wa maisha yake, "Trofimo nalimwacha huko Mileto, hawezi" (2 Timotheo 4:20). Mtume ambaye alikuwa ameona leso zikibeba uponyaji alimwacha mfanyakazi mwenzake akiwa mgonjwa.Trophimus. Paul wrote near the end of his life, "Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick" (2 Timothy 4:20). The apostle who had seen handkerchiefs carry healing left a co-worker sick.

Epafrodito. Wafilipi 2:25-27 inasimulia kwamba Epafrodito aliugua karibu na kufa, na kwamba Mungu alimrehemu yeye na Paulo.Epaphroditus. Philippians 2:25-27 tells that Epaphroditus was sick almost to death, and that God had mercy on him and on Paul.

Wagalatia 4:13 inasema kwamba ni kwa sababu ya ugonjwa wa mwili Paulo alihubiri injili kwa Wagalatia mara ya kwanza.Galatians 4:13 says that it was because of a physical illness that Paul first preached the gospel to the Galatians.

Visa hivi si ubaguzi unaokanusha uponyaji wa kimungu. Vinaonyesha kwamba uponyaji ni karama ambayo Mungu hutoa kama apendavyo (1 Wakorintho 12:11) na kwamba Biblia ni ya kweli juu ya jambo hilo.These cases are not exceptions that disprove divine healing. They show that healing is a gift that God gives as He wills (1 Corinthians 12:11) and that the Bible is honest about that fact.

Tayari na BadoAlready and Not Yet

Wapentekoste wakati mwingine hutumia msemo "tayari na bado." Yesu ameanza utawala wake, na nguvu za ulimwengu ujao ni za kweli kati yetu: uponyaji, ukombozi, karama ya Roho. Lakini ufalme haujaja bado katika utimilifu wake. Waumini bado wanaugua, wakingojea ukombozi wa mwili (Warumi 8:23). Mauti bado ni adui, na wa mwisho kuharibiwa (1 Wakorintho 15:26).Pentecostals sometimes use the phrase "already and not yet." Jesus has begun His reign, and the powers of the age to come are real among us: healing, deliverance, the gift of the Spirit. But the kingdom has not yet come in its fullness. Believers still groan, waiting for the redemption of the body (Romans 8:23). Death is still an enemy, and the last one to be destroyed (1 Corinthians 15:26).

Kwa hiyo uponyaji wa leo ni ladha ya mapema, na kwa lugha ya Kipentekoste ni "malimbuko," ya ukombozi wa mwisho. Mungu anapoponya mwili, anatoa ishara ya ufufuo. Asipofanya hivyo, bado tunangojea siku inayoelezwa katika Ufunuo 21:4: "Naye atafuta kila chozi katika macho yao; wala mauti haitakuwapo tena; wala maombolezo, wala kilio, wala maumivu hayatakuwapo tena; kwa maana mambo ya kwanza yamekwisha kupita."Healing today is therefore a foretaste, and in Pentecostal language a "first fruit," of the final redemption. When God heals a body, He gives a sign of the resurrection. When He does not, we are still waiting for the day described in Revelation 21:4: "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

Fundisho hili linamlinda mchungaji dhidi ya makosa mawili. La kwanza ni kutokuamini, kunakosema kwamba Mungu haponyi leo. La pili ni kujisifu kwa ushindi (triumphalism), kunakosema kwamba hakuna muumini anayepaswa kuugua. Agano Jipya halifundishi lolote kati ya hayo.This teaching protects a pastor from two errors. The first is unbelief, which says that God does not heal today. The second is triumphalism, which says that no believer needs to be sick. The New Testament teaches neither.

Majibu Mabaya ya KuepukaWrong Answers to Avoid

Mambo mengi yenye madhara yamesemwa kando ya vitanda vya wagonjwa. Mchungaji lazima ayaepuke.Many harmful things have been said at sickbeds. A pastor must avoid them.

