1 KwabaseKhorinte 1

1 ¹UPawulu, obizelwe ukuba ngumphostoli kaKhristu uJesu ngentando kaBaba wethu, noSostene umfowethu, ²kulo ibandla likaBaba wethu eliseKorinte: labo abenziwe bangcwele kuKhristu uJesu, ababizelwe ukuba babe ngcwele, kanye nabo bonke kuzo zonke izindawo ababiza igama leNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu—iNkosi yabo neyethu. ³Umusa kini nokuthula okuvela kuBaba wethu nakuyiNkosi uJesu Khristu.

Ukubonga ngomusa kaBaba wethu

⁴Ngihlala ngibonga uBaba wami ngani, ngenxa yomusa uBaba wethu aniphe wona kuKhristu uJesu, ⁵ngokuba kuye nacetshiswa ngazo zonke izindlela, kukho konke ukukhuluma nakukho konke ukwazi, ⁶njengoba nje ubufakazi ngoKhristu baqiniswa phakathi kwenu, ⁷kangangokuba anisweli sipho nasinye ngesikhathi nilindele ngokulangazela ukwambulwa kweNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu, ⁸oyonibambelela niqine kuze kube sekupheleni, ningasoleki ngosuku lweNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu. ⁹UBaba wethu uthembekile, yena enabizwa ngaye ukuba nibe nobudlelwano obujulile neNdodana yakhe, uJesu Khristu iNkosi yethu.

Umndeni Umelwe Ukuba Munye

¹⁰Bazalwane, ngiyanincenga, egameni leNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu: vumelanani nonke; makungabikho ukwahlukana okunihlukanisayo, kodwa nibe munye emqondweni owodwa nasenhlosweni eyodwa. ¹¹Ngokuba abantu bakaKlowe bangazisile, bazalwane bami, ukuthi kukhona ukuxabana phakathi kwenu. ¹²Ngisho lokhu: yilowo nalowo kini uthi, “Mina ngingokaPawulu,” “Mina ngingoka-Apholo,” “Mina ngingokaKhefase,” “Mina ngingokaKhristu.” ¹³Kanti uKhristu wahlukanisiwe na? Kanti uPawulu wabethelwa esiphambanweni ngenxa yenu na? Noma nabhapathizwa egameni likaPawulu na? ¹⁴Ngibonga uBaba wethu ngokuthi angibhapathizanga namunye kini ngaphandle kukaKrispu noGayu, ¹⁵ukuze kungabikho oyothi nabhapathizwa egameni lami. ¹⁶Ngabhapathiza nabendlu kaStefana; ngaphandle kwalokho, angazi noma ngabhapathiza omunye umuntu yini. ¹⁷UKhristu akangithumanga ukuba ngibhapathize kodwa ukuba ngishumayele izindaba ezinhle—hhayi ngamazwi okuhlakanipha komuntu, ukuze isiphambano sikaKhristu singaphucwa amandla aso.

Amandla Esiphambano

¹⁸Isigijimi sesiphambano siwubuwula kulabo ababhubhayo, kodwa kithi esisindiswayo singamandla kaBaba wethu.

¹⁹Ngokuba kulotshiwe ukuthi: Ngiyakuchitha ukuhlakanipha kwabahlakaniphileyo, ngibeke eceleni ukuqonda kwabaqondayo.

²⁰Uphi ohlakaniphileyo? Uphi isazi? Uphi umphikisi walesi sikhathi? UBaba wethu akakwenzanga yini ukuhlakanipha kwezwe kwaba ubuwula? ²¹Ngokuba njengoba, ekuhlakanipheni kukaBaba wethu, izwe lingamazanga ngokuhlakanipha kwalo, kwaba kuhle kuye ukusindisa abakholwayo ngobuwula balokho esikushumayelayo. ²²Ngokuba amaJuda acela izibonakaliso, amaGreki afuna ukuhlakanipha, ²³kodwa thina sishumayela uKhristu obethelwe esiphambanweni—isikhubekiso kumaJuda nobuwula kwabezizwe, ²⁴kodwa kulabo ababiziweyo, kokubili amaJuda namaGreki, uKhristu ungamandla kaBaba wethu nokuhlakanipha kukaBaba wethu. ²⁵Ngokuba ubuwula bukaBaba wethu buhlakaniphile kunabantu, nobuthakathaka bukaBaba wethu bunamandla kunabantu.

²⁶Cabangani ngokubizwa kwenu, bazalwane: ababaningi abahlakaniphileyo ngokwezilinganiso zabantu, ababaningi abanamandla, ababaningi abazalwa besemndenini ohloniphekayo. ²⁷Kodwa uBaba wethu wakhetha iziwula zezwe ukuze ajabhise abahlakaniphileyo, uBaba wethu wakhetha ababuthakathaka bezwe ukuze ajabhise abanamandla, ²⁸nezinto eziphansi, ezidelelekayo zezwe uBaba wethu wazikhetha—izinto ezingekho—ukuze enze zibe yize izinto ezikhona, ²⁹ukuze kungabikho muntu oziqhayisayo phambi kukaBaba wethu. ³⁰Ngenxa yakhe nikuKhristu uJesu, owaba ukuhlakanipha kwethu okuvela kuBaba wethu—ukulunga kwethu nobungcwele nokuhlengwa, ^a a v30 KuKhristu, uBaba usinika konke esikudingayo — uKhristu uqobo uba ukuhlakanipha kwethu, ukuma kwethu okulungileyo, ubungcwele bethu, nenkululeko yethu. Isipho singumuntu. ³¹ukuze, njengoba kulotshiwe, “Oziqhayisayo makaziqhayise eNkosini.”