Core Glossary
Core Glossary — 2 Corinthians (English–Cantonese)
Part 1: Baseline Terms Reused Exactly (No Change to Rendering)
| Term | Baseline Cantonese | Risk (baseline) | 2 Corinthians chapters citing this term | 2 Corinthians-specific note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| gospel | 福音 | Medium | 2, 4, 9, 10, 11 | Ch. 2’s “peddlers of the word” (2:17) directly tests the baseline caution against commercial/prosperity framing of 福. |
| grace | 恩典 | Critical | 1, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13 | Central to “Generosity and Grace in Giving” (chs. 8-9) and “Power in Weakness” (12:9). Must never be framed as reciprocal temple-vow favor, nor as the reciprocal gift-economy of 人情/利是. |
| faith | 信心 | High | 1, 4, 5, 8, 10, 13 | 5:7 “walk by faith, not by sight” is a key formulation for this curriculum. |
| righteousness | 義 | Critical | 3, 5, 6, 9, 11 | 5:21 “the righteousness of God” is core-passage anchor term; must retain forensic, credited sense against 義氣 loyalty-code collision. |
| salvation | 救恩 | Critical | 1, 6, 7 | 7:10 “godly sorrow … produces … salvation.” |
| holy | 聖潔 | High | 1, 6, 7 | 7:1 “let us cleanse ourselves … bringing holiness to completion.” |
| saints | 聖徒 | High | 1, 8, 9, 13 | Beneficiaries of the collection (chs. 8-9). |
| sanctification | 成聖 | High | 7 | 7:1 process sense. |
| resurrection | 復活 | Critical | 4, 5 | 4:14, 5:15 — ground of new-creation hope. |
| lord | 主 | Critical | throughout | Christ’s exclusive lordship underlies apostolic authority claims (chs. 10-13). |
| jesus | 耶穌 | Critical | throughout | Standard form. |
| god | 神 | Critical | throughout | Standard form; never 天主/上帝 per baseline. |
| holy_spirit | 聖靈 | Critical | 1, 3, 13 | 1:22 seal; 3:3-18 letter/Spirit contrast (flagged for ambiguity, see Part 2); 13:14 benediction. |
| father | 父 | High | 1, 6 | 1:3 “Father of mercies”; 6:18 “I will be a father to you.” |
| covenant | 約 | High | 3 | Extended as 新約 (new covenant); see Part 2. |
| glory | 榮耀 | Medium | 3, 4, 8 | 3:7-18, 4:17 “eternal weight of glory.” |
| apostle | 使徒 | Medium/Low | 1, 8, 11, 12 | Contrasted with false apostles (ch. 11); see Part 2. |
| church | 教會 | Medium | 1, 8, 11, 12 | Extended by “temple of God” (ch. 6); see Part 2. |
| fellowship | 團契 | Low | 6, 8, 13 | 6:14 “what fellowship has light with darkness”; 13:14 benediction. |
| thanksgiving | 感恩 | Low | 1, 2, 4, 8, 9 | Frequent throughout; standard. |
| power_of_god | 神嘅大能 | High | 4, 6, 12, 13 | 12:9 “my power is made perfect in weakness” — core anchor for “Power in Weakness”; see Part 2 extension. |
| peace | 平安 | Medium | 13 | Closing greeting formula. |
| sin | 罪 | High | 5, 11 | 5:21 “made him to be sin”; underlies “godly sorrow” (ch. 7) and “thorn in the flesh” (ch. 12) risk notes. |
| calling / called | 蒙召嘅 / 呼召 | High | 1 | 1:1 “Paul, an apostle … by the will of God.” |
| exhort | 勸勉 | Low | 1, 5, 13 | παρακαλέω also carries “comfort” sense in ch. 1 — see Part 2 new term “comfort.” |
| imputed_righteousness | 算為義 | Critical | 5 | 5:19 “not counting their trespasses” is the negative counterpart; see Part 2 “non-imputation of trespasses.” |
| messiah / christ | 基督 | Critical | throughout | Standard form. |
Part 2: New Terms Proposed for This Curriculum
| Term | Category / Doctrine | Risk | Greek (transliteration) | Cantonese rendering | Alternatives rejected | Chapters | Justification / Cultural collision note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| reconciliation | Reconciliation with God | Critical | καταλλαγή (katallagē) | 和好 (wo4 hou2) | 和解 (secular dispute-settlement), 講和 (peace between equals), 復和 | 5 | God’s gracious, unilateral initiative toward estranged sinners; must not be reduced to a negotiated business/legal settlement or a peace treaty between equal parties. |
| reconciled (verb) | Reconciliation with God | Critical | καταλλάσσω (katallassō) | 和好 (verb use) | same as above | 5 | Passive imperative “be reconciled” (5:20) must be preserved as receiving God’s accomplished act, not human-initiated peacemaking effort. |
| new creation | New Creation in Christ | Critical | καινὴ κτίσις (kainē ktisis) | 新造嘅人 (san1 zou6 ge3 jan4) | 脫胎換骨 (Daoist internal-alchemy transformation idiom), 重新開始 (secular “starting over”/New Year resolution framing) | 5 | God’s unilateral, ontological, once-for-all act through union with Christ, not a self-cultivated transformation or a resolution to try harder. |
| in Christ / union with Christ | Christian Identity in Christ (extends Romans doctrine) | High | ἐν Χριστῷ (en Christō) | 在基督裡面 (zoi6 gei1 duk1 leoi5 min6) | — | 5, 13 | Ground of both “new creation” (5:17) and “Christ in you” (13:5); must retain relational-union sense, not mere affiliation with a religious group. |
| ambassador | Sincerity and Apostolic Authority | High | πρεσβεύω (presbeuō) | 基督嘅使者 (gei1 duk1 ge3 si2 ze2) | 神使 (folk-deity messenger-spirit figure), 大使 (modern diplomatic title, anachronistic) | 5 | Delegated apostolic authority to proclaim Christ’s message; must not be confused with a folk-deity’s attendant messenger-spirit. |
| fear of the Lord | Reconciliation with God / apostolic motive | High | φόβος Κυρίου (phobos Kyriou) | 敬畏主 (ging3 wai3 zyu2) | 怕鬼/忌諱-style superstitious fear, 怕得罪神明 (fear of offending a temple deity) | 5 | Reverent awe before a holy, personal, self-revealed God, not fear of an offended spirit’s curse or ghost-month taboo. |
| love (of Christ / of God) | Reconciliation with God / Trinitarian benediction | Medium | ἀγάπη (agapē) | 愛 (oi3) | 愛情 (romantic love), 人情 (reciprocal social-obligation affection) | 5, 13 | Self-giving, sacrificial love distinct from romantic love and from Confucian reciprocal social-relational affection. |
| comfort | Suffering and Comfort in Ministry | Medium | παράκλησις / παρακαλέω (paraklēsis/parakaleō, comfort sense) | 安慰 (on1 wai3) | fatalistic resignation (“命中注定,冇計”), feng shui/lucky-charm psychological comfort | 1, 7 | God’s active, purposive consolation in suffering, given to be shared with others — not passive fatalism or superstition-based reassurance. |
| affliction / suffering | Suffering and Comfort in Ministry | Medium | θλῖψις (thlipsis) | 患難 (waan6 naan6) | 報應 (karmic retribution), 運滯 (colloquial “being down on one’s luck”) | 1, 4, 6, 11 | Suffering with purposive, God-given meaning, not karmic punishment or fatalistic misfortune. |
