Incwadi kaPolycarp eya kwabaseFilipi ISAHLUKO 1 1 UPolycarp namalunga anaye kulo ibandla likaNkulunkulu eliseFilipi: makube kini umusa nokuthula okuvela kuNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke; neNkosi uJesu Kristu, uMsindisi wethu, yande. 2 Ngathokoza kakhulu kanye nani eNkosini yethu uJesu Kristu, ngokuba namukela izithombe zothando lweqiniso, nabaphelekezela nina ababoshiwe, naba ngabangcwele, njengokuba benifanele; okuyimiqhele yabakhethiweyo ngeqiniso nguNkulunkulu neNkosi yethu; 3 Njengoba futhi impande yokukholwa eyashunyayelwa kusukela ezikhathini zasendulo imi kinina kuze kube namuhla; futhi uthela isithelo eNkosini yethu uJesu Kristu, yena owahlupheka ukuba abulawe ngisho nasekufeni ngenxa yezono zethu. 4 uNkulunkulu amvusayo, esethukululile inhlungu zokufa, enikuthandayo lingambonanga; eningamboni kuye, nakuba ningamboni manje, nikholwa nokho nithokoza ngentokozo engakhulumekiyo negcwele inkazimulo. 5 abaningi abafisa ukungena kukho; nazi ukuthi ngomusa nisindisiwe; kungeyisikho ngemisebenzi, kodwa ngentando kaNkulunkulu ngoJesu Kristu. 6 Ngakho bophani izinkalo zengqondo yenu; khonzani iNkosi ngokwesaba nangeqiniso, nilahla konke okuyize, okuyize, nokuduka kwabaningi; nikholwa nguye owavusa iNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu kwabafileyo, wamnika inkazimulo nesihlalo sobukhosi ngakwesokunene sakhe. 7 Ezithotshisiwe kuye zonke izinto, ezisezulwini lezisemhlabeni; oyokhuleka kuye zonke izidalwa eziphilayo; oyakuza abe ngumahluleli wabaphilayo nabafileyo: abagazi labo uNkulunkulu uyakulibiza kwabakholwayo kuye. 8 Kodwa lowo owavusa uKristu kwabafileyo, uyosivusa nathi ngokufanayo, uma senza intando yakhe futhi sihamba ngokwemiyalo yakhe; nithande izinto azithandayo; 9 nidede kukho konke ukungalungi; ukuthanda imali ngokweqile; ekukhulumeni kabi; ufakazi wamanga; ningaphindisi okubi ngokubi, nokuthuka ngokuthuka, nokushaya ngokushaya, nokuqalekisa ngokuqalekisa. 10 Kodwa khumbulani lokho iNkosi eyasifundisa khona, ithi: Lingahluleli, njalo kaliyikwahlulelwa; thethelelani khona nizothethelelwa; yibani nobubele, nizohawukelwa; ngokuba ngesilinganiso enilinganisa ngaso nani niyakulinganiselwa ngaso. 11 Futhi phezu kwalokho, babusisiwe abampofu, nalabo abashushiswa ngenxa yokulunga; ngoba umbuso kaNkulunkulu ungowabo. ISAHLUKO 2 1 Lezizinto, bazalwane bami, angizange ngizithathele inkululeko mina ngokwami ukuthi nginilobele ngokulunga, kodwa lina ngokwenu langikhuthaza ngaphambili kukho. 2 Ngokuba nami, noma omunye onjengami, anginakukhuphukela ekuhlakanipheni kukaPawulu obusisiweyo nodumileyo, owathi yena ehlangene
nababephila ngaleso sikhathi, wafundisa izwi leqiniso ngawo wonke ubuqotho nangemfanelo yonke; esehambile kini walobela incwadi. 3 okuthi uma nibheka kukho, nikwazi ukuzakha ekukholweni olunikelwe kini; ongunina wethu sonke; silandelwa ngethemba, siholwa uthando olujwayelekile, kuNkulunkulu nakuKristu, nakumakhelwane wethu. 4 Ngokuba uma umuntu enalezo zinto, ugcwalisile umthetho wokulunga, ngokuba onothando ukude naso sonke isono. 5 Kodwa ukuthanda imali kuyimpande yakho konke okubi. Ngakho siyazi ukuthi njengalokhu singalethanga lutho emhlabeni, ngokunjalo kasiyikuphuma lalutho; asihlome izikhali zokulunga. 6 Futhi sizifundise thina kuqala ukuhamba ngokwemiyalelo yeNkosi; nabafazi benu bahambe ngokunjalo njengokukholwa abakunikiweyo; othandweni, nasekuhlanzekeni; bathande amadoda abo ngobuqotho bonke, nabanye ngokufanayo ngakho konke ukuzithiba; futhi bakhulise abantwana babo emlayweni langokwesaba iNkosi. 7 Kanjalo abafelokazi bafundisa ukuthi bahluzeke ekukholweni kweNkosi, bakhulekele bonke abantu njalo; bekude nakho konke ukuphazamisa, ukukhuluma kabi, ukufakaza amanga; ebuhwabeni nakubo bonke ububi. 8 sisazi ukuthi angama-altare kaNkulunkulu obona zonke izisihla, futhi akukho okusithekile kuye; ophenya yona kanye imicabango, nemicabango, nezimfihlo zenhliziyo yethu. 9 Ngakho sazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu akahlekwa, thina sifanele ukuhamba ngokufanele umyalo wakhe nodumo lwakhe. 10 namadiyakoni amelwe ukuba ngabangenacala phambi kwakhe njengezikhonzi zikaNkulunkulu kuKristu, hhayi abantu. Hhayi abamangaleli bamanga; hhayi ngezilimi ezimbili; hhayi abathandi bemali; kodwa ulinganisele ezintweni zonke; nobubele, ngokucophelela; behamba ngokweqiniso leNkosi eyayiyisikhonzi sabo bonke. 11 Othi, uma simthokozisa kuleli zwe lamanje, siyakubuye sibe abahlanganyeli balokho okuzayo, njengokusithembisa kwakhe ukuthi uyakusivusa kwabafileyo; nokuthi uma sihamba ngokufanele yena, siyakubusa kanye naye, uma sikholwa. 12 Ngokunjalo izinsizwa kufanele zibe-ngasoleki ezintweni zonke; phezu kwakho konke, banakekele ubumsulwa babo, bazibambe kukho konke okubi. Ngokuba kuhle ukuhlukaniswa nezinkanuko zezwe; ngokuba zonke izifiso ezinjalo zilwa nomoya; nalabo abenza izinto eziwubuwula nezingenangqondo. 13 Ngakho-ke kufanele nidede kuzo zonke lezi zinto, nizehlisele ngaphansi kwabapristi namadiyakoni, njengakuNkulunkulu noKristu. 14 Izintombi ziyala ukuthi zihambe ngonembeza ongenabala nomsulwa. 15 Futhi abadala mababe nobubele futhi babe nobubele kubo bonke; ebasusa eziphambekweni zabo; nifuna ababuthakathaka; ngingakhohlwa abafelokazi, nezintandane, nabampofu; kodwa njalo unika okuhle emehlweni kaNkulunkulu kanye labantu. 16 nidede kulo lonke ulaka, nokukhetha abantu, nokwahlulela okungalungile, ikakhulukazi ukukhululeka kukho konke ukuhaha.