Doctrine Analysis
11 Doctrine Analysis — 1 Corinthians — English → Bengali
Purpose and Coverage Statement
This document is the full doctrine matrix for 1 Corinthians, covering every chapter, 1 through 16, in canonical order. It is fully consistent with assets/doctrine_risk_registry.json: the same 27 doctrines, the same Bengali doctrine names, the same risk tiers, and the same review routing appear here, re-sequenced by chapter so that no chapter’s doctrinal content is silently skipped. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 is the curriculum’s core passage and theological anchor (see the Resurrection of Christ and Believers doctrine, chapter 15 below), but every other chapter receives full doctrinal treatment in its own right, since Paul’s pastoral argument in this letter is cumulative and each chapter contributes load-bearing material.
Every chapter listed below contains active doctrinal content; none is a “no new terms” chapter for this book.
Risk tier definitions (unchanged from the Romans baseline and the 1 Corinthians doctrine_risk_registry.json):
- Critical — Mistranslation alters or destroys essential doctrine. Human theologian review required for every occurrence.
- High — Mistranslation creates significant theological confusion or syncretism risk. Human theologian review required.
- Medium — Mistranslation reduces clarity but preserves essential meaning. Native speaker review recommended.
- Low — Mistranslation causes minor misunderstanding or imprecision. Automated review sufficient.
Chapter 1 (1:1-31)
| Doctrine | Bengali Doctrine Name | Supporting Passages | Risk | Translation Risk Note | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divine Calling | ঈশ্বরের আহ্বান | 1:1-2, 1:24, 1:26 | High | আহুত/আহ্বান must retain God-initiated, effectual force; not a mystical vocation or dharma-path unfolding. | Human theologian |
| Christian Unity versus Factionalism | খ্রীষ্টীয় একতা বনাম দলাদলি | 1:10-17 | High | বিভেদ must convey actual fracture of the body, not mere disagreement; Bengali congregations already overlay denominational/linguistic/social divisions onto this risk. | Human theologian |
| The Cross as Wisdom and Power | প্রজ্ঞা ও সামর্থ্য রূপে ক্রুশ | 1:17-25, 1:30 | High | ঈশ্বরের সামর্থ্য (never শক্তি) anchors 1:18,24; প্রজ্ঞা must stay distinct from জ্ঞান (ch.8/12/13). | Human theologian |
| Grace | অনুগ্রহ | 1:4 | High | Standard grace-formula opening; must retain unmerited-favor sense, not blessing/luck. | Human theologian |
| Christian Fellowship | খ্রীষ্টীয় সহভাগিতা | 1:9 | Low | সহভাগিতা (fellowship with the Son) — shared participation, not mere social bonding. | Automated review |
Chapter 2 (2:1-16)
| Doctrine | Bengali Doctrine Name | Supporting Passages | Risk | Translation Risk Note | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Cross as Wisdom and Power | প্রজ্ঞা ও সামর্থ্য রূপে ক্রুশ | 2:1-5 | High | ”Not with words of human wisdom” contrast must not read as one path-of-knowledge (jnana-marga) against another. | Human theologian |
| Inspiration and Revelation of Mystery | নিগূঢ়তত্ত্বের প্রেরণা ও প্রকাশ | 2:1-16 | High | নিগূঢ়তত্ত্ব (not bare রহস্য) — truth once hidden, now openly disclosed to all believers, not esoteric initiate-only knowledge. | Human theologian |
| Natural versus Spiritual Man | প্রাণিক ও আত্মিক মানুষ | 2:14-15 | Critical | NEVER প্রাকৃতিক মানুষ (Samkhya prakriti/purusha collision); use প্রাণিক মানুষ for ψυχικός. | Human theologian |
Chapter 3 (3:1-23)
| Doctrine | Bengali Doctrine Name | Supporting Passages | Risk | Translation Risk Note | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Cross as Wisdom and Power | প্রজ্ঞা ও সামর্থ্য রূপে ক্রুশ | 3:19 | High | ”The wisdom of this world is foolishness” — মূর্খতা must not soften Paul’s rebuke of worldly প্রজ্ঞা. | Human theologian |
| Christian Unity versus Factionalism | খ্রীষ্টীয় একতা বনাম দলাদলি | 3:1-9 | High | কলহ (strife over Paul/Apollos) — must show factions as spiritual immaturity, not legitimate parties. | Human theologian |
| Grace | অনুগ্রহ | 3:10 | High | ”By the grace of God given to me” — Paul’s ministry is grace-based, not self-achieved. | Human theologian |
