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1 Ngifuna ukuba lazi ukuthi ngilizamela kakhulu okunganani lina labaseLodikheya, kanye labo bonke abangakangiboni mathupha. 2 Injongo yami yikuthi bakhuthazeke ezinhliziyweni njalo bamanyane ethandweni ukuze babe lenotho egcweleyo yokuqedisisa okupheleleyo, ukuze bayazi imfihlakalo kaNkulunkulu kubalisa uKhristu, 3 okufihlwe kuye yonke ingcebo yokuhlakanipha lokwazi. 4 Ngilitshela lokhu ukuze kungabikhona olikhohlisayo ngamazwi amnandi. 5 Ngoba lanxa ngingekho kini ngomzimba ngilani ngomoya njalo ngithokozela ukubona ubuntu benu lokuqina kokholo lwenu kuKhristu.
Ukuphelela Kokuphila KuKhristu
6 Ngakho-ke, njengoba uKhristu Jesu lamamukela njengeNkosi, qhubekani liphila kuye, 7 ligxile njalo lakhelwe kuye, liqine ekukholweni njengokufundiswa kwenu, liphuphuma ngokubonga.
8 Qaphelani kungabikhona olithumbayo ngenhlakanipho eyize lekhohlisayo, eyeyame emdabukweni wabantu lakuzimiso zemvelo yakulo umhlaba kungesikho kuKhristu.
9 Ngoba bonke ubuNkulunkulu buhlezi kuKhristu ngesimo somzimba 10 njalo lina lilakho lokhu kuphelela kuKhristu oyinhloko yamandla wonke kanye lokubusa konke. 11 Lasokelwa kuye ngokususwa kwemvelo yenu yesono, kungayisikho ngokusoka okwenziwa ngezandla zabantu kodwa ngokulahla umzimba wenyama, lokhu kuyikusoka okwenziwa nguKhristu 12 ngokungcwatshwa laye ngobhaphathizo labuye lavuswa kanye laye ngokukholwa kwenu emandleni kaNkulunkulu owamvusa kwabafileyo.
13 Ngesikhathi lifile ezonweni zenu lokungasoki kwemvelo yenu yesono, uNkulunkulu walenza laba ngabaphilayo kanye loKhristu. Wasithethelela zonke izono zethu 14 ngokwesula yonke imithetho elotshiweyo lezimiso zayo eyayimelane lathi njalo isivimbela. Wayisusa, wayibethela esiphambanweni. 15 Kwathi eselahlise imibuso lababusi izikhali, wenza umbukiso oyinhlekisa ngabo, wabanqoba ngesiphambano.
Ukukhululeka Emthethweni Yabantu
16 Ngakho-ke, lingavumeli umuntu elahlulela ngalokho elikudlayo loba elikunathayo loba ngokuphathelane lomkhosi wokholo, ukuthokozela ukuthwasa kwenyanga loba usuku lweSabatha. 17 Lezizinto ziyisithunzi nje sezinto ezazizakuza kodwa ubuqotho butholakala kuKhristu. 18 Lingavumeli umuntu othokoziswa yikuzithoba kwamanga lokukhonza izingilosi eliphuthisa umvuzo wenu. Umuntu onjalo ubalisa ngokupheleleyo konke akubonileyo, kuthi ingqondo yakhe engayisiyo yomoya imkhukhumeze ngemicabango eyize. 19 Usehlukane lenhloko yomzimba wonke wona ohlanganiswa ndawonye yimisipha lemithambo, okhula ngokuthanda kukaNkulunkulu.
20 Njengoba lafa loKhristu ezimisweni zalo umhlaba, kungani liphila sengathi lilokhu lingabawo, lizibeka ngaphansi kwemithetho yawo yokuthi, 21 “Ungabambi! Unganambithi! Ungathinti!”? 22 Konke lokhu kumiselwe ukuqedwa yikusetshenziswa ngoba kweyame phezu kwemilayo yabantu lemfundiso yabo. 23 Impela izimiso ezinje zibonakala njengenhlakanipho, ngenkonzo yazo yokuzenzela, ukuzithoba kwamanga lokuphatha umzimba kabuhlungu kodwa kazilalo usizo lokuzithiba ezinkanukweni zomzimba.