Eyokuqala Eya KwabaseKorinte

15 Ndiyanikhumbuza bazalwana ngeendaba ezilungileyo endazishumayela kuni,+ naza nazamkela, nabambelela kuzo. 2 Zezi ndaba zilungileyo endazishumayela kuni ezinenza nisindiswe ukuba nibambelela nkqi kuzo, ngaphandle kokuba naba ngamakholwa ngokungenanjongo.

3 Phakathi kwezinto zokuqala endanixelela zona, nam endazinikwayo, kukuba uKristu wafela izono zethu ngokutsho kweZibhalo;+ 4 wangcwatywa+ waza wavuswa+ ngosuku lwesithathu,+ ngokutsho kweZibhalo;+ 5 wabonakala kuKefas,*+ nakwabaliShumi Elinesibini.+ 6 Emva koko wabonakala kubazalwana abangaphezu kwe-500 ngexesha elinye,+ abaninzi babo abasaphilayo nangoku, kodwa abanye bafile.* 7 Emva koko wabonakala kuYakobi+ nakubo bonke abapostile.+ 8 Kodwa ekugqibeleni wabonakala nakum,+ ndatsho ndangathi ndingumntwana ozelwe phambi kwexesha.

9 Kuba ndingoyena uphantsi kubapostile, yaye andikufanelekelanga ukubizwa ngokuba ndingumpostile, kuba ndalitshutshisa ibandla likaThixo.+ 10 Kodwa ngenxa yokuba uThixo endenzele ububele,* ndiyile nto ndiyiyo. Yaye ukundenzela kwakhe ububele,* khange kuwele phantsi. Khange ndisebenze ngamandla am, kodwa ndincedwe bububele bukaThixo.* 11 Ngoko ke le yindlela mna nabo esishumayela ngayo, ibe le yindlela eniye naba ngamakholwa ngayo.

12 Ukuba kushunyayelwa ukuba uKristu uvusiwe ekufeni,+ kwenzeka njani ukuba abanye benu bathi alukho uvuko? 13 Ukuba ke alukho uvuko, noKristu akavuswanga. 14 Kodwa ukuba uKristu akavuswanga, kucacile ukuba sidlala ngexesha xa sishumayela, yaye nokuba nokholo kwenu akuncedi nganto. 15 Ngaphezu koko, nathi singqina ubuxoki ngoThixo,+ kuba sithe uThixo umvusile uKristu,+ engamvusanga, xa kusithiwa abantu abafileyo abazukuvuswa. 16 Kaloku ukuba abafileyo abazukuvuswa, noKristu akavuswanga. 17 Ngaphezu koko, ukuba uKristu akavuswanga, ukholo lwenu aluncedi nganto, anikakhululeki ezonweni zenu.+ 18 Ngoko nabo bafe bengabalandeli bakaKristu batshabalele.+ 19 Ukuba sithembele kuKristu kobu bomi sibuphilayo kuphela, singabokusizelwa ngaphezu komntu wonke.

20 Kodwa ke uKristu uvusiwe ekufeni, yaye ngowokuqala ukuvuswa* kwabo bafileyo.*+ 21 Ekubeni ukufa kweza ngomntu omnye,+ nokuvuswa ekufeni kuza kubakho ngenxa yomntu omnye.+ 22 Kanye njengokuba bonke besifa ngenxa ka-Adam,+ ngokunjalo bonke baza kwenziwa baphile ngenxa kaKristu.+ 23 Kodwa bonke bavuswa ngokulandelelana kwabo: Kuqala uKristu,*+ emva koko ibe ngabo bangabakaKristu ebudeni bobukho bakhe.+ 24 Emva koko kuza kufika isiphelo, xa ebuyisela uBukumkani kuThixo wakhe onguTata wakhe, emva kokuba etshabalalise bonke oorhulumente namagunya.+ 25 Kuba umele alawule de uThixo azibeke phantsi kweenyawo zakhe zonke iintshaba zakhe.+ 26 Utshaba lokugqibela oluza kupheliswa kukufa.+ 27 Kuba uThixo “wazithobela phantsi kweenyawo zakhe zonke izinto.”+ Kodwa xa esithi ‘zonke izinto zithotyiwe,’+ kuyabonakala ukuba akabalwa uThixo owazithobela phantsi kwakhe zonke izinto.+ 28 Kodwa emva kokuba uThixo ezibeke phantsi kwegunya loNyana zonke izinto, noNyana uza kuzithoba kuThixo owazibeka phantsi kwegunya lakhe zonke izinto,+ ukuze uThixo abe zizinto zonke kubantu bonke.+