| Natural versus Spiritual Man | প্রাণিক ও আত্মিক মানুষ | 3:1 | Critical | Same forbidden-term rule as ch.2 applies to “still fleshly/soulish” believers. | Human theologian |
| Church Discipline and Holiness | মণ্ডলীর শাসন ও পবিত্রতা | 3:16-17 | High | ”Destroying God’s temple” — discipline framed as loving correction, not communal shame-based ostracism. | Human theologian |
| Temple of the Holy Spirit | পবিত্র আত্মার মন্দির | 3:16-17 | Critical | মন্দির permitted only here (contra Romans baseline’s church prohibition); mandatory translator note required. | Human theologian |
| Apostolic Stewardship and Ministry | প্রেরিতীয় ভাণ্ডারিত্ব ও সেবাকাজ | 3:5-15 | Medium | ভাণ্ডারী conveys accountable office, not guru/pir-style personal following. | Native speaker review |
| Divine Judgment and Self-Examination | ঈশ্বরের বিচার ও আত্মপরীক্ষা | 3:13 | Medium | Future fire-testing of works is the Lord’s evaluative judgment, not merit-earning ritual purification. | Native speaker review |
Chapter 4 (4:1-21)
| Doctrine | Bengali Doctrine Name | Supporting Passages | Risk | Translation Risk Note | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inspiration and Revelation of Mystery | নিগূঢ়তত্ত্বের প্রেরণা ও প্রকাশ | 4:1 | High | ”Stewards of the mysteries of God” — same নিগূঢ়তত্ত্ব term, no reversion to রহস্য. | Human theologian |
| Apostolic Stewardship and Ministry | প্রেরিতীয় ভাণ্ডারিত্ব ও সেবাকাজ | 4:1-21 | Medium | Paul’s fatherly authority language must read as accountable, non-authoritarian ministry care. | Native speaker review |
| Kingdom of God | ঈশ্বরের রাজ্য | 4:20 | Medium | ”Kingdom of God is not in word but in power” — reign, not political/territorial kingdom. | Native speaker review |
| Divine Judgment and Self-Examination | ঈশ্বরের বিচার ও আত্মপরীক্ষা | 4:5 | Medium | ”Judge nothing before the time” — forbids premature human verdicts; must not be softened into permissiveness. | Native speaker review |
Chapter 5 (5:1-13)
| Doctrine | Bengali Doctrine Name | Supporting Passages | Risk | Translation Risk Note | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Church Discipline and Holiness | মণ্ডলীর শাসন ও পবিত্রতা | 5:1-13 | High | যৌন অনৈতিকতা must stay broad enough to cover the incest case; discipline is restorative, not shame-ostracism. | Human theologian |
| Christ Our Passover | খ্রীষ্ট আমাদের নিস্তারপর্ব | 5:6-8 | High | নিস্তারপর্ব must retain sacrificial-substitution/deliverance sense, not a bare festival-name gloss. | Human theologian |
Chapter 6 (6:1-20)
| Doctrine | Bengali Doctrine Name | Supporting Passages | Risk | Translation Risk Note | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Unity versus Factionalism | খ্রীষ্টীয় একতা বনাম দলাদলি | 6:1-8 | High | মামলা করা (lawsuits between believers) — must convey Paul’s rebuke of the practice itself. | Human theologian |
| Church Discipline and Holiness | মণ্ডলীর শাসন ও পবিত্রতা | 6:9-20 | High | Vice list requires যৌন অনৈতিকতা broad enough for 6:9’s general immorality sense. | Human theologian |
| Temple of the Holy Spirit | পবিত্র আত্মার মন্দির | 6:19-20 | Critical | ”Your body is a temple” — same mandatory-note rule as 3:16-17. | Human theologian |
| Kingdom of God | ঈশ্বরের রাজ্য | 6:9-10 | Medium | Exclusion-from-the-kingdom language — reign/inheritance sense, not territorial threat. | Native speaker review |
| Redemption (Bought with a Price) | মূল্য দিয়ে ক্রয় | 6:19-20 | High | মূল্য দিয়ে ক্রয় করা হয়েছ conveys belonging/ownership by Christ, with a gloss against exploitative-transaction reading given Bengali bonded-labor history. | Human theologian |
Chapter 7 (7:1-40)
| Doctrine | Bengali Doctrine Name | Supporting Passages | Risk | Translation Risk Note | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divine Calling | ঈশ্বরের আহ্বান | 7:15-24 | High | ”God has called you to peace” / “as God called each” — effectual call to one’s life situation, not fatalistic destiny. | Human theologian |
| Marriage and Singleness | বিবাহ ও অবিবাহিত অবস্থা | 7:1-40 | High | Situational pastoral counsel, including widow remarriage permission (7:39), sits against Bengali arranged-marriage norms and Hindu widow-remarriage taboo; plain meaning must not be altered. | Human theologian |
