Isingeniso
1UPawula, obizwe ngokwentando kaNkulunkulu ukuba abe ngumphostoli kaJesu Khristu, benoSostene umzalwane, 2ngibhalela ibandla likaNkulunkulu eliseKhorinte, kwabangcwelisiwe kuKhristu uJesu, ababiziweyo ukuba babe ngcwele. Ngibhalela nabo bonke abakhuleka egameni leNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu ezindaweni zonke abakuzo: 3makube kini umusa nokuthula okuvela kuNkulunkulu uBaba wethu naseNkosini uJesu Khristu.
Ukubonga UNkulunkulu
4Ngimbonga njalo uNkulunkulu wami ngani, ngenxa yomusa wakhe eniwuphiweyo kuKhristu uJesu, 5ukuba ezintweni zonke, nicetshiswe kuye; ekukhulumeni nasekwazini konke 6njengalokhu ubufakazi ngoKhristu buqinisiwe kini, 7ukuze ningasesweli nesisodwa nje isiphiwo somusa, njengokuba nikulindele ngokushisekela ukwambulwa kweNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu. 8NguYena oyakuniqinisa nani kuze kube sekugcineni, ningabi nacala ngosuku lweNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu. 9Wethembekile uNkulunkulu owanibizela ebudlelwaneni neNdodana yakhe, uJesu Khristu iNkosi yethu.
Ukuphikisana Ebandleni LaseKhorinte
10Bazalwane, ngiyanincenga, ngegama leNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu, ukuba nikhulume ngazwi linye, kungabi bikho ukwahlukana phakathi kwenu, kodwa nipheleliswe ekubumbaneni; nibe mqondo munye, nambono munye. 11Ngokuba bazalwane bami, bangitshelile ngani abendlu kaKlowe ukuthi kukhona ukungaboni ngaso linye phakathi kwenu. 12Ngikusho lokhu ngokuba yilowo nalowo kini uthi: “Mina ngingokaPawula;” omunye athi: “Mina ngingoka-Apholo;” omunye uthi: “Mina ngingokaKhefase;” nomunye athi: “Mina ngingokaKhristu.”
13Ngabe uKhristu wahlukanisiwe yini na? UPawula wabethelwa yini esiphambanweni ngenxa yenu na? Kanti nina nabhabhadiswa egameni likaPawula yini na? 14Ngiyambonga uNkulunkulu ngokuba angibhabhadisanga muntu kini, ngaphandle kukaKhrisphu noGayu, 15funa kube khona othi ubhabhadiswe egameni lami. 16Yebo, ngababhabhadisa nabendlu kaStefana; ngaphandle kwabo, angikhumbuli ngibhabhadisa omunye. 17Ngokuba uKhristu akangithumanga ukuba ngibhabhadise, kodwa ukuba ngishumayele ivangeli, hhayi ngokuhlakanipha kwamazwi abantu, funa isiphambano sikaKhristu senziwe ize.
Ukuhlakanipha KukaNkulunkulu Nokuhlakanipha Kwezwe
18Ngokuba izwi lesiphambano lingubuwula kwababhubhayo, kodwa kithina esisindiswayo lingamandla kaNkulunkulu. 19Phela kulotshiwe ukuthi:
“Ngiyakuqeda nya ukuhlakanipha kwabahlakaniphileyo,
ngikwenze ize ukuqonda kwabanokuqonda.”
20Siphelelephi isazi na? Sikuphi isazimthetho na? Uphi oqophisana ngamazwi wakulesi sikhathi na? UNkulunkulu akakwenzanga yini kwaba wubuwula ukuhlakanipha kwakuleli lizwe na? 21Ngokuba njengalokhu ngokuhlakanipha kukaNkulunkulu izwe lingazange limazi uNkulunkulu ngokuhlakanipha kwalo, lokho kwaba kuhle kuNkulunkulu ukusindisa abakholwayo ngobuwula bentshumayelo. 22Ngokuba abaJuda bafuna izibonakaliso, kuthi amaGriki afune ukuhlakanipha. 23Kodwa thina sishumayela uKhristu obethelwe esiphambanweni, isikhubekiso kubaJuda nobuwula kwabezizwe. 24Kepha kulabo ababiziweyo, abaJuda namaGriki sishumayela uKhristu, ongamandla kaNkulunkulu nokuhlakanipha kukaNkulunkulu. 25Ngokuba ubuwula bukaNkulunkulu buhlakaniphile kunobabantu, nobuthakathaka bukaNkulunkulu bunamandla kunobabantu.
26Ngokuba bazalwane, khumbulani ukubizwa kwenu ukuthi kababaningi abahlakaniphileyo ngokwenyama, kababaningi abanamandla, futhi kababaningi abayizikhulu. 27Kodwa izinto zobuwula zezwe, uNkulunkulu uzikhethile ukuba abajabhise ngazo abahlakaniphileyo. Kanjalo nezinto ezibuthakathaka zezwe, uNkulunkulu uzikhethile ukuba azijivaze ezinamandla. 28Izinto zezwe ezibukelwa phansi, izinto ezidelelwayo, nezinto ezingekho, uNkulunkulu wazikhetha, ukuba achithe ngazo ezikhona, 29ukuze kungabi bikho muntu ozigabisayo phambi kukaNkulunkulu. 30Kepha ngoNkulunkulu, nikuJesu Khristu owenzelwe thina, waba ngukuhlakanipha kwethu okuvela kuNkulunkulu nokulunga, nokungcweliswa kanye nokuhlengwa, 31ukuba kube njengalokhu kulotshiwe ukuthi:
“Ozibongayo makazibonge eNkosini.”