"Hukuponywa kwa sababu huna imani." Hili ni jibu baya linalosemwa mara nyingi zaidi, na linaleta uharibifu mkubwa. Imani ni kumtumaini Mungu, si nguvu tunayoizalisha ili kumlazimisha. Injili wakati mwingine zinamwonyesha Yesu akiponya watu ambao imani yao ilikuwa ndogo au haikutamkwa. Paulo na Timotheo hawakuwa wasioamini. Madhehebu ya kawaida ya Kipentekoste hayajafundisha kwamba ugonjwa daima unaonyesha ukosefu wa imani au dhambi iliyofichika. Mafundisho ya Neno la Imani (Word of Faith) yanayofanya kukiri kwa muumini kuwa sababu ya uponyaji si mafundisho ya miili yetu ya kawaida, na wakosoaji ndani na nje ya familia ya Kipentekoste wameyakataa. Kozi ya 5 inayashughulikia kikamilifu."You were not healed because you lack faith." This is the most common wrong answer, and it does great damage. Faith is trust in God, not a power that we produce to force His hand. The Gospels sometimes show Jesus healing people whose faith was small or unspoken. Paul and Timothy were not unbelieving. Classical Pentecostal denominations have not taught that sickness always shows a lack of faith or hidden sin. The Word of Faith teaching that makes the believer's confession the cause of healing is not the teaching of our classical bodies, and critics inside and outside the Pentecostal family have rejected it. Course 5 treats it fully.

"Ni kwa sababu ya dhambi katika maisha yako." Wakati mwingine ugonjwa unahusiana na dhambi, kama huko Korintho, ambako baadhi ya wale waliotumia vibaya Meza ya Bwana walidhoofika na kuugua (1 Wakorintho 11:30). Lakini Yesu alikataa tabia ya kulaumu dhambi kwa kila ugonjwa (Yohana 9:3), na kitabu cha Ayubu kiliandikwa ili kuirekebisha. Rafiki za Ayubu walikosea kumshtaki. Mchungaji anaweza kumwalika mgonjwa kwa upole kuchunguza maisha yake, lakini hapaswi kamwe kushtaki."It is because of sin in your life." Sometimes sickness is connected with sin, as at Corinth, where some who abused the Lord's Supper became weak and sick (1 Corinthians 11:30). But Jesus rejected the habit of blaming every illness on sin (John 9:3), and the book of Job was written to correct it. Job's friends were wrong to accuse him. A pastor may gently invite a sick person to examine his life, but he must never accuse.

"Mungu alifanya hivi ili kukufundisha." Hatuwezi kusema hivyo. Mungu anaweza kutumia mateso, na Maandiko yanafundisha kwamba hutufariji katika dhiki zetu ili tuweze kuwafariji wengine (2 Wakorintho 1:3-4), lakini mchungaji hana haki ya kueleza mateso fulani."God did this to teach you." We cannot say that. God may use suffering, and Scripture teaches that He comforts us in affliction so that we can comfort others (2 Corinthians 1:3-4), but a pastor has no right to explain a particular suffering.

"Kama ungepona kweli, ungeacha dawa zako." Hili ni jibu hatari zaidi, na tunalishughulikia katika sehemu inayofuata."If you were really healed you would stop your medicine." This is the most dangerous answer, and we treat it in the next section.

Dawa ni Karama ya MunguMedicine Is a Gift of God

Uaminifu unatulazimu kusema kwamba baadhi ya viongozi wa mapema wa Utakatifu na Upentekoste walikuwa na mashaka na madaktari na waliwahimiza waumini kutegemea maombi peke yake. Miili mikubwa ya Kipentekoste ya leo haifundishi hivyo. Inafundisha kwamba maombi na dawa si maadui.Honesty requires us to say that some early Holiness and Pentecostal leaders were suspicious of doctors and encouraged believers to rely on prayer alone. The large Pentecostal bodies of today do not teach it. They teach that prayer and medicine are not enemies.

Biblia inaunga mkono hili.The Bible supports this.

• Luka, mwandishi wa Injili na Matendo, alikuwa tabibu, na Paulo anamwita "Luka, tabibu apendwaye" (Wakolosai 4:14).• Luke, the author of the Gospel and Acts, was a physician, and Paul calls him "the beloved physician" (Colossians 4:14).

• Msamaria Mwema alimimina mafuta na divai juu ya vidonda vya aliyejeruhiwa na kumpeleka kwenye nyumba ya wageni (Luka 10:34).• The Good Samaritan poured oil and wine on the wounds of the injured man and took him to an inn (Luke 10:34).

