1 AbaseThesalonika 2 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

UPawuli ubakhumbuza ngomsebenzi wakhe phakathi kwabo

¹ Liyazi lani, bazalwane, ukuthi ukufika kwethu kini kakubanga yize.

² Kodwa lanxa sasihluphekile kuqala saphathwa kubi eFiliphi, njengoba lisazi lani, saba lesibindi kuNkulunkulu sokulitshumayeza ivangeli likaNkulunkulu phakathi kobunzima obukhulu.

³ Ilizwi lethu kayisilo elokuduha lelokungcola lelobuqili,

⁴ kodwa njengoba sivunyiwe nguNkulunkulu ukuba siphathiswe ivangeli, siyakhulumake, singenzeli ukuthokozisa abantu kodwa ukuthokozisa uNkulunkulu ohlolayo inhliziyo zethu.

⁵ Kasizanga sisebenzise amazwi okulalisa ngolimi, njengoba lani lisazi; kasizanga futhi siwasebenzise ukufihla ubuhwaba ngawo, njengoba uNkulunkulu engufakazi.

⁶ Kasifunanga udumo ebantwini, oluvela kini ingabe kwabanye,

⁷ loba sasingaba lamandla okulufuna njengoba singabaphostoli bakaKristu. Kodwa saba mnene phakathi kwenu njengomdlezane esondla abantwana bakhe.

⁸ Njengoba besilithanda kangaka, safisa ukulinika kungesilo ivangeli likaNkulunkulu kuphela, kodwa lokusila kwethu uqobo, ngoba laselingabathandekayo kithi.

⁹ Liyakhumbula, bazalwane, ukusebenza lokutshikatshikeka kwethu, sisebenza ubusuku lemini, ukuze singabi ngumthwalo lakoyedwa wenu, lapho silitshumayeza ivangeli likaNkulunkulu.

¹⁰ Lina lingofakazi kanye loNkulunkulu, bokuthi sahlala kanjani phakathi kwenu lina elikholwayo ukuthi ukuhlala kwethu kwakungobungcwele, langokulunga, langokungasoleki,

¹¹ njengokuba lisazi ukuthi saliphatha ngamunye njengoyise ephatha abantwana bakhe;

¹² sililaya, silimisa isibindi, silitshela ukuba lihambe ngokufaneleyo phambi kukaNkulunkulu olibizela embusweni lebukhosini bakhe.

UPawuli ulandisa ngenhlupheko zabo

¹³ Ngalokho kasiyekeli ukumbonga uNkulunkulu, ukuthi kuthe lapho lilamukela ilizwi likaNkulunkulu elalizwa ngathi, kalilamukelanga njengelizwi labantu kuphela kodwa njengelizwi likaNkulunkulu, njengoba liyilo isibili lona elisebenzayo phakathi kwenu lina elikholwayo.

¹⁴ Ngoba lina, bazalwane, lafana lamabandla kaNkulunkulu akuKristu Jesu, wona aseJudiya; ngoba lani lahlutshwa ngabesizwe sakini njengalokhu lawo ahlutshwa ngabaJuda

¹⁵ ababulala leNkosi uJesu labaprofethi, basixotsha lathi. Kabamthokozisi uNkulunkulu, bamelana labantu bonke,

¹⁶ besivimbela ukutshumayeza abezizwe ukuba basiliswe. Bayakwenza lokhu ukuze bagcwalise ubunengi bezono zabo; kodwa ulaka lukaNkulunkulu selufinyelele phezu kwabo.

Uthando lukaPawuli kwabaseTesalonika

¹⁷ Kodwa thina, bazalwane, lokhu sahlukaniswe lani isikhatshana nje, singabonani ngamehlo kodwa sibonana ngenhliziyo, kung’khona sifisa kakhulu ukubonana lani siyalilangatha.

¹⁸ Ngakhoke besithanda ukufika kini, ikakhulu mina Pawuli, kodwa uSathane wasivimbela.

¹⁹ Ngoba liyini ithemba lethu, lokuthokoza, lomqhele wokuzincoma kwethu phambi kweNkosi yethu uJesu ekufikeni kwayo? Angithi yini na?

²⁰ Yini eliludumo lwethu lokuthokoza kwethu.