Core Glossary
Core Glossary — James (Cantonese Destination Language)
This glossary consolidates every load-bearing term identified in 07_semantic_analysis.md, drawn from all five chapters of James, organized by curriculum doctrine. Terms already established in the baseline Romans translation_memory.json are marked Baseline reuse (exact) and must never be altered. New terms introduced for James are marked New — James package and require Phase 2 addition to translation memory with theologian sign-off where risk is Critical or High, per the escalation rules in 12_ai_translation_requirements.md.
Risk tiers follow the baseline’s definitions exactly: Critical = human theologian review every occurrence; High = human theologian review; Medium = native speaker review; Low = automated review.
A. Terms Reused Exactly from the Romans Baseline
| English Term | Greek | Cantonese | Jyutping | Risk | Doctrine Link | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faith | πίστις | 信心 | seon3 sam1 | High | Faith and Works | Object of faith in James’s diatribe (2:14–26) must remain recoverable as trust in God/Christ, not a bare propositional claim. |
| Grace | χάρις | 恩典 | jan1 din2 | Critical | Worldliness vs. Friendship with God (4:6) | “God gives grace to the humble” — reinforces baseline’s anti-merit, anti-Wong-Tai-Sin transactional framing. |
| Sin | ἁμαρτία | 罪 | zeoi6 | High | Trials/Testing; Confession and Restoration | Recurs at 1:15, 2:9, 4:17, 5:15–16, 5:20; moral offense against a personal God, not karmic retribution or face-loss. |
| Law | νόμος | 律法 | leot6 faat3 | High | Faith and Works; general | Recurs as “law of liberty” (1:25, 2:12) and “royal law” (2:8); never 規矩 or 法律. |
| God | θεός | 神 | san4 | Critical | All doctrines | Recurs throughout; never 天主/上帝/老天爺. |
| Lord | κύριος | 主 | zyu2 | Critical | Patience and the Lord’s Return | ”Coming of the Lord” (5:7-8) and “Lord of Sabaoth” (5:4) both build on this term. |
| Righteousness | δικαιοσύνη | 義 | ji6 | Critical | Faith and Works | ”Fruit of righteousness” (3:18); “credited to him as righteousness” (2:23). |
| Justification / justified | δικαιόω | 稱義 | cing1 ji6 | Critical | Faith and Works (core passage) | James 2:21, 2:24 — vindication/demonstration sense; MUST carry translator note distinguishing from, and harmonizing with, Paul’s forensic sense. |
| Imputed righteousness | ἐλογίσθη…εἰς δικαιοσύνην | 算為義 | syun3 wai4 ji6 | Critical | Faith and Works (core passage) | James 2:23 quotes the same Genesis 15:6 event Paul cites in Romans 4:3 — anchor term resolving the James/Paul tension. |
| Glory | δόξα | 榮耀 | wing4 jiu6 | Medium | Favoritism and the Poor | ”The Lord of glory” (2:1); never 面子/威水. |
| Kingdom of God | βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ | 神嘅國 | san4 ge3 gwok3 | Medium | Favoritism and the Poor | ”Heirs of the kingdom” (2:5). |
| Salvation (noun) | σωτηρία-family (σῴζω) | 救恩 / 得救 | gau3 jan1 / dak1 gau3 | Critical | Faith and Works; Prayer and Healing | Must be kept distinct from 醫治 (physical healing sense of σῴζω at 5:15). |
| Prophet | προφήτης | 先知 | sin1 zi1 | Low | Patience and the Lord’s Return | Elijah (5:17) and “the prophets” (5:10) as endurance/prayer exemplars. |
| Providence | (Romans 8:28 doctrine concept) | 神嘅護理 | san4 ge3 wu6 lei5 | High | Worldliness vs. Friendship with God | ”If the Lord wills” (4:15). |
| Obedience-flowing-from-faith construction | ὑπακοή / ὑποτάσσω root | 順服 | seon6 fuk6 | High | Worldliness vs. Friendship with God | ”Submit to God” (4:7); reuses baseline’s obedience-of-faith root vocabulary. |