• Paulo alimwambia Timotheo atumie divai kidogo kwa ajili ya tumbo lake (1 Timotheo 5:23).• Paul told Timothy to use a little wine for his stomach (1 Timothy 5:23).

• Hezekia alipokuwa mgonjwa, Isaya aliagiza kitambaa cha tini kiwekwe juu ya jipu, na mfalme akapona (Isaya 38:21).• When Hezekiah was sick, Isaiah directed that a lump of figs be applied as a poultice, and the king recovered (Isaiah 38:21).

• Yesu alisema, "Wenye afya hawana haja na tabibu, bali waliopo hawawezi" (Marko 2:17), na alitumia usemi huo bila kuwakosoa madaktari.• Jesus said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick" (Mark 2:17), and used the saying without criticizing physicians.

Yakobo 5 yenyewe inaweza kuelekeza upande ule ule. Wanafunzi wanaelewa mafuta kwa njia mbili. Wengine wanasema ni ishara ya Roho Mtakatifu na ya kumtenga mtu kwa maombi. Wengine wanabainisha kwamba mafuta pia yalitumiwa kama dawa katika ulimwengu wa kale, hivyo Yakobo anaunganisha maombi na utunzaji. Hakuna usomaji unaoweka imani dhidi ya njia za vitendo.James 5 itself may point in the same direction. Students understand the oil in two ways. Some say it is a sign of the Holy Spirit and of setting a person apart for prayer. Others note that oil was also used as medicine in the ancient world, so that James joins prayer and care together. Neither reading sets faith against practical means.

Kwa hiyo tunafundisha yafuatayo bila kusita. Mungu anaweza kuponya kwa maombi peke yake, kwa madaktari na dawa, kwa kazi ya polepole ya mwili, na kwa yote hayo pamoja. Kwa njia yoyote, Mponyaji ni Mungu. Kumshukuru daktari wa upasuaji si kumtilia Bwana shaka.We therefore teach the following without hesitation. God can heal through prayer alone, through doctors and medicines, through the slow work of the body, and through all of these together. Whatever the means, the Healer is God. To thank a surgeon is not to doubt the Lord.

Hakuna muumini anayepaswa kuambiwa akatae matibabu. Mchungaji hapaswi kamwe kumwambia mgonjwa aache kutumia dawa, akae mbali na hospitali, aghairi upasuaji, au aache matibabu ya saratani, kisukari, VVU, ugonjwa wa moyo, kifua kikuu, ugonjwa wa akili au hali nyingine yoyote. Hili ni kweli hata baada ya mkutano wa maombi ambamo mtu anahisi ameponywa. Mtu akiamini kwamba Mungu amemponya, hatua inayofaa ni kumwomba daktari wake amchunguze na kuthibitisha, na kufuata mwongozo wa daktari kuhusu mabadiliko yoyote. Watu wamekufa kwa sababu mtu aliwaambia waache dawa zao. Mchungaji anayefanya hivi amefanya uovu, hata imani yake iwe ya dhati kiasi gani.No believer should ever be told to refuse medical treatment. A pastor must never tell a sick person to stop taking medicine, to stay away from a hospital, to cancel surgery, or to stop treatment for cancer, diabetes, HIV, heart disease, tuberculosis, mental illness or any other condition. This applies even after a prayer meeting in which someone feels healed. If a person believes that God has healed him, the proper step is to ask his doctor to examine him and confirm it, and to follow the doctor's guidance about any change. People have died because someone told them to stop their medicine. A pastor who does this has done evil, however sincere his faith.

Wajibu ni mkubwa zaidi kwa watoto na wengine wasioweza kujiamulia. Wazazi na walezi wana wajibu wa kimaadili, na katika nchi nyingi wa kisheria, wa kumpatia mtoto huduma ya kimatibabu. Mchungaji lazima alisisitize hili kwa nguvu na hapaswi kamwe kulizuia.The duty is greater for children and others who cannot decide for themselves. Parents and guardians have a moral duty, and in most countries a legal duty, to obtain medical care for a child. A pastor must urge this strongly and may never discourage it.