| Redemption (Bought with a Price) | মূল্য দিয়ে ক্রয় | 7:23 | High | ”You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men” — same belonging/ownership sense as 6:20. | Human theologian |
Chapter 8 (8:1-13)
| Doctrine | Bengali Doctrine Name | Supporting Passages | Risk | Translation Risk Note | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Liberty and Idol Meat | খ্রীষ্টীয় স্বাধীনতা ও প্রতিমার খাদ্য | 8:1-13 | High | প্রতিমা/প্রতিমার উদ্দেশ্যে উৎসর্গীকৃত খাদ্য name living Hindu ritual objects/practice directly; tone must balance liberty against wounding a weaker believer’s বিবেক. | Human theologian |
| Lordship of Christ: Confession and Anathema | খ্রীষ্টের প্রভুত্বের স্বীকারোক্তি ও অভিশাপ | 8:6 | Critical | ”One Lord, Jesus Christ” — যীশু প্রভু rendering consistent with Romans 10:9 baseline. | Human theologian |
| Love as the Greater Way | প্রেম, শ্রেষ্ঠ পথ | 8:1-3 | Critical | ”Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” — প্রেম introduced here; mandatory translator note anticipates full treatment at 13:1. | Human theologian |
Chapter 9 (9:1-27)
| Doctrine | Bengali Doctrine Name | Supporting Passages | Risk | Translation Risk Note | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apostolic Stewardship and Ministry | প্রেরিতীয় ভাণ্ডারিত্ব ও সেবাকাজ | 9:1-27 | Medium | Paul’s defense of apostolic rights and self-restraint; ভাণ্ডারী/প্রেরিত as authorized, accountable office, and মুকুট (imperishable crown, 9:24-25) as athletic-prize imagery, not deity-crown iconography. | Native speaker review |
Chapter 10 (10:1-33)
| Doctrine | Bengali Doctrine Name | Supporting Passages | Risk | Translation Risk Note | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Liberty and Idol Meat | খ্রীষ্টীয় স্বাধীনতা ও প্রতিমার খাদ্য | 10:14-33 | High | ”Flee idolatry” through to market-meat liberty — same conscience-sensitivity note as ch.8. | Human theologian |
| Idolatry and Spiritual Powers | প্রতিমাপূজা ও আত্মিক শক্তি | 10:1-22 | Critical | প্রতিমাপূজা deliberately reuses পূজা; মন্দ আত্মা (never ভূত) for demons; mutual-exclusivity of Lord’s/demons’ table (10:21) must not be softened. | Human theologian |
| The Lord’s Supper | প্রভুর ভোজ | 10:16-17, 10:21 | Critical | ”Cup of blessing” / “table of the Lord” — first mention of the Supper’s exclusivity logic, continued in ch.11. | Human theologian |
| Christian Fellowship | খ্রীষ্টীয় সহভাগিতা | 10:16-20 | Low | সহভাগিতা (participation in Christ’s blood/body) vs. participation with demons — shared participation, not casual association. | Automated review |
Chapter 11 (11:1-34)
| Doctrine | Bengali Doctrine Name | Supporting Passages | Risk | Translation Risk Note | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Unity versus Factionalism | খ্রীষ্টীয় একতা বনাম দলাদলি | 11:18-19 | High | Divisions at the shared meal — same বিভেদ standard as 1:10. | Human theologian |
| The Lord’s Supper | প্রভুর ভোজ | 11:17-34 | Critical | শরীর (Eucharistic body, 11:24,27,29) must be held distinct in translator notes from খ্রীষ্টের শরীর (ecclesial, ch.12) though the Bengali word is identical; নতুন নিয়ম (11:25) reuses established covenant term; 11:29 “discerning the body” is a genuinely disputed phrase — flag, do not resolve. | Human theologian |
| Order in Worship: Headship and Head Covering | উপাসনায় শৃঙ্খলা: মস্তকত্ব ও মাথা ঢাকা | 11:2-16 | High | মাথা ঢাকা intersects with live Hindu আঁচল/ওড়না veiling and Muslim hijab/burqa practice; render as first-century argument, not endorsement/rejection of any contemporary practice. | Human theologian |
| Divine Judgment and Self-Examination | ঈশ্বরের বিচার ও আত্মপরীক্ষা | 11:28-32 | Medium | পরীক্ষা করা (self-examination before communion) — honest self-examination, not ritual purification. | Native speaker review |
Chapter 12 (12:1-31)
| Doctrine | Bengali Doctrine Name | Supporting Passages | Risk | Translation Risk Note | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Unity versus Factionalism | খ্রীষ্টীয় একতা বনাম দলাদলি | 12:25 | High | ”That there be no division in the body” — one-body logic underlying the gifts discussion. | Human theologian |
| Idolatry and Spiritual Powers | প্রতিমাপূজা ও আত্মিক শক্তি | 12:2 | Critical | ”Carried away to mute idols” — retrospective reference reinforcing ch.10’s প্রতিমাপূজা framework. | Human theologian |
| Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ | আত্মিক বর ও খ্রীষ্টের শরীর | 12:1-31 | High | আত্মা পরীক্ষা করার ক্ষমতা and ভাষায় কথা বলা must be kept distinct from folk-Hindu/folk-Islamic possession-trance phenomena; Spirit-given enablement exercised with self-control, not loss-of-self trance. | Human theologian |
| Lordship of Christ: Confession and Anathema | খ্রীষ্টের প্রভুত্বের স্বীকারোক্তি ও অভিশাপ | 12:3 | Critical | Spirit-discernment test: যীশু প্রভু vs. যীশু অভিশপ্ত as exact doctrinal opposites. | Human theologian |
Chapter 13 (13:1-13)
| Doctrine | Bengali Doctrine Name | Supporting Passages | Risk | Translation Risk Note | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inspiration and Revelation of Mystery | নিগূঢ়তত্ত্বের প্রেরণা ও প্রকাশ | 13:2 | High | ”If I understand all mysteries” — নিগূঢ়তত্ত্ব consistency check against ch.2/4/14/15. | Human theologian |
| Love as the Greater Way | প্রেম, শ্রেষ্ঠ পথ | 13:1-13 | Critical | The chapter’s central term. Mandatory translator note at 13:1 distinguishing self-giving covenantal প্রেম from Vaishnava bhakti/Tagore romantic-devotional প্রেম (রাধা-কৃষ্ণ প্রেম). | Human theologian |
Chapter 14 (14:1-40)
| Doctrine | Bengali Doctrine Name | Supporting Passages | Risk | Translation Risk Note | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inspiration and Revelation of Mystery | নিগূঢ়তত্ত্বের প্রেরণা ও প্রকাশ | 14:2 | High | ”Speaks mysteries in the Spirit” — same নিগূঢ়তত্ত্ব consistency requirement. | Human theologian |
| Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ | আত্মিক বর ও খ্রীষ্টের শরীর | 14:1-40 | High | Tongues/prophecy regulation — Spirit-given, orderly, intelligible enablement, not ecstatic trance. | Human theologian |
| Order in Worship: Intelligibility and Silence | উপাসনায় শৃঙ্খলা: বোধগম্যতা ও নীরবতা | 14:1-40 | High | নীরব থাকা (14:28,30,34) is a contemporary flashpoint passage; render precisely without interpretive gloss; flag for joint theologian + native-speaker review. | Human theologian |
| Love as the Greater Way | প্রেম, শ্রেষ্ঠ পথ | 14:1 | Critical | ”Pursue love” — transitional verse linking ch.13 to the gifts-in-worship discussion. | Human theologian |
Chapter 15 (15:1-58) — Core Passage Chapter (15:1-11)
| Doctrine | Bengali Doctrine Name | Supporting Passages | Risk | Translation Risk Note | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gospel and Apostolic Tradition | সুসমাচার ও প্রেরিতীয় ঐতিহ্য | 15:1-2, 15:3, 15:11 | High | গ্রহণ করা/সমর্পণ করা (receive/deliver) must be clarified as a closed, fixed apostolic deposit, not an evolving guru-parampara oral tradition. | Human theologian |
| Grace | অনুগ্রহ | 15:9-10 | High | ”By the grace of God I am what I am” — Paul’s identity is grace-based, not self-achieved; parallel escalation rule to Romans 4:4-5/11:5-6. | Human theologian |
| Inspiration and Revelation of Mystery | নিগূঢ়তত্ত্বের প্রেরণা ও প্রকাশ | 15:51 | High | ”Behold, I tell you a mystery” — consistency with নিগূঢ়তত্ত্ব across the letter. | Human theologian |
| Natural versus Spiritual Man | প্রাণিক ও আত্মিক মানুষ | 15:44-46 | Critical | Resurrection-body argument reuses the প্রাণিক/আত্মিক contrast; same প্রাকৃতিক prohibition applies here as in ch.2-3. | Human theologian |
| Kingdom of God | ঈশ্বরের রাজ্য | 15:24, 15:50 | Medium | Christ’s climactic handover of the kingdom to the Father — reign, not cyclical cosmic-age framework. | Native speaker review |
| The Resurrection of Christ and Believers | খ্রীষ্টের ও বিশ্বাসীদের পুনরুত্থান | 15:1-58 (anchor: 15:1-11) | Critical | The curriculum’s core doctrine. পুনরুত্থান (never পুনর্জন্ম); দেখা দিলেন (15:5-8, “appeared”) must be distinguished from স্বপ্ন/দর্শন vision-vocabulary; জন্য/পক্ষে (15:3, ὑπέρ) must preserve vicarious substitution; অমরত্ব (15:53-54) is a future divine gift, not an inherent soul-property as in moksha motifs. | Human theologian |
| Lordship of Christ: Confession and Anathema | খ্রীষ্টের প্রভুত্বের স্বীকারোক্তি ও অভিশাপ | 15:31, 15:58 | Critical | ”I die daily” / “labor is not in vain in the Lord” — প্রভু consistency anchors the chapter’s practical exhortation. | Human theologian |