29 Kungenjalo, yintoni eza kwenzeka kwabo babhaptizwayo ngenjongo yokuba bafe?+ Ukuba abazukuvuswa abantu afileyo, kutheni bezibizela ukufa ngokubhaptizwa? 30 Kutheni nathi sihlala sisengozini yokufa?+ 31 Andixoki xa ndisithi yonke imihla ndihlala ndijongene nokufa, kanye njengokuba ndingaxoki xa ndisithi ndinebhongo ngani bazalwana abangabafundi bakaKristu Yesu iNkosi yethu. 32 Ukuba njengabanye abantu,* ndiye ndalwa nezilwanyana zasendle e-Efese,+ indinceda ngantoni loo nto? Ukuba abantu abafileyo abazukuvuswa, “masityeni, sisele, kuba ngomso siza kufa.”+ 33 Ningalahlekiswa. Ukuba nabahlobo abangalunganga, konakalisa imikhwa elungileyo.+ 34 Buyelani ezingqondweni, nenze ubulungisa, ningenzi isono, kuba abanye benu abamazi uThixo. Ndithetha nani ukuze nibe neentloni.

35 Noko ke omnye usenokubuza athi: “Baza kuvuswa njani abantu abafileyo? Baza kuza benemizimba enjani?”+ 36 Wena ungasebenzisi ngqondo! Into oyityalayo ayintshuli ngaphandle kokuba iqale yafa. 37 Xa utyala, awutyali isiqu esiza kuvela, kodwa ukhozo, nokuba lolwengqolowa okanye enye imbewu; 38 kodwa uThixo unika mbewu nganye isiqu sayo kanye ngendlela athanda ngayo. 39 Imizimba ayifani, kukho imizimba yabantu, eyeenkomo, eyeentaka neyeentlanzi. 40 Kukho imizimba yasezulwini neyasemhlabeni,+ kodwa uzuko lwemizimba yasezulwini,+ lwahlukile kuzuko lwemizimba yasemhlabeni. 41 Lulodwa uzuko lwelanga, lulodwa nozuko lwenyanga.+ Lulodwa uzuko lweenkwenkwezi. Enyanisweni, inkwenkwezi ayifani nenye ngozuko.

42 Kunjalo nokuvuswa kwabantu ekufeni. Umntu utyalwa enomzimba obolayo, kodwa avuswe enomzimba ongaboliyo.+ 43 Umzimba utyalwa udelekile,+ uvuswe uhloniphekile. Utyalwa ungenamandla, uvuswe unamandla.+ 44 Kutyalwa umzimba wenyama, kuvuswe umzimba womoya. Ukuba kukho umzimba wenyama, kukwakho nowomoya. 45 Ngoko kubhaliwe kwathiwa: “Umntu wokuqala uAdam waba ngumntu* ophilayo.”+ UAdam wokugqibela waba ngumoya onika ubomi.+ 46 Kodwa ke, akuqali kubekho umzimba womoya. Kuqala kubekho umzimba wenyama, kulandele owomoya. 47 Umntu wokuqala uphuma emhlabeni yaye wenziwe ngothuli,+ umntu wesibini uphuma ezulwini.+ 48 Abo benziwe ngothuli bafana nala mntu wokuqala wenziwe ngothuli, nabo basezulwini bafana nalowo wasezulwini.+ 49 Kanye njengokuba siye safana nalo wenziwe ngothuli,+ siza kufana nalo ungowasezulwini.+

50 Kodwa ke ndiyanixelela bazalwana ukuba, inyama negazi azizukungena ebukumkanini bukaThixo, kwanento ebolayo ayinakujika ibe yengaboliyo. 51 Mamelani! Ndinixelela imfihlelo engcwele: Asizukulala ekufeni sonke, kodwa sonke siza kutshintshwa,+ 52 ngokukhawuleza, ngokuqhwanyaza kwelihlo, xa kukhala ixilongo lokugqibela. Kuba ixilongo liza kukhala,+ yaye abantu abafileyo baza kuvuswa benemizimba engaboliyo, ibe siza kutshintshwa. 53 Kuba umzimba obolayo umele utshintshe ungaboli,+ nalowo ufayo utshintshe ungafi.+ 54 Kodwa xa lo mzimba ubolayo utshintsha ungaboli, nalowo ufayo utshintsha ungafi, aza kutsho enzeke amazwi abhaliweyo athi: “Ukufa kuginywe ngonaphakade.”+ 55 “Kufa luphi uloyiso lwakho? Kufa liphi iliva lakho?”+ 56 Iliva elivelisa ukufa sisono,+ kodwa isono senziwa sibe namandla nguMthetho.+ 57 Kodwa siyambulela uThixo kuba usenza soyise ukufa esebenzisa iNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu!+

58 Ngoko ke bazalwana bam endibathandayo, qinani+ ningagungqi, nihlale ninento eninzi yokwenza+ emsebenzini weNkosi,+ nisazi ukuba ukusebenza kwenu akulolize eNkosini.