07 Semantic Analysis — Ephesians (Full Book) for Arabic Destination Language

Methodology and Scope

This analysis extends the baseline Romans Language Package (translation_memory.json, bible_term_registry.json, doctrine_risk_registry.json) to the Ephesians curriculum. Where a term already carries an established Arabic rendering from the baseline, that rendering is reused exactly, without modification, per the hard constraint governing this pipeline. New terms introduced by Ephesians are analyzed fresh, using the same field structure, and are proposed for addition to translation memory in 08_core_glossary.md.

Every term entry below records:

• Original word (Koine Greek, with transliteration)
• Literal meaning
• Semantic range
• English variants found across major English versions
• Contextual theological meaning in Ephesians specifically
• Destination-language rendering and risk (Arabic, risk tier, and grounded reason where Critical/High)

The core passage, Ephesians 2:1–10, receives full verse-by-verse treatment. Every other chapter of Ephesians (1, 2:11–22, 3, 4, 5, 6) receives chapter-level treatment of its load-bearing theological vocabulary. No chapter is silently skipped.

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PART 1 — CORE PASSAGE: Ephesians 2:1–10 (Verse-by-Verse)

Ephesians 2:1

Greek: Καὶ ὑμᾶς ὄντας νεκροὺς τοῖς παραπτώμασιν καὶ ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ὑμῶν,

• dead — νεκρός (nekros)

  • Literal meaning: without life; corpse-like.
  • Semantic range: physically dead; spiritually/morally dead (unresponsive to God); figuratively dead to something (Rom 6:2 “dead to sin”).
  • English variants: dead, lifeless.
  • Contextual theological meaning: total spiritual incapacity apart from Christ — not sick or weakened, but dead, unable to originate its own rescue. Foundational to the “Salvation by Grace through Faith” doctrine’s logic: a dead person cannot contribute to their own resurrection.
  • Arabic rendering: أموات (amwāt), from root م-و-ت. Risk: High. This directly confronts Islamic fitrah doctrine (each soul born spiritually pure/neutral, not spiritually dead) — see baseline “sin” entry. Must be taught deliberately, not assumed as shared ground.

• trespasses — παράπτωμα (paraptōma)

  • Literal meaning: a false step, a fall beside the path.
  • Semantic range: a lapse, transgression, deviation from a standard; distinct from ἁμαρτία’s “missing the mark” but functionally overlapping.
  • English variants: trespasses, transgressions, offenses, wrongdoings.
  • Contextual theological meaning: specific acts of moral failure, paired with “sins” (ἁμαρτίαις) to give a comprehensive picture of the sinner’s condition — both the state (sin) and the acts (trespasses).
  • Arabic rendering: الزلات/التعديات (al-zallāt / al-ta’addiyāt) — new term, not previously in translation memory. Risk: Medium. Distinct from الخطية (baseline “sin”) but should be paired with it, not substituted for it, so as not to lose the state/act distinction Paul is making.

• sins — ἁμαρτία (hamartia) — baseline term.

  • Arabic rendering: الخطية (al-khaṭīyah), reused exactly from baseline. Risk: High (per baseline). Notes: see baseline entry — Islamic fitrah doctrine denies inherited sinfulness; this verse’s “dead in sins” plural intensifies that same collision.

Ephesians 2:2

Greek: ἐν αἷς ποτὲ περιεπατήσατε κατὰ τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, κατὰ τὸν ἄρχοντα τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ ἀέρος, τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ νῦν ἐνεργοῦντος ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς τῆς ἀπειθείας·

• walked — περιπατέω (peripateō)

  • Literal meaning: to walk around, to go about.
  • Semantic range: literal walking; figuratively, one’s habitual conduct/lifestyle.
  • English variants: walked, lived, conducted yourselves, followed a course.
  • Contextual theological meaning: the governing metaphor of Ephesians for lived pattern of life (recurs 4:1, 4:17, 5:2, 5:8, 5:15); here describing the former, unregenerate pattern.
  • Arabic rendering: سلكتم (salaktum), from root س-ل-ك — new term for translation memory (the verb “to walk/conduct oneself” as a spiritual-ethical metaphor). Risk: Medium. Standard idiom in Arabic Christian usage (as-sulūk, conduct); low collision risk, but must be used consistently across all six occurrences in Ephesians to preserve the “walk” motif that structures the whole letter.

• the age of this world / course of this world — αἰών (aiōn)

  • Literal meaning: an age, a long duration of time.
  • Semantic range: an era; the present fallen order of existence as opposed to the age to come.
  • English variants: age, course, ways, system.
  • Contextual theological meaning: the present world-order in rebellion against God, distinct from the age to come inaugurated in Christ.
  • Arabic rendering: دهر هذا العالم (dahr hādhā al-‘ālam). Risk: Low. Standard theological vocabulary; low collision.

• ruler of the power of the air — ἄρχων τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ ἀέρος (archōn tēs exousias tou aeros)

  • Literal meaning: the ruling authority of the atmosphere/air.
  • Semantic range: a title for Satan as a real, personal spiritual ruler with delegated but limited authority over the present fallen order.
  • English variants: prince of the power of the air, ruler of the kingdom of the air.
  • Contextual theological meaning: identifies the source behind humanity’s former, dead condition — not an impersonal force but a personal spiritual adversary.
  • Arabic rendering: رئيس سلطان الهواء (ra’īs sulṭān al-hawā’). Risk: High. This is the first appearance of the spiritual-warfare vocabulary developed fully in chapter 6 (see below); must be distinguished from folk-Islamic jinn cosmology, which is diffuse and largely amoral/impersonal in popular usage, whereas this names one specific, defeated, personal enemy under Christ’s ultimate authority (1:20-22).

• sons of disobedience — υἱοὶ τῆς ἀπειθείας (huioi tēs apeitheias)

  • Literal meaning: sons characterized by disobedience.
  • Semantic range: a Hebraic idiom denoting people whose defining quality is a given trait (cf. “sons of light,” 5:8).
  • English variants: sons of disobedience, disobedient people, those who disobey.
  • Contextual theological meaning: describes humanity’s former identity, prior to the new identity conferred in Christ (contrast 5:8 “children of light”).
  • Arabic rendering: أبناء المعصية (abnā’ al-ma’ṣiyah). Risk: Medium. Note: al-ma’ṣiyah (disobedience/sin against divine command) is standard Islamic vocabulary too; the term itself is safe, but the underlying claim — that this is an inherited identity, not merely occasional acts — carries the same fitrah-collision risk as “sin” above.

Ephesians 2:3

Greek: ἐν οἷς καὶ ἡμεῖς πάντες ἀνεστράφημέν ποτε ἐν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις τῆς σαρκὸς ἡμῶν, ποιοῦντες τὰ θελήματα τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ τῶν διανοιῶν, καὶ ἤμεθα τέκνα φύσει ὀργῆς ὡς καὶ οἱ λοιποί·

• desires of the flesh — ἐπιθυμία τῆς σαρκός (epithymia tēs sarkos)

  • Literal meaning: strong desire/craving of the flesh.
  • Semantic range: neutral “desire” or negative “lust/craving” depending on context; here consistently negative.
  • English variants: lusts, desires, cravings, passions.
  • Contextual theological meaning: the internal appetites driving humanity’s former rebellious conduct.
  • Arabic rendering: شهوات الجسد (shahawāt al-jasad). Risk: Medium. Standard Christian Arabic vocabulary; shahwah also appears in Islamic ethical vocabulary with comparable negative connotation when unregulated — broadly compatible concept, low independent collision beyond the general flesh/body theology below.

• flesh — σάρξ (sarx)

  • Literal meaning: physical body tissue.
  • Semantic range: the physical body (neutral); human nature in its fallen, sin-prone condition (Pauline technical sense); mere human descent (as in Rom 1:3 “according to the flesh”).
  • English variants: flesh, sinful nature, body.
  • Contextual theological meaning: here in the negative, technical Pauline sense — human nature apart from the Spirit, prone to sin.
  • Arabic rendering: الجسد (al-jasad). Risk: Medium. Reused consistently across the book; context must disambiguate the neutral “physical body” sense (used positively elsewhere, e.g. “body of Christ”) from this negative, fallen-nature sense.