| Eschatological Hope | ভবিষ্যৎ আশা | 15:51-58 | Medium | তূরী (trumpet, 15:52) offers a positive bridge to Islamic Last-Trumpet (Sur) eschatology; note for teaching materials, not assumed automatically understood. | Native speaker review |
Chapter 16 (16:1-24)
| Doctrine | Bengali Doctrine Name | Supporting Passages | Risk | Translation Risk Note | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grace | অনুগ্রহ | 16:23 | High | Closing benediction — standard grace-formula, consistency check across the letter. | Human theologian |
| Church as God’s People: Fellowship and Giving | ঈশ্বরের প্রজা রূপে মণ্ডলী: সহভাগিতা ও দান | 16:1-4, 16:15-18 | Medium | দান সংগ্রহ must be framed as voluntary, worship-integrated giving, not obligatory religious tax/merit-donation (দান-punya) or zakat-style imagery. | Native speaker review |
| Christian Fellowship | খ্রীষ্টীয় সহভাগিতা | 16:19-20 | Low | পবিত্র চুম্বন (holy kiss) is not customary Bengali practice; contextualize as warm holy greeting/embrace in teaching notes. | Automated review |
| Love as the Greater Way | প্রেম, শ্রেষ্ঠ পথ | 16:14, 16:22 | Critical | ”Let all that you do be done in love” and the anathema-on-lovelessness bracket the whole letter’s argument. | Human theologian |
| Lordship of Christ: Confession and Anathema | খ্রীষ্টের প্রভুত্বের স্বীকারোক্তি ও অভিশাপ | 16:22 | Critical | অভিশপ্ত (anathema) on anyone without love for the Lord — consistent with 12:3’s antithesis; মারান আথা preserved untransliterated (cf. আব্বা pattern). | Human theologian |
| Eschatological Hope | ভবিষ্যৎ আশা | 16:22 | Medium | Maranatha as an eschatological cry — “Our Lord, come!” — kept alongside the anathema clause without separating the two doctrinal notes. | Native speaker review |
Full-Book Risk Summary (Consistent with doctrine_risk_registry.json)
| Risk Tier | Doctrine Count | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | 7 | Human theologian |
| High | 14 | Human theologian |
| Medium | 5 | Native speaker review |
| Low | 1 | Automated review |
| Total doctrines | 27 | — |
Critical-tier doctrines (7): Natural versus Spiritual Man; Temple of the Holy Spirit; Idolatry and Spiritual Powers; The Lord’s Supper; Lordship of Christ: Confession and Anathema; Love as the Greater Way; The Resurrection of Christ and Believers.
Coverage confirmation: All 16 chapters of 1 Corinthians have been reviewed above and each contributes at least one load-bearing doctrine to this matrix; no chapter is treated as doctrinally empty. Chapter 15 (the core passage’s chapter) carries the highest doctrinal density and anchors the curriculum, consistent with its designation as the theological anchor rather than the scope boundary of this analysis.
This document extends assets/doctrine_risk_registry.json into a chapter-sequential reading order for Phase 1 planning use. It must not be used to override any risk tier, Bengali doctrine name, or review routing recorded in the registry; in case of any discrepancy, doctrine_risk_registry.json is authoritative.
Critical Risk Doctrines
Idolatry and Spiritual Powers
Bengali name: প্রতিমাপূজা ও আত্মিক শক্তি
Key terms: idolatry, demons, table_of_the_lord
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: প্রতিমাপূজা deliberately reuses পূজা, the central Bengali Hindu ritual-worship term (as in Durga Puja), which is doctrinally necessary but requires the mutual-exclusivity argument (10:21, one cannot partake of both the Lord’s table and demons’ table) to be rendered without softening. মন্দ আত্মা (never ভূত, the folk-ghost term) must preserve the biblical category of malevolent spiritual beings behind idol worship rather than folkloric poltergeists.
Lordship of Christ: Confession and Anathema
Bengali name: খ্রীষ্টের প্রভুত্বের স্বীকারোক্তি ও অভিশাপ
Key terms: lord, anathema
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: 12:3’s Spirit-discernment test sets ‘Jesus is Lord’ (যীশু প্রভু, consistent with the Romans 10:9 baseline rendering) against ‘Jesus is accursed’ (যীশু অভিশপ্ত) as exact opposites; likewise 16:22’s anathema on anyone without love for the Lord must use the same অভিশপ্ত term consistently. Any ambiguity here would blur the sharpest confessional line the letter draws.
