Isiluleko sokubambelela kuKristu
1Ngokuba ngiyathanda ukuba nazi ukuthi kukhulu kangakanani ukulwa enginakho ngenxa yenu nabaseLawodikeya nabo bonke abangabonanga ubuso bami ngamehlo, 2ukuze izinhliziyo zabo ziduduzwe, behlanganisiwe othandweni babe nengcebo yonke yokwazi okuphelele, bazisise imfihlakalo kaNkulunkulu enguKristu, 3okufihlwe kuye amagugu onke okuhlakanipha nowokwazi. 4Ngikusho lokhu, ukuze kungabikho muntu onikhohlisa ngamazwi okuyenga. 5Ngokuba noma ngingekho ngomzimba, nokho ngikhona kini ngomoya ngithokoza, ngibona inhlelo yenu nokuqina kokukholwa kwenu kuKristu.
6Ngakho-ke njengalokho nimamukele uKristu Jesu iNkosi, hambani nikuye, 7nigxilile, nakhiwe kuye, niqinisiwe ekukholweni, njengalokho nifundisiwe, nivame ukubonga.
8Xwayani funa kube khona onithumbayo ngokuhlakanipha nangenkohliso eyize njengokwemvelo yabantu, njengezifundiso zokucathula kwezwe, kungenjengokukaKristu.
KuKristu kukhona konke ukuphelela kukaNkulunkulu
9Ngokuba kuhlala kuye ngokomzimba ukugcwala konke kobuNkulunkulu; 10nigcwalisiwe kuye, yena oyinhloko yemibuso yonke namandla, 11enasokela kuye futhi ngokusoka okungenziwanga ngezandla ngokukhumula umzimba wenyama, ngokusoka kukaKristu; 12nimbelwe kanye naye ngombhapathizo, okungawo futhi navuswa kanye naye ngokukholwa ngamandla kaNkulunkulu owamvusa kwabafileyo.
13Nani-ke ebenifile ngeziphambeko nangokungasoki kwenyama yenu wanenza nibe ngabaphilayo kanye naye esithethelela zonke izono zethu; 14esehlangule incwadi yecala lethu, emelana nathi ngemiyalo yayo, wayeyisusa ngokuyibethela esiphambanweni; 15ebaphucile ababusi nabanamandla izikhali wabathela ngehlazo obala, ebanqoba ngaso.
Ukuxwayisa ngezifundiso zamanga
16Ngakho makungabikho muntu onilahla ngokudla nesiphuzo, noma ngemikhosi, noma ukwethwasa kwenyanga, noma amasabatha, 17okuyisithunzi nje salokhu obekuzakuza; kepha umzimba ngokaKristu. 18Makungabikho muntu onamuka umvuzo wenu, othanda ukuzenza othobile ekhonza izingelosi, ephike ngemibono yakhe, ezikhukhumeza ngeze ngengqondo yakhe yenyama, 19engabambeleli kuye oyinhloko, okungaye umzimba wonke usizwa, uhlanganiswa ngamalungu nemisipha, ukhula ngokukhula kukaNkulunkulu.
20Uma nifile kanye noKristu nakhululwa ezifundisweni zokucathula kwezwe, yini ukuba okungathi nisaphila ngokwezwe nithobele izifundiso zokuthi: 21“Ungaphathi, ungezwa ngolimi, ungathinti,” 22okuphela konke ngokudliwa ngokweziyalezo nezifundiso zabantu 23ezinegama lokuhlakanipha kambe ngokuzikhethela inkonzo, nangokuzithoba, nangokuhlupha umzimba; akusizi lutho maqondana nokuzithiba kwenyama.
