1 kwabaseKorinte 15:35-58

Kepha omunye uyakuthi: “Abafileyo bavuswa kanjani na? Beza benamzimba muni na?” Wena ongaqondiyo, lokho okuhlwanyelayo wena akutholi ukuphila kungafanga; futhi lokho okuhlwanyelayo awuhlwanyeli umzimba ozakuba khona kepha uhlamvu oluze, noma kungaba ngolukakolweni, noma kungaba ngolokunye; kepha uNkulunkulu ulunika umzimba njengokuthanda kwakhe, yileyo naleyo mbewu owayo umzimba. Inyama yonke ayinhlobonye, kepha enye ngeyabantu, enye yinyama yezilwane, enye yinyama yezinyoni, enye ngeyezinhlanzi. Ikhona nemizimba yasezulwini nemizimba yasemhlabeni; kepha inkazimulo yeyasezulwini iyodwa, neyasemhlabeni iyodwa. Iyodwa inkazimulo yelanga, iyodwa inkazimulo yenyanga, iyodwa inkazimulo yezinkanyezi; yebo, enye inkanyezi yahlukile kwenye inkanyezi ngokukhazimula. Kunjalo nokuvuka kwabafileyo. Kuhlwanyelwa kunokubola, kuvuswa kungenakubola; kuhlwanyelwa kunokudelwa, kuvuswa kunenkazimulo; kuhlwanyelwa kunobuthakathaka, kuvuswa kunamandla. Kuhlwanyelwa kungumzimba wemvelo, kuvuswa kungumzimba womoya. Uma ukhona umzimba wemvelo, ukhona nowomoya. Kanjalo futhi kulotshiwe ukuthi umuntu wokuqala u-Adamu waba ngumphefumulo ophilayo; u-Adamu wokugcina waba ngumoya ophilisayo. Kepha okokuqala akusikho okomoya kodwa okwemvelo; bese kuba ngokomoya. Umuntu wokuqala wavela emhlabeni, engowenhlabathi; umuntu wesibili uvela ezulwini. Njengokuba enjalo owayengowenhlabathi, banjalo nalabo abangabenhlabathi; nanjengokuba enjalo ongowasezulwini, banjalo nabo abangabasezulwini. Futhi njengokuba besinesimo songowenhlabathi, siyakuba nesimo songowasezulwini futhi. Kepha ngisho lokhu, bazalwane, ukuthi inyama negazi akunakulidla ifa elingumbuso kaNkulunkulu; nokubola akulidli ifa elingukungaboli. Bhekani, ngiyanitshela imfihlakalo; asiyikulala sonke, kepha siyakuguqulwa sonke, ngesikhashanyana, ngokuphazima kweso, ngecilongo lokugcina; ngokuba icilongo liyakukhala, abafileyo bavuswe bengenakubola, thina siguqulwe. Ngokuba lokhu okubolayo kumelwe ukwembatha ukungaboli, nalokhu okufayo kumelwe ukwembatha ukungafi. Kepha nxa lokhu okubolayo sekwembethe ukungaboli, nalokhu okufayo sekwembethe ukungafi, kuzakugcwaliseka izwi elilotshiweyo lokuthi: “Ukufa kugingiwe kwaba ngukunqoba.” “Kufa, kuphi ukunqoba kwakho na? Kufa, luphi udosi lwakho na?” Udosi lokufa yisono; amandla esono ngumthetho. Kepha makabongwe uNkulunkulu osinika ukunqoba ngeNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu. Ngakho-ke, bazalwane bami abathandekayo, yibani ngabagxilile, abangaxegiyo, abavame njalo emsebenzini weNkosi, nazi ukuthi ukusebenza kwenu akusilo ize eNkosini.