Love as the Greater Way
Bengali name: প্রেম, শ্রেষ্ঠ পথ
Key terms: love, patience, kindness, envy, boast
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: প্রেম is the established Bengali Christian rendering of ἀγάπη, but it is also the central term of Bengali Vaishnava bhakti devotional poetry and of Rabindranath Tagore’s literary tradition, where it frequently carries romantic-devotional and even erotic-mystical connotations (রাধা-কৃষ্ণ প্রেম). A mandatory translator note at 13:1 is required clarifying that Paul’s ἀγάπη is self-giving, others-oriented, covenantal love modeled on Christ’s self-sacrifice, not romantic or devotional-erotic love.
Natural versus Spiritual Man
Bengali name: প্রাণিক ও আত্মিক মানুষ
Key terms: natural_man, spiritual_man
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: NEVER use প্রাকৃতিক মানুষ for ψυχικός. প্রাকৃতিক is the direct cognate of প্রকৃতি (prakriti), the Samkhya/Hindu philosophical term for primal material Nature opposed to Puruṣa (Spirit/Self); using it would recast Paul’s soul/Spirit contrast as the Samkhya prakriti-purusha dualism, an entirely different philosophical framework, and would also compromise the same distinction in 15:44’s natural/spiritual resurrection-body argument.
The Resurrection of Christ and Believers
Bengali name: খ্রীষ্টের ও বিশ্বাসীদের পুনরুত্থান
Key terms: resurrection, appeared, buried, died_for_our_sins, fallen_asleep, in_vain, firstfruits, imperishable, mortal_immortality, adam, image_heavenly, trumpet
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL, the curriculum’s core-passage doctrine. পুনরুত্থান (never পুনর্জন্ম, reincarnation) anchors bodily, historical, once-for-all resurrection. দেখা দিলেন (appeared, vv.5-8) is the evidentiary backbone and must be distinguished from dream/vision/mystical-experience vocabulary (স্বপ্ন, দর্শন), given Bengal’s traditions of guru/saint দর্শন and deity visions. জন্য/পক্ষে (v.3’s ὑπέρ) must preserve vicarious substitution. অমরত্ব (immortality, v.53-54) must be a future divine gift, not an inherent property of the soul uncovered through spiritual attainment as in Hindu moksha motifs.
Temple of the Holy Spirit
Bengali name: পবিত্র আত্মার মন্দির
Key terms: temple, holy_spirit
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: this is the sole context in the curriculum where মন্দির (temple) is required, in deliberate contrast to the Romans baseline’s prohibition of মন্দির for ἐκκλησία (church). A mandatory translator note is required clarifying that Paul’s point inverts the ordinary Bengali meaning of মন্দির (a shrine one visits to encounter a deity housed in an image): believers themselves, individually and corporately, ARE God’s dwelling place, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, with no building or image required.
The Lord’s Supper
Bengali name: প্রভুর ভোজ
Key terms: lords_supper, body_eucharistic, blood_new_covenant, cup, remembrance, unworthy_manner, examine_discern_body
Review routing: Human theologian
শরীর (body) in the Eucharistic institution words (11:24) must be held distinct from খ্রীষ্টের শরীর in its ecclesial sense (ch.12) though the Bengali word is identical; 11:29’s ‘discerning the body’ is a genuinely disputed phrase and must be flagged for theologian review rather than resolved unilaterally. নতুন নিয়ম (new covenant, 11:25) must reuse established covenant vocabulary precisely.
High Risk Doctrines
Christ Our Passover
Bengali name: খ্রীষ্ট আমাদের নিস্তারপর্ব
Key terms: passover, leaven
Review routing: Human theologian
নিস্তারপর্ব must retain its OT sacrificial-substitution and deliverance sense (‘the passing-over of judgment’), not function as a mere calendar festival name, since Paul’s typological identification of Christ as the Passover lamb is a load-bearing atonement image undergirding the call to holiness in ch.5.
Christian Liberty and Idol Meat
Bengali name: খ্রীষ্টীয় স্বাধীনতা ও প্রতিমার খাদ্য
Key terms: idol, food_offered_to_idols, conscience, stumbling_block, knowledge
Review routing: Human theologian
প্রতিমা and প্রতিমার উদ্দেশ্যে উৎসর্গীকৃত খাদ্য name the very objects and practices of living Hindu ritual life (e.g., meat/food offered before a Durga প্রতিমা); doctrinally this is necessary and correct, but pastoral tone must balance genuine liberty for the informed believer against real risk of wounding a weaker believer’s বিবেক, itself a live daily-life question for Bengali converts from Hindu households.
