1 Lina maGalathiya ayizithutha! Ngubani oliloyileyo? Phambi kwamehlo enu uJesu Khristu wabonakaliswa obala ebethelwe. 2 Mina ngifuna ukwazi into eyodwa nje kini: UMoya lamamukela ngokugcina umthetho loba ngokukholwa lokho elakuzwayo na? 3 Kanti liyizithutha kangaka? Emva kokuqalisa ngoMoya, khathesi selizama ukuzuza ukuphelela ngemizamo yabantu na? 4 Kanti lihlupheke kangaka lihluphekela ize na, nxa impela kwakungokweze? 5 Kanti uNkulunkulu ulinika uMoya wakhe abuye enze izimangaliso phakathi kwenu ngoba ligcina umthetho loba ngoba likholwa lokho elakuzwayo na? 6 Khumbulani u-Abhrahama: “Wamkholwa uNkulunkulu, kwabalelwa kuye njengokulunga.”* 3.6 UGenesisi 15.6

7 Ngakho zwisisani ukuthi labo abakholwayo bangabantwana baka-Abhrahama. 8 Umbhalo wabona ngaphambili ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayezalungisa abeZizweni ngokukholwa, wahle wamemezela ivangeli ngaphambili ku-Abhrahama esithi: “Zonke izizwe zizabusiswa ngawe.”† 3.8 UGenesisi 12.3; 18.18; 22.18 9 Ngakho labo abalokholo babusiswa kanye lo-Abhrahama, umuntu wokholo.

10 Bonke abathembe umthetho bangaphansi kwesiqalekiso ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: “Uqalekisiwe umuntu wonke ongaqhubeki esenza konke okulotshwe eNcwadini yoMthetho.”‡ 3.10 UDutheronomi 27.26 11 Kusobala ukuthi akakho olungisiswa ngomthetho phambi kukaNkulunkulu ngoba, “Abalungileyo bazaphila ngokukholwa.”§ 3.11 UHabhakhukhi 2.4 12 Umthetho kaweyamanga ekukholweni; kodwa, “Umuntu owenza izinto lezi uzaphila ngazo.”* 3.12 ULevi 18.5 13 UKhristu wasihlenga esiqalekisweni somthetho ngokuba yisiqalekiso ngenxa yethu, ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: “Uqalekisiwe umuntu wonke olengiswa esihlahleni.”† 3.13 UDutheronomi 21.23 14 Wasihlenga ukuze isibusiso esaphiwa u-Abhrahama sifike kwabeZizweni ngoKhristu uJesu, ukuze samukele isithembiso sikaMoya ngokukholwa.

15 Bazalwane, ake ngithathe isibonelo sokuphila kwansukuzonke. Njengoba engekho ongabeka eceleni loba engeze kusivumelwano sabantu esenziwe ngemfanelo, kunjalo-ke lakule indaba. 16 Izithembiso zatshiwo ku-Abhrahama lakunzalo yakhe. Umbhalo kawuthi “kwabenzalo,”‡ 3.16 UGenesisi 12.7; 13.15; 24.7 usitsho abantu abanengi, kodwa uthi, “lakunzalo yakho,” usitsho umuntu oyedwa, lowo kunguKhristu. 17 Engikutshoyo yilokhu: Umthetho owabekwa eminyakeni engamakhulu amane lamatshumi amathathu (430) muva, kawusibeki eceleni isivumelwano esamiswa ngaphambili nguNkulunkulu ngalokho wesule isithembiso. 18 Ngoba nxa ilifa leyame emthethweni, ngalokho kaliseyamanga esithembisweni; kodwa uNkulunkulu ngomusa wakhe, walinika u-Abhrahama ngesithembiso.

19 Pho, yayiyini-ke injongo yomthetho? Wengezelelwa ngenxa yeziphambeko kwaze kwafika iNzalo eyayitshiwo yisithembiso. Umthetho wenziwa wasebenza ngezingilosi lomeli. 20 Kodwa umeli kameli icele elilodwa; kodwa uNkulunkulu munye.

21 Kambe ngalokho umthetho uphambene lezithembiso zikaNkulunkulu na? Akunjalo lakancane! Ngoba nxa kwakubekwe umthetho onika ukuphila, ukulunga impela kwakuzavela ngomthetho. 22 Kodwa umbhalo uvalele konke ngaphansi kwesono, ukwenzela ukuthi okwakuthenjisiwe, kuphiwa ngokukholwa kuJesu Khristu, sokungaphiwa labo abakholwayo.

23 Ukholo§ 3.23 ukukholwa kuJesu Khristu lolu lungakabi khona sasiyizibotshwa zomthetho, sivalelwe ukholo olwaluzakuza luze lubonakaliswe. 24 Ngakho umthetho waphiwa amandla okusiholela kuKhristu ukuba silungisiswe ngokukholwa. 25 Khathesi-ke njengoba ukholo selukhona, kasisekho ngaphansi kwamandla omthetho.

26 Lonke lingabantwana bakaNkulunkulu ngokukholwa kuKhristu uJesu 27 ngoba lonke lina elabhaphathizelwa kuKhristu selizembathise ngoKhristu. 28 AkulamJuda loba oweZizweni, isigqili loba okhululekileyo, owesilisa loba owesifazane, ngoba lonke limunye kuKhristu uJesu. 29 Nxa lingabakaKhristu, ngalokho liyinzalo ka-Abhrahama, lezindlalifa njengokutsho kwesithembiso.