• children of wrath by nature — τέκνα φύσει ὀργῆς (tekna physei orgēs)

  • Literal meaning: children, by nature, of wrath.
  • Semantic range: an inherited condition/identity (physei, “by nature/by birth”) under God’s righteous judgment.
  • English variants: children of wrath by nature, by nature deserving of wrath, objects of wrath.
  • Contextual theological meaning: humanity’s inherited, pre-conversion condition under divine judgment — the strongest single statement in the passage of universal, inherited human guilt.
  • Arabic rendering: أبناء الغضب بالطبيعة (abnā’ al-ghaḍab bi-l-ṭabī’ah). Risk: Critical. This is the sharpest possible collision with the Islamic fitrah doctrine that each soul is born in a state of innate purity and neutrality before God, and bears no inherited guilt from Adam (cf. baseline “sin” entry, and doctrine “universal_human_accountability”). “By nature” (φύσει/بالطبيعة) must not be softened to “by their own choices,” which would erase Paul’s specific point.

• wrath — ὀργή (orgē)

  • Literal meaning: settled anger.
  • Semantic range: God’s righteous, judicial anger against sin (not impulsive rage).
  • English variants: wrath, anger, God’s judgment.
  • Contextual theological meaning: the just verdict from which grace rescues (2:4-5 immediately follow); sets up the grace/wrath contrast central to the passage.
  • Arabic rendering: الغضب (al-ghaḍab). Risk: Medium. Standard vocabulary; context must keep this as God’s righteous judicial response, not capricious anger.

Ephesians 2:4

Greek: ὁ δὲ Θεὸς πλούσιος ὢν ἐν ἐλέει, διὰ τὴν πολλὴν ἀγάπην αὐτοῦ ἣν ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς

• rich in mercy — πλούσιος ἐν ἐλέει (plousios en eleei)

  • Literal meaning: wealthy/abundant in mercy.
  • Semantic range: πλούσιος = abundant, overflowing; ἔλεος = mercy, compassion shown to those in need/distress.
  • English variants: rich in mercy, abounding in mercy, full of mercy.
  • Contextual theological meaning: God’s initiative, not human merit, is the turning point of the passage — the pivot from wrath (v.3) to life (v.5).
  • Arabic rendering: غنيّ في الرحمة (ghaniyy fī al-raḥmah). Risk: Medium. الرحمة (mercy) is one of Allah’s 99 names (al-Raḥmān, al-Raḥīm) — broadly shared, positively-loaded vocabulary. Care is needed only in that Islamic raḥmah is typically presented as responsive to repentance/deeds, whereas here it precedes and initiates rescue of those still dead in sin (v.1-3) — pair with النعمة (grace) in v.5,8 to keep the unmerited character clear.

• love — ἀγάπη (agapē)

  • Literal meaning: love, specifically committed, self-giving love (as distinct from erotic or merely familial love).
  • Semantic range: God’s covenantal, self-giving love; also human love for God/neighbor/spouse elsewhere in Ephesians (5:2, 5:25, 5:28).
  • English variants: love, great love.
  • Contextual theological meaning: the motive behind God’s rescue of the spiritually dead; not deserved, not provoked by anything praiseworthy in its object.
  • Arabic rendering: المحبة (al-maḥabbah) — new term for translation memory. Risk: Medium. Broadly shared vocabulary (maḥabbah is standard in both Christian and Islamic devotional Arabic), but context must reinforce the specifically self-giving, covenantal ἀγάπη sense over a generic affectionate or romantic register in everyday usage.

Ephesians 2:5

Greek: καὶ ὄντας ἡμᾶς νεκροὺς τοῖς παραπτώμασιν συνεζωοποίησεν τῷ Χριστῷ — χάριτί ἐστε σεσωσμένοι —

• made alive together with — συζωοποιέω (syzōopoieō)

  • Literal meaning: to make alive together/jointly.
  • Semantic range: a rare compound verb (also in Col 2:13) denoting union with Christ in his own life-giving resurrection — believers are not merely revived individually but jointly raised with Christ.
  • English variants: made alive together with, quickened together with, given life together with.
  • Contextual theological meaning: reverses the death of v.1 — this is resurrection life, granted while the person was still spiritually dead, entirely of God’s action.
  • Arabic rendering: أحيانا معه (aḥyānā ma’ahu, “made us alive with him”) — new compound for translation memory. Risk: High. Must retain the “together with Christ” union sense (not a generic personal revival) and must presuppose the historical resurrection of Christ, which mainstream Islamic doctrine denies had an event (crucifixion) to be raised from — same apologetic scaffolding required as baseline’s “resurrection” entry.

• grace — χάρις (charis) — baseline term.

  • Arabic rendering: النعمة (al-ni’mah), reused exactly. Risk: High (per baseline).

• saved — σῴζω (sōzō) — baseline term (noun form الخلاص).

  • Arabic rendering: verb form مُخلَّصون / أنتم مُخلَّصون (mukhalaṣūn), from the same root as الخلاص. Risk: Critical (per baseline “salvation” entry). This is the passage’s first occurrence of the salvation-by-grace declaration (repeated in v.8) — the perfect tense (ἐστε σεσωσμένοι, “have been and remain saved”) must be rendered so as to preserve a completed, once-for-all act with abiding present result, directly contradicting the deeds-weighing, outcome-pending framework of mainstream Islamic soteriology (see baseline notes).

Ephesians 2:6

Greek: καὶ συνήγειρεν καὶ συνεκάθισεν ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ,

• raised up together — συνεγείρω (synegeirō)

  • Literal meaning: to raise up jointly/together.
  • Semantic range: union with Christ’s own resurrection, applied now to the believer’s spiritual position.
  • English variants: raised us up with him, raised together.
  • Contextual theological meaning: believers’ new standing is directly tied to Christ’s own resurrection — see notes on القيامة (resurrection) above.
  • Arabic rendering: أقامنا معه (aqāmanā ma’ahu). Risk: Critical. Same apologetic dependency as v.5’s “made alive together” — requires the historical crucifixion/resurrection to be established as real events, not merely correct vocabulary.

• seated together in the heavenly places — συγκαθίζω ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις (synkathizō en tois epouraniois)

  • Literal meaning: to sit down together/jointly; in heavenly realms.
  • Semantic range: a position of honor, rest, and authority shared with the enthroned Christ (cf. 1:20-21).
  • English variants: seated us with him in the heavenly realms/places.
  • Contextual theological meaning: believers’ present, already-secured heavenly status “in Christ,” not merely a future hope — grounds the doctrine of assurance.
  • Arabic rendering: أجلسنا معه في السماويات (ajlasanā ma’ahu fī al-samāwiyyāt). Risk: High. Present-tense heavenly co-enthronement with Christ is a striking claim of shared status that must not be softened into a vague future hope; connects to the baseline “assurance_of_salvation” doctrine’s caution against hedging into Judgment-Day-pending framing.

Ephesians 2:7

Greek: ἵνα ἐνδείξηται ἐν τοῖς αἰῶσιν τοῖς ἐπερχομένοις τὸ ὑπερβάλλον πλοῦτος τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ ἐν χρηστότητι ἐφ᾿ ἡμᾶς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ.

• surpassing riches of his grace — τὸ ὑπερβάλλον πλοῦτος τῆς χάριτος (to hyperballon ploutos tēs charitos)

  • Literal meaning: the exceeding/surpassing wealth of grace.
  • Semantic range: ὑπερβάλλον = going beyond, surpassing; πλοῦτος = wealth, abundance.
  • English variants: incomparable riches of grace, surpassing riches, immeasurable riches.
  • Contextual theological meaning: the purpose (ἵνα) of the rescue in v.4-6 is God’s own eternal display of grace’s magnitude — grace is not incidental but the point of the whole redemptive act.
  • Arabic rendering: غنى نعمته الفائق (ghinā ni’matihi al-fā’iq). Risk: High. Must reuse النعمة exactly and reinforce (per baseline note) that this abundance is unearned, not a reward responsive to obedience.

