An Investigation of the Relationship between Signs and Faith in the Gospel According to John and its Application to the Zimbabwean Context

Abstract

This article endeavours to determine whether signs are useful in the pursuit of faith in Zimbabwe today. In this enterprise, the work views the contemporary Zimbabwean understanding of miracles1 exhibited in Prophets Makandiwa’s United Family International Church (UFIC) and Magaya’s Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) ministries in the light of Jesus’ signs in John’s gospel.2 The work limits itself to John’s first three signs: the changing of water into wine (2:1-11), the healing of the royal official’s son (4:46-54) and the healing at the pool of Bethesda (5:1-18). The enquiry seeks to determine the extent in which Jesus’ signs which were relevant to the original Johannine community correspond to the prophets’ miracles that seem to bear significance to the Zimbabwean people. Since Johannine signs are designed to produce faith of a particular kind,3 the work also seeks to examine the quality of faith that is demonstrated by Zimbabwean Christians in the sight of the miracles performed by the prophets and pastors of their time.