Umthetho namkha ukukholwa
1Nina ndlhadlha zamaGalatiya! Niloywe ngubani na? Emehlwenenu besele kwazeka bona uJesu Krestu wabethelwa. 2Akhe nginibuze okukodwa nakhu: Namukele uMoya ngemisebenzi yomthetho namkha ngokuzwa ngokukholwa na? 3Kanti niziindlhayela kangaka na? Ngemva kobana nithome ngoMoya, senigcina ngenyama na? 4Nahlupheka kangaka ngelize na? Nakube mbala bekungelize! 5Kghani loyo oninikela uMoya abe enze imikarisomraro phakathi kwenu ukwenza lokho ngemisebenzi yomthetho namkha ngokuzwa ukukholwa na? 6Yeke u-Abrahamu “wakholwa uZimu, kwabalelwa kuye bona kukulunga”. 7Yazini-ke bona labo abakholwako babantwana baka-Abrahamu. 8Yeke umtlolo, ngokubona bona uZimu uzakulungisisa abatjhili ngokukholwa, watjhumayela ivangeli ku-Abrahamu ngaphambilini, wathi: “Zoke izizwe zizakubusiswa kuwe.” 9Ngalokho-ke labo abanokukholwa babusiswa kanye no-Abrahamu, indoda yokukholwa.
10Boke abathembela ekuthobeleni umthetho banikelelwe ngombana umtlolo uthi: “Bathuwelelisiwe boke abangakhambi ngokuya ngalokho okutlolwe encwadini yomthetho.” 11Kuyakhanya bona akakho olungisiswa ngomthetho phambi koZimu ngombana, “Olungileko uzakuphila ngokukholwa”. 12Umthetho awukanzinzi ekukholweni, kunalokho, “Loyo owenza koke lokho uzakuphila ngakho.”
13UKrestu wasihlenga esithuwelelisweni somthetho ngokobana yena abe sithuweleliso esikhundleni sethu ngombana umtlolo uthi: “Umuntu ohlonywe esigodweni uthuweleliswe nguZimu”, 14ukuze kuthi ngoKrestu Jesu isibusiso saka-Abrahamu sehlele phezu kwabatjhili, khona sizakwamukela isithembiso sakaMoya ngokukholwa.
Umthetho kanye nesithembiso
15Bazalwana, akhe ngikhulume okujayelekileko ebantwini: Njengombana kungekho umuntu ongachitha namkha angezelele amezwi welifa nasele litloliwe, kunjalo-ke nangalokhu. 16Nje-ke iinthembiso zenziwa ku-Abrahamu nesizukulwaneni sakhe. Umtlolo awuthi, “neenzukulwaneni” okutjho abantu abanengi, kodwana uthi, “nesizukulwaneni”, okutjho umuntu munye onguKrestu. 17Engikutjhoko ngilokhu: Umthetho owafakwa eminyakeni emakhulu amane namatjhumi amathathu ngemva kwalokho, awusisusi isivumelwano esenziwa nguZimu phambilini bese ngalokho ususe isithembiso. 18Yeke nakube ilifa liya ngomthetho, khona-ke alisayi ngesithembiso; kodwana uZimu ngomusa wakhe walinikela u-Abrahamu ngesithembiso.
19Alo, bewuyini-ke umnqopho womthetho na? Wengezwa ngebanga lamacala kufikela lapha kuza khona isizukulwana esenzelwa isithembiso. Umthetho wafakwa ziingilozi ngesandla somlamuli. 20Yeke umlamuli akasingewomuntu oyedwa, kodwana uZimu munye.
Umnqopho womthetho
21Alo-ke, umthetho ujamelene neenthembiso zakaZimu na? Awa, nakanye! Nakube umthetho bewunikelwe bona uphe ipilo, khona-ke ukulunga bekuzakuza ngomthetho. 22Kodwana umtlolo uthi iphaseli loke nje lisibotjhwa sesono ukuze kuthi okwathenjiswa ngokukholwa kuJesu Krestu, kunikelwe labo abakholwako.
23Ngaphambi kobana ukukholwa kufike, umthetho bewusibambile usenze iimbotjhwa, wasivalela bekwaba kulapha kutjhatjhululwa khona ukukholwa. 24Yeke umthetho ngiwo owabekwa bona usidosele kuKrestu ukuze silungisiswe ngokukholwa. 25Njengombana kwanjesi ukukholwa sekufikile, umthetho akusesengiwo osinqophisako.
26Noke nibantwana bakaZimu ngokukholwa kuKrestu Jesu 27ngombana noke nina enabhabhadiselwa kuKrestu nembethe uKrestu. 28AkunamJuda, akunamGrigi, ikhoboka namkha otjhaphulukileko, omduna namkha omsikazi ngombana nimunye noke kuKrestu Jesu. 29Nakube ningebakaKrestu, khona-ke niziinzukulwana zaka-Abrahamu, neendlalifa ngokwesithembiso.