| seal / guarantee (of the Spirit) | Suffering and Comfort in Ministry / assurance | High | σφραγίς / ἀρραβών (sphragis/arrabōn) | 印記 / 憑據 (jan3 gei3 / pang4 geoi3) | 訂金 (ordinary commercial earnest-money deposit), 平安符 (protective charm) | 1 | The Spirit as relational, covenantal pledge of future inheritance, not a commercial deposit or protective talisman. |
| sincerity | Sincerity and Apostolic Authority | High | ἁπλότης / εἰλικρίνεια (haplotēs/eilikrineia) | 真誠 / 純正 (zan1 sing4 / seon4 zing3) | performative face-preserving politeness, marketing “sincerity” rhetoric (cf. the mocking colloquial phrase “誠意recommend”) | 1, 2 | Genuine, transparent motive before God, not a rhetorical posture used to close a sale or preserve face. |
| peddling the word | Sincerity and Apostolic Authority | High | καπηλεύω (kapēleuō) | 當神嘅道做生意 (dong3 san4 ge3 dou6 zou6 saang1 ji3) | — | 2 | Explicit rejection of commercializing gospel ministry; a live concern given Hong Kong’s commercial culture. |
| fragrance / aroma of Christ | Sincerity and Apostolic Authority | High | εὐωδία / ὀσμή (euōdia/osmē) | 馨香之氣 (hing1 hoeng1 zi1 hei3) | conflation with incense-offering to a deity/ancestor (燒香) | 2 | Metaphor for the pervasive influence of gospel knowledge, not a ritual offering to appease a spirit. |
| triumphal procession | Suffering and Comfort in Ministry | Medium | θριαμβεύω (thriambeuō) | 得勝嘅巡遊 / 誇勝 (dak1 sing3 ge3 caa4 jau4) | — | 2 | Roman victory-parade imagery; requires background explanation for readers unfamiliar with the custom. |
| ministry / minister | Suffering and Comfort in Ministry / New Covenant | Medium | διακονία / διάκονος (diakonia/diakonos) | 事工 / 事奉 / 執事 (si6 gung1 / si6 fung6 / zap1 si6) | 事頭 (employer/boss framing), 侍奉神明 (idol-tending) | 3, 4 | A divine trust and service to God and people, not employment or idol-attendance. |
| new covenant | The New Covenant versus the Old | High | καινὴ διαθήκη (kainē diathēkē) | 新約 (san1 joek3) | 合約 (commercial contract) | 3 | Extends baseline 約; requires translator note disambiguating “New Covenant” (theological relationship) from “New Testament” (book collection), both denoted by the same Chinese term. |
| letter (of the law) | The New Covenant versus the Old | High | γράμμα (gramma) | 字句 (zi6 geoi3) | — | 3 | The written Mosaic code, apart from the Spirit, condemns; contrasted with the life-giving Spirit. |
| letter and Spirit contrast | The New Covenant versus the Old | Critical | γράμμα / πνεῦμα (gramma/pneuma) | 字句 / 聖靈 (or 精意 depending on translator decision) | — | 3 | Genuine translation ambiguity: rendering πνεῦμα here only as “true meaning” (精意, the CUV-influenced option) risks losing pneumatological force; rendering only as 聖靈 requires care regarding the Spirit’s relation to the old covenant era. Flag for theologian review per baseline ambiguity-handling protocol. |
| veil | The New Covenant versus the Old | Medium | κάλυμμα (kalymma) | 帕子 (paak3 zi2) | — | 3 | Literal head-covering used metaphorically for spiritual dullness, removed only in Christ. |
| treasure in jars of clay | Power in Weakness | Medium | θησαυρὸν ἐν ὀστρακίνοις σκεύεσιν (thēsauron en ostrakinois skeuesin) | 寶貝放在瓦器裡面 | — | 4 | Fragile human container for priceless divine content; minor note on avoiding funerary-urn association. |
| judgment seat of Christ | Suffering and Comfort in Ministry / accountability | Critical | βῆμα (bēma) | 基督嘅審判台 (gei1 duk1 ge3 sam2 pun3 toi4) | 閻羅王審判 / 十殿閻王 (Yama’s underworld tribunal, Ten Kings judgment) | 5 | Must not be conflated with the well-known Hong Kong folk-Buddhist/Daoist underworld tribunal weighing merit/demerit after death; Christ’s judgment seat evaluates believers already secure in salvation, for reward. |
| non-imputation of trespasses | Reconciliation with God | Critical | μὴ λογιζόμενος τὰ παραπτώματα (mē logizomenos ta paraptōmata) | 唔算過犯 (m4 syun3 gwo3 faan6) | 功過相抵 (merit/demerit ledger balancing), 移禍/過關 (misfortune-transfer ritual) | 5 | Forensic non-imputation grounded in Christ’s substitution, not a moral ledger balance or a scapegoat ritual transferring bad luck. |
| became sin | Reconciliation with God | Critical | ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν (hamartian epoiēsen) | 神使…成為罪 (sing4 wai4 zeoi6) | 過關 / 移禍 (Lunar New Year scapegoat/misfortune-transfer temple ritual) | 5 | Judicial substitution grounded in Christ’s willing self-identification with sin’s guilt — not a magical misfortune-transfer, and not a claim that Christ’s nature became sinful. |
| unequally yoked | Sincerity and Apostolic Authority (separation) | Medium | ἑτεροζυγέω (heterozygeō) | 同負一軛 (tung4 fu6 jat1 aak3) | — | 6 | Agricultural metaphor; needs cultural-literacy gloss for urban readers, low doctrinal collision risk. |
| temple of God (believer/church) | Church as God’s dwelling (extends Romans church) | High | ναὸς θεοῦ (naos theou) | 神嘅殿 (san4 ge3 din6) | 廟 (idol shrine, already forbidden per baseline church) | 6 | Metaphorical indwelling by the Spirit, not a physical idol-housing shrine; note 殿 is also used for major folk-temple halls, requiring a clarifying gloss. |
| godly sorrow | Sincerity and Apostolic Authority / repentance | Medium | λύπη κατὰ θεόν (lypē kata theon) | 依神心意嘅憂愁 | 唔好意思 (face-loss shame/regret) | 7 | Repentance-producing grief oriented toward God, not social face-loss regret. |
| repentance | Reconciliation with God | Medium | μετάνοια (metanoia) | 悔改 (fui3 goi2) | 後悔 (mere regret), 拜太歲-style ritual fate-appeasement | 7 | Durable change of direction toward God, not fleeting remorse or ritual appeasement of misfortune. |
| grace of giving / generosity | Generosity and Grace in Giving | High | χάρις (charis, giving context) | 施捨嘅恩典 (extends baseline 恩典) | 人情 (reciprocal social-obligation gift economy), 利是 (New Year money-gift custom) | 8 | Generosity flowing from grace already received, without expectation of reciprocal social exchange. |
| equality | Generosity and Grace in Giving | Low-Medium | ἰσότης (isotēs) | 均平 (gwan1 ping4) | — | 8 | Mutual sufficiency among believers, not wealth-redistribution ideology. |
| cheerful giver | Generosity and Grace in Giving | Low | ἱλαρὸς δότης (hilaros dotēs) | 樂捐嘅人 (lok6 gyun1 ge3 jan4) | — | 9 | Joyful, willing generosity, not guilt- or pressure-driven giving. |
