KWABASE-EFESE 3
Ukusebenza kukaPawulos phakathi kweentlanga
1Kungesi sizathu ke, mna Pawulos ongumbanjwa kaYesu Krestu ngenxa yenu zintlanga, ndimthandaza nje uThixo. 2Kambe ndiyacinga ukuba nivile ukuba uThixo undimisele ndaba ligosa lobabalo lwakhe ngenxa yenu. 3UThixo wandityhilela icebo lakhe ebelingaziwa mntu, njengoko sendichazile ngokufutshane. 4Xa nithe nayifunda ke, noba nako ukuyilandela indlela endiluqonda ngayo udaba olungoKrestu. 5Kwizizukulwana ezingaphambili abantu abazange balwaziswe olu daba. Kodwa ngoku uThixo ulutyhilile ngaye uMoya oyiNgcwele, kubo *abathunywa *nabashumayeli bakhe. 6Olu daba ke lolokuba iintlanga ziziindlamafa ndawonye namaJuda, zibandakanywe nawo. Bonke bayimbumba yamanyama. Nazo ziyabuxhamla ubuncwane bezithembiso zikaThixo ezenziwa kuYesu Krestu.
7Zinjalo ke iindaba ezimnandi endingumququzeleli wazo ngenxa yesisa uThixo andenzele sona ngokusebenza kwamandla akhe. 8Mna ndingoyena mncinane kubantu bakaThixo. Kodwa uThixo undinike ilungelo lokuba ndishumayele iindaba ezimnandi ezintlangeni, ndithethe ngobubele obungaphicothekiyo bukaKrestu, 9ndiqondise bonke abantu indlela esebenza ngayo imfihlelo yecebo likaThixo. UThixo onguMdali wezinto zonke walifihla eli cebo kuwo onke amaphakade adluleyo, 10ukuze ngoku, ngalo ibandla, ubulumko bukaThixo obuntlobo-ntlobo buvakaliswe kuzo izilawuli nabasemagunyeni kweliphezulu. 11Le nto uThixo wayenza ngokwenjongo yakhe engunaphakade awayimisa ngoYesu Krestu iNkosi yethu. 12Ngokumanywa naye ke singena siyokutsho kuThixo ngenkqu sikhululekile, sinesibindi ngenxa yokukholwa kuye. 13Ndiyanibongoza ke ukuba ningadakumbi kukuba ndixhwalekile ngenxa yenu; le meko iludumo lwenu.
Uthando lukaKrestu
14Ngenxa yale nto ke, ndizikhahlela phantsi phambi koBawo, 15uYise walo lonke usapho olusezulwini nasemhlabeni. 16Ndiyambongoza ukuba ngobubele bakhe uSosidima anomeleze imo yenu entsha ngoMoya wakhe, 17khon' ukuze ngokholo uKrestu ahlale ngaphakathi kuni. Nanga ningasekelwa eluthandweni nendele. 18Nanga nina nosapho lukaThixo xa lulonke, ningalunakana ukuba lungakanani na ububanzi balo, lungakanani na ubude balo, kukwangakanani na ukuphakama kwalo nokuba nzulu kwalo uthando lukaKrestu, 19nilwazi nakuba lungenakwaziwa nje. Ewe, niye niphuphuma bubukho bukaThixo obugqibeleleyo.
20Ngoku ke, kulowo unako ukwenza ngaphezu kokuba sicela nokuba siqiqa, ngamandla akhe asebenza ngaphakathi kuthi: 21Makubekho udumo kuThixo ebandleni, nakuKrestu Yesu, kuse kuzo zonke izizukulwana ngonaphakade kanaphakade. *Amen.
© Bible Society of South Africa 1996. Used with permission. All rights reserved.