1 KwabaseKhorinte 15

15 ¹Bazalwane, ngiyanikhumbuza ivangeli engalishumayela kini, enalamukela, enimi kulo manje. ²Ngaleli vangeli niyasindiswa, uma nibambelela ngokuqinile ezwini engalishumayela kini—ngaphandle kokuba ukholo lwenu lwalungelutho.

³Ngokuba ngadlulisela kini njengokubaluleke kakhulu lokho nami engakwamukela: ukuthi uKhristu wafela izono zethu njengokwemibhalo, ⁴wembelwa, wavuswa ngosuku lwesithathu njengokwemibhalo, ⁵wabonakala kuKhefase, wabe esebonakala kwabayishumi nambili. ⁶Emva kwalokho wabonakala kubazalwane abangaphezu kwabangamakhulu amahlanu ngasikhathi sinye; iningi labo lisaphila, nakuba abanye sebelele. ⁷Wayesebonakala kuJakobe, wabe esebonakala kubo bonke abaphostoli. ⁸Ekugcineni kwakho konke wabonakala nakimi, njengozalwe ngesikhathi esingalungile. ⁹Ngingomncane kunabo bonke abaphostoli, engingafanele ukubizwa ngokuthi ngingumphostoli, ngokuba ngashushisa ibandla likaBaba wethu. ¹⁰Ngomusa kaBaba wethu ngiyilokho engiyikho, nomusa wakhe kimi awubanga yize. Kodwa ngasebenza kanzima kunabo bonke—kungesimina, kepha umusa kaBaba wethu okimi. ¹¹Ngakho-ke, noma kungimina noma kungibo, kanjalo siyashumayela, kanjalo nakholwa.

Uma UKhristu Engavuswanga

¹²Manje uma uKhristu ememezelwa ukuthi uvusiwe kwabafileyo, bangasho kanjani abanye phakathi kwenu ukuthi akukho ukuvuka kwabafileyo? ¹³Uma kungekho ukuvuka kwabafileyo, akavuswanga ngisho noKhristu. ¹⁴Uma uKhristu engavuswanga, ukushumayela kwethu kuyize, kunjalo nokholo lwenu. ¹⁵Ngaphezu kwalokho, sitholakala singofakazi bamanga ngoBaba wethu, ngokuba safakaza ngoBaba wethu ukuthi wamvusa uKhristu kwabafileyo—kanti akamvusanga, uma impela abafileyo bengavuswa. ¹⁶Ngokuba uma abafileyo bengavuswa, akavuswanga ngisho noKhristu. ¹⁷Uma uKhristu engavuswanga, ukholo lwenu luyize; nisesezonweni zenu. ¹⁸Ngakho nalabo asebelele kuKhristu balahlekile. ¹⁹Uma sinethemba kuKhristu kuphela kulokhu kuphila, sifanelwe usizi olukhulu kunabo bonke abaphilayo.

²⁰Kodwa uKhristu uvusiwe ngempela kwabafileyo, izithelo zokuqala zalabo asebelele. ²¹Ngokuba njengoba ukufa kweza ngomuntu, ukuvuka kwabafileyo nakho kuza ngomuntu. ²²Ngokuba njengoba ku-Adamu bonke befa, kanjalo kuKhristu bonke bayakwenziwa baphile. ²³Kodwa yilowo nalowo ngokulandelana kwakhe: uKhristu, izithelo zokuqala; bese kuthi, lapho efika, labo abangabakhe. ²⁴Bese kufika ukuphela, lapho enikela umbuso kuBaba wethu, lapho esechithe konke ukubusa, negunya, namandla. ^a a v24 Lapho konke sekuphelele, iNdodana ibuyisela umbuso wonke ezandleni zikaBaba wethu — injongo yazo zonke izinto nguBaba ngokwakhe. ²⁵Ngokuba kumelwe abuse aze abeke zonke izitha zakhe ngaphansi kwezinyawo zakhe. ²⁶Isitha sokugcina esiyakubhujiswa ngukufa. ²⁷UBaba wethu ubeke konke ngaphansi kwezinyawo zeNdodana. Kodwa uma kuthiwa 'konke' kubekwe ngaphansi kwayo, lokho kusobala ukuthi akumfaki uBaba wethu, obeke konke ngaphansi kweNdodana. ²⁸Lapho konke sekuthobele yona, iNdodana ngokwayo iyakuthobela lowo owathobisa konke kuyo, ukuze uBaba wethu abe yikho konke kukho konke. ^b b v28 Lapho konke ekugcineni sekubuyiselwe, iNdodana ithatha ngenjabulo indawo yayo ngaphansi kukaBaba wethu, ukuze uBaba wethu abe yikho konke kubo bonke — isiphetho indaba yonke ebilokhu iqonde kuso.

