KwabaseFiliphi 1

1 ¹UPhawuli noThimothewu, izinceku zikaKhristu uJesu, kubo bonke abangcwele abakuKhristu uJesu baseFilipi, kanye nababonisi namadikoni: ²Umusa awube kini noxolo oluvela kuBaba wethu nakuyo iNkosi uJesu Khristu.

Ukubonga Ngabahlanganyeli Bevangeli

³Ngiyambonga uBaba wami njalo lapho nginikhumbula, ⁴njalo emithandazweni yami yonke nginikhulekela nonke ngenjabulo, ⁵ngenxa yokuhlanganyela kwenu evangelini kusukela osukwini lokuqala kuze kube manje. ⁶Nginethemba ngalokhu kanye: lowo oqale umsebenzi omuhle kini uyakuwuphelelisa kuze kube usuku lukaKhristu uJesu. ⁷Kulungile ukuba ngizizwe kanjalo ngani—nginani enhliziyweni yami, nonke enihlanganyela nami emuseni, emaketangeni ami nasekuvikeleni nasekuqiniseni ivangeli. ⁸Ngokuba uBaba wethu ungufakazi wami, ukuthi nginilangazelela kangakanani nonke ngothando olujulile lukaKhristu uJesu.

⁹Yilo umthandazo wami: ukuthi uthando lwenu luchichime ngokwengeziwe, kanye nolwazi nakho konke ukuqonda, ¹⁰ukuze nikwazi ukuqonda okungcono kakhulu, nihlale nimsulwa ningenasici kuze kube usuku lukaKhristu. ¹¹nigcwele izithelo zokulunga ngoJesu Khristu, kube ludumo nokudunyiswa kukaBaba wethu.

Amaketanga Athuthukisa Ivangeli

¹²Ngifuna nazi, bazalwane, ukuthi izimo zami empeleni ziye zathuthukisa ivangeli, ¹³kangangokuthi amaketanga ami ngenxa kaKhristu aziwa kubo bonke abaqaphi bendlu yombusi nakubo bonke abanye. ¹⁴Iningi labazalwane, abenziwe baba nethemba eNkosini ngamaketanga ami, manje balokotha kakhulu ukukhuluma izwi ngaphandle kokwesaba. ¹⁵Abanye, kuyiqiniso, bashumayela uKhristu ngomhawu nangokuncintisana, kodwa abanye ngenhliziyo enhle. ¹⁶Laba benza ngothando, bazi ukuthi ngibekelwe ukuvikela ivangeli. ¹⁷Abanye bamemezela uKhristu ngokuzifunela, hhayi ngobuqotho, becabanga ukungivusela inkathazo emaketangeni ami.

¹⁸Pho kuthiwani? Kuphela ukuthi ngazo zonke izindlela—noma kungokuzenzisa noma ngeqiniso—uKhristu uyamenyezelwa, futhi ngiyajabula ngalokhu. Yebo, ngiyakuqhubeka ngijabule. ¹⁹Ngokuba ngiyazi ukuthi lokhu kuyakuphumela ekukhululweni kwami, ngemithandazo yenu nangosizo lukaMoya kaJesu Khristu. ²⁰Ukulindela kwami okukhulu nethemba lami: angisoze ngaba namahloni, kodwa ngesibindi esiphelele, manje njengasezikhathini zonke, uKhristu uyakudunyiswa emzimbeni wami, noma kungokuphila noma kungokufa.

²¹Ngokuba kimi, ukuphila kunguKhristu, nokufa kuyinzuzo. ²²Uma ngiyakuqhubeka ngiphila emzimbeni, lokhu kuyakusho umsebenzi othelayo kimi. Kodwa angazi ukuthi ngikhethe kuphi. ²³Ngidabuka phakathi kwalokhu kokubili, ngifisa ukuhamba ngibe noKhristu—okungcono kakhulu, ²⁴kodwa ukusala emzimbeni kudingeka kakhulu ngenxa yenu. ²⁵Ngiqinisekile ngalokhu, ngiyazi ukuthi ngiyakusala ngihlale nani nonke, ukuze nithuthuke nijabule ekukholweni, ²⁶ukuze ukuzidla kwenu kuKhristu uJesu kuchichime ngenxa yami, lapho ngibuya kini futhi.

Ukuma Ngokufanele Ivangeli

²⁷Niphile nje ngokufanele ivangeli likaKhristu, ukuze kuthi noma ngifika nginibone, noma ngingekho, ngizwe ukuthi nimi niqinile emoyeni munye, nilwela ndawonye ngengqondo yinye ukholo lwevangeli, ²⁸ningabesabi nhlobo abaphikisana nani—lokhu kuwubufakazi kubo bokubhujiswa kwabo, kodwa bosindiso lwenu, futhi lokho kuvela kuBaba wethu. ²⁹Ngokuba niphiwe ngomusa, ngenxa kaKhristu, kungabi ukukholwa kuye kuphela kodwa nokuhlupheka ngenxa yakhe, ³⁰nidlula kuwona lowo mzabalazo enangibona nginawo, manje enizwa ukuthi ngisenawo.