Christian Unity versus Factionalism
Bengali name: খ্রীষ্টীয় একতা বনাম দলাদলি
Key terms: schism, strife, boast, baptism, lawsuit
Review routing: Human theologian
বিভেদ (schism) must convey an actual fracture of the one body, not mere disagreement, since Bengali congregations frequently overlay denominational, linguistic (Bangla vs. tribal-language congregations), and even caste-background social divisions onto church factions; a softened rendering would obscure exactly the sin Paul confronts.
Church Discipline and Holiness
Bengali name: মণ্ডলীর শাসন ও পবিত্রতা
Key terms: sexual_immorality, leaven, holy, sanctification
Review routing: Human theologian
যৌন অনৈতিকতা must remain broad enough to cover both the incest case (5:1) and general immorality (6:9), not narrowed to ব্যভিচার (adultery) alone; discipline itself must be conveyed as loving correction toward restoration and communal purity, not the shame-based social ostracism dynamics already salient in Bengali communal-honor culture (Hindu and Muslim alike).
The Cross as Wisdom and Power
Bengali name: প্রজ্ঞা ও সামর্থ্য রূপে ক্রুশ
Key terms: cross, wisdom, foolishness, power_of_god, knowledge
Review routing: Human theologian
প্রজ্ঞা (wisdom) must stay distinct from জ্ঞান (γνῶσις, ch.8) so Bengali readers do not collapse Paul’s two distinct Greek terms into one word; both terms carry residual jnana-marga (path-of-knowledge-to-liberation) associations that could recast the cross/worldly-wisdom antithesis as a contest between two paths to moksha rather than a rebuke of human intellectual pride before the revealed wisdom of the cross. ঈশ্বরের সামর্থ্য (never শক্তি, given Shakta-Hindu goddess-power associations) must anchor 1:18,24.
Divine Calling
Bengali name: ঈশ্বরের আহ্বান
Key terms: called, calling
Review routing: Human theologian
In 7:17-24 God’s effectual call to a believer’s situation in life must retain the sovereign, God-initiated force of আহুত/আহ্বান, distinguished from Sufi-inflected notions of mystical vocation and from a Hindu soul’s dharma-path unfolding, consistent with the Romans baseline’s risk note.
Gospel and Apostolic Tradition
Bengali name: সুসমাচার ও প্রেরিতীয় ঐতিহ্য
Key terms: gospel, received_tradition, delivered_tradition, stand_firm, in_vain
Review routing: Human theologian
The receive/deliver formula (গ্রহণ করা/সমর্পণ করা) could be positively echoed by the Bengali guru-parampara (teaching-lineage) tradition, but must be clarified as a closed, fixed, non-evolving apostolic deposit, not an adaptable oral tradition passed teacher to disciple across generations.
Grace
Bengali name: অনুগ্রহ
Key terms: grace, persecuted
Review routing: Human theologian
1 Corinthians 15:10 (‘not I, but the grace of God with me’) is a grace-versus-merit passage on par with Romans 4:4-5 and must be flagged with the same escalation rule: unmerited favor directly contradicts both a Hindu karma-merit accounting framework and an Islamic salvation-by-weighed-deeds framework, and Paul’s own ministry identity must be shown as grace-based, not self-achieved.
Inspiration and Revelation of Mystery
Bengali name: নিগূঢ়তত্ত্বের প্রেরণা ও প্রকাশ
Key terms: mystery, holy_spirit
Review routing: Human theologian
নিগূঢ়তত্ত্ব must be used rather than bare রহস্য, which in general Bengali usage carries strong occult/tantric secret-knowledge associations (তান্ত্রিক রহস্য); the biblical μυστήριον is a truth once hidden in God’s plan and now openly disclosed in the gospel to all believers, not an esoteric secret reserved for initiates as in tantric or Sufi esoteric traditions.
Marriage and Singleness
Bengali name: বিবাহ ও অবিবাহিত অবস্থা
Key terms: marriage, virgin, unmarried, widow, one_flesh, called
Review routing: Human theologian
Paul’s situational pastoral counsel (including permission for widow remarriage, 7:39) sits against strong Bengali social norms: arranged marriage as the assumed default and, especially in Hindu tradition, social taboo against widow remarriage. The text’s plain meaning must not be altered, but pastoral framing sensitivity is required so the passage is not misread as either endorsing or overturning contemporary Bengali marriage custom wholesale.
Order in Worship: Headship and Head Covering
Bengali name: উপাসনায় শৃঙ্খলা: মস্তকত্ব ও মাথা ঢাকা
Key terms: head, head_covering, authority_symbol
Review routing: Human theologian
মাথা ঢাকা (head covering) intersects directly with live, religiously-coded dress practice: covering the head with an আঁচল/ওড়না in Hindu devotional and social contexts, and hijab/burqa practice in Muslim contexts. The translation must render Paul’s argument as a first-century cultural-and-theological point about honor and headship, without implying endorsement or rejection of any specific contemporary Bengali religious dress practice; মাথা/মস্তক (headship) must avoid both a softened-egalitarian and an exaggerated-hierarchical gloss.