²⁹Uma kungenjalo, bayakwenzenjani labo ababhapathizelwa abafileyo? Uma abafileyo bengavuswa nhlobo, kungani bebhapathizelwa bona? ^c c v29 Umkhuba uPawulu akhuluma ngawo lapha awaziwa ngqo; uwusebenzisa njengobufakazi bokuthi ngisho nalabo ababewenza babekholwa ekuvukeni kwabafileyo. ³⁰Kepha thina, kungani sizifaka engozini njalo ngehora? ³¹Ngifa nsuku zonke—ngokuqinisekile njengoba ngiziqhenya ngani, bazalwane, kuKhristu uJesu iNkosi yethu. ³²Uma ngalwa nezilo zasendle e-Efesu ngenxa yezizathu zobuntu nje, ngizuzani? Uma abafileyo bengavuki, “Masidle siphuze, ngokuba kusasa siyafa.” ³³Ningakhohliswa: “Ubudlelwane obubi bona isimilo esihle.” ³⁴Sangulukani ngokufaneleyo niyeke ukona—abanye abamazi uBaba wethu; ngikusho lokhu ukuba nibe namahloni.

Umzimba UBaba Awunikayo

³⁵Kodwa othile uyakubuza athi: “Bavuswa kanjani abafileyo? Bayakuza ngomzimba onjani?” ³⁶Siwula ndini! Lokho okuhlwanyelayo akuveli ekuphileni ngaphandle kokuba kufe kuqala. ³⁷Lapho uhlwanyela, awuhlwanyeli umzimba oyakuba khona, kodwa imbewu enqunu nje, mhlawumbe okakolweni noma okunye. ³⁸Kodwa uBaba wethu uyinika umzimba awukhethayo, kuyo yonke imbewu umzimba wayo siqu. ³⁹Akuyona yonke inyama efanayo: abantu, izilwane, izinyoni, nezinhlanzi kuhlukene. ⁴⁰Kukhona imizimba yasezulwini, nemizimba yasemhlabeni; inkazimulo yalokho kwasezulwini ingenye, inkazimulo yalokho kwasemhlabeni ingenye. ⁴¹Ilanga linokukhanya kwalo, inyanga inokunye, izinkanyezi zinokunye—inkanyezi yehlukene nenkanyezi ngokukhanya.

⁴²Kunjalo-ke nasekuvukeni kwabafileyo: umzimba uhlwanyelwa ungobolayo, uvuswe ungaboli. ⁴³Uhlwanyelwa ngokudumala, uvuswe ngenkazimulo; uhlwanyelwa ngobuthakathaka, uvuswe ngamandla. ⁴⁴Uhlwanyelwa ungumzimba wemvelo, uvuswe ungumzimba ongokomoya. Uma kukhona umzimba wemvelo, kukhona nomzimba ongokomoya. ⁴⁵Kubhaliwe-ke ukuthi: “Umuntu wokuqala, u-Adamu, waba umphefumulo ophilayo”; u-Adamu wokugcina waba umoya onika ukuphila. ^d d v45 UJesu “ungu-Adamu wokugcina”: lapho u-Adamu wokuqala aletha ukufa kubo bonke, uJesu unika ukuphila kubo bonke abangabakhe. ⁴⁶Kodwa akusikho okungokomoya okweza kuqala, kodwa okwemvelo, kwase kulandela okungokomoya. ⁴⁷Umuntu wokuqala wayengowothuli lomhlaba; umuntu wesibili uvela ezulwini. ⁴⁸Njengomuntu wothuli, banjalo labo abakhiwe ngothuli; njengomuntu wasezulwini, banjalo labo abangabasezulwini. ⁴⁹Njengoba sithwala umfanekiso womuntu wasemhlabeni, siyakuthwala nomfanekiso womuntu wasezulwini.

⁵⁰Ngithi kini lokhu, bazalwane: inyama negazi akukwazi ukudla ifa lombuso kaBaba wethu, nokubolayo akukwazi ukudla ifa lokungaboli.

⁵¹Lalelani, nginitshela imfihlakalo: Asiyikulala sonke, kodwa sonke siyakuguqulwa. ⁵²Ngomzuzwana, ngokuphazima kweso, ngecilongo lokugcina—liyakukhala, abafileyo bavuswe bengasafi, thina siguqulwe. ⁵³Okubolayo kumelwe kwembathiswe okungaboli, okufayo kwembathiswe ukungafi. ⁵⁴Lapho lokhu okubolayo sekwembethe okungaboli, nalokhu okufayo sekwembethe ukungafi, khona kuyakugcwaliseka okubhaliwe ukuthi: “Ukufa kugwinyiwe ekunqobeni. ⁵⁵Kuphi, kufa, ukunqoba kwakho? Kuphi, kufa, udosi lwakho?”

⁵⁶Udosi lokufa yisono, namandla esono ngumthetho. ⁵⁷Kodwa makabongwe uBaba wethu! Usinika ukunqoba ngeNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu. ⁵⁸Ngakho-ke, bazalwane bami abathandekayo, qinani, ninganyakazi, nichichima njalo emsebenzini weNkosi, nazi ukuthi umsebenzi wenu eNkosini awuyize.