Ngeminikelo yokusiza amaKristu ampofu
1Kepha siyanazisa, bazalwane, ngomusa kaNkulunkulu awuphiweyo amabandla aseMakedoniya 2ukuthi ekuvivinyweni okukhulu kosizi ukuthokoza kwawo okuvamileyo nobumpofu bawo obukhulu kwenza ukuba avame kakhulu ekuphaneni okupheleleyo; 3ngokuba ngokwawo anikela njengamandla awo, yebo, ngiyafakaza ngithi, nangaphezu kwamandla awo; 4asinxusa kakhulu ecela umusa wokuhlanganyela ekukhonzeni abangcwele; 5futhi akubanga njengokwethemba kwethu kuphela, kepha bazinikela bona uqobo kuqala eNkosini nakithi futhi ngentando kaNkulunkulu, 6saze samncenga uThithu ukuba, njengalokho wayeseqalile ngaphambili, kanjalo afeze futhi kini lowo msebenzi womusa. 7Kepha njengalokho nivamile kukho konke: ukukholwa, namazwi, nokwazi, nokukhuthala konke, nothando enisithanda ngalo, manivame nakuwo lowo msebenzi womusa.
8Angikusho njengomyalo, kodwa ukuze ngokukhuthala kwabanye ngivivinye ubuqotho bothando lwenu; 9ngokuba niyawazi umusa weNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu ukuthi, nakuba ecebile, waba mpofu ngenxa yenu, ukuze ngobumpofu bakhe nicebe nina.
10Kulokhu nginitshela ukubona kwami; ngokuba lokhu kulungele nina enaqala nyakenye, kungekwenza kuphela kepha nokuthanda; 11kepha manje fezani nokwenza, ukuze njengalokho kwaba khona inhliziyo ethandayo, kanjalo kube khona nokufeza njengeninakho. 12Ngokuba uma uthando lukhona, kwamukeleka njengalokho umuntu anakho, kungenjengalokho angenakho.
13Ngokuba angikusho lokhu ukuba abanye bakhululeke, nina nikhathazeke, kodwa kube ngokulinganayo, 14ukuze kuthi ngalesi sikhathi inala yenu isize bona ekusweleni kwabo ukuba nenala yabo isize nina ekusweleni kwenu, kube khona ukulingana, 15njengalokho kulotshiwe ukuthi:
“Kowaba nokuningi kakusalanga,
nowaba nokuncane kantulanga.”
16Kepha makabongwe uNkulunkulu obeka enhliziyweni kaThithu le nkuthalo ngani, 17ngokuba wamukela umyalo wethu, kepha naye ekhuthele kakhulu waphuma eza kini ngokuzithandela. 18Sithumele kanye naye umzalwane oludumo lwakhe ngevangeli lwandile kuwo onke amabandla, 19kungesikho lokho kuphela, kodwa ukhethiwe futhi yiwo amabandla ukuba ahambisane nathi ngendaba yalo mnikelo osetshenzwe yithi, kube ludumo kuyo iNkosi, kubonakalise ukukhuthala kwethu, 20sigwemele lokhu ukuthi kungaba khona osisolayo ngalesi sipho esikhulu esisetshenzwe yithi; 21ngokuba sinakekela okuhle, kungesemehlweni eNkosi kuphela kodwa nasemehlweni abantu.
22Kepha sithumele kanye nabo umzalwane wethu esimfumene kaningi ekhuthele ezintweni eziningi, kepha manje ukhuthele kakhulu ngenxa yokunethemba kwakhe okukhulu. 23Uma kubuzwa ngoThithu, yena ungumhlanganyeli nesisebenzi kanye nami kini; noma kubuzwa ngabazalwane bethu, bayizithunywa zamabandla, bayinkazimulo kaKristu. 24Ngakho manibonakalise kubo phambi kwamabandla ubufakazi bothando lwenu nokuzincoma kwethu ngani.