Order in Worship: Intelligibility and Silence
Bengali name: উপাসনায় শৃঙ্খলা: বোধগম্যতা ও নীরবতা
Key terms: order, silence, edification, interpretation_of_tongues
Review routing: Human theologian
নীরব থাকা (silence, 14:34-35) is a contemporary flashpoint passage in both complementarian and egalitarian Bengali church contexts; it must be rendered accurately and without an interpretive gloss that resolves the passage’s genuine exegetical difficulty, and flagged for joint human theologian and native-speaker review rather than settled unilaterally in translation.
Redemption (Bought with a Price)
Bengali name: মূল্য দিয়ে ক্রয়
Key terms: redeemed
Review routing: Human theologian
মূল্য দিয়ে ক্রয় করা হয়েছ must convey belonging and ownership by Christ, not a merely commercial transaction; Bengali historical associations with bonded labor and enslavement could either sharpen or distract from the image, so a brief gloss on belonging (not exploitation) is advisable.
Spiritual Gifts and the Body of Christ
Bengali name: আত্মিক বর ও খ্রীষ্টের শরীর
Key terms: spiritual_gifts, body_of_christ, members, healing, discerning_of_spirits, speaking_in_tongues, manifestation_of_spirit
Review routing: Human theologian
আত্মা পরীক্ষা করার ক্ষমতা (discerning of spirits) and ভাষায় কথা বলা (tongues) must be kept distinct from spirit-possession trance phenomena prevalent in Bengali folk-Hindu deity-possession rites and folk-Islamic jinn-possession/Sufi dhikr states; these gifts are Spirit-given enablements exercised with self-control for the common good, not loss-of-self mystical trance. This elevates the doctrine’s overall risk above the individual charisma term’s Medium lexical rating in the baseline.
Medium Risk Doctrines
Apostolic Stewardship and Ministry
Bengali name: প্রেরিতীয় ভাণ্ডারিত্ব ও সেবাকাজ
Key terms: steward, apostle, crown
Review routing: Native speaker review
ভাণ্ডারী (steward) and প্রেরিত (apostle) must convey an authorized, accountable ministry office, not a generic spiritual-guide role resembling a Sufi pir or Hindu guru who accrues personal devoted followers.
Church as God’s People: Fellowship and Giving
Bengali name: ঈশ্বরের প্রজা রূপে মণ্ডলী: সহভাগিতা ও দান
Key terms: saints, collection, church
Review routing: Native speaker review
দান সংগ্রহ (collection) must be framed as voluntary, worship-integrated giving among পবিত্র লোক across congregations, not obligatory religious tax/tithe imagery drawn from either Hindu দান-punya (merit-earning donation) custom or Islamic zakat obligation.
Divine Judgment and Self-Examination
Bengali name: ঈশ্বরের বিচার ও আত্মপরীক্ষা
Key terms: examine_discern_body
Review routing: Native speaker review
বিচার করা/পরীক্ষা করা must convey the Lord’s own future evaluative judgment and a believer’s honest self-examination before communion, not merit-earning ritual purification or a premature human verdict Paul explicitly forbids in 4:5.
Eschatological Hope
Bengali name: ভবিষ্যৎ আশা
Key terms: trumpet, maranatha, imperishable, mortal_immortality
Review routing: Native speaker review
মারান আথা (Maranatha) is preserved untransliterated per the established Aramaic-retention pattern (cf. আব্বা); তূরী (trumpet, 15:52) offers a potential positive bridge point with the Last-Trumpet (Sur) of Islamic eschatology rather than a collision risk, but this should be noted for teaching materials, not assumed automatically understood.
Kingdom of God
Bengali name: ঈশ্বরের রাজ্য
Key terms: kingdom_of_god
Review routing: Native speaker review
ঈশ্বরের রাজ্য must be kept a matter of God’s sovereign reign, distinguished both from a territorial/political kingdom (a sensitive association in a religiously plural nation-state context) and, in 15:24’s climactic handover to the Father, from any cyclical cosmic-age framework.
Low Risk Doctrines
Christian Fellowship
Bengali name: খ্রীষ্টীয় সহভাগিতা
Key terms: fellowship, holy_kiss
Review routing: Automated review
পবিত্র চুম্বন (holy kiss) is not customary Bengali social practice across Hindu or Muslim contexts; low doctrinal risk, but teaching materials should note this reflects the customary Mediterranean-era greeting, typically contextualized today as a warm holy greeting or embrace.
Referenced passages