1 kwabaseKorinte 14:1-25

Jongani uthando, futhi nizondelele iziphiwo zomoya, ikakhulu ukuba niprofethe. Ngokuba okhuluma ngezilimi kakhulumi kubantu, kepha ukhuluma kuNkulunkulu; ngokuba kakho ozwayo, ukhuluma izimfihlakalo ngomoya. Kepha oprofethayo ukhuluma kubantu kube ngukwakha, nokududuza, nokuqunga isibindi. Okhuluma ngezilimi uyazakha yena, kepha oprofethayo wakha ibandla. Nokho bengithanda ukuba nikhulume ngezilimi nonke, kepha kakhulu ukuba niprofethe; mkhulu kodwa oprofethayo kunokhuluma ngezilimi, uma engahumushi, ukuze ibandla lakheke. Manje-ke, bazalwane, uma ngiza kini ngikhuluma ngezilimi, ngiyakunisiza ngani, uma ngingakhulumi kini noma ngokwambula, noma ngokwazi, noma ngokuprofetha, noma ngokufundisa na? Nezinto ezingenamphefumulo ezikhalayo, noma igenkle noma ihabhu*, uma zingakhali ngokwahlukeneyo, kuzakwaziwa kanjani okubethwa ngegenkle nangehabhu na? Ngokuba uma icilongo likhala ngezwi elingaqondakaliyo, ngubani oyakuzilungiselela ukulwa na? Kanjalo nani, uma ningakhiphi izwi elichachileyo ngolimi, kuzakwaziwa kanjani okukhulunywayo na? Ngokuba niyakube nikhuluma emoyeni. Kukhona izinhlobo noma zingahle zibe zingaki zokukhuluma ezweni, kepha alukho olungasho okuthile. Ngakho-ke uma ngingakwazi okuqondiwe ngokukhulunywayo ngiyakuba ngowezizwe nje kokhulumayo, nokhulumayo abe ngowezizwe kimi. Ngokunjalo nani, lokhu nishisekele iziphiwo zomoya, funani ukuba nibe nazo kakhulu, ukuze kwakheke ibandla. Ngakho-ke okhulumayo ngezilimi akhulekele ukuba akuhumushe. Ngokuba uma ngikhuleka ngezilimi, kukhuleka umoya wami, kepha ingqondo yami ayinasithelo. Kunjani pho? Ngizakukhuleka ngomoya, ngikhuleke nangengqondo futhi; ngizakuhuba ngomoya, ngihube nangengqondo futhi. Uma kungenjalo, nxa ubonga ngomoya, lowo osesikhundleni sabangafundile angasho kanjani ukuthi Amen ekubongeni kwakho na, lokhu engakwazi okushoyo? Ngokuba nempela ubonga kahle wena, kepha lowo omunye akakhiwa. Ngibonga uNkulunkulu ngokuba ngikhuluma ngezilimi kakhulu kunani nonke; kodwa ebandleni ngingathanda ukukhuluma amazwi ayisihlanu ngengqondo yami, ukuze ngifundise abanye, kunamazwi ayizinkulungwane eziyishumi ngezilimi. Bazalwane, ningabi ngabantwana ngengqondo, kanti ebubini nibe yizingane, kepha engqondweni nibe ngabakhulileyo. Emthethweni kulotshiwe ukuthi: “Ngabantu bezinye izilimi, nangezindebe zabezinye izizwe ngiyakukhuluma kulesi sizwe; kepha noma kunjalo abayikungizwa,” kusho iNkosi. Njalo-ke izilimi ziyisibonakaliso kwabangakholwayo, kungesikho kwabakholwayo; kepha ukuprofetha kuyisibonakaliso kwabakholwayo, kungesikho kwabangakholwayo. Ngakho-ke uma ibandla lonke libuthene ndawonye, bonke bakhulume ngezilimi, bese kungena abangafundile noma abangakholwayo, abazukuthi niyahlanya na? Kepha uma bonke beprofetha, kungene ongakholwayo noma ongafundile, uzakuhlatshwa yibo bonke, ahlulelwe yibo bonke; okufihliweyo kwenhliziyo yakhe kuyadalulwa; njalo uyakuwa ngobuso, akhuleke kuNkulunkulu, aqinise athi: “Impela uNkulunkulu ukhona phakathi kwenu.”