| sowing and reaping | Generosity and Grace in Giving | High | σπείρω / θερίζω (speirō/therizō) | 種 / 收 | 種因得果 (karmic cause-and-effect idiom) | 9 | God’s personal, gracious multiplication of generosity, not impersonal karmic retribution. |
| boasting | Genuine versus False Apostleship | Medium | καυχάομαι / καύχησις (kauchaomai/kauchēsis) | 誇口 / 自誇 (kwaa1 hau2) | — | 10, 11, 12 | Paul’s paradoxical “boasting in weakness/in the Lord” must not flatten into ordinary self-promotion (面子/威水). |
| weapons not of the flesh | Genuine versus False Apostleship | Medium | τὰ ὅπλα … οὐ σαρκικά (ta hopla … ou sarkika) | 唔屬肉體嘅兵器 | 內功 (martial-arts “internal power” framing) | 10 | Spiritual, non-coercive means of apostolic engagement. |
| false apostles | Genuine versus False Apostleship | High | ψευδαπόστολοι (pseudapostoloi) | 假使徒 (gaa2 si2 tou4) | — | 11 | Counterfeit claimants to apostolic authority; must convey deception, not mere rivalry. |
| Satan | Genuine versus False Apostleship | High | Σατανᾶς (Satanas) | 撒但 (saat3 daan6) | — | 2, 11, 12 | Established transliteration; grounds the “angel of light” disguise-imagery. |
| angel of light | Genuine versus False Apostleship | High | ἄγγελος φωτός (angelos phōtos) | 光明嘅天使 (gwong1 ming4 ge3 tin1 si2) | benevolent-spirit/fox-spirit apparition folk motifs | 11 | Doctrinal deception wearing a righteous mask, not a ghost-story trope of a benevolent-seeming spirit. |
| super-apostles | Genuine versus False Apostleship | Medium | οἱ ὑπερλίαν ἀπόστολοι (hoi hyperlian apostoloi) | 至大嘅使徒 (zi3 daai6 ge3 si2 tou4) | — | 11 | Ironic/sarcastic title; tone must be preserved, not read as genuine honorific. |
| visions and revelations | Power in Weakness | High | ὀπτασίαι καὶ ἀποκαλύψεις (optasiai kai apokalypseis) | 異象同啟示 (ji6 zoeng6 tung4 kai2 si6) | 打坐/入定 (meditative/qigong cultivated visions), 問米 (spirit-medium trance visions) | 12 | Sovereign divine gift, not a cultivated or medium-induced experience; Paul refuses to build authority on it. |
| thorn in the flesh | Power in Weakness | Medium | σκόλοψ τῇ σαρκί (skolops tē sarki) | 肉中嘅刺 (juk6 zung1 dik1 ci3) | 報應 (karmic retribution for past sin) | 12 | A Spirit-permitted trial for humility, not punishment for prior wrongdoing. |
| messenger of Satan | Power in Weakness | Medium | ἄγγελος σατανᾶ (angelos satana) | 撒但嘅差役 (saat3 daan6 ge3 caai1 jik6) | — | 12 | Immediate agent of the thorn, under God’s sovereign permission. |
| weakness | Power in Weakness | High | ἀσθένεια (astheneia) | 軟弱 (jyun5 joek6) | — | 11, 12, 13 | Central term; the site where, not despite which, God’s power is displayed. |
| power perfected in weakness | Power in Weakness | Critical | ἡ δύναμίς μου ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελεῖται (hē dynamis mou en astheneia teleitai) | 我嘅能力係在人嘅軟弱上顯得完全 (extends baseline 神嘅大能) | 轉運 (feng shui-style fortune-reversal), 唔衰得 (face-preserving denial of weakness) | 12 | God’s power is displayed IN weakness, not by first removing it through ritual fortune-reversal or by hiding it to preserve face. |
| third heaven / paradise | Power in Weakness | Medium | τρίτος οὐρανός / παράδεισος (tritos ouranos/paradeisos) | 第三層天 / 樂園 | 仙境/蓬萊仙島 (Daoist immortal-paradise imagery) | 12 | The specific presence of the biblical God, not a generic immortal realm. |
| self-examination | Genuine versus False Apostleship | Medium | δοκιμάζω / πειράζω (dokimazō/peirazō) | 省察自己 / 試驗自己 | 求籤 (fortune-stick divination) | 13 | Spirit-illumined self-examination in light of Scripture, not divinatory self-testing. |
| Trinitarian benediction (grace, love, fellowship) | (Doxological climax; ties all doctrines together) | Critical | χάρις, ἀγάπη, κοινωνία (charis, agapē, koinōnia) | 恩典、愛、團契 (each Person’s distinct gift retained) | blended/generic single “blessing” formula | 13 | All three Persons and their distinct gifts must remain clearly distinguished, matching the Trinitarian rigor of the baseline Romans package. |
Part 3: Risk Tier Summary for This Curriculum
| Risk Tier | Count (new terms) | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | 9 | Human theologian review — every occurrence |
| High | 15 | Human theologian review |
| Medium | 16 | Native speaker review recommended |
| Low | 4 | Automated review sufficient |
This glossary, together with analysis/07_semantic_analysis.md, must be merged into an updated translation_memory.json and doctrine_risk_registry.json (version incremented) before any Phase 2 segment translation of 2 Corinthians begins, per the Pre-flight Checklist established in 12_ai_translation_requirements.md.
Critical Risk Terms
Grace
Approved rendering: 恩典
Transliteration: jan1 din2
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: 福氣, 有求必應式嘅恩典, 功德
Original: χάρις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package exactly. Central to 2 Corinthians 8-9 (generosity flowing from grace already given) and 12:9 (‘my grace is sufficient for you’). In the giving context extend the baseline fence to also exclude 人情 (reciprocal social-obligation gift economy) and 利是 (Lunar New Year money-gift custom), both of which carry an expectation of reciprocal return foreign to unmerited grace. See new term ‘grace_of_giving’ for the extended compound.
Righteousness
Approved rendering: 義
Transliteration: ji6
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: 道德, 善行
Original: δικαιοσύνη
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package exactly. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (‘the righteousness of God’) is the core-passage anchor: believers become God’s righteousness credited ‘in him’. Must always carry the standing baseline flag distinguishing this forensic, credited standing from the Confucian Five Constant Virtue resonance and the triad/gangster-film loyalty-and-honour idiom 義氣 still live in Cantonese popular media.
Justification
Approved rendering: 稱義
Transliteration: cing1 ji6
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: 修成正果, 還神還願
Inherited from Romans package exactly. Not a primary focus term in 2 Corinthians but retained for consistency, since 5:21’s forensic logic (imputed righteousness) and 5:19’s non-imputation of trespasses both depend on the same forensic-declaration framework as justification. NEVER 修成正果 or 還神還願.