Afya ya Akili na FikiraMental Health and the Mind

Watu wengi wanateseka kwa huzuni nzito (depression), wasiwasi, kiwewe (trauma) na matatizo mengine ya akili. Haya ni magonjwa halisi na yanahitaji utunzaji ule ule kama magonjwa ya mwili. Maombi, msaada wa kichungaji na, inapohitajika, daktari au mshauri aliyefundishwa wanaweza kufanya kazi pamoja. Mchungaji hapaswi kuchukulia kila hali kama hiyo kuwa ukosefu wa imani, dhambi, au pepo. Kipindi cha 7 kitarudi kwenye jambo hili. Waumini waaminifu kama watunga zaburi na Eliya walijua huzuni ya kina. Jibu sahihi ni upendo wa subira na kuwapeleka kwa wale waliofundishwa kusaidia.Many people suffer from depression, anxiety, trauma and other disorders of the mind. These are real illnesses and call for the same care as illnesses of the body. Prayer, pastoral support and, where needed, a trained doctor or counselor can work together. A pastor should not treat every such condition as a lack of faith, a sin, or a demon. Unit 7 will return to this point. Faithful believers such as the psalmists and Elijah knew deep sadness. The right response is patient love and referral to those with training to help.

Maadili ya Kuwaombea WagonjwaThe Ethics of Praying for the Sick

Kwa sababu watu wako katika hali ya kuathirika wanapokuwa wagonjwa, mchungaji hubeba wajibu mzito wa kimaadili. Kanuni zifuatazo zinaeleza viwango vinavyokubalika sana. Zinatokana na amri za Maandiko za kupenda, kusema kweli, na kuepuka kuwatumia watu kwa faida.Because people are vulnerable when they are sick, a pastor carries a heavy moral duty. The following rules express widely held standards. They come from the commands of Scripture to love, to speak truth, and to avoid using people for gain.

1. Sema kweli. Usiseme kamwe kwamba mtu ameponywa isipokuwa amepona. Usiseme kamwe kwamba mtu hakika ataponywa. Usibuni wala kutia chumvi ushuhuda. Taarifa ya uponyaji ya uongo ni uongo unaosemwa kwa jina la Mungu.1. Tell the truth. Never say that someone is healed unless he is. Never say that a person will certainly be healed. Never invent or exaggerate a testimony. A false healing report is a lie told in the name of God.

2. Omba kwa unyenyekevu. Omba, na uliachie jibu kwa Mungu. Tuna mamlaka ya jina la Yesu, lakini hatumdhibiti Roho.2. Pray with humility. Ask, and leave the answer to God. We have the authority of Jesus' name, but we do not control the Spirit.

3. Usimlaumu anayeteseka. Usimwambie kamwe mgonjwa au familia kwamba ugonjwa unaendelea kwa sababu ya imani dhaifu au dhambi iliyofichika.3. Do not blame the sufferer. Never tell a sick person or the family that the illness continues because of weak faith or hidden sin.

4. Heshimu utu na faragha ya mtu. Usimfanye mgonjwa kuwa kioja katika mkutano wa hadharani, na usiweke wazi ugonjwa wa mtu bila ruhusa. Omba faraghani jambo likiwa nyeti.4. Respect the person's dignity and privacy. Do not make a spectacle of the sick in a public meeting, and do not expose a person's diagnosis without permission. Pray privately when the matter is delicate.

5. Usiunganishe uponyaji na fedha kamwe. Usitoze malipo kwa maombi, na usipendekeze kwamba zawadi kwa mhudumu italeta tiba. Maandiko yanaonya juu ya wale wanaodhani utauwa ni njia ya kupata faida (1 Timotheo 6:5).5. Never link healing to money. Do not charge for prayer, and do not suggest that a gift to the minister will bring a cure. Scripture warns against those who see godliness as a means of gain (1 Timothy 6:5).

6. Unga mkono huduma ya kimatibabu. Watie moyo wagonjwa waende kwa daktari, wanywe dawa zao, na wafuate ushauri wa kimatibabu.6. Support medical care. Encourage the sick to see a doctor, take their medicine, and follow medical advice.

7. Wakinge walio hatarini. Omba ukiwa na mtu mwingine hapo, na usimtumie vibaya yeyote aliye dhaifu au mwenye maumivu.7. Protect the vulnerable. Pray with another person present, and never take advantage of anyone who is weak or in pain.

