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