Salvation
Approved rendering: 救恩
Transliteration: gau3 jan1
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: 解脫, 超度, 大慈大悲救苦救難
Original: σωτηρία
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package exactly. 2 Corinthians 7:10 links godly sorrow to salvation. NEVER use 解脫 (Buddhist liberation from samsara), 超度, or Guanyin’s popular epithet, given the prevalence of Guanyin devotion in Hong Kong households.
Resurrection
Approved rendering: 復活
Transliteration: fuk6 wut6
Doctrine: Resurrection of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 投胎轉世, 問米式嘅還魂
Original: ἀνάστασις / ἐγείρω
Category: Eschatology
Inherited from Romans package exactly. 2 Corinthians 4:14 and 5:15 ground new-creation hope and ministry endurance in Christ’s resurrection. NEVER use 投胎轉世 (rebirth cycle) or a 問米 spirit-medium framing.
Lord
Approved rendering: 主
Transliteration: zyu2
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 事頭, 老爺
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package exactly. Christ’s exclusive Lordship underlies Paul’s apostolic authority claims throughout chapters 10-13 and the closing benediction (13:14). Avoid 事頭 (employer/boss) or 老爺 (feudal honorific); keep doctrinal, not a political-loyalty statement, given Hong Kong’s political sensitivities.
Son Of God
Approved rendering: 神嘅兒子
Transliteration: san4 ge3 ji4 zi2
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 天子, 神人
Inherited from Romans package exactly. Retained for Christological consistency across the curriculum even though 2 Corinthians does not use the exact phrase; underlies 1:19 and 4:4-6’s Christ-centered proclamation. NEVER 天子; never abbreviate to 神人.
Jesus
Approved rendering: 耶穌
Transliteration: je4 sou1
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Original: Ἰησοῦς
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package exactly. Standard transliteration used throughout 2 Corinthians.
God
Approved rendering: 神
Transliteration: san4
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 天主, 上帝, 老天爺
Original: θεός
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package exactly. NEVER substitute 天主 (Catholic term, cf. 思高聖經) or 上帝, and NEVER 老天爺, for Protestant curriculum consistency throughout 2 Corinthians. Note 4:4’s ‘the god of this world’ (呢個世界嘅神) requires an explicit disambiguating gloss identifying Satan, since 神 is otherwise reserved for the true God under this package’s convention.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: 聖靈
Transliteration: sing3 ling4
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: 問米嘅靈, 祖先靈
Original: πνεῦμα ἅγιον
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package exactly. Governs the seal/guarantee imagery of 1:22, the letter-versus-Spirit contrast of 3:3-18 (see new term ‘letter’, flagged for per-occurrence theologian review), and the Trinitarian benediction of 13:14. NEVER 靈 alone; never framed through 問米 spirit-summoning.
Imputed Righteousness
Approved rendering: 算為義
Transliteration: syun3 wai4 ji6
Doctrine: Justification by Faith
Rejected alternatives: 修成正果嘅義, 自義
Original: ἐλογίσθη… εἰς δικαιοσύνην
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package exactly. 2 Corinthians 5:19’s ‘not counting their trespasses’ is the direct negative counterpart within the same forensic accounting framework (see new term ‘non_imputation_of_trespasses’); NEVER 修成正果嘅義 or 自義.
Messiah
Approved rendering: 基督
Transliteration: gei1 duk1
Doctrine: Messianic Promise
Rejected alternatives: 彌勒, 黃大仙式嘅救世主
Original: Χριστός
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package exactly. Used throughout 2 Corinthians; NEVER conflate with 彌勒 (Maitreya) or a wish-granting temple deity such as Wong Tai Sin.
Reconciliation
Approved rendering: 和好
Transliteration: wo4 hou2
Doctrine: Reconciliation with God
Rejected alternatives: 和解, 講和, 復和
Original: καταλλαγή / καταλλάσσω
Category: Reconciliation
New term anchoring the core passage (5:11-21) and the doctrine ‘Reconciliation with God’. NEVER 和解 (secular legal/commercial dispute-settlement, heavily used in Hong Kong contract and litigation contexts) or 講和 (peace negotiated between equal parties). God’s gracious, unilateral initiative toward estranged sinners, received passively (‘be reconciled’, 5:20), not a mediated settlement. Render 5:20’s passive imperative as accepting/receiving the reconciliation, never as a human-initiated peacemaking effort.
New Creation
Approved rendering: 新造嘅人
Transliteration: san1 zou6 ge3 jan4
Doctrine: New Creation in Christ
Rejected alternatives: 脫胎換骨, 重新開始
Original: καινὴ κτίσις
Category: Sanctification
New term anchoring 2 Corinthians 5:17. NEVER 脫胎換骨 (Daoist internal-alchemy idiom for shedding the mortal frame through cultivation practice) or generic secular ‘starting over’/New Year resolution framing (重新開始). God’s unilateral, gracious, once-for-all ontological act received through union with Christ, never self-cultivated transformation.
New Covenant
Approved rendering: 新約
Transliteration: san1 joek3
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
Rejected alternatives: 合約
Original: καινὴ διαθήκη
Category: Covenant
New term extending baseline 約 with 新 prefix (ch. 3). Requires a translator note disambiguating ‘New Covenant’ (theological relationship) from ‘新約’ as the standard Chinese term for the New Testament book collection — the same phrase denotes both, risking silent conflation if not flagged per occurrence. Avoid 合約 (commercial contract). Must also never be framed as one dispensation superseded by a further, newer revelation (guard against Church of Almighty God-style ‘new age beyond the New Testament’ teaching).
Letter
Approved rendering: 字句 (contrasted with 聖靈 / 精意)
Transliteration: zi6 geoi3
Doctrine: The Letter and the Spirit
Original: γράμμα / πνεῦμα
Category: Covenant
New term for γράμμα/πνεῦμα (3:6). GENUINE UNRESOLVED AMBIGUITY: πνεῦμα may be rendered as 聖靈 (the Holy Spirit, reusing the baseline Critical term) or, following one Chinese Bible tradition, as 精意 (‘the true intent’). Rendering only as 精意 risks losing the pneumatological force Paul intends; rendering only as 聖靈 risks implying the Spirit was wholly absent under the old covenant. Must be flagged for individual theologian decision at every occurrence, never resolved silently by default substitution.
Judgment Seat Of Christ
Approved rendering: 基督嘅審判台
Transliteration: gei1 duk1 ge3 sam2 pun3 toi4
Doctrine: The Judgment Seat of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 十殿閻王, 閻羅王審判
Original: τὸ βῆμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ
Category: Eschatology
New term for τὸ βῆμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ (5:10), immediately adjacent to the core passage. Must not be conflated with the Ten Kings of the underworld (十殿閻王) or Yama’s judgment of the dead (閻羅王審判), well-known concepts in Hong Kong funeral and popular-Buddhist/Daoist culture involving posthumous tribunals weighing merit and demerit toward rebirth. Evaluates believers already secure in salvation, for reward, not an underworld tribunal determining afterlife fate. Must always carry this explicit contrast clause.
