Isibingelelo
1UPawulu, obizelwe ngentando kaNkulunkulu ukuba abe ngumphostoli kaJesu Kristu, noSostene umzalwane, 2kulo ibandla likaNkulunkulu eliseKorinte, kubo abangcwelisiwe kuKristu Jesu, ababiziweyo abangcwele, kanye nabo bonke abakhuleka egameni leNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu ezindaweni zonke, eyabo neyethu:
3Makube kini umusa nokuthula okuvela kuNkulunkulu uBaba wethu naseNkosini uJesu Kristu.
4Ngibonga uNkulunkulu wami ngesikhathi sonke ngani ngenxa yomusa kaNkulunkulu eniwuphiweyo kuKristu Jesu 5ukuthi ezintweni zonke nicetshisiwe kuye, ekukhulumeni konke nasekwazini konke, 6njengalokho ubufakazi ngoKristu baqiniswa kini, 7ukuze ningasilalelwa nasinye isiphiwo somusa, nisahlalele ukwambulwa kweNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu, 8yena oyakuniqinisa nani kuze kube sekupheleni, ningabi nacala ngosuku lweNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu. 9Uthembekile uNkulunkulu, okungaye nabizelwa ekuhlanganyeleni neNdodana yakhe uJesu Kristu iNkosi yethu.
Ukuphikisana ebandleni laseKorinte
10Kepha ngiyanincenga, bazalwane, ngegama leNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu ukuba nikhulume zwilinye nonke, kungabikho ukwahlukana phakathi kwenu, kodwa nipheleliswe emqondweni munye nasekuboneni kunye. 11Ngokuba ngitsheliwe ngani bazalwane bami ngabendlu kaKlowe ukuthi kukhona ukuphikisana phakathi kwenu. 12Ngisho lokhu ukuthi yilowo nalowo kini uthi: “Mina ngingokaPawulu”; “Mina ngingoka-Apholo”; “Mina ngingokaKhefase”; “Mina ngingokaKristu”.
13UKristu wahlukanisiwe yini? UPawulu wabethelwa esiphambanweni ngenxa yenu na? Nabhapathizwa egameni likaPawulu na? 14Ngibonga uNkulunkulu ngokuba ngingabhapathizanga muntu kini, kuphela oKrispu noGayu, 15funa kube khona othi nabhapathizwa egameni lami. 16Kodwa ngabhapathiza nabendlu kaStefana; ngaphandle kwalokho angazi ukuba ngabhapathiza omunye. 17Ngokuba uKristu kangithumanga ukuba ngibhapathize, kepha ukuba ngishumayele ivangeli, kungabi ngokuhlakanipha kwamazwi, funa isiphambano sikaKristu senziwe ize.
Ukuhlakanipha kukaNkulunkulu nokuhlakanipha kwezwe
18Ngokuba izwi lesiphambano kwababhubhayo lingubuwula, kepha kithina esisindiswayo lingamandla kaNkulunkulu. 19Ngokuba kulotshiwe ukuthi:
“Ngiyakuchitha ukuhlakanipha kwabahlakaniphileyo,
nokuqonda kwabaqondileyo ngikwenze ize.”
20Siphi isazi na? Uphi umbhali na? Uphi umphikisi walesi sikhathi na? UNkulunkulu kakwenzanga kube yize ukuhlakanipha kwaleli zwe na? 21Ngokuba njengalokho ekuhlakanipheni kukaNkulunkulu izwe alimazanga uNkulunkulu ngokuhlakanipha kwalo, kwaba kuhle kuNkulunkulu ukusindisa abakholwayo ngobuwula bentshumayelo. 22Ngokuba abaJuda babiza izibonakaliso, namaGreki afuna ukuhlakanipha, 23kepha thina sishumayela uKristu obethelwe esiphambanweni, isikhubekiso kubaJuda, ubuwula kubo abezizwe, 24kepha kubo ababiziweyo, abaJuda namaGreki, sishumayela uKristu, amandla kaNkulunkulu nokuhlakanipha kukaNkulunkulu. 25Ngokuba ubuwula bukaNkulunkulu buhlakaniphile kunabantu; nobuthakathaka bukaNkulunkulu bunamandla kunabantu.
26Ngokuba bhekani ukubizwa kwenu bazalwane: kababaningi abahlakaniphileyo ngokwenyama, kababaningi abanamandla, kababaningi abayizikhulu, 27kodwa izinto zobuwula zezwe uNkulunkulu uzikhethile ukuba ajabhise abahlakaniphileyo; nezinto ezibuthakathaka zezwe uNkulunkulu uzikhethile ukuba ajabhise izinto ezinamandla; 28nezinto eziphansi zezwe nezinto ezidelelwayo uNkulunkulu wazikhetha, nezinto ezingekho, ukuba achithe ezikhona, 29ukuze kungabikho nyama ezibongayo phambi kukaNkulunkulu. 30Kepha ngaye nikuJesu Kristu owenzelwe thina ukuhlakanipha okuvela kuNkulunkulu nokulunga kanye nokungcweliswa nokuhlengwa, 31ukuze kuthi njengokulotshiweyo:
“Ozibongayo akazibonge eNkosini.”
