1 KwabaseKhorinte 1:18-31

Ngokuba izwi lesiphambano lingubuwula kwababhubhayo, kodwa kithina esisindiswayo lingamandla kaNkulunkulu. Phela kulotshiwe ukuthi: “Ngiyakuqeda nya ukuhlakanipha kwabahlakaniphileyo, ngikwenze ize ukuqonda kwabanokuqonda.” Siphelelephi isazi na? Sikuphi isazimthetho na? Uphi oqophisana ngamazwi wakulesi sikhathi na? UNkulunkulu akakwenzanga yini kwaba wubuwula ukuhlakanipha kwakuleli lizwe na? Ngokuba njengalokhu ngokuhlakanipha kukaNkulunkulu izwe lingazange limazi uNkulunkulu ngokuhlakanipha kwalo, lokho kwaba kuhle kuNkulunkulu ukusindisa abakholwayo ngobuwula bentshumayelo. Ngokuba abaJuda bafuna izibonakaliso, kuthi amaGriki afune ukuhlakanipha. Kodwa thina sishumayela uKhristu obethelwe esiphambanweni, isikhubekiso kubaJuda nobuwula kwabezizwe. Kepha kulabo ababiziweyo, abaJuda namaGriki sishumayela uKhristu, ongamandla kaNkulunkulu nokuhlakanipha kukaNkulunkulu. Ngokuba ubuwula bukaNkulunkulu buhlakaniphile kunobabantu, nobuthakathaka bukaNkulunkulu bunamandla kunobabantu. Ngokuba bazalwane, khumbulani ukubizwa kwenu ukuthi kababaningi abahlakaniphileyo ngokwenyama, kababaningi abanamandla, futhi kababaningi abayizikhulu. Kodwa izinto zobuwula zezwe, uNkulunkulu uzikhethile ukuba abajabhise ngazo abahlakaniphileyo. Kanjalo nezinto ezibuthakathaka zezwe, uNkulunkulu uzikhethile ukuba azijivaze ezinamandla. Izinto zezwe ezibukelwa phansi, izinto ezidelelwayo, nezinto ezingekho, uNkulunkulu wazikhetha, ukuba achithe ngazo ezikhona, ukuze kungabi bikho muntu ozigabisayo phambi kukaNkulunkulu. Kepha ngoNkulunkulu, nikuJesu Khristu owenzelwe thina, waba ngukuhlakanipha kwethu okuvela kuNkulunkulu nokulunga, nokungcweliswa kanye nokuhlengwa, ukuba kube njengalokhu kulotshiwe ukuthi