KwabaseGalathiya
3 Hawu maGalathiya angelangqondo! Ngubani oseliyengele ezintweni ezimbi, lina okwacaciswa phambi kwenu ukubethelwa kukaJesu Khristu esigodweni? 2 Nansi into eyodwa engifuna ukulibuza yona:* Umoya lawemukela ngemisebenzi yomthetho yini kumbe ngokukholwa lokho elakuzwayo? 3 Kanti kalilangqondo kangaka? Njengoba liqalise lihamba ngomoya,* kungani seliqedisa uhambo lwenu lihamba ngendlela yenyama?* 4 Lalihluphekela ize yini ngesikhathi lisehlelwa zinhlupho ezinengi kangaka? Ngileqiniso lokuthi kalihluphekelanga ize. 5 Lowo olipha umoya enze lezimangaliso phakathi kwenu wenza lokho ngenxa yokuthi lenza imisebenzi yomthetho yini kumbe ngenxa yokuthi liyazikholwa izinto elazizwayo? 6 Phela lo-Abrahama “wakholwa kuJehova, kwathiwa* ulungile.”
7 Likwazi mhlophe ukuthi ababambelela ekukholweni yibo abangamadodana ka-Abrahama. 8 Umbhalo wavele wakubona ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayezathi abantu bezizweni balungile ngenxa yokholo, wasuzitshumayela ngaphambili izindaba ezinhle ku-Abrahama usithi: “Zonke izizwe zizabusiswa ngawe.” 9 Ngakho ababambelela ekukholweni babusiswa lo-Abrahama owayelokholo.
10 Bonke abathembele emisebenzini yomthetho bangaphansi kwesiqalekiso ngoba kubhaliwe ukuthi: “Uqalekisiwe wonke umuntu ongaqhubeki esenza zonke izinto ezisencwadinimgoqwa yoMthetho.” 11 Phezu kwalokho, kuyacaca ukuthi kakho umuntu uNkulunkulu athi ulungile ngenxa yomthetho ngoba “olungileyo uzaphila ngenxa yokholo.” 12 UMthetho wona kawusekelwanga ekukholweni. Kodwa “loba ngubani ozenzayo izinto lezi uzaphila ngazo.” 13 UKhristu wasithenga wasikhulula esiqalekisweni soMthetho ngokuba yisiqalekiso esikhundleni sethu, njengoba kubhaliwe ukuthi: “Wonke umuntu olengiswe esigodweni uqalekisiwe.” 14 Lokhu kwenzelwa ukuthi isibusiso sika-Abrahama sifike kwabezizweni ngoKhristu uJesu ukuze umoya esasiwuthenjisiwe siwuthole ngokholo lwethu.
15 Bafowethu, lapha ngisebenzisa umzekeliso walokho okwenzakala ebantwini: Nxa isivumelwano sesenziwe, kakho osesulayo kumbe ongezelela okuthile kuso lanxa senziwe ngumuntu nje. 16 Izithembiso zatshelwa u-Abrahama lenzalo* yakhe. Umbhalo kawutsho ukuthi, “lasezizukulwaneni zakho,” angathi kutshiwo abantu abanengi. Kodwa uthi, “lasenzalweni* yakho,” usitsho umuntu oyedwa, uKhristu. 17 Nanku okunye engikutshoyo: UMthetho owabakhona ngemva kweminyaka engu-430 kawusesuli isivumelwano uNkulunkulu ayesesenzile njalo kawusichithi isithembiso. 18 Nxa ilifa lisekelwe emthethweni, liyabe lingasasekelwanga esithembisweni; kodwa ngomusa uNkulunkulu uphe u-Abrahama ilifa ngesithembiso.
19 Pho uMthetho wawungowani? Wengezelelwa ukuze uveze iziphambeko kuze kufike inzalo* okwakwenziwe kuyo isithembiso; njalo wadluliselwa ngezingilosi ngesandla somlamuli. 20 Nxa kulomuntu oyedwa kuphela umlamuli kafunakali, kodwa uNkulunkulu yena wasenza eyedwa lesosithembiso. 21 Pho uMthetho uphikisana lezithembiso zikaNkulunkulu yini? Ngitsho lakancane! Aluba abantu babephiwe umthetho owawungaletha ukuphila, ukulunga kwakuzabe kutholakala ngomthetho. 22 Kodwa uMbhalo wafaka zonke izinto ngaphansi kwamandla esono ukuze isithembiso esibakhona ngokukholwa kuJesu Khristu siphiwe labo abatshengisa ukuthi balokholo.
23 Lanxa kunjalo, sasigcinwe ngaphansi komthetho ukholo lungakafiki, sivalelwe yiwo njalo silindele ukholo olwaseluzavezwa. 24 Yikho-ke uMthetho waba ngumgcini* wethu osikhokhela usisa kuKhristu ukuze kuthiwe silungile ngokholo. 25 Kodwa khathesi kasisekho ngaphansi kwalowomgcini* ngoba ukholo selufikile.
26 Lonke lingamadodana kaNkulunkulu ngokholo kuKhristu uJesu 27 ngoba lonke elabhabhathizelwa kuKhristu seligqoke uKhristu. 28 AkulamJuda kumbe umGrikhi, akulasigqili kumbe okhululekileyo, akulandoda kumbe owesifazana ngoba lonke limanyene loKhristu uJesu. 29 Kanti njalo nxa lingabakaKhristu liyinzalo* ka-Abrahama sibili, izindlalifa mayelana lesithembiso.