1 KwabaseKhorinte 15

₁Bazalwane, ngiyanazisa ukuthi ivangeli enganishumayeza lona nalamukela, futhi enimi kulo, ₂enisindiswa ngalo uma nibambelela ezwini enganishumayeza lona, ngaphandle kokuba ukukholwa kwenu kwaba yize.

₃Ngokuba nganinika lokho okubalulekileyo kakhulu engakwamukela nami ukuthi uKhristu wafa ngenxa yezono zethu, njengokwemibhalo, ₄nokuthi wambelwa, wavuswa kwabafileyo ngosuku lwesithathu njengokwemibhalo, ₅nokuthi wabonwa nguKhefase, wayesebonwa ngabayishumi nambili. ₆Emveni kwalokho, wabonwa ngabazalwane abangaphezu kwama-500 ngasikhathi sinye, iningi labo elisaphila namanje, kodwa abanye sebalala. ₇Emveni kwalokho, wabonwa nguJakobe, wayesebonwa ngabaphostoli bonke; ₈ekugcineni kwabo bonke, wabonwa nayimi enginjengozalwe kungakabi yisikhathi.

₉Ngokuba mina ngingomncane kubaphostoli, engingafanele ukubizwa ngomphostoli, lokhu ngalihlupha ibandla likaNkulunkulu. ₁₀Kepha ngomusa kaNkulunkulu ngiyikho engiyikho, futhi umusa wakhe kimi awubanga yize, kodwa ngasebenza kakhulu kunabo bonke; kodwa kungesimina, kepha kungumusa kaNkulunkulu okimi. ₁₁Ngakho-ke noma yimina noma yibo, sishumayela kanjalo, nani nakholwa kanjalo. ₁₂Kepha-ke uma kushunyayelwa ukuthi uKhristu uvusiwe kwabafileyo, bakusho kanjani pho abanye phakathi kwenu ukuthi akukho ukuvuka kwabafileyo na? ₁₃Uma kungekho ukuvuka kwabafileyo, noKhristu akavuswanga. ₁₄Uma uKhristu engavuswanga kwabafileyo, ukushumayela kwethu kuyize, nokukholwa kwenu kuyize. ₁₅Yebo, sifunyanwa singofakazi bamanga ngoNkulunkulu, ngokuba sifakaze ngoNkulunkulu ukuthi wamvusa uKhristu, angamvusanga uma kanti abafileyo bengavuswa. ₁₆Ngokuba uma abafileyo bengavuswa, akavuswanga noKhristu. ₁₇Kepha uma uKhristu engavuswanga, ukukholwa kwenu akusizi lutho, nisesezonweni zenu. ₁₈Yebo, nalabo asebalala bekuKhristu babhubhile. ₁₉Uma sithembela kuKhristu kulokhu kuphila kuphela, singabokudatshukelwa kunabantu bonke.

₂₀Kodwa manje uKhristu uvusiwe kwabafileyo, uwulibo lwabaleleyo. ₂₁Ngokuba lokhu, ukufa kweza ngomuntu, nokuvuka kwabafileyo nakho kweza ngomuntu. ₂₂Njengalokhu ku-Adamu bonke bayafa, kanjalo-ke nakuKhristu bonke bayaphiliswa. ₂₃Kepha yilowo nalowo ngokwesigaba sakhe: uKhristu kuqala, bese kuba ngabakaKhristu ekubuyeni kwakhe, ₂₄andukuba kufike umhla wokuphela, lapho ebuyisela umbuso kuNkulunkulu uYise, esechithile bonke ababusi, bonke abasemagunyeni, nabanamandla. ₂₅Ngokuba Yena umelwe ukuba abuse, aze azibeke phansi kwezinyawo zakhe zonke izitha zakhe. ₂₆Isitha sokugcina esiyakubhujiswa ngukufa. ₂₇Ngokuba zonke izinto zithotshisiwe zaba phansi kwezinyawo zakhe.

Nxa ethi: “Izinto zonke zithotshisiwe phansi kwakhe,” kusobala ukuthi yena ozithobisileyo zonke izinto, akahlangene nazo. ₂₈Kepha lapho zonke izinto sezithotshiselwe phansi kwakhe, nayo-ke iNdodana uqobo lwayo iyakuzithoba phansi kwalowo owathobisa zonke izinto phansi kwayo, ukuze uNkulunkulu abe yikho konke, kukho konke.