Non Imputation Of Trespasses
Approved rendering: 唔算過犯
Transliteration: m4 syun3 gwo3 faan6
Doctrine: Reconciliation with God
Rejected alternatives: 功過相抵, 移禍/過關
Original: μὴ λογιζόμενος τὰ παραπτώματα
Category: Salvation
New term for μὴ λογιζόμενος τὰ παραπτώματα (5:19), core passage, the negative counterpart to baseline ‘imputed_righteousness’. NEVER let this collapse into the folk moral-ledger concept of 功過相抵 (‘merits offsetting demerits,’ historical merit/demerit ledgers 功過格) or into 移禍/過關-style ritual transference of misfortune. Rests on Christ’s substitution (5:21), not a balance of good against bad deeds.
Became Sin
Approved rendering: 神使…成為罪
Transliteration: san4 si2 … sing4 wai4 zeoi6
Doctrine: Substitutionary Atonement (Christ Made Sin for Us)
Rejected alternatives: 過關/移禍
Original: ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν
Category: Salvation
New term for ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν (5:21), core passage, the theological center of the letter. Must not be read as Christ literally becoming sinful in nature (a christological heresy) NOR as a folk scapegoat-style misfortune-transfer ritual (過關/移禍, a documented Hong Kong Lunar New Year temple practice of ritually transferring bad luck to a paper effigy or through a symbolic passage). Judicial substitution grounded in Christ’s real, willing self-identification with sin’s guilt.
Power Perfected In Weakness
Approved rendering: 我嘅能力係在人嘅軟弱上顯得完全
Transliteration: ngo5 ge3 nang4 lik6 hai6 zoi6 jan4 ge3 jyun5 joek6 soeng6 hin2 dak1 jyun4 cyun4
Doctrine: Power in Weakness
Rejected alternatives: 轉運, 唔衰得式嘅否認軟弱
Original: ἡ δύναμίς μου ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελεῖται
Category: Spiritual Warfare
New term extending baseline ‘power_of_god’ for 12:9, the theological center of this doctrine. Must not be softened into a fortune-reversal narrative (轉運, a prominent Hong Kong feng shui/fortune-telling concept of ritually turning bad luck into good) or into face-preserving denial of weakness (唔衰得). Weakness is not a misfortune-state to be ritually reversed; it is the very locus in which God’s power is displayed. Retain the full clause; do not abbreviate.
Trinitarian Benediction
Approved rendering: 主耶穌基督嘅恩典、神嘅愛、聖靈嘅團契
Transliteration: zyu2 je4 sou1 gei1 duk1 ge3 jan1 din2, san4 ge3 oi3, sing3 ling4 ge3 tyun4 kai3
Doctrine: The Trinitarian Benediction
Rejected alternatives: 混合式嘅單一祝福
Original: ἡ χάρις τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἡ κοινωνία τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος
Category: God
New compound term for 13:14, combining baseline ‘grace’ (恩典), ‘fellowship’ (團契), and new term ‘love’ (愛). The three Persons and their distinct gifts must remain clearly distinguished, not blended into a single vague blessing formula, matching the Trinitarian rigor of the baseline Romans package’s Critical notes on 神/耶穌/聖靈. Never illustrate using Trimurti, Trikaya, or a multi-deity-pantheon analogy.
High Risk Terms
Faith
Approved rendering: 信心
Transliteration: seon3 sam1
Doctrine: Faith
Rejected alternatives: 虔誠, 睇相算命式嘅相信
Original: πίστις
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package exactly. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (‘we walk by faith, not by sight’) is a key formulation for this curriculum; must be distinguished from the confidence Hong Kong culture places in fortune-telling and palm-reading (睇相算命).
Holy
Approved rendering: 聖潔
Transliteration: sing3 git3
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: 清淨, 戒口修行式嘅潔淨
Original: ἅγιος
Category: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package exactly. 2 Corinthians 7:1 (‘bringing holiness to completion’) must not be read as ritual dietary abstinence (戒口修行) or Daoist/Buddhist ritual purity (清淨).
Saints
Approved rendering: 聖徒
Transliteration: sing3 tou4
Doctrine: Sainthood
Rejected alternatives: 神仙, 得道高人
Original: ἅγιοι
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package exactly. In 2 Corinthians 8-9, 聖徒 designates the ordinary Jerusalem believers who are beneficiaries of the collection — never rendered with 神仙 or 得道高人.
Sanctification
Approved rendering: 成聖
Transliteration: sing4 sing3
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: 修煉, 戒除惡習
Original: ἁγιασμός
Category: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package exactly. 2 Corinthians 7:1 uses the process sense (‘bringing holiness to completion’); distinguish from self-directed cultivation regimens (修煉) associated with qigong/martial-arts training.
Father
Approved rendering: 父
Transliteration: fu6
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Rejected alternatives: 祖先, 老竇式嘅父
Original: πατήρ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package exactly. 2 Corinthians 1:3 (‘Father of mercies’) and 6:18 (‘I will be a father to you’) extend this relational, compassionate character; distinguish from ancestor veneration (拜祖先) practiced at Ching Ming/Chung Yeung festivals.
Abba
Approved rendering: 阿爸
Transliteration: aa3 baa1
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Inherited from Romans package exactly. Not used in 2 Corinthians directly but retained for cross-curriculum consistency in teaching the Father doctrine.
Covenant
Approved rendering: 約
Transliteration: joek3
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Rejected alternatives: 合約, 還神還願嘅承諾
Original: διαθήκη
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package exactly. Extended in 2 Corinthians 3 as 新約 (new covenant, see new term entry); avoid 合約 (an ordinary commercial contract), heavily used in Hong Kong property/business culture.
Power Of God
Approved rendering: 神嘅大能
Transliteration: san4 ge3 daai6 nang4
Doctrine: Power of God for Salvation
Rejected alternatives: 法力, 風水嘅力量
Original: δύναμις θεοῦ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package exactly. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (‘my power is made perfect in weakness’) is the core anchor for the ‘Power in Weakness’ doctrine of this curriculum (see extended new term ‘power_perfected_in_weakness’); NEVER 法力 or feng shui-attributed power (風水嘅力量).
Sin
Approved rendering: 罪
Transliteration: zeoi6
Doctrine: Universal Human Accountability
Rejected alternatives: 報應, 唔衰得
Original: ἁμαρτία
Category: Sin
Inherited from Romans package exactly. Central to 2 Corinthians 5:21 (‘made him to be sin’) and underlies the risk notes for ‘godly sorrow’ (ch. 7) and ‘thorn in the flesh’ (ch. 12); distinguish from karmic retribution (報應) and face-loss idiom (唔衰得).
Called
Approved rendering: 蒙召嘅
Transliteration: mung4 siu6 ge3
Doctrine: Divine Calling
Rejected alternatives: 天生註定, 命中注定
Original: κλητός
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package exactly. 2 Corinthians 1:1 (‘Paul, an apostle… by the will of God’) uses the calling sense; distinguish from fate read off a birth chart (八字).
Calling
Approved rendering: 呼召
Transliteration: fu1 siu6
Doctrine: Divine Calling
Rejected alternatives: 命運, 緣分
Original: κλῆσις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package exactly. Underlies the apostolic authority claims of 2 Corinthians 1:1 and chapters 10-13; NEVER 命運 or 緣分.
In Christ
Approved rendering: 在基督裡面
Transliteration: zoi6 gei1 duk1 leoi5 min6
Doctrine: Union with Christ / Christian Identity
Original: ἐν Χριστῷ
Category: Salvation
New term; the union/incorporation formula grounding 5:17’s new creation and 13:5’s ‘Christ in you’. Must retain relational, ontological union sense, not mere affiliation with a religious organization, clan/lineage standing, or face-based social identity.
