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