Inani Leqiniso Elitholakala KuKhristu
UPawulu ubala iziqu zakhe — isizwe, imfundo, nomlando ongenasici phansi komthetho — bese ebiza konke lokho ngokuthi kungudoti uma kuqhathaniswa nokwazi uKristu nokulunga okuvela kuBaba wethu. Uyaqaphela ukusho ukuthi akakafiki: ekhohlwa okusemuva, uyaqhubeka phambili. Ubuzwe bakhe bukwenye indawo.
3 1Okokugcina, bazalwane, thokozani eNkosini. Ukunibhalela izinto ezifanayo futhi akungihluphi, kunivikela nina.
2Qaphelani izinja, niqaphele izisebenzi ezimbi, niqaphele labo abasika inyama. a a v2 UPawulu uhleka usulu labo abaphikelela ukusoka ngokubabiza ngokuthi 'ukusikwa' — ukuguqulwa ngamabomu kwegama lokusoka. 3Thina singabokusoka — abakhonza ngoMoya kaBaba wethu, abazibonga kuKhristu uJesu, abangathembi lutho enyameni, 4nakuba nami ngingaba nethemba enyameni. Uma omunye ecabanga ukuthi unezizathu zokwethemba enyameni, mina nginazo ngokwedlulele: 5Ngasokwa ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili; ngingum-Israyeli ngokuzalwa, ngingowesizwe sakwaBhenjamini; ngingumHeberu wamaHeberu; ngingumFarisi ngaphansi komthetho. 6Ngentshiseko, ngashushisa ibandla; ngokulunga okungaphansi komthetho, ngangingenasici.
7Kodwa noma yini eyayiyinzuzo kimi, manje ngiyibala njengokulahlekelwa ngenxa kaKhristu. 8Yebo, ngibala konke njengokulahlekelwa ngenxa yokubaluleka okungenakulinganiswa kokwazi uKhristu uJesu iNkosi yami. Ngenxa yakhe ngilahlekelwe yizinto zonke, ngizibala njengezibi, ukuze ngizuze uKhristu, 9ngitholakale ngikuye, ngingenakho ukulunga kwami okuvela emthethweni, kodwa lokho okungokukholwa kuKhristu — ukulunga okuvela kuBaba wethu, okusekelwe ekukholweni, 10ukuze ngimazi, namandla okuvuka kwakhe kwabafileyo, ngihlanganyele ezinhlungwini zakhe, ngifane naye ekufeni, 11uma ngandlela-thile ngingafinyelela ekuvukeni kwabafileyo.
12Hhayi ukuthi sengikutholile, noma sengiphelelisiwe, kodwa ngiyaqhubeka ngifuna ukukubamba lokho uKhristu uJesu angibambela khona. 13Bazalwane, angizibali njengoseke ngakubamba. Kodwa yinto eyodwa: ngikhohlwa okungemuva, ngelulekela okungaphambili, 14ngigijimela emgomeni ngenxa yomklomelo wokubizwa kwami okubheke ezulwini kukaBaba wethu kuKhristu uJesu. 15Sonke esesivuthiwe asicabange kanjena; uma nicabanga ngokwehlukile kokuthile, uBaba wethu uyakunambulela nalokho. 16Kuphela asibambelele kulokho esesikufinyelele.
17Bazalwane, ningilingise kanyekanye, niqaphele labo abaphila ngesibonelo eninaso kithi. 18Abaningi baphila njengezitha zesiphambano sikaKhristu — ngikutshelile lokhu kaningi, manje ngikusho ngezinyembezi. 19Isiphetho sabo ngukubhujiswa, unkulunkulu wabo yisisu, inkazimulo yabo lihlazo labo, imiqondo yabo igxile ezintweni zomhlaba. 20Kodwa ubuzwe bethu busezulwini; silindele khona ngolangazelelo uMsindisi ovela lapho, iNkosi uJesu Khristu, 21oyakuguqula umzimba wethu ophansi ukuze ufane nomzimba wakhe okhazimulayo, ngamandla okwenza zonke izinto zizithobe kuye.
