1Ndifuna niyazi indlela endabulaleka nzima ngayo ngenxa yenu nabantu baseLawodike, kwanabo bangazanga bandibona ngamehlo. 2Ndifuna bahlale bomelele, bemanyene ngothando, ukuze bafikelele ekuqinisekeni ngokupheleleyo ngengqondo, beyiqiqa imfihlelo kaThixo. Loo mfihlelo ke nguKrestu ngenkqu. 3Nguye uvimba wendyebo kaThixo yobulumko nokuqonda.
4Ndinixelela le nto nje, ndifuna ze ningalahlekiswa bani ngeentetho ezilahlekisayo, nokokuba zivakala kakuhle kangakanani na. 5Nakuba ndingekho siqu apho, ndikho kodwa ngomoya, ndaye ndivuya kuba ndiyiphawule indlela enimi ngxishi ngayo, ningagungqi ekukholweni kuKrestu.
Ubomi obugqibeleleyo ngokumanywa noKrestu
6Ngoko ke, njengoko namamkelayo uKrestu Yesu iNkosi, hlalani nimanyene naye. 7Iingcambu zenu mazendele, nakheke kuye, nomelele ngokomelela elukholweni njengoko nafundiswayo, niphuphume ngumbulelo.
8Zilumkeleni, ningathatheki iingqondo yimilavuzo engaphethe nto, engasekelwanga ngoKrestu, esekelwe ngezithethe neemfundiso zabantu, nangamagunya alawula ehlabathini. 9Kuba kaloku ubume bobomi bukaThixo bukho ngokupheleleyo kuKrestu ongumntu; 10yaye ke nimanywe naye nje, niphiwe ubomi obupheleleyo. Kaloku yena yintloko: liphantsi kwakhe lonke igunya namandla.
11Nakuba nimanyene naye naluswe ngolwaluko olungelulo olwabantu nje, kodwa olulolukaKrestu: lona kukukhululwa komntu kwigunya lesimo esidala. 12Kaloku ekubhaptizweni kwenu nangcwatywa kunye naye, kwangokunjalo navuswa kunye naye ngokuzinikela kumandla kaThixo asebenzayo, yena wamvusayo uKrestu ekufeni. 13Nangona nanifile ngenxa yeziphoso zenu, nto leyo icaciswa kukungaluki kwenu, uThixo univuse kunye noKrestu, waza wazixolela zonke izono zethu. 14Usicime mpela isityholo setyala lethu lokwaphula imiqathango yomthetho. Incwadi leyo yesityholo uyisuse kwaphela, wayibethelela emnqamlezweni. 15Uboyisile oomagunya nooziphathamandla, wabenza intlekisa esidlangalaleni, bekumngcelele wabathinjwa aboyisiweyo.
16Ngoko ke makungabikho bani unixoxisayo ngento emaniyitye, okanye niyisele, nangemisitho yokuthwasa kwenyanga *neyoMhla wokuPhumla. 17Ezi zinto zazisisithunzi nje sento eyayilindelekile – inkqu yayo nguKrestu. 18Musani ke ukuqhathwa ngabantu abazenza bhetele, beqhayisa ngemibono nangentobeko ethile, benqula izithunywa zezulu. Abantu abanjalo bafumana bezingca nje, bebambelele ezintweni ezibonakalayo zengqondo yabo. 19Baphuncukile kwintloko enguKrestu. Kanti ke umzimba namalungu nemisipha unxibelelana nentloko ukuze wondleke ubambene, ukhule ngendlela kaThixo.
Ukudla ubomi noKrestu
20Kaloku nafa kunye noKrestu, nakhululeka ekulawulweni ziimpembelelo zeli phakade. Ngani ke ukuba niziphathe ngokwabantu beli phakade? Kutheni ukuba nibe ngoothoba-sikutyele, niphulaphula nje xa kusithiwa: 21“Sanukuyiphatha le, sanukuyingcamla leya, enye sanukuyichukumisa”? 22Xa zizonke ezi zinto ziyonakala zakuba zisetyenzisiwe. Injalo ke imithetho neemfundiso zabantu. 23Okunene le nkqubo yokuzenza ngcwele, nokuzicinezela, kunye nokungcungcuthekisa umzimba, ibonakala ngathi inobulumko, kodwa iyoyiswa kukulwa inkanuko yemvelo.