Ambassador
Approved rendering: 基督嘅使者
Transliteration: gei1 duk1 ge3 si2 ze2
Doctrine: Sincerity and Apostolic Authority
Rejected alternatives: 神使, 大使
Original: πρεσβεύω
Category: Apostleship
New term for 5:20’s πρεσβεύω. Must be distinguished from a folk deity’s attendant messenger-spirit figure (神使, present in Hong Kong popular temple lore) and from the anachronistic modern diplomatic title 大使. The apostolic ambassador proclaims the gospel with Christ’s own delegated authority, not as a spirit intermediary relaying a deity’s wishes.
Fear Of The Lord
Approved rendering: 敬畏主
Transliteration: ging3 wai3 zyu2
Doctrine: The Judgment Seat of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 怕鬼/忌諱式嘅懼怕, 怕得罪神明
Original: φόβος Κυρίου
Category: Faith
New term opening the core passage (5:11). Must not be rendered through the superstitious fear of offending spirits or deities reinforced by Hong Kong household caution around Ghost Month (盂蘭節) taboos, nor as fear of an offended temple deity’s curse. Reverent awe before a holy, personal, self-revealed God who will evaluate believers already secure in salvation (5:10).
Seal And Guarantee
Approved rendering: 印記 / 憑據
Transliteration: jan3 gei3 / pang4 geoi3
Doctrine: Assurance through the Spirit’s Seal and Guarantee
Rejected alternatives: 訂金, 平安符
Original: σφραγίς / ἀρραβών
Category: God
New term for σφραγίς/ἀρραβών (1:21-22; 5:5). Must not be reduced to an ordinary commercial earnest-money deposit (訂金, heavily used in Hong Kong property/retail transactions) or a protective talisman (平安符). A relational, covenantal pledge from a personal God guaranteeing future inheritance.
Sincerity
Approved rendering: 真誠 / 純正
Transliteration: zan1 sing4 / seon4 zing3
Doctrine: Sincerity and Apostolic Authority
Rejected alternatives: 誠意recommend式嘅推銷語氣, 表面客氣
Original: ἁπλότης / εἰλικρίνεια
Category: Apostleship
New term anchoring 1:12; 2:17; 4:2. Must not be rendered as performative face-preserving politeness or marketing rhetoric — compare the mocking colloquial phrase ‘誠意recommend’ used for insincere sales pitches, the very opposite of Paul’s claim about himself.
Peddling The Word
Approved rendering: 當神嘅道做生意
Transliteration: dong3 san4 ge3 dou6 zou6 saang1 ji3
Doctrine: Sincerity and Apostolic Authority
Original: καπηλεύοντες τὸν λόγον
Category: Apostleship
New term for καπηλεύω (2:17). Explicitly rejected by Paul; must be clearly distinguished from legitimate support of gospel workers (chs. 8-9). A live concern given Hong Kong’s highly commercial culture and prosperity-tinged associations already flagged for 福 in ‘gospel’.
Fragrance Of Christ
Approved rendering: 馨香之氣
Transliteration: hing1 hoeng1 zi1 hei3
Doctrine: Sincerity and Apostolic Authority
Rejected alternatives: 燒香式嘅敬奉
Original: εὐωδία / ὀσμὴ Χριστοῦ
Category: Apostleship
New term for εὐωδία/ὀσμή Χριστοῦ (2:15-16). Must not be conflated with incense-offering to appease a deity or ancestor (燒香), a dominant Cantonese religious practice at temples and ancestral rites. A metaphor for the pervasive influence of gospel knowledge, not a ritual offering.
Died For All
Approved rendering: 為眾人而死
Transliteration: wai6 zung3 jan4 ji4 sei2
Doctrine: Substitutionary Atonement (Christ Made Sin for Us)
Rejected alternatives: 陪住眾人死(非代替性讀法)
Original: ἀπέθανεν ὑπὲρ πάντων
Category: Salvation
New term for ἀπέθανεν ὑπὲρ πάντων (5:14-15), core passage. The substitutionary force of ὑπέρ must be preserved; a weaker ‘died alongside’ or merely exemplary reading would undercut the atonement doctrine underlying reconciliation (5:18-21).
Temple Of God
Approved rendering: 神嘅殿
Transliteration: san4 ge3 din6
Doctrine: The Church as the Temple of God
Rejected alternatives: 廟, 祠堂
Original: ναὸς θεοῦ
Category: Church
New term for ναὸς θεοῦ (6:16), extending baseline ‘church’. Must be clearly explained as metaphorical Spirit-indwelling, not a physical idol-housing shrine; 殿 (temple hall) is also the term used for grand folk temples (e.g. major halls at Tin Hau/天后 temples), so a clarifying gloss is essential every occurrence.
Grace Of Giving
Approved rendering: 施捨嘅恩典
Transliteration: si1 se3 ge3 jan1 din2
Doctrine: Generosity and Grace in Giving
Rejected alternatives: 人情, 利是
Original: χάρις (giving context)
Category: Generosity
New term extending baseline ‘grace’ for χάρις in the giving context (8:1-9:15). Must not be conflated with the reciprocal, social-obligation gift economy of 人情 (incurring a debt of repayment) or 利是 (Lunar New Year money-gift custom), both carrying an expectation of reciprocal exchange. Biblical generosity flows from grace already received, without expectation of return.
Sowing And Reaping
Approved rendering: 種 / 收
Transliteration: zung3 / sau1
Doctrine: Generosity and Grace in Giving
Rejected alternatives: 種因得果
Original: σπείρω / θερίζω
Category: Generosity
New term for σπείρω/θερίζω (9:6, 9:10). NEVER let this collapse into the impersonal karma-retribution framework 種因得果, a very common Cantonese Buddhist-derived idiom for cause-and-effect, structurally near-identical in shape to Paul’s own metaphor. Always retain an explicit subject clause naming God as the one who personally, graciously multiplies the harvest; never leave as a bare unattributed proverb.
False Apostles
Approved rendering: 假使徒
Transliteration: gaa2 si2 tou4
Doctrine: Genuine versus False Apostleship
Rejected alternatives: 另一個使徒 (過於溫和嘅講法)
Original: ψευδαπόστολοι
Category: Apostleship
New term for ψευδαπόστολοι (11:13), extending baseline ‘apostle’ with a negating prefix. Must be rendered so as to clearly mark these as counterfeit/illegitimate claimants, not merely ‘other’ or ‘rival’ apostles; the doctrinal point is deception, not simple disagreement.
Satan
Approved rendering: 撒但
Transliteration: saat3 daan6
Doctrine: Spiritual Deception and Discernment
Original: Σατανᾶς
Category: Spiritual Warfare
New term (established transliteration) for Σατανᾶς (2:11; 11:14; 12:7). Grounds the ‘angel of light’ disguise-imagery and the ‘messenger of Satan’ behind the thorn in the flesh.