| Holy Spirit | πνεῦμα ἅγιον | 聖靈 | sing3 ling4 | Critical | (Contrast case, 2:26) | James 2:26’s πνεῦμα is NOT the Holy Spirit (see 靈魂 entry below) — 聖靈 compound must be reserved exclusively for genuine Trinitarian references, none of which occur explicitly in James. |
B. Faith and Works (James 2:14–26 core passage; seeds in 1:22–25)
| English Term | Greek | Cantonese | Jyutping | Risk | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Works | ἔργα | 行為 | hang4 wai4 | Critical | Never framed as merit earning salvation; must never collide with 功德 (Buddhist merit) or 修成正果 (self-cultivated attainment, explicitly forbidden in baseline). |
| Dead (of faith) | νεκρά | 死 | sei2 | High | Categorical, not a matter of degree — “死嘅信心” names a non-faith, not weak faith. |
| Save (rhetorical, eternal) | σῶσαι | 救 | gau3 | Critical | 2:14’s rhetorical question; distinct from 5:15’s physical-healing σῴζω. |
| Perfected/completed | τελειόω (ἐτελειώθη) | 得以完全 | dak1 ji5 jyun4 cyun4 | Critical | Directly adjacent to forbidden 修成正果; faith reaching Spirit-given maturity through obedience, not self-attained perfection. |
| Justified (James’s vindicating sense) | δικαιόω | 稱義 | cing1 ji6 | Critical | See Section A; mandatory harmonizing note with Paul at every occurrence. |
| Friend of God | φίλος θεοῦ | 神嘅朋友 | san4 ge3 pang4 jau5 | High | Covenant intimacy from grace, not guanxi-style reciprocal favor-exchange. |
| Doer of the word / hearer only | ποιητὴς λόγου / ἀκροατής | 遵行道嘅人 / 淨係聽道嘅人 | zeon1 hang4 dou6 ge3 jan4 / zing6 hai6 teng1 dou6 ge3 jan4 | High | 1:22–25 seed of the Faith and Works doctrine. |
| One God | εἷς θεός | 獨一嘅神 | duk6 jat1 ge3 san4 | High | Correct monotheistic belief alone (even held by demons) is not saving faith. |
| Demons | δαιμόνια | 鬼魔 | gwai2 mo1 | High | Never bare 鬼 (folk ghost/ancestral-spirit territory); fallen spiritual beings in rebellion against God. |
| Altar | θυσιαστήριον | 祭壇 | zai3 taan4 | Medium | One-time OT sacrificial altar of Genesis 22, not a household/temple ritual altar. |
| Prostitute (Rahab) | πόρνη | 妓女 / 喇合 | kei5 neoi5 / laai1 hap6 | Low/Medium | Deliberate illustration of grace reaching the socially disqualified. |
| Body / spirit (life-breath) | σῶμα / πνεῦμα | 身體 / 靈魂 | san1 tai2 / ling4 wan4 | High | πνεῦμα here = life-principle, NOT Holy Spirit; avoid both 聖靈 (wrong referent) and bare 靈 (folk-spirit risk). |
C. Trials and the Testing of Faith (James 1)
| English Term | Greek | Cantonese | Jyutping | Risk | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trial (refining, from God) | πειρασμός | 試煉 | si3 lin6 | High | Must not collapse into 報應 (karmic retribution); Fatherly, faith-strengthening. |
| Temptation (to sin, never from God) | πειράζω / πειρασμός | 試探 | si3 taam3 | High | 1:13 categorically excludes God as source. |
| Testing/genuine | δοκίμιον / δόκιμος | 試驗 | si3 jim6 | Medium | Metallurgical-assaying metaphor. |
| Endurance | ὑπομονή | 忍耐 | jan2 noi6 | Medium | Active, persevering — distinct from ch.5’s μακροθυμία. |
| Perfect/mature/complete | τέλειος / τελειόω | 成熟完全 | sing4 suk6 jyun4 cyun4 | Critical | Same forbidden-substitution risk as 2:22’s τελειόω. |
| Doubt / double-minded | διακρίνω / δίψυχος | 心懷二意 | sam1 waai4 ji6 ji3 | High | Names practical syncretism (Christian faith + fortune-telling/feng shui hedging), not mere psychological indecision. |
| Desire/lust | ἐπιθυμία | 私慾 | si1 juk6 | Medium | Internal source of temptation, per 1:14–15. |
| Word / implanted word | λόγος / ἔμφυτος λόγος | 道 / 種在心裡嘅道 | dou6 / zung3 zoi6 sam1 leoi5 ge3 dou6 | Medium | Distinct from divinatory/almanac guidance texts. |
| Law of liberty | νόμος τέλειος τῆς ἐλευθερίας | 使人自由嘅完全律法 | — | Medium | Paradox: law language paired with freedom, not legalism. |