8. Thibitisha kabla ya kutangaza. Ugonjwa mzito unaposemwa kuwa umeponywa, omba uthibitisho wa kimatibabu kabla ya kanisa kuambiwa.8. Verify before announcing. Where a serious disease is said to be healed, ask for medical confirmation before the church is told.

9. Baki na familia. Mchungaji haondoki baada ya maombi. Anatembelea, anasikiliza na anaendelea kuomba, bila kujali matokeo.9. Stay with the family. The pastor does not leave after the prayer. He visits, listens and keeps praying, whatever the outcome.

Kuwaombea Wanaokufa na WanaoombolezaPraying for the Dying and the Grieving

Kuna wakati wa kuomba uponyaji na wakati wa kujiandaa kwa kifo. Muumini anaweza kuomba uponyaji hadi mwisho na pia kupokea kutuliza maumivu, huduma ya wagonjwa mahututi na kuaga. Hivi si vinapingana. Wachungaji wanapaswa kumsaidia anayekufa na familia kuzungumza juu ya tumaini lao katika Kristo na kuaga. Katika mazishi ya mtu ambaye kanisa lilimwombea, mchungaji hapaswi kuficha ukweli kwamba maombi hayakujibiwa kama ilivyotarajiwa. Anapaswa kusema juu ya ufufuo (1 Wathesalonike 4:13-14) na kuliongoza kanisa katika huzuni ya kweli.There is a time to pray for healing and a time to prepare for death. A believer may pray for healing until the end and also receive pain relief, hospice care and farewells. These are not contradictions. Pastors should help the dying person and the family to speak of their hope in Christ and to say goodbye. At the funeral of someone for whom the church prayed, the pastor should not hide the fact that the prayer was not answered as hoped. He should speak of the resurrection (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14) and lead the church in honest grief.

Pingamizi na MajibuObjections and Answers

Pingamizi: "Ukitumia dawa, huamini kweli uponyaji wa kimungu." Jibu letu. Hakuna kitu katika Maandiko kinachoweka mambo hayo mawili dhidi ya kila mmoja. Luka alikuwa tabibu na mwenzi wa Paulo. Imani humtumaini Mungu na hutumia njia anazotoa.Objection: "If you use medicine, you do not truly believe in divine healing." Our answer. Nothing in Scripture sets the two against each other. Luke was a physician and a companion of Paul. Faith trusts God and uses the means He provides.

Pingamizi: "Ikiwa waumini wengi hawaponywi, fundisho la Kipentekoste ni tupu." Jibu letu. Ahadi za uponyaji ni za kweli, lakini ni za Mungu atendaye kama apendavyo katika ulimwengu ulio bado chini ya anguko. Hatuachi kuomba msamaha kwa sababu waumini bado hutenda dhambi. Vivyo hivyo, hatuachi kuomba uponyaji kwa sababu waumini bado hufa. Waebrania 11 inawasifu wale waliokombolewa na pia wale walioteswa, na inawahesabu wote kuwa miongoni mwa waaminifu.Objection: "If many believers are not healed, the Pentecostal doctrine is empty." Our answer. The promises of healing are real, but they are for a God who acts as He wills in a world still under the fall. We do not give up praying for forgiveness because believers still sin. In the same way we do not give up praying for healing because believers still die. Hebrews 11 praises those who were delivered and also those who suffered, and counts both among the faithful.

Pingamizi: "Basi kwa nini kuomba uponyaji kabisa?" Jibu letu. Kwa sababu Yesu aliponya, kwa sababu Yakobo anawaamuru wazee waombe, na kwa sababu Roho hutoa karama za kuponya. Tunamwachia Bwana matokeo.Objection: "Then why pray for healing at all?" Our answer. Because Jesus healed, because James commands the elders to pray, and because the Spirit gives gifts of healing. We leave the result with the Lord.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Mhubiri mgeni anakuja kanisani kwako. Katika mahubiri yake anasema kwamba mshiriki wa kusanyiko, Elena, ambaye ana saratani na anapata tiba ya kemikali, anapaswa kuonyesha imani yake kwa kuacha matibabu. Familia ya Elena imesumbuka sana. Anakujia baadaye akilia.A visiting preacher comes to your church. In his sermon he says that a member of the congregation, Elena, who has cancer and is receiving chemotherapy, should show her faith by stopping the treatment. Elena's family is deeply troubled. She comes to you afterward in tears.