• kindness — χρηστότης (chrēstotēs)

  • Literal meaning: goodness, kindness, benevolence.
  • Semantic range: moral goodness expressed practically toward others.
  • English variants: kindness, goodness.
  • Contextual theological meaning: the manner in which grace was shown — God’s kindness is not abstract but personally directed “toward us.”
  • Arabic rendering: لطفه (luṭfuhu). Risk: Low. Standard vocabulary, minimal collision.

Ephesians 2:8

Greek: Τῇ γὰρ χάριτί ἐστε σεσωσμένοι διὰ τῆς πίστεως· καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν, θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον·

• grace — χάρις and saved — σῴζω — baseline terms, reused (النعمة, مُخلَّصون). This is the passage’s programmatic restatement of v.5, now adding the means (faith) and the source (gift, not self).

• faith — πίστις (pistis) — baseline term.

  • Arabic rendering: الإيمان (al-īmān), reused exactly. Risk: High (per baseline). Note: this is one of the single most doctrinally load-bearing occurrences of πίστις in the NT for the “Salvation by Grace through Faith” curriculum doctrine — must be reinforced in context notes as personal trust in Christ’s finished work, the channel through which grace is received, not itself a meritorious act or a form of creedal assent that earns standing.

• gift — δῶρον (dōron)

  • Literal meaning: a gift, a present.
  • Semantic range: something given freely, without payment or earning.
  • English variants: gift, present.
  • Contextual theological meaning: salvation itself — including the faith by which it is received — originates entirely outside the recipient; the grammatical antecedent of “this” (τοῦτο) is debated among commentators but the theological point (nothing here is self-generated) is unambiguous in context.
  • Arabic rendering: عطية (aṭiyyah / hibah). Risk: Critical. This word is the linchpin of the entire “not of yourselves” clause; it must not be rendered with any term implying reciprocity, reward, or earned status — reinforces the same doctrinal boundary as baseline’s “imputed_righteousness” (البر المحسوب) caution against “earned” language.

Ephesians 2:9

Greek: οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων, ἵνα μή τις καυχήσηται.

• works — ἔργον (ergon)

  • Literal meaning: a deed, an action, a work performed.
  • Semantic range: neutral “deed/action”; in Pauline soteriological argument, specifically meritorious deeds offered as the basis for right standing before God.
  • English variants: works, deeds, human effort.
  • Contextual theological meaning: explicitly excluded as the basis of salvation — the direct negative counterpart to v.8’s grace/faith.
  • Arabic rendering: أعمال (a’māl). Risk: Critical. This is the single sharpest collision point in the entire curriculum with mainstream Islamic soteriology, in which a’māl (deeds) are literally weighed on the mīzān (scale) to determine a soul’s fate at Judgment. The Arabic word is unavoidable and correct, but the note must state without ambiguity: Ephesians 2:9 is a direct negation of deeds-based salvation as such, not merely a caution against excessive self-reliance. See also baseline “righteousness” and “imputed_righteousness” cautions.

• boast — καυχάομαι (kauchaomai)

  • Literal meaning: to boast, to take pride in, to glory in.
  • Semantic range: can be positive (boasting in the Lord, e.g. 1 Cor 1:31) or negative (self-congratulatory pride); here negative.
  • English variants: boast, take credit, be proud.
  • Contextual theological meaning: the purpose clause explaining why salvation excludes works — so that no one can claim credit that belongs to God alone.
  • Arabic rendering: يتفاخر / يفتخر (yatafākhar / yaftakhir). Risk: Medium. Standard vocabulary; low independent collision risk beyond reinforcing the works-exclusion point above.

Ephesians 2:10

Greek: αὐτοῦ γάρ ἐσμεν ποίημα, κτισθέντες ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἐπὶ ἔργοις ἀγαθοῖς οἷς προητοίμασεν ὁ θεὸς ἵνα ἐν αὐτοῖς περιπατήσωμεν.

• workmanship — ποίημα (poiēma)

  • Literal meaning: a thing made, a work of craftsmanship (root of English “poem”).
  • Semantic range: a crafted product, an accomplished creative work; used elsewhere in the NT only at Romans 1:20 (“what has been made”).
  • English variants: workmanship, handiwork, masterpiece, creation.
  • Contextual theological meaning: reverses v.9’s exclusion of human ἔργα (works) by identifying believers themselves as God’s ἔργον — the crafted product, not the craftsman; grounds good works in identity, not the reverse.
  • Arabic rendering: صنيعته (ṣanī’atuhu, “his handiwork/craftsmanship”). Risk: Medium — new term for translation memory. Must not be confused with the immediately following “good works,” which are the fruit of being God’s ṣanī’ah, not its cause; the wordplay between v.9’s ἔργων (works, excluded as basis) and v.10’s ἔργοις ἀγαθοῖς (good works, included as purpose) must survive translation.

• created — κτίζω (ktizō)

  • Literal meaning: to create, to bring into being.
  • Semantic range: divine creative activity, both original creation (Gen 1) and new-creation re-formation in Christ (2 Cor 5:17).
  • English variants: created, made.
  • Contextual theological meaning: new-creation language — believers are not self-improved but newly made “in Christ Jesus,” tying directly to the “Walking in Newness of Life” doctrine’s old-man/new-man contrast in 4:22-24.
  • Arabic rendering: مخلوقون (makhlūqūn). Risk: Medium. Standard theological vocabulary; care that it reads as re-creation/new-creation in Christ, not the general creation of humanity already covered by Genesis.

• good works — ἔργα ἀγαθά (erga agatha)

  • Literal meaning: good deeds/works.
  • Semantic range: virtuous, beneficial actions.
  • English variants: good works, good deeds.
  • Contextual theological meaning: the intended outworking of salvation, “prepared beforehand” by God — works are the fruit, never the root, of salvation. This is the doctrinal hinge distinguishing Ephesians 2:8-10 from any works-based soteriology.
  • Arabic rendering: أعمال صالحة (a’māl ṣāliḥah). Risk: Critical. Al-birr in Quran 2:177 defines righteousness precisely as a checklist of such good deeds (charity, prayer, honesty) achieving standing before God — the identical vocabulary here must be actively taught as sequentially and causally downstream of grace-given salvation (v.8-9), never its precondition. This verse is the fulcrum of the entire “Salvation by Grace through Faith” doctrine’s defense against a deeds-based misreading.

• prepared beforehand — προετοιμάζω (proetoimazō)

  • Literal meaning: to prepare in advance.
  • Semantic range: God’s prior, sovereign planning of the believer’s good works.
  • English variants: prepared beforehand, planned in advance, predestined (loosely).
  • Contextual theological meaning: connects to the “Election and Predestination in Christ” doctrine developed fully in chapter 1 — God’s sovereign initiative extends not only to salvation itself but to its subsequent fruit.
  • Arabic rendering: سبق فأعدّها (sabaqa fa-a’addahā). Risk: High. Shares the same qadar-collision risk profile as baseline “election” and the new “predestined” term below (Ch.1) — must convey specific, purposeful divine planning for the believer’s good works, not generic impersonal fatalism.

• walk — περιπατέω (peripateō) — see 2:2 above; reused. Risk: Medium. Closes the passage’s inclusio: humanity “walked” (v.2) in death and disobedience; believers now “walk” (v.10) in the good works God prepared — the same verb frames the before/after transformation central to the whole letter.

