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