₂₉Pho bayokwenzenjani labo ababhabhadiselwa abafileyo na? Uma impela abafileyo bengavuswa, babhabhadiselwani ngenxa yabo na? ₃₀Thina-ke sizibekelani engcupheni umzuzu nomzuzu na? ₃₁Bazalwane, ngiyaqinisa ukuthi mina ngifa imihla ngemihla ngenxa yokubongwa enginakho ngani kuKhristu uJesu iNkosi yethu. ₃₂Uma njengomuntu ngalwa nezilo e-Efesu, pho nginanzuzoni ngalokho na? Uma abafileyo bengavuswa, masidle, siphuze, ngokuba ngomuso sizakufa. ₃₃Ningakhohliswa; ukujwayelana nababi konakalisa ukuziphatha okuhle.

₃₄Phaphamani, niziphathe kahle, yekani ukona, ngokuba abanye kabamazi uNkulunkulu; lokhu ngikusho ukuze nibe namahloni.

₃₅Kepha omunye uyakuthi: “Abafileyo bavuswa kanjani na? Bavuswa benomzimba onjani na?”

₃₆Silima ndini, lokho okuhlwanyelayo akutholi ukuphila uma kungafanga. ₃₇Lokho futhi okuhlwanyelayo awuhlwanyeli umzimba ozakuba khona, kodwa uhlwanyela uhlamvu oluze, noma ngabe ngolukakolo, noma ngolokunye. ₃₈Kepha uNkulunkulu ulunika isimo salo ngokuthanda kwakhe, kube yileyo naleyo mbewu, owayo umzimba. ₃₉Inyama yonke ayifani: kodwa kukhona eyabantu, eyezilwane, eyezinyoni neyezinhlanzi. ₄₀Ikhona futhi nemizimba yasezulwini nemizimba yasemhlabeni, kodwa inkazimulo yemizimba yasezulwini iyodwa, neyasemhlabeni iyodwa. ₄₁Iyodwa inkazimulo yelanga, iyodwa inkazimulo yenyanga, iyodwa nenkazimulo yezinkanyezi. Yebo, enye inkanyezi yahlukile kwenye inkanyezi ngokukhazimula.

₄₂Kunjalo nokuvuka kwabafileyo. Kuhlwanyelwa kunokubola, kuvuswa kungenakubola; ₄₃kuhlwanyelwa kunokudelwa, kuvuswa kunenkazimulo; kuhlwanyelwa kunobuthakathaka, kuvuswa kunamandla. ₄₄Kuhlwanyelwa kungumzimba wemvelo, kuvuswa kungumzimba womoya. Uma ukhona umzimba wemvelo, ukhona nowomoya. ₄₅Kulotshiwe futhi ukuthi umuntu wokuqala u-Adamu waba ngumuntu ophilayo. U-Adamu wokugcina waba ngumoya ophilisayo. ₄₆Kepha akusikho okomoya kuqala, kodwa okwemvelo, bese kuba ngokomoya. ₄₇Umuntu wokuqala wavela emhlabeni, enziwe ngomhlabathi; umuntu wesibili uvela ezulwini. ₄₈Njengokuba enjalo umuntu ongowenhlabathi, banjalo nabangabenhlabathi; njengokuba enjalo umuntu wasezulwini, banjalo nabangabasezulwini. ₄₉Njengalokhu futhi sinesimo songowenhlabathi, siyakuba futhi nesimo songawasezulwini.

₅₀Bazalwane, ngisho lokhu ukuthi inyama negazi akuyukulidla ifa lombuso kaNkulunkulu, kanjalo nokubola akunakulidla ifa elingukungaboli. ₅₁Manje senginitshela imfihlakalo; asiyukulala sonke, kodwa sonke siyakuguqulwa, ₅₂ngomzuzwana nje, ngokuphazima kweso, ngecilongo lokugcina. Ngokuba kuyakukhala icilongo, abafileyo bavuswe bengenakubola, thina siguqulwe. ₅₃Ngokuba okubolayo kumelwe ukwembatha ukungaboli, nalokhu okufayo kumelwe ukwembatha ukungafi. ₅₄Kepha lapho okubolayo sekwembethe ukungaboli, nokufayo sekwembethe ukungafi, kuzakugcwaliseka izwi elilotshiweyo, elithi:

₅₆Udosi lokufa yisono; amandla esono ngumthetho. ₅₇Kepha makabongwe uNkulunkulu osinika ukunqoba ngeNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu. ₅₈Ngakho-ke bazalwane bami abathandekayo, yibani ngabagxilileyo, abangaxegiyo, abavame njalo emsebenzini weNkosi, nazi ukuthi ukusebenza kwenu akusilo ize eNkosini.