| Religion | θρησκεία | 宗教 | zung1 gaau3 | High | James redefines away from ritual toward ethics (orphans, widows, self-control); flatten risk if unclarified. |
| Orphans / widows | ὀρφανός / χήρα | 孤兒 / 寡婦 | gu1 ji4 / gwa2 fu5 | Low | Concrete ethical content of “pure religion.” |
| World | κόσμος | 世界 | sai3 gaai3 | Medium | Seeds ch.4’s Worldliness doctrine. |
| Wisdom | σοφία | 智慧 | zi3 wai6 | High | See Section E for full “wisdom from above” analysis. |
D. Favoritism and the Poor (James 2:1–13)
| English Term | Greek | Cantonese | Jyutping | Risk | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Favoritism/partiality | προσωπολημψία | 偏待人 | pin1 doi6 jan4 | High | Live, present-day risk given Hong Kong status/wealth-conscious culture, not merely historical. |
| Poor / rich | πτωχός / πλούσιος | 窮人 / 富人 | kung4 jan4 / fu3 jan4 | Medium | God’s paradoxical choice of the poor as “rich in faith.” |
| Royal law | νόμος βασιλικός | 至尊嘅律法 | — | Medium | The love-of-neighbor law, described as supreme. |
| Mercy | ἔλεος | 憐憫 | lin4 man5 | High | Must not echo Guanyin’s popular epithet (“greatly compassionate, saving from suffering and hardship”); God’s mercy flows from his character, demonstrated at the cross. |
| Heir | κληρονόμος | 承受…嘅人 / 後嗣 | hau6 si6 | Medium | ”Heirs of the kingdom” (2:5); links to baseline adoption/inheritance doctrine. |
E. Wisdom from Above (James 1:5; 3:13–18)
| English Term | Greek | Cantonese | Jyutping | Risk | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisdom from above / heavenly wisdom | σοφία ἄνωθεν | 從天上嚟嘅智慧 | cung4 tin1 soeng6 lai4 ge3 zi3 wai6 | High | God-given, Spirit-produced insight. |
| Earthly, unspiritual, demonic wisdom | ἐπίγειος, ψυχική, δαιμονιώδης | 世上嘅、唔屬靈嘅、屬鬼魔嘅智慧 | — | High | Risk of positive collision with feng shui/divination “practical wisdom” (術數); use 鬼魔 consistently with 2:19. |
| Fruit of righteousness / peacemaker | καρπὸς δικαιοσύνης / εἰρηνοποιός | 義嘅果子 / 締造和平嘅人 | — | Medium | Visible, relational outcome of heavenly wisdom. |
| Image of God | εἰκὼν θεοῦ | 神嘅形象 | san4 ge3 jing4 zoeng6 | High | Not to be flattened into Confucian innate-goodness (性善) or Buddhist Buddha-nature (佛性); conferred, relational dignity from a distinct Creator. |
F. Taming the Tongue (James 3:1–12)
| English Term | Greek | Cantonese | Jyutping | Risk | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tongue | γλῶσσα | 舌頭 | sit6 tau4 | Low | Central image of the chapter. |
| Bridle/control | χαλιναγωγέω | 控制 | hung3 zai3 | Low | Also used at 1:26. |
| Hell/Gehenna | γέεννα | 地獄 | dei6 juk6 | High | Collision with Ten Courts of Hell folk cosmology and hell-money ancestor-appeasement rites; single, final, divinely-appointed judgment, not negotiable underworld courts. |
| Poison | ἰός | 毒 | duk6 | Low | Describes the untamable tongue. |
| Blessing / cursing | εὐλογία / κατάρα | 祝福 / 咒詛 | zuk1 fuk1 / zau3 zou2 | Medium | 祝福 shares gospel’s 福-root risk (New Year prosperity association). |
| Teacher | διδάσκαλος | 老師 / 教師 | lou5 si1 / gaau3 si1 | Low | 3:1’s warning about greater accountability. |
G. Worldliness versus Friendship with God (James 1:27; 4:1–17)
| English Term | Greek | Cantonese | Jyutping | Risk | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friendship with the world / enmity with God | φιλία τοῦ κόσμου / ἔχθρα τοῦ θεοῦ | 同世界做朋友即係同神為敵 | — | High | Must echo 2:23’s φίλος vocabulary to preserve the deliberate rhetorical contrast. |
| Adultery (spiritual) | μοιχαλίς / μοιχεία | 淫亂 | jam4 lyun6 | Medium | OT covenant-unfaithfulness metaphor, not merely a moral-vice label. |
| Envy/jealousy | φθόνος | 