Angel Of Light
Approved rendering: 光明嘅天使
Transliteration: gwong1 ming4 ge3 tin1 si2
Doctrine: Spiritual Deception and Discernment
Rejected alternatives: 狐仙/顯靈式嘅傳說
Original: ἄγγελος φωτός
Category: Spiritual Warfare
New term for ἄγγελος φωτός (11:14). Must be clearly framed as doctrinal deception (false teaching wearing a righteous mask), not read through Hong Kong folk-story motifs of benevolent-seeming spirits (e.g. fox-spirit or apparition legends), which could trivialize the warning into a ghost-story trope.
Visions And Revelations
Approved rendering: 異象同啟示
Transliteration: ji6 zoeng6 tung4 kai2 si6
Doctrine: Power in Weakness
Rejected alternatives: 打坐/入定, 問米
Original: ὀπτασίαι καὶ ἀποκαλύψεις
Category: Spiritual Warfare
New term for ὀπτασίαι καὶ ἀποκαλύψεις (12:1-4). Must be distinguished from visions attained through meditative/qigong cultivation practice (打坐/入定) or spirit-medium trance visions (問米). Paul’s revelation is a sovereign divine gift, not a cultivated or medium-induced experience, and he refuses to build authority on it.
Weakness
Approved rendering: 軟弱
Transliteration: jyun5 joek6
Doctrine: Power in Weakness
Rejected alternatives: 唔衰得式嘅隱藏
Original: ἀσθένεια
Category: Spiritual Warfare
New term for ἀσθένεια (chs. 11-13), central to ‘Power in Weakness’. Must resist the face-culture pressure to hide weakness (cf. baseline ‘sin’ note on 唔衰得, ‘mustn’t be seen to fail/lose face’).
Medium Risk Terms
Gospel
Approved rendering: 福音
Transliteration: fuk1 jam1
Doctrine: Gospel
Rejected alternatives: 好消息, 喜訊
Original: εὐαγγέλιον
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package exactly. 2 Corinthians 2:17 (‘peddlers of God’s word’) and 4:2-3 directly test the baseline caution against commercial/prosperity framing of 福 (cf. new term ‘peddling_the_word’); reinforce 福音 announces salvation through Christ, never a marketable product or a prosperity forecast.
Glory
Approved rendering: 榮耀
Transliteration: wing4 jiu6
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 面子, 威水
Original: δόξα
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package exactly. 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 (the New Covenant’s surpassing, unfading glory) and 4:17 (‘eternal weight of glory’); avoid 面子/威水, terms reducing glory to social status or flashy achievement.
Church
Approved rendering: 教會
Transliteration: gaau3 wui2
Doctrine: Church as God’s People
Rejected alternatives: 廟, 祠堂
Original: ἐκκλησία
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package exactly. Extended in 2 Corinthians 6:16 by the ‘temple of God’ metaphor (see new term entry); NEVER 廟 or 祠堂.
Peace
Approved rendering: 平安
Transliteration: ping4 on1
Doctrine: Peace with God
Rejected alternatives: 平安符式嘅平安, 老黃曆話嘅好日子
Original: εἰρήνη
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package exactly. Used in the closing greeting formula of 2 Corinthians 13; distinguish from protective-charm (平安符) or lucky-almanac (老黃曆) associations.
Love
Approved rendering: 愛
Transliteration: oi3
Doctrine: Reconciliation with God (5:14); The Trinitarian Benediction (13:14)
Rejected alternatives: 愛情, 人情
Original: ἀγάπη
Category: God
New term for ἀγάπη. 5:14 (‘the love of Christ controls us’) and 13:14 (the Father’s love in the Trinitarian benediction). Distinguish from romantic love (愛情) and from the reciprocal social-obligation affection of 人情, which implies an expectation of return.
Comfort
Approved rendering: 安慰
Transliteration: on1 wai3
Doctrine: Suffering and Comfort in Ministry
Rejected alternatives: 命中注定式嘅冇計, 風水/符咒式嘅心安
Original: παράκλησις / παρακαλέω
Category: Ministry
New term anchoring 1:3-7 and reinforced in ch. 7. Must not be rendered as fatalistic resignation (‘命中注定, 冇計’) or the psychological comfort associated with feng shui/lucky-charm practice; this is God’s active, purposive, relational consolation given so it can be shared with others.
Affliction
Approved rendering: 患難
Transliteration: waan6 naan6
Doctrine: Suffering and Comfort in Ministry
Rejected alternatives: 報應, 運滯
Original: θλῖψις
Category: Ministry
New term for θλῖψις, used in chs. 1, 4, 6, 11. Must not be read through 報應 (karmic retribution) or 運滯 (colloquial ‘being down on one’s luck,’ implying a state needing ritual reversal). Suffering in apostolic ministry has purposive, God-given meaning tied to shared comfort.
Triumphal Procession
Approved rendering: 得勝嘅巡遊
Transliteration: dak1 sing3 ge3 caa4 jau4
Doctrine: Suffering and Comfort in Ministry
Original: θριαμβεύω
Category: Ministry
New term for θριαμβεύω (2:14), the Roman victory-parade image. Requires cultural-background explanation for Hong Kong readers unfamiliar with the Roman triumph custom; low doctrinal collision risk but real comprehension risk.
Ministry
Approved rendering: 事工 / 事奉 / 執事
Transliteration: si6 gung1 / si6 fung6 / zap1 si6
Doctrine: Ministry as a Divine Trust
Rejected alternatives: 事頭式嘅僱傭關係, 侍奉神明
Original: διακονία / διάκονος
Category: Ministry
New term for διακονία/διάκονος (3:6; 4:1; 5:18). Must be distinguished from a feudal employer-servant framing (事頭, cf. baseline ‘lord’ note) and from tending an idol (侍奉神明, serving a temple deity). A divine trust and service to God and people, received by mercy.
Veil
Approved rendering: 帕子
Transliteration: paak3 zi2
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
Original: κάλυμμα
Category: Covenant
New term reusing the established CUV rendering for κάλυμμα (3:13-16). Clarify metaphorical use for spiritual dullness, not merely a literal cloth; distinguish from bridal-veil or other unrelated cultural veil associations.
Treasure In Jars Of Clay
Approved rendering: 寶貝放在瓦器裡面
Transliteration: bou2 bui3 fong3 zoi6 ngaa5 hei3 leoi5 min6
Doctrine: Power in Weakness
Original: θησαυρὸν ἐν ὀστρακίνοις σκεύεσιν
Category: Ministry
New term for θησαυρὸν ἐν ὀστρακίνοις σκεύεσιν (4:7). Minor cultural note: 瓦器 (earthenware vessel) could faintly evoke funerary urns; clarify the metaphor concerns ordinary fragile containers holding priceless divine content, not burial imagery.
Trespasses
Approved rendering: 過犯
Transliteration: gwo3 faan6
Doctrine: Reconciliation with God
Rejected alternatives: 錯誤
Original: παράπτωμα
Category: Sin
New term for παράπτωμα (5:19), a narrower nuance than baseline 罪 (a specific lapse rather than the general moral category). May be rendered 過犯 or 罪 depending on register, but must not be weakened to a merely social ‘mistake’ (錯誤).
Unequally Yoked
Approved rendering: 同負一軛
Transliteration: tung4 fu6 jat1 aak3
Doctrine: The Church as the Temple of God
Original: ἑτεροζυγέω
Category: Church
New term for ἑτεροζυγέω (6:14). The agricultural yoke-and-plow metaphor may be unfamiliar to urban Hong Kong readers and needs a brief cultural-literacy gloss, though doctrinal collision risk itself is low.