Humshambulii mhubiri mgeni mbele yake. Unamwambia Elena wazi na kwa fadhili kwamba hakuna mtu ana haki ya kumwambia aache matibabu yake, kwamba unaamini Mungu anaweza kumponya, na kwamba utamwombea kila siku. Unamwomba aendelee kufuata ushauri wa daktari wake, na alete swali lolote kuhusu matibabu kwa daktari wake. Yeye na familia wakiwa tayari, unakusanya kikundi kidogo cha wazee kuomba na kumpaka mafuta, kwa jina la Bwana, kama Yakobo anavyofundisha. Baadaye unakutana faraghani na mhubiri mgeni na, kwa heshima, unaeleza kwamba kanisa lako halifundishi washiriki kukataa huduma ya matibabu. Na unabaki karibu na Elena na familia yake, lolote litakalotokea.You do not attack the visiting preacher in front of her. You tell Elena clearly and kindly that no one has the right to tell her to stop her treatment, that you believe God can heal her, and that you will pray for her every day. You ask her to continue to follow her doctor's advice, and to bring any question about the treatment to her doctor. If she and the family are willing, you gather a small group of elders to pray and anoint her, in the name of the Lord, as James teaches. Afterward you meet privately with the visiting preacher and, with respect, explain that your church does not teach members to refuse medical care. And you stay near Elena and her family, whatever happens.

MuhtasariSummary

Maandiko yanaonyesha waumini waaminifu kama Paulo, Timotheo, Trofimo na Epafrodito waliokuwa wagonjwa, na jibu la Mungu kwa Paulo lilikuwa neema ya kutosha katika udhaifu. Kwa sababu ufalme upo tayari lakini haujakamilika bado, uponyaji ni ladha ya mapema ya ufufuo, na si hakikisho kwamba hakuna muumini atakayeteseka. Wachungaji lazima waepuke kuwalaumu wagonjwa kwa imani dhaifu au dhambi iliyofichika. Dawa ni karama ya Mungu, inayoungwa mkono na mfano wa Luka tabibu, na hakuna muumini anayepaswa kuambiwa akatae matibabu, hasa mtoto. Mchungaji anayeombea wagonjwa lazima aseme kweli, asiunganishe uponyaji na fedha kamwe, awakinge walio hatarini na abaki na familia. Kuomba uponyaji na kuwatunza wanaokufa vyote ni matendo ya imani.Scripture shows faithful believers such as Paul, Timothy, Trophimus and Epaphroditus who were sick, and God's answer to Paul was grace sufficient in weakness. Because the kingdom is already here and not yet complete, healing is a foretaste of the resurrection, and not a guarantee that no believer will suffer. Pastors must avoid blaming the sick for weak faith or hidden sin. Medicine is a gift of God, supported by the example of Luke the physician, and no believer should ever be told to refuse medical treatment, least of all a child. The pastor who prays for the sick must tell the truth, never link healing to money, protect the vulnerable and stay with the family. Praying for healing and caring for the dying are both acts of faith.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• Gordon D. Fee, God's Empowering Presence (1994) (Uwepo wa Mungu Unaowezesha).• Gordon D. Fee, God's Empowering Presence (1994).

• Max Turner, The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts (1996) (Roho Mtakatifu na Karama za Roho).• Max Turner, The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts (1996).

• Wayne Grudem, mhariri, Are Miraculous Gifts for Today? Four Views (1996) (Je, Karama za Miujiza ni kwa Leo? Maoni Manne).• Wayne Grudem, ed., Are Miraculous Gifts for Today? Four Views (1996).

• Jack Deere, Surprised by the Power of the Spirit (1993) (Kushangazwa na Nguvu za Roho).• Jack Deere, Surprised by the Power of the Spirit (1993).

• A. J. Gordon, The Ministry of Healing (1882) (Huduma ya Uponyaji), chanzo cha msingi.• A. J. Gordon, The Ministry of Healing (1882), a primary source.

• B. B. Warfield, Counterfeit Miracles (1918) (Miujiza ya Bandia), hoja ya kukoma kwa karama.• B. B. Warfield, Counterfeit Miracles (1918), a cessationist argument.

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