Maana Ya Imani
111:1 Ebr 3:6; 2Kor 4:18; Rum 8:24, 25; 2Kor 4:18; 5:7Basi imani ni kuwa na hakika ya mambo yatarajiwayo, na udhahiri wa mambo yasiyoonekana. 211:2 Ebr 11:4, 39Maana baba zetu wa kale walipongezwa kwa haya.
311:3 Mwa 1:1; Yn 1:3; Ebr 1:2; 2Pet 3:5Kwa imani tunafahamu kwamba ulimwengu uliumbwa kwa neno la Mungu, vitu vyote vinavyoonekana havikuumbwa kutoka kwa vitu vinavyoonekana.
Mfano Wa Abeli, Enoki Na Noa
411:4 Ebr 11:2, 39; Mwa 4:4; 1Yn 3:12; Ebr 12:24Kwa imani Abeli alimtolea Mungu dhabihu bora zaidi kuliko Kaini. Kwa imani alishuhudiwa kuwa mwenye haki, Mungu mwenyewe akazishuhudia sadaka zake. Kwa imani bado ananena ingawa amekufa.
511:5 Mwa 5:2, 24Kwa imani Enoki alitwaliwa kutoka maisha haya, kiasi kwamba hakuonja mauti. Hakuonekana, kwa sababu Mungu alikuwa amemchukua. Kwa kuwa kabla hajatwaliwa alikuwa ameshuhudiwa kuwa ni mtu aliyempendeza Mungu. 611:6 Ebr 7:19, 25; 10:35Lakini pasipo imani haiwezekani kumpendeza Mungu, kwa maana yeyote anayemjia Mungu lazima aamini kwamba yeye yuko na ya kuwa huwapa thawabu wale wamtafutao kwa bidii.
711:7 Mwa 6:8, 9; 7:1; Rum 3:22, 24; 4:20Kwa imani, Noa alipoonywa na Mungu kuhusu mambo ambayo hayajaonekana bado, kwa kumcha Mungu alitengeneza safina ili kuokoa jamaa yake. Kwa imani yake aliuhukumu ulimwengu na akawa mrithi wa haki ipatikanayo kwa imani.
Imani Ya Abrahamu
811:8 Mwa 12:7; 12:1-4; Mdo 7:2-4Kwa imani Abrahamu, alipoitwa aende mahali ambapo Mungu angempa baadaye kuwa urithi, alitii na akaenda, ingawa hakujua anakokwenda. 911:9 Mwa 23:4; 26:3; 35:12; Ebr 6:17Kwa imani alifanya maskani yake katika nchi ya ahadi kama mgeni katika nchi ya kigeni; aliishi katika mahema, kama Isaki na Yakobo walivyofanya, waliokuwa pia warithi pamoja naye wa ahadi ile ile. 1011:10 Ebr 12:22; 13:14; Ufu 21:2, 14; Ebr 11:16Kwa maana alikuwa akiutazamia mji wenye misingi ya kudumu ambao mwenye kuubuni na kuujenga ni Mungu.
1111:11 Mwa 17:17-19; 22:17; 32:12Kwa imani Abrahamu, ingawa alikuwa mzee wa umri, naye Sara mwenyewe aliyekuwa tasa, alipokea uwezo wa kuwa baba kwa sababu alimhesabu Mungu aliyemwahidi kuwa mwaminifu na kwamba angetimiza ahadi yake. 1211:12 Rum 4:19; Mwa 22:17; 32:12Hivyo kutokana na huyu huyu ambaye alikuwa sawa na mfu, wakazaliwa wazao wengi kama nyota za mbinguni na kama mchanga wa pwani usiohesabika.
1311:13 Ebr 11:39; Mt 13:17; Mwa 23:4; Law 25:23; Flp 3:20; 1Pet 1:17Watu hawa wote wakafa katika imani bila kuzipokea zile ahadi, lakini waliziona kwa mbali na kuzishangilia. Nao walikubali kwamba walikuwa wageni na wasiokuwa na maskani hapa duniani. 1411:14 Ebr 13:14Watu wasemao mambo kama haya, wanaonyesha wazi kwamba wanatafuta nchi yao wenyewe. 1511:15 Mwa 24:6-8Kwa kweli kama wangekuwa wanafikiri kuhusu nchi waliyoiacha, wangalipata nafasi ya kurudi huko. 1611:16 2Tim 4:18; Mk 8:38; Mwa 26:24; 28:13; Kut 3:6, 15; Ebr 11:10; 13:14Lakini badala yake walitamani nchi iliyo bora zaidi, yaani nchi ya mbinguni. Kwa hiyo Mungu haoni aibu kuitwa Mungu wao, kwa kuwa amekwisha kuandaa mji kwa ajili yao.
1711:17 Mwa 22:2-10; Yak 2:21Kwa imani Abrahamu, alipojaribiwa na Mungu, alimtoa Isaki kuwa dhabihu. Yeye aliyekuwa amezipokea ahadi za Mungu alikuwa tayari kumtoa mwanawe, aliyekuwa mwanawe pekee awe dhabihu. 1811:18 Mwa 21:12; Rum 9:7Ingawa Mungu alikuwa amemwambia Abrahamu, “Uzao wako utahesabiwa kupitia kwa Isaki,” 1911:19 Rum 4:21; Yn 5:21Abrahamu alihesabu kuwa Mungu angaliweza kumfufua Isaki kutoka kwa wafu. Na kwa kusema kwa mfano, alimpata tena Isaki kutoka kwa wafu.
2011:20 Mwa 27:27-29Kwa imani Isaki alimbariki Yakobo na Esau kuhusu maisha yao ya baadaye.
