UBawo Wethu Akaze Asilele
Ukuba wonke umntu unetyala, ingaba ilungelo likaSirayeli belingento yanto na? Hayi — kodwa akukho namnye okhululekileyo, uze uPawulos aqokelele izicatshulwa ukutsho oko. Utshintsho lufika kwindinyana yamashumi amabini ananye: ngaphandle komthetho, uBawo wethu ugwebela simahla ngoKrestu, ngoko ukuqhayisa akusenandawo yokuma.
3 1Ngaba ke uyintoni na umYuda umbhedesho wakhe? Okanye luyintoni na uncedo lolwaluko? 2Luninzi ngeendlela zonke. Okokuqala, baphathiswa amazwi kaBawo wethu kanye. 3Yintoni na ke? Ukuba abanye babengathembekanga, kungaba ukungathembeki kwabo kuya kukuphuthisa na ukuthembeka kukaBawo wethu? 4Hayi! UBawo wethu makabe yinyaniso, nokuba wonke umntu ulixoki. Njengoko kubhaliwe: “Ube lilungisa ekuthetheni kwakho, ube noloyiso ekugwetyweni.”
5Kodwa ukuba ukungalungisi kwethu kubonakalalisa ubulungisa bukaBawo wethu, sithini na? Ngaba uBawo wethu akalungisi na ukuzisa ingqumbo phezu kwethu? (Ndithetha ngokobuntu.). 6Nakanye! Kuba ukuba kunjalo, angathini na uBawo wethu ukuligweba ihlabathi? 7Kodwa ukuba ubuxoki bam buyenza inyaniso kaBawo wethu iphuphume izukisa yena, ndisagwetywa njani na njengomoni? 8Kungani na ukuba singatsho ukuthi, njengoko abanye besihleba besithi sithi, “Masenze okubi ukuze kuvele okulungileyo”? Umgwebo wabo ufanelekile.
Akukho Namnye Olilungisa
9Yintoni na ke? Singcono na? Nakanye—kaloku sesithe amaYuda namaGrike bonke baphantsi kolawulo lwesono, 10njengoko kubhaliwe: “Akukho namnye olilungisa, nokuba namnye; 11akukho namnye oqondayo; akukho namnye omfunayo uBawo wethu. 12Bonke batyekile; kunye baye baba ngabangento yanto; akukho namnye owenza okulungileyo, nokuba namnye. 13Umqala wabo lingcwaba elivulekileyo; basebenzisa iilwimi zabo ukukhohlisa.” “Ubuhlungu beenyoka buphantsi kwemilebe yabo. 14Umlomo wabo uzele kukutshabhisa nobukrakra. 15Iinyawo zabo zikhawulezela ukuphalaza igazi; 16intshabalalo nenkxwaleko zisemendweni wabo, 17nendlela yoxolo abayazanga. 18Akukho ukoyika uBawo wethu phambi kwamehlo abo.”
19Siyazi ukuba konke akuthethayo umthetho, ukuthetha kwabo baphantsi kwawo, ukuze yonke imilomo ivalwe, lithi lonke ihlabathi libe netyala kuBawo wethu. 20Akukho namnye olungisiswayo phambi kwakhe ngemisebenzi yomthetho; umthetho uzisa ulwazi lwesono.
Ukulungisiswa Ngokholo kuYesu
21Kodwa ngoku, ngaphandle komthetho, butyhilekile ubulungisa bukaBawo wethu, bungqinelwe nguMthetho nabaProfeti. 22Obu bulungisa bukaBawo wethu buza ngokholo kuYesu Krestu, kubo bonke abakholwayo, kuba akukho mahluko, 23ekubeni bonke bonile baza basilela eluzukweni lukaBawo wethu, 24baza balungisiswa ngesisa ngobabalo lwakhe, ngentlawulelo ekuKrestu uYesu. 25UBawo wethu wammisa abe sisicamagushelo, ngokholo egazini lakhe, ukuze abonakalalise ubulungisa bakhe, ekubeni ngomonde wakhe waye wazidlula izono ezenziweyo ngaphambili, 26ukuze abonakalalise ubulungisa bakhe ngoku, ukuze abe lilungisa ngokunjalo abe ngumlungisisi walowo ukholosa ngoYesu.
27Luphi na ke uqhayiso? Lukhutshelwe ngaphandle. Nguwuphi na umthetho? Ngowemisebenzi? Hayi—ngumthetho wokholo. 28Kuba sigxininisa ukuthi umntu ulungisiswa ngokholo ngaphandle kwemisebenzi yomthetho. 29Okanye nguBawo wamaYuda kuphela na uBawo wethu? Akanguye na noBawo weentlanga? Ewe, noweentlanga, 30ekubeni mnye uBawo wethu, uya kubalungisisa abolwaluko ngokholo nabangalukanga ngokholo.
31Ngaba siyawuphuthisa na umthetho ngolu kholo? Nakanye—siyawuqinisa umthetho.