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PART 2 — CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER STUDY OF THE WHOLE BOOK

Chapter 1 (Ephesians 1:1–23)

Term	Greek (Translit.)	Literal / Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Arabic Rendering	Risk	Notes
apostle	ἀπόστολος (apostolos)	one sent with delegated authority	apostle	Paul’s office, foundation of authority for the letter	الرسول (baseline, reused)	High	See baseline apostleship note re: Muhammad’s Rasul Allah title.
saints	ἅγιοι (hagioi)	set-apart ones	saints, holy ones	corporate identity of all believers at Ephesus	القديسون (baseline, reused)	High (per doctrine registry)	Avoid أولياء (Sufi venerated-saint class).
grace / peace	χάρις / εἰρήνη	unmerited favor / relational wholeness	grace, peace	opening greeting, programmatic for the letter	النعمة / السلام (baseline, reused)	High / Medium	—
blessed / blessing	εὐλογητός / εὐλογία (eulogētos / eulogia)	well-spoken-of; a spoken favor bestowed	blessed, blessing	God as source of “every spiritual blessing” (1:3)	مبارك / بركة (mubārak / barakah) — new term	High	Barakah is a major folk-Islamic concept: a semi-tangible spiritual power transmitted via saints, relics, or Qur’an recitation. Ephesians 1:3’s blessing is the totality of gospel benefits given once, in Christ — not a transferable substance obtainable through devotional practice or contact with holy persons/objects. Must be taught distinctly.
chose / election	ἐκλέγομαι (eklegomai)	to select out	chose, elected	God’s choice of believers “before the foundation of the world” (1:4)	اختيار الله (baseline, reused)	High	Per baseline: must not collapse into folk qadar.
predestined	προορίζω (proorizō)	to mark out/determine beforehand	predestined, foreordained, planned in advance	God’s prior determination of believers’ adoption (1:5) and inheritance (1:11)	التعيين السابق / سبق فعيّن — new term	Critical	This is a sharper, more explicit claim than baseline’s general “election” entry: Ephesians states God determined this “before the foundation of the world,” closely paralleling the Islamic doctrine of al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẕ (the Preserved Tablet) on which all fates are pre-written, and qadar as one of Islam’s six articles of faith. Must be taught as God’s specific, gracious, Christ-centered redemptive purpose for those united to Christ — not exhaustive impersonal determinism over all events indiscriminately.
adoption as sons	υἱοθεσία (huiothesia)	placement as a son with full rights	adoption	believers’ status secured by God’s predestining choice (1:5)	التبني (baseline, reused)	Critical	Reinforces baseline note: Qur’an 33:4-5 denies adopted sons true filial/inheritance status.
redemption	ἀπολύτρωσις (apolytrōsis)	release secured by a ransom price	redemption	secured “through his blood” (1:7)	الفداء (al-fidā’) — new term	High	Fidā’ (ransom) is Qur’anically attested (e.g. 2:196) as a known payment-for-release category — a usable bridge concept — but the Qur’an (6:164) explicitly denies one person’s death can bear another’s guilt. Must specify the price is Christ’s own substitutionary blood for sin, directly against that denial.
forgiveness	ἄφεσις (aphesis)	a release, a sending away	forgiveness	”forgiveness of our trespasses” (1:7), grounded in Christ’s blood	المغفرة (al-maghfirah) — new term	High	Maghfirah is the standard Islamic term but remains conditional and outcome-uncertain until Judgment in mainstream theology. Here forgiveness is secured now, completely, through the cross — present tense, not probabilistic.
mystery	μυστήριον (mystērion)	something hidden, now disclosed	mystery, secret	God’s redemptive plan, formerly hidden, now revealed in Christ (1:9)	السر (al-sirr) — new term	Critical	Central to the “Mystery of Christ Revealed” curriculum doctrine. Must not be conflated with Qur’anic al-ghayb (the unseen, known only to Allah, Qur’an 27:65) — Paul’s mystery is the opposite: something once concealed that God has now fully disclosed to all in the gospel, not permanently hidden esoteric knowledge reserved to God alone or to a spiritual elite.
inheritance	κληρονομία (klēronomia)	a possession received by lot/right of family	inheritance	believers’ eschatological possession in Christ (1:11, 1:14, 1:18)	الميراث (al-mīrāth) — new term	Medium-High	Mīrāth is heavily codified in Islamic law with fixed, gender-differentiated shares (Qur’an 4:11-12). The NT inheritance is an unearned, equal, full inheritance secured by adoption (see التبني above) for all “sons,” not a formula-calculated legal portion — this contrast should be made explicit.
seal / sealed	σφραγίζω (sphragizō)	to stamp/mark with a seal of ownership and security	sealed	the Spirit as the guarantee/down payment of the inheritance (1:13-14)	خَتَمَ / مَخْتُومٌ — new term	Medium	Shares root خ-ت-م with khātam al-nabiyyīn (Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad’s title, Qur’an 33:40). Root-level resonance only; the sense here (secure ownership/guarantee) is unrelated to that finality claim, but worth flagging so readers do not import an unintended association.
Holy Spirit	πνεῦμα ἅγιον	third Person of the Trinity	Holy Spirit	seal/guarantee of the inheritance (1:13); wisdom/revelation (1:17)	الروح القدس (baseline, reused)	Critical	Per baseline: mainstream tafsir identifies this Qur’anic phrase with the angel Jibril, a created being.
hope	ἐλπίς (elpis)	confident expectation	hope	”hope of his calling” (1:18)	الرجاء (al-rajā’) — new term	Medium	Islamic rajā’ (hope in Allah’s mercy) is a real virtue but is paired with khawf (fear) precisely because the outcome remains uncertain until Judgment. Pauline hope is confident expectation grounded in an already-accomplished fact (Christ’s resurrection); reinforce the assured, not merely optimistic, sense.
calling	κλῆσις (klēsis)	summons	calling	”hope of his calling” (1:18)	الدعوة (baseline, reused)	High	See baseline note distinguishing from da’wah (human invitation to Islam).
power / resurrection	δύναμις / ἐγείρω	might; raising up	power, resurrection	God’s power displayed in raising Christ (1:19-20)	قوة الله / القيامة (baseline, reused)	Medium / Critical	Resurrection here requires the same apologetic scaffolding as the core passage and baseline entry — historical crucifixion must be affirmed first.
head over the church	κεφαλή (kephalē)	head (body part); by extension, source/authority	head	Christ as head over all things, and specifically over the church (1:22)	الرأس (al-ra’s) — new term	High	First occurrence of headship vocabulary developed further in 4:15 and 5:23; here Christ’s headship is cosmic and salvific (over “all things” and specifically “for the church”), establishing the pattern (loving, self-giving authority) that the household-code usage in ch.5 must not contradict.
body	σῶμα (sōma)	physical body; corporate organism	body	the church as Christ’s body (1:23)	جسد المسيح (jasad al-Masīḥ) — new term	High	Central to “The Church as the Body of Christ” doctrine. Must convey organic, Spirit-animated union with Christ, distinct from the baseline caution against الأمة (ummah) as a borrowed term for “church” — body language intensifies the corporate-but-non-institutional sense already established for الكنيسة.
fullness	πλήρωμα (plērōma)	that which fills; completeness	fullness	the church as “the fullness of him who fills all in all” (1:23)	الملء / الكمال (al-mil’/al-kamāl) — new term	Medium-High	Must not be read through Sufi fanā’ (mystical dissolution/annihilation into the divine); the church’s “fullness” is relational and representational — Christ’s presence and rule manifested through his body — not ontological merger or loss of distinct identity.