2111:21 Mwa 48:1; 8:22; 47:31Kwa imani Yakobo alipokuwa anakufa, alimbariki kila mmoja wa mtoto wa Yosefu, akamwabudu Mungu akiwa ameegemea juu ya kichwa cha fimbo yake.
2211:22 Mwa 50:24, 25; Kut 13:19; Yos 24:32Kwa imani, Yosefu alipokaribia mwisho wa maisha yake, alinena habari za kutoka kwa wana wa Israeli huko Misri na akatoa maagizo kuhusu mifupa yake.
Imani Ya Mose
2311:23 Kut 2:2; 1:16, 22; Mdo 7:20Kwa imani, wazazi wa Mose walimficha kwa miezi mitatu baada ya kuzaliwa, kwa sababu waliona kuwa si mtoto wa kawaida, wala hawakuiogopa amri ya mfalme.
2411:24 Kut 2:10, 11Kwa imani, Mose alipokuwa mtu mzima, alikataa kuitwa mwana wa binti Farao. 2511:25 Ebr 11:37; Za 84:10Akachagua kupata mateso pamoja na watu wa Mungu kuliko kujifurahisha kwa anasa za dhambi kwa kitambo kidogo tu. 2611:26 Ebr 13:13; Lk 14:33; Ebr 10:35Aliona kushutumiwa kwa ajili ya Kristo ni utajiri mkubwa zaidi kuliko hazina za Misri, maana alikuwa anatazamia kupata thawabu baadaye. 2711:27 Kut 12:50-51; 10:28-29; 12:37; 13:17; Ebr 11:18Kwa imani Mose aliondoka Misri bila kuogopa ghadhabu ya mfalme. Alivumilia kwa sababu alimwona yeye asiyeonekana kwa macho. 2811:28 Kut 12:21; 1Kor 10:10Kwa imani akaadhimisha Pasaka na kunyunyiza damu, ili yule mwenye kuwaangamiza wazaliwa wa kwanza asiwaguse wazaliwa wa Israeli.
Imani Ya Mashujaa Wengine Wa Israeli
2911:29 Kut 14:21-31; 14:22Kwa imani, watu walivuka Bahari ya Shamu11:29 Yaani Bahari ya Mafunjo. kama vile juu ya nchi kavu; lakini Wamisri walipojaribu kufanya hivyo, walitoswa ndani ya maji.
3011:30 Yos 6:20; 6:12-19Kwa imani kuta za Yeriko zilianguka, baada ya watu kuzizunguka kwa siku saba.
3111:31 Yos 2:1; 9; 14; 6:22-25; Yak 2:25Kwa imani, Rahabu, yule kahaba, hakuangamizwa pamoja na wale waliomwasi Mungu, kwa kuwa aliwakaribisha wale wapelelezi.
3211:32 Amu 6:8; 4:5; 13:16; 1Sam 16:1, 13; 1:20Basi niseme nini zaidi? Sina wakati wa kusema habari za Gideoni, Baraka, Samsoni, Yeftha, Daudi, Samweli na manabii, 3311:33 2Sam 8:1-3; Dan 6:22ambao kwa imani walishinda milki za wafalme, walitekeleza haki, na wakapokea ahadi za Mungu; walifunga vinywa vya simba, 3411:34 Dan 3:19-27; Kut 18:4; 2Fal 20:7; Amu 15:8wakazima makali ya miali ya moto, na wakaepuka kuuawa kwa upanga; udhaifu wao uligeuka kuwa nguvu; pia walikuwa hodari vitani na kuyafukuza majeshi ya wageni. 3511:35 1Fal 17:22, 23; 2Fal 4:36, 37Wanawake walipokea watu wao waliokuwa wamekufa, wakafufuliwa. Lakini wengine waliteswa, nao wakakataa kufunguliwa, ili wapate ufufuo ulio bora zaidi. 36Wengine walidhihakiwa na kupigwa, hata walifungwa minyororo na kutiwa gerezani. 3711:37 2Nya 24:21; 1Fal 19:10; Yer 26:23; 2Fal 1:8Walipigwa kwa mawe; walipasuliwa vipande viwili kwa msumeno; waliuawa kwa upanga. Walizungukazunguka wakiwa wamevaa ngozi za kondoo na mbuzi, wakiwa maskini, wakiteswa na kutendwa mabaya, 3811:38 1Fal 18:4; 19:9watu ambao ulimwengu haukustahili kuwa nao. Walizunguka majangwani na milimani, katika mapango na katika mahandaki ardhini.
3911:39 Ebr 11:2, 4, 13; 10:36Hawa wote walishuhudiwa vyema kwa sababu ya imani yao, lakini hakuna hata mmoja wao aliyepokea yale yaliyoahidiwa. 4011:40 Ufu 6:11; Ebr 2:10Kwa kuwa Mungu alikuwa ametangulia kutuwekea kitu kilicho bora zaidi ili wao wasikamilishwe pasipo sisi.
Faith in action
1Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2This is what the ancients were commended for.
3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
4By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
5By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: ‘He could not be found, because God had taken him away.’11:5 Gen. 5:24 For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
7By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.
8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she11:11 Or By faith Abraham, even though he was too old to have children – and Sarah herself was not able to conceive – was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
13All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16Instead, they were longing for a better country – a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
17By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18even though God had said to him, ‘It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.’11:18 Gen. 21:12 19Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.
20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.
21By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshipped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
22By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.
23By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
24By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25He chose to be ill-treated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
29By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
30By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched round them for seven days.
31By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.11:31 Or unbelieving
32And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37They were put to death by stoning;11:37 Some early manuscripts stoning; they were put to the test; they were sawn in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and ill-treated – 38the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
39These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, 40since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