Godly Sorrow
Approved rendering: 依神心意嘅憂愁
Transliteration: ji1 san4 sam1 ji3 ge3 jau1 sau4
Doctrine: Godly Sorrow and Repentance
Rejected alternatives: 唔好意思
Original: λύπη κατὰ θεόν
Category: Sanctification
New term for λύπη κατὰ θεόν (7:10). Must be distinguished from face-loss shame/regret (唔好意思, losing face), which is socially rather than godly oriented; connects to baseline ‘sin’ note on 唔衰得.
Repentance
Approved rendering: 悔改
Transliteration: fui3 goi2
Doctrine: Godly Sorrow and Repentance
Rejected alternatives: 後悔, 拜太歲式嘅補救
Original: μετάνοια
Category: Salvation
New term for μετάνοια (7:9-10). Must be distinguished from superficial regret (後悔, ‘feeling sorry’) and from folk ritual fate-appeasement practices such as 拜太歲 (ritually placating one’s yearly astrological deity).
Boasting
Approved rendering: 誇口 / 自誇
Transliteration: kwaa1 hau2 / zi6 kwaa1
Doctrine: Genuine versus False Apostleship
Rejected alternatives: 威水, 面子
Original: καυχάομαι / καύχησις
Category: Apostleship
New term for καυχάομαι/καύχησις (chs. 10-12). Connects to baseline ‘glory’ note on 面子/威水; Paul’s paradoxical ‘boasting in weakness/in the Lord’ must not flatten into ordinary self-promotion or status display.
Weapons Not Of Flesh
Approved rendering: 唔屬肉體嘅兵器
Transliteration: m4 suk6 juk6 tai2 ge3 bing1 hei3
Doctrine: Genuine versus False Apostleship
Rejected alternatives: 內功
Original: τὰ ὅπλα… οὐ σαρκικά
Category: Apostleship
New term for τὰ ὅπλα… οὐ σαρκικά (10:4). Avoid framing with martial-arts/kung fu ‘internal power’ (內功) imagery common in Cantonese popular film culture, which could trivialize the spiritual seriousness intended.
Super Apostles
Approved rendering: 至大嘅使徒
Transliteration: zi3 daai6 ge3 si2 tou4
Doctrine: Genuine versus False Apostleship
Original: οἱ ὑπερλίαν ἀπόστολοι
Category: Apostleship
New term for οἱ ὑπερλίαν ἀπόστολοι (11:5; 12:11), Paul’s ironic/sarcastic title for rival leaders. The irony must be preserved — with quotation marks or an explanatory gloss — since a flat literal rendering risks sounding like genuine praise Paul does not intend.
Third Heaven Paradise
Approved rendering: 第三層天 / 樂園
Transliteration: dai6 saam1 cang4 tin1 / lok6 jyun4
Doctrine: Power in Weakness
Rejected alternatives: 仙境/蓬萊仙島
Original: τρίτος οὐρανός / παράδεισος
Category: Eschatology
New term for τρίτος οὐρανός/παράδεισος (12:2-4). Avoid conflating 樂園 with Daoist immortal-paradise imagery (仙境/蓬萊仙島, legendary immortal isles); this is the specific presence of the biblical God, not a generic immortal realm.
Thorn In The Flesh
Approved rendering: 肉中嘅刺
Transliteration: juk6 zung1 dik1 ci3
Doctrine: Power in Weakness
Rejected alternatives: 報應
Original: σκόλοψ τῇ σαρκί
Category: Spiritual Warfare
New term for σκόλοψ τῇ σαρκί (12:7). Must not be read as karmic punishment for past sin (報應); a purposeful, Spirit-permitted trial given to prevent pride after great revelation.
Messenger Of Satan
Approved rendering: 撒但嘅差役
Transliteration: saat3 daan6 ge3 caai1 jik6
Doctrine: Power in Weakness
Original: ἄγγελος σατανᾶ
Category: Spiritual Warfare
New term for ἄγγελος σατανᾶ (12:7), the thorn’s immediate agent. Must retain that this agent operates only under God’s sovereign permission, not as an independently effective force.
Self Examination
Approved rendering: 省察自己 / 試驗自己
Transliteration: saang2 caat3 zi6 gei2 / si3 jim6 zi6 gei2
Doctrine: Self-Examination and Genuine Faith
Rejected alternatives: 求籤
Original: δοκιμάζω / πειράζω
Category: Apostleship
New term for δοκιμάζω/πειράζω (13:5). Must not be reduced to a divination-style self-testing practice such as drawing a fortune-stick (求籤) to determine one’s spiritual standing; Spirit-illumined self-examination in light of Scripture and gospel truth.
Conscience
Approved rendering: 良心
Transliteration: loeng4 sam1
Doctrine: Sincerity and Apostolic Authority
Rejected alternatives: 唔好意思/怕醜
Original: συνείδησις
Category: Faith
New term for συνείδησις (5:11), core passage. Must be distinguished from face-driven social conscience (唔好意思/怕醜) that judges by reputation rather than before God.
Low Risk Terms
Apostle
Approved rendering: 使徒
Transliteration: si2 tou4
Doctrine: Apostleship
Rejected alternatives: 風水師, 大師
Original: ἀπόστολος
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package exactly. In 2 Corinthians 1, 8, 11-12, contrasted with the counterfeit claims of ‘false apostles’ (see new term entry); avoid 大師, a feng shui consultant title.
Fellowship
Approved rendering: 團契
Transliteration: tyun4 kai3
Doctrine: Christian Fellowship
Rejected alternatives: 同鄉會, 結拜
Original: κοινωνία
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package exactly. 2 Corinthians 6:14 (‘what fellowship has light with darkness’) and 13:14 (Trinitarian benediction, ‘the fellowship of the Holy Spirit’). Avoid 同鄉會 or 結拜.
Thanksgiving
Approved rendering: 感恩
Transliteration: gam2 jan1
Doctrine: Thanksgiving
Original: εὐχαριστία
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package exactly. Frequent throughout 2 Corinthians 1, 2, 4, 8, 9; standard usage, low risk.
Exhort
Approved rendering: 勸勉
Transliteration: hyun3 min5
Doctrine: Mutual Edification
Original: παρακαλέω
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package exactly. Context-sensitive (παρακαλέω) across 2 Corinthians 1 (comfort sense, see new term ‘comfort’), 5:20 (urgent-appeal sense within the ambassador/reconciliation passage), and 13 (final exhortation).
Equality
Approved rendering: 均平
Transliteration: gwan1 ping4
Doctrine: Generosity and Grace in Giving
Original: ἰσότης
Category: Generosity
New term for ἰσότης (8:13-14). The goal of the collection is mutual sufficiency among believers, not wealth-redistribution ideology as an end in itself.
Cheerful Giver
Approved rendering: 樂捐嘅人
Transliteration: lok6 gyun1 ge3 jan4
Doctrine: Generosity and Grace in Giving
Original: ἱλαρὸς δότης
Category: Generosity
New term for ἱλαρὸς δότης (9:7). God delights in generosity flowing from joy, not guilt or social pressure.
Referenced passages