Chapter 2:11–22 (remainder of Chapter 2; 2:1–10 covered as core passage above)

Term	Greek (Translit.)	Literal / Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Arabic Rendering	Risk	Notes
circumcision / uncircumcision	περιτομή / ἀκροβυστία (peritomē / akrobystia)	the circumcised / the foreskin-bearing (uncircumcised)	circumcision, uncircumcision, “the Circumcision,” “the Uncircumcision”	the old covenant-boundary marker separating Jew from Gentile (2:11)	الختان / عدم الختان — new term	High	Khitan (circumcision) is a near-universal cultural/religious practice across Arab Muslim (and many Arab Christian) contexts. Paul’s point is narrowly that this physical marker no longer functions as a covenant boundary in Christ — the passage takes no position for or against the practice itself; care must be taken that the translation is not read as a comment on the practice generally.
Gentiles	ἔθνη (ethnē)	nations	Gentiles	those “in the flesh” formerly excluded (2:11)	الأمم (baseline, reused)	Medium	Never الكفار (per baseline).
covenants of promise	διαθῆκαι τῆς ἐπαγγελίας (diathēkai tēs epangelias)	covenants pertaining to the promise	covenants of promise	Gentiles formerly “strangers” to these (2:12)	عهود الموعد (reuses العهد, baseline)	Medium	Reinforces relational, unilaterally-initiated covenant sense (per baseline note).
without hope, without God	ἄελπις καὶ ἄθεος (aelpis kai atheos)	hopeless and godless/without God	without hope and without God	the pre-Christ condition of Gentiles in the world (2:12)	بلا رجاء وبلا الله — new phrase, uses الرجاء and الله	High	Strong, bleak descriptor; must not be softened, as it sets up the sharp “But now” (2:13) reversal.
blood of Christ	αἷμα Χριστοῦ (haima Christou)	Christ’s blood	the blood of Christ	the price by which “far off” Gentiles were brought near (2:13)	دم المسيح (dam al-Masīḥ) — new term	Critical	Directly tied to substitutionary atonement, which mainstream Islamic doctrine (Qur’an 6:164) denies is possible; requires the same apologetic scaffolding as the crucifixion/resurrection entries — the historical death of Christ must be affirmed as real, not apparent.
our peace	εἰρήνη (eirēnē)	peace	our peace	Christ himself, not merely a peace he brings (2:14)	سلامنا (reuses baseline السلام)	Medium	Christ is identified as peace itself — a strong personal, not merely relational-abstract, claim.
dividing wall / hostility	τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ / ἔχθρα (mesotoichon tou phragmou / echthra)	the middle wall of the partition / enmity	dividing wall, barrier, hostility	the Jew-Gentile separation, now abolished in Christ’s flesh (2:14)	الحائط الفاصل / العداوة — new phrase	High	Concrete, historically-rooted image (likely alluding to the Jerusalem temple’s dividing barricade); must be retained as a real, abolished barrier, not a vague metaphor for “differences.”
the law of commandments	ὁ νόμος τῶν ἐντολῶν (ho nomos tōn entolōn)	the law consisting of commandments	the law of commandments contained in ordinances	the Mosaic law’s ceremonial regulations, which formerly separated Jew and Gentile (2:15)	ناموس الأوامر (reuses baseline الناموس)	Critical	Never الشريعة (per baseline) — same reasoning applies with intensified stakes given this passage’s discussion of law’s abolishing function.
one new man	εἷς καινὸς ἄνθρωπος (heis kainos anthrōpos)	one new man/humanity	one new man, new humanity, new self	Jew and Gentile united into a single new corporate humanity in Christ (2:15)	الإنسان الواحد الجديد (al-insān al-wāḥid al-jadīd) — new term	High	Core term for the “Unity of Jews and Gentiles in One New Humanity” curriculum doctrine. Given contemporary political weight of “Isra’il” in Arabic-speaking contexts (per baseline “israel” note), this passage’s redemptive-historical unity claim requires deliberate pastoral framing distinct from any present-day political statement.
reconcile	ἀποκαταλλάσσω (apokatallassō)	to restore to former favor/relationship fully	reconcile	both groups reconciled to God and to each other through the cross (2:16)	المصالحة / يصالح (al-muṣālaḥah) — new term	High	Ṣulḥa (reconciliation ceremonies) is a well-known tribal/social practice in Arab culture and can serve as a genuine cultural bridge-concept — but must retain the dual vertical (with God) and horizontal (Jew-Gentile) reconciliation achieved specifically and exclusively through Christ’s cross, not a human-brokered settlement.
the cross	σταυρός (stauros)	the wooden execution stake	the cross	the means by which hostility was put to death (2:16)	الصليب (al-ṣalīb) — new term	Critical	Presupposes the historical crucifixion, denied by mainstream Islamic doctrine (Qur’an 4:157). Requires the same apologetic scaffolding as baseline’s “resurrection” entry.
access	προσαγωγή (prosagōgē)	a bringing near, access granted	access	both groups now have access to the Father through the one Spirit (2:18)	الدخول / التقرب — new term	High	Direct, unmediated access to God through Christ and the Spirit runs against a mediated-access default assumption in much popular Islamic piety (approach via prescribed ritual or prophetic intercession); connects to baseline “intercession” note.
household of God	οἰκεῖοι τοῦ θεοῦ (oikeioi tou theou)	members of God’s household	fellow citizens, members of the household of God	believers’ new corporate family status (2:19)	أهل بيت الله — new phrase	Medium	Family/household metaphor for the church; low independent risk.
foundation of apostles and prophets	θεμέλιος τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν	foundation stones of apostles and prophets	foundation of the apostles and prophets	the church’s authoritative founding basis (2:20)	أساس الرسل والأنبياء (reuses الرسول / نبي, baseline)	High	See baseline notes on apostle/prophet.
cornerstone	ἀκρογωνιαῖος (akrogōniaios)	the extreme-corner foundation stone	chief cornerstone	Christ as the structurally decisive stone (2:20)	حجر الزاوية (ḥajar al-zāwiyah) — new term	Low-Medium	Standard architectural metaphor; low collision.
temple / dwelling place	ναός / κατοικητήριον (naos / katoikētērion)	sanctuary / dwelling place	holy temple, dwelling place of God	the church as a living, growing spiritual temple where God dwells by the Spirit (2:21-22)	الهيكل / مسكن الله — new term	Medium	Must be distinguished from a physical mosque/masjid building sense; this is a living, organic, growing structure (present participle “being built”), not a static edifice.

Chapter 3 (Ephesians 3:1–21)

Term	Greek (Translit.)	Literal / Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Arabic Rendering	Risk	Notes
mystery	μυστήριον	see Ch.1 above	mystery	the specific content now specified: Gentiles as fellow heirs (3:3-6, 3:9)	السر (reused from Ch.1 new-term entry)	Critical	Same note as Ch.1: not Qur’anic al-ghayb; a disclosed, not permanently hidden, truth.
stewardship	οἰκονομία (oikonomia)	household management, administration	stewardship, dispensation, administration	Paul’s entrusted task of making the mystery known (3:2, 3:9)	وكالة / تدبير — new term, low-frequency	Low	Administrative metaphor; minor risk.
revelation	ἀποκάλυψις (apokalypsis)	unveiling, disclosure	revelation	how the mystery was made known to Paul (3:3)	إعلان / وحي — caution required	Medium-High	If rendered with وحي (waḥy), note the strong association with the Qur’an’s own claimed mode of verbatim revelation (see baseline “inspiration_of_scripture” doctrine note); prefer إعلان (unveiling/disclosure) to keep the distinct biblical mode of inspiration clear.
fellow heirs	συγκληρονόμος (synklēronomos)	co-inheritor	fellow heirs	Gentiles’ equal inheritance status with Jewish believers (3:6)	شركاء في الميراث (reuses new “inheritance” term from Ch.1)	High	Reinforces equal (not partial or second-tier) inheritance status — ties to the التبني/adoption critical note.
unsearchable riches of Christ	ἀνεξιχνίαστος πλοῦτος τοῦ Χριστοῦ	untraceable/unfathomable wealth	unsearchable riches	the inexhaustible object of Paul’s gospel proclamation (3:8)	غنى المسيح الذي لا يُسبر (or: الفائق الوصف)	Low-Medium	Poetic intensifier; low independent risk.
manifold wisdom of God	ἡ πολυποίκιλος σοφία τοῦ θεοῦ	the many-colored/varied wisdom	manifold wisdom	God’s wisdom displayed through the church to the spiritual realm (3:10)	حكمة الله المتنوعة (ḥikmat Allāh al-mutanawwi’ah)	Low-Medium	Wisdom (ḥikmah) is broadly shared, positively-loaded vocabulary; low collision.
principalities and powers	ἀρχαί καὶ ἐξουσίαι (archai kai exousiai)	rulers and authorities	rulers and authorities, principalities and powers	real spiritual beings who observe God’s wisdom displayed in the church (3:10); developed fully in 6:12	الرياسات والسلاطين (al-riyāsāt wa-l-sulṭānāt) — new term	High	Overlaps with popular Islamic cosmology of jinn/shaytan, which is diffuse and largely amoral in folk usage. Must be taught as real, personal, morally accountable spiritual beings, already placed under Christ’s supreme authority (1:21), not an occult-adjacent or magical framework calling for ritual countermeasures (e.g. ruqya-style exorcism practice).
boldness / access	παρρησία / προσαγωγή (parrēsia / prosagōgē)	freedom of speech / confident access	boldness, confidence, access	believers’ confident approach to God through Christ (3:12)	الدالة / الثقة والدخول — reuses “access” new term	High	Reinforces the direct-access theme against mediated-access defaults; see 2:18 note.
glory	δόξα (doxa)	radiant honor	glory	doxology closing the chapter (3:13, 3:21)	المجد (baseline, reused)	High	Avoid light-metaphor renderings evoking Sufi ishrāq mysticism (per baseline note).
inner man	ἔσω ἄνθρωπος (esō anthrōpos)	the inward person	inner man, inner being	the seat of the Spirit’s strengthening work (3:16)	الإنسان الباطن (al-insān al-bāṭin)	Low-Medium	Standard anthropological metaphor; note the term ties conceptually to the “old man/new man” language in 4:22-24, discussed below.
dwell	κατοικέω (katoikeō)	to inhabit, take up permanent residence	dwell	Christ dwelling in believers’ hearts through faith (3:17)	يسكن (yaskun)	Low	Standard vocabulary; reinforces personal indwelling, not mere influence.
rooted and grounded	ῥιζόω / ἑδραιόω (rhizoō / hedraioō)	to be rooted / to be firmly founded	rooted and grounded	stability of believers’ love-founded life (3:17)	متأصلون وراسخون	Low	Agricultural/architectural metaphor combination; low independent risk.
fullness of God	πλήρωμα τοῦ θεοῦ (plērōma tou theou)	the fullness belonging to/from God	fullness of God	the goal of being filled to this fullness through love (3:19)	ملء الله (reuses “fullness” new term from Ch.1)	Medium-High	Same caution as Ch.1: not Sufi fanā’ ontological merger; a relational fullness of Christ’s love and presence.

Chapter 4 (Ephesians 4:1–32)

Term	Greek (Translit.)	Literal / Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Arabic Rendering	Risk	Notes
calling	κλῆσις (klēsis)	summons	calling	”walk worthy of the calling” (4:1); the basis for unity (4:4)	الدعوة (baseline, reused)	High	See Ch.1 note.
lowliness, meekness, patience, forbearance	ταπεινοφροσύνη, πραΰτης, μακροθυμία, ἀνεχόμενοι	humility, gentleness, long-temperedness, bearing with	humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another	the character required for maintaining unity (4:2)	تواضع، وداعة، طول أناة، احتمال	Low	Standard virtue vocabulary shared broadly with Islamic ethical tradition; low collision.
unity of the Spirit / bond of peace	ἑνότης τοῦ πνεύματος / σύνδεσμος τῆς εἰρήνης	oneness of the Spirit / bond/ligament of peace	unity of the Spirit, bond of peace	the unity believers must maintain, not create (4:3)	وحدة الروح / رباط السلام	Medium	Unity as Spirit-given reality to be preserved, not humanly constructed from scratch.
the seven “ones”	ἕν σῶμα, ἕν πνεῦμα, μία ἐλπίς, εἷς κύριος, μία πίστις, ἕν βάπτισμα, εἷς θεός καὶ πατήρ	one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father	—	the doctrinal ground of Christian unity (4:4-6)	جسد واحد، روح واحد، رجاء واحد، رب واحد، إيمان واحد، معمودية واحدة، إله وآب واحد	Critical (cumulative)	Each term individually reuses baseline/established renderings (body, Spirit, hope, Lord, faith, God/Father) except baptism, addressed below; the cumulative sevenfold structure itself is a High-value catechetical unit that must remain intact and identically rendered wherever quoted elsewhere in the curriculum.
baptism	βάπτισμα (baptisma)	immersion/washing rite	baptism	the “one baptism” of 4:5	المعمودية (al-ma’mūdiyyah) — new term	Medium	Established Christian Arabic term. Distinguish from Islamic ritual washing (wuḍū’/ghusl), which is repeated ablution for ritual purity before prayer; Christian baptism is a one-time initiatory rite marking union with Christ’s death and resurrection, not a repeatable purification ritual.
grace given / measure of the gift	ἡ χάρις … κατὰ τὸ μέτρον τῆς δωρεᾶς (hē charis … kata to metron tēs dōreas)	grace … according to the measure of the gift	grace was given … according to the measure	Christ’s sovereign, differentiated distribution of grace-gifts (4:7)	النعمة (baseline, reused) / بحسب مقدار العطية	High	Reinforces grace as sovereignly, unequally, but always freely distributed — not earned by any recipient.
apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers	ἀπόστολοι, προφῆται, εὐαγγελισταί, ποιμένες, διδάσκαλοι	church-founding and equipping offices	apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors/shepherds, teachers	the gifted offices given for equipping the saints (4:11)	الرسل، الأنبياء، المبشرون، الرعاة، المعلمون	High (apostles/prophets, per baseline); Medium (evangelists/pastors/teachers — new terms)	Apostle/prophet reuse baseline renderings and cautions; evangelist (مبشّر) intersects with the “evangelism” doctrine’s apostasy-context caution (see baseline doctrine registry); pastor (راعٍ, “shepherd”) is broadly safe shared metaphor; teacher (معلّم) is low risk.
equipping / building up	καταρτισμός / οἰκοδομή (katartismos / oikodomē)	equipping for a task / building construction	equipping, edifying, building up	the purpose of the gifted offices (4:12)	تجهيز / بنيان (reuses baseline “mutual_edification” concept)	Low	Per baseline: no significant doctrinal risk.
mature manhood / fullness of Christ	ἀνὴρ τέλειος / πλήρωμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ (anēr teleios / plērōma tou Christou)	a complete/mature man / the fullness belonging to Christ	mature manhood, fullness of Christ	the goal of the church’s growth (4:13)	الإنسان الكامل / ملء المسيح (reuses “fullness” new term)	Medium-High	Same fullness caution as Ch.1/3; “mature manhood” (ἀνήρ, a gendered noun for “man/adult male” used generically for corporate maturity) should be handled with an Arabic term for corporate/collective maturity, avoiding an unintentionally exclusive or individualistic reading.
head	κεφαλή (kephalē)	see Ch.1 above	head	Christ as the head from whom the body grows (4:15)	الرأس (reused from Ch.1 new-term entry)	High	Growth-and-nourishment sense here (organic, life-giving headship) should inform the household-code usage in 5:23 — headship as source of life and growth, not mere hierarchical control.
old man / new man	παλαιὸς ἄνθρωπος / καινὸς ἄνθρωπος (palaios anthrōpos / kainos anthrōpos)	old man / new man	old self, old man / new self, new man	the decisive identity-change at conversion, to be lived out practically (4:22-24)	الإنسان العتيق / الإنسان الجديد (al-insān al-‘atīq / al-insān al-jadīd) — new term	High	Core term for the “Walking in Newness of Life” curriculum doctrine. Must not be reduced to Islamic tawbah (repentance as behavioral reform of the same continuous self); this is a definitive change of identity/nature through union with Christ (cf. new-creation language in 2:10), not merely turning over a new leaf.
renewed in the spirit of the mind	ἀνανεοῦσθαι τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ νοὸς (ananeousthai tō pneumati tou noos)	to be renewed in the spirit of the mind	renewed in mind/attitude	the mechanism of ongoing transformation (4:23)	يتجددون في روح ذهنهم	Medium	Ties to sanctification doctrine (see baseline التقديس).
grieve the Holy Spirit	λυπεῖτε τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον (lypeite to pneuma to hagion)	do not grieve/sadden the Holy Spirit	grieve the Holy Spirit	a relational, personal warning presupposing the Spirit’s full personhood (4:30)	لا تحزنوا الروح القدس (reuses baseline الروح القدس)	High	Reinforces the Spirit’s personal, relational nature — directly relevant to distinguishing the Trinitarian Holy Spirit from the impersonal-force or angelic (Jibril) readings flagged in the baseline entry.
sealed for the day of redemption	ἐσφραγίσθητε εἰς ἡμέραν ἀπολυτρώσεως	sealed unto the day of redemption	sealed for the day of redemption	eschatological guarantee (4:30)	مختومون ليوم الفداء (reuses “seal” and “redemption” new terms)	Medium-High	See Ch.1 notes on both component terms.
bitterness, wrath, clamor, evil speaking, malice / kindness, tenderheartedness, forgiveness	πικρία, θυμός, κραυγή, βλασφημία, κακία / χρηστότης, εὔσπλαγχνος, χαριζόμενοι	vice list / virtue list	—	practical outworking of the new-man identity (4:31-32)	مرارة، غضب، صياح، تجديف، خبث / لطف، حنو، مسامحة	Low	Standard ethical vocabulary; note “forgiving” (χαριζόμενοι) shares its root with χάρις (grace) in Greek — a wordplay largely lost in Arabic (يسامح vs. النعمة are unrelated roots) — worth noting for exposition, though not requiring a translation change.

Chapter 5 (Ephesians 5:1–33)

Term	Greek (Translit.)	Literal / Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Arabic Rendering	Risk	Notes
imitators of God	μιμηταὶ τοῦ θεοῦ (mimētai tou theou)	imitators/mimics of God	imitators of God	the command to imitate God himself, as beloved children (5:1)	مقتدون بالله (muqtadūn bi-Allāh) — new term	Critical	Directly collides with Islamic tanzīh (God’s absolute transcendence and otherness, making direct imitation of God himself theologically unthinkable — Muhammad, not Allah, is the imitable model, uswa ḥasanah, Qur’an 33:21). Ephesians commands imitation of God himself, grounded in the filial “beloved children” identity from adoption (see التبني); must not be softened to “imitate Christ’s example” alone, though 5:2 immediately gives that as the specific application.
offering and sacrifice	προσφορὰ καὶ θυσία (prosphora kai thysia)	offering and sacrifice	offering and sacrifice	Christ’s self-giving death described in temple-sacrificial terms (5:2)	تقدمة وذبيحة (taqdimah wa-dhabīḥah) — new term	High	Sacrificial/atonement vocabulary tied to دم المسيح and الصليب cautions above; the Qur’an denies substitutionary atoning death is possible (6:164) — same scaffolding required.
fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, idolater	πορνεία, ἀκαθαρσία, πλεονεξία, εἰδωλολάτρης	vice list	sexual immorality, impurity, covetousness, idolater	disqualifying vices, with covetousness explicitly named “idolatry” (5:3-5)	زنى، نجاسة، طمع، عبادة الأوثان (or: مشرك)	Medium	Idolatry/shirk is a point of strong positive overlap between the traditions (both condemn it forcefully) and can function as a bridge concept, but the extension of “idolater” to covetousness (a heart-disposition, not a cultic act) should be highlighted, as it is easily missed.
children of light / sons of disobedience	τέκνα φωτός / υἱοὶ τῆς ἀπειθείας (tekna phōtos / huioi tēs apeitheias)	children of light / sons of disobedience	children of light, formerly darkness	believers’ new identity contrasted with their old identity (5:6-8)	أبناء النور / أبناء المعصية — new phrase, reuses 2:2’s term	Medium	Light/darkness dualism: broadly shared vocabulary (cf. Qur’an 24:35, Allah as “Light of the heavens and earth”) — generally safe, but per baseline “glory” caution, avoid framing that suggests Sufi ishrāq mystical light-absorption; this is a moral-relational, not experiential-mystical, contrast.
be filled with the Spirit	πληρωθῆσθε ἐν πνεύματι (plērōthēsthe en pneumati)	be filled in/by the Spirit	be filled with the Spirit	contrasted with drunkenness (5:18)	امتلئوا بالروح (reuses “fullness” root and باseline الروح القدس)	High	Must be taught as the Spirit’s moral-relational fullness and control over a surrendered will, not an altered-consciousness or ecstatic-trance experience — relevant given both Sufi dhikr-trance practices and folk beliefs about jinn possession in the broader cultural context.
submit to one another	ὑποτασσόμενοι ἀλλήλοις (hypotassomenoi allēlois)	being subordinated to one another	submitting to one another	the governing principle introducing the household code (5:21)	يخضع بعضكم لبعض (yakhḍa’ ba’ḍukum li-ba’ḍ) — new term	High	This mutual-submission frame (5:21) must be retained as the header for the wives’ submission instruction that follows (5:22), so the latter is not read as unilateral female subordination detached from its mutual-submission context — central to the “Household Codes and Christ-Centered Relationships” doctrine.
husband is head of the wife	ὁ ἀνήρ κεφαλή … τῆς γυναικός (ho anēr kephalē tēs gynaikos)	the husband is head of the wife	head of the wife	headship modeled on Christ’s headship over the church (5:23)	الزوج رأس الزوجة (reuses الرأس)	High	Must be interpreted through the self-giving, sacrificial headship pattern of 5:25 (“Christ loved the church and gave himself for her”), not as license for unilateral authority devoid of love — same headship term as 1:22/4:15, requiring consistent theological framing.
Christ loved the church and gave himself for her	ἠγάπησεν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν καὶ ἑαυτὸν παρέδωκεν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς	Christ’s self-sacrificial love for the church	Christ loved the church, gave himself up for her	the pattern husbands are commanded to follow (5:25)	أحب الكنيسة وبذل نفسه لأجلها (reuses المحبة/الكنيسة)	High	The controlling model for headship above; sacrificial, not domineering.
sanctify and cleanse by the washing of water with the word	ἁγιάσας καθαρίσας τῷ λουτρῷ τοῦ ὕδατος ἐν ῥήματι	to sanctify, having cleansed by the washing of water in/by the word	sanctify, cleanse, washing of water with the word	Christ’s ongoing sanctifying work for the church, tied to baptismal imagery and the spoken/written word (5:26)	يقدسها ويطهرها بغسل الماء بالكلمة (reuses التقديس, baseline)	High	Ties sanctification (التقديس) explicitly to الكلمة (the word) — anticipates 6:17’s “word of God” term below; do not render طهارة with ritual-purity (wuḍū’-style) connotation, per baseline caution on التقديس vs التطهير.
present the church without spot or wrinkle	παραστήσῃ … ἄσπιλον / ῥυτίδα (parastēsē … aspilon / rhytida)	present … without blemish or wrinkle	present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle	the eschatological goal of Christ’s sanctifying work (5:27)	يقدمها … بلا عيب ولا غضن	Low	Bridal-purity metaphor; low independent collision.
great mystery	τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο μέγα ἐστίν	this mystery is great	this is a great/profound mystery	marriage as a living picture of Christ and the church (5:32)	هذا السر عظيم (reuses السر, Ch.1)	Critical	Same mystery-doctrine caution as Ch.1/3: a disclosed truth illustrated in marriage, not an unknowable ghayb.

Chapter 6 (Ephesians 6:1–24)

Term	Greek (Translit.)	Literal / Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Arabic Rendering	Risk	Notes
obey your parents / honor father and mother	ὑπακούετε τοῖς γονεῦσιν / τίμα τὸν πατέρα	obey parents / honor father and mother	obey, honor	household-code instruction to children, citing the fifth commandment (6:1-2)	اطيعوا والديكم / أكرم أباك وأمك	Low	Distinct from “obedience of faith” (طاعة الإيمان, baseline) — this is ordinary filial obedience, not the fruit-not-ground obedience category; keep the two distinct in exposition.
nurture and admonition of the Lord	παιδεία καὶ νουθεσία κυρίου (paideia kai nouthesia kyriou)	discipline/training and instruction/warning of the Lord	training and instruction, nurture and admonition	fathers’ positive child-rearing responsibility (6:4)	تأديب الرب وإرشاده	Low	Standard pastoral vocabulary.
bondservants obey your masters	οἱ δοῦλοι, ὑπακούετε τοῖς κυρίοις (hoi douloi, hypakouete tois kyriois)	slaves, obey your lords/masters	bondservants, slaves / masters	first-century household-slavery instruction, reoriented “as to Christ” (6:5-9)	العبيد، اطيعوا سادتكم — new term (عبد/سيد)	Medium	Must be taught in its historical, redemptive-transformative NT context (service done “as to the Lord,” masters warned they too have “a Master in heaven,” 6:9), not as endorsement of any contemporary practice. Note the deliberate Arabic distinction available here: سيد (human master, 6:5,9) vs. الرب (the Lord, reserved for God/Christ, per baseline) — Arabic preserves this theological distinction more clearly than the English “lord/lords” ambiguity, since both κύριος uses share one Greek root.
be strong in the Lord	ἐνδυναμοῦσθε ἐν κυρίῳ (endynamousthe en kyriō)	be empowered in the Lord	be strong in the Lord, be strengthened	the introduction to the spiritual-warfare section (6:10)	تقووا في الرب (reuses قوة الله / الرب)	Medium	—
whole armor of God	πανοπλία τοῦ θεοῦ (panoplia tou theou)	complete/full armor	whole armor of God, full armor	the defensive equipment for spiritual warfare (6:11, 6:13)	سلاح الله الكامل (silāḥ Allāh al-kāmil) — new term	Medium	Established Van Dyck-tradition phrase. Given the contested contemporary connotations of jihad/military vocabulary in Arabic religious discourse, the passage’s exclusively defensive, non-violent, spiritual (not literal-combat) sense must be reinforced explicitly in context notes.
the devil	διάβολος (diabolos)	the slanderer/accuser	the devil	the personal spiritual adversary against whom believers stand (6:11)	إبليس / الشيطان (Iblīs / al-Shayṭān) — new term	High	Iblīs is the Qur’an’s own proper name for Satan (Qur’an 2:34) — a genuinely shared, safe referent at the level of “there is a personal fallen spiritual enemy.” Note, however, that the Qur’anic Iblīs narrative (refusal to bow before Adam) differs from the biblical account of Satan’s fall; this is a minor narrative-origin difference, not a doctrinal collision, but worth flagging for teaching contexts.
principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, spiritual forces of evil	ἀρχάς, ἐξουσίας, κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ σκότους, πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας	rulers, authorities, world-rulers of darkness, spiritual [forces] of wickedness	rulers, authorities, powers of this dark world, spiritual forces of evil	the full taxonomy of the spiritual battle’s true opponents — “not against flesh and blood” (6:12)	الرياسات والسلاطين وولاة العالم المظلم وأجناد الشر الروحية (reuses Ch.3 “principalities and powers” new term)	High	Same caution as Ch.3: real, personal, morally accountable, already-subordinate-to-Christ spiritual beings, distinct from folk-Islamic jinn cosmology and its associated ritual-countermeasure practices.
loins girded with truth, breastplate of righteousness, feet shod with the gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation	ζωσάμενοι … ἀλήθειαν, θώρακα δικαιοσύνης, ὑποδησάμενοι … εἰρήνης, θυρεὸν τῆς πίστεως, περικεφαλαίαν τοῦ σωτηρίου	the armor pieces individually named	belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, gospel shoes, shield of faith, helmet of salvation	each piece names an existing curriculum term applied metaphorically (6:14-17)	حزام الحق، درع البر، حذاء إنجيل السلام، ترس الإيمان، خوذة الخلاص (reuses البر, الإنجيل, السلام, الإيمان, الخلاص — all baseline, reused exactly)	Critical (cumulative)	Every component noun here is an already-established baseline Critical/High term (righteousness البر, gospel الإنجيل, salvation الخلاص, faith الإيمان). No new theological content is introduced, but the metaphor requires that each retain its full baseline doctrinal weight even inside the armor image — e.g., “helmet of salvation” must not be read as merely psychological confidence, but as the same assured, secured الخلاص defined throughout the curriculum.
sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God	τὴν μάχαιραν τοῦ πνεύματος, ὅ ἐστιν ῥῆμα θεοῦ (tēn machairan tou pneumatos, ho estin rhēma theou)	the sword of the Spirit, which is the utterance/word of God	sword of the Spirit — the word of God	Scripture as the Spirit’s offensive weapon (6:17)	سيف الروح، وهو كلمة الله (kalimat Allāh) — new term	Critical	Kalimat Allāh (“Word of God”) is also the Qur’an’s own title for Jesus himself (Qur’an 4:171, “his Word which He cast to Mary”). Applying the same phrase here to Scripture/the Spirit’s spoken message risks confusing readers about which referent is meant. In context notes, clarify: (1) here the phrase names God’s spoken/written message (ῥῆμα, a specific utterance, not the eternal Logos of John 1:1), and (2) the deeper Logos-Christology connecting Christ himself to God’s Word is a true, complementary doctrine, but a separate teaching point from this verse’s meaning — not itself a contradiction, but a distinction that must be actively taught, not left for the reader to reconcile alone.
praying always in the Spirit / supplication for all the saints	προσευχόμενοι … διὰ πάσης προσευχῆς καὶ δεήσεως … περὶ πάντων τῶν ἁγίων	praying with all prayer and supplication … for all the saints	praying always, all kinds of prayer, supplication for all the saints	the animating practice sustaining the armor (6:18)	صلاة وطلبة لجميع القديسين (reuses baseline “prayer_and_intercession” doctrine vocabulary)	High	See baseline “intercession” note on exclusivity of Christ’s intercession versus contested Islamic shafā’ah categories; here the emphasis is believers interceding for one another, a distinct but related practice.
ambassador in chains / boldness	πρεσβεύω … ἐν ἁλύσει / παρρησία (presbeuō … en halysei / parrēsia)	I am an ambassador … in chains / boldness	ambassador in chains, boldly	Paul’s self-description while imprisoned, requesting prayer for boldness to make the mystery known (6:19-20)	سفير … في قيود / بجسارة (reuses السر and الدالة/الثقة, Ch.1/3)	Medium	Connects mission and suffering; low independent risk beyond terms already flagged.

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Summary of New Terms Identified for Translation Memory Extension

The following terms do not appear in the baseline Romans translation_memory.json and require new entries (proposed in 08_core_glossary.md): mystery (السر), predestined (التعيين السابق), blessing (بركة), redemption (الفداء), forgiveness (المغفرة), inheritance (الميراث), seal/sealed (خَتَمَ), hope (الرجاء), head/headship (الرأس), body of Christ (جسد المسيح), fullness (الملء), circumcision/uncircumcision (الختان), one new man (الإنسان الواحد الجديد), reconcile (المصالحة), the cross (الصليب), access (الدخول/التقرب), love (المحبة), workmanship (صنيعة), good works (أعمال صالحة), principalities and powers (الرياسات والسلاطين), baptism (المعمودية), evangelist/pastor/teacher (مبشّر/راعٍ/معلّم), old man / new man (الإنسان العتيق/الجديد), imitators of God (مقتدون بالله), offering and sacrifice (تقدمة وذبيحة), submit / submission (يخضع), blood of Christ (دم المسيح), the devil (إبليس/الشيطان), armor of God (سلاح الله الكامل), word of God (كلمة الله), bondservant/master (عبد/سيد), trespasses (الزلات), temple/dwelling place (الهيكل), cornerstone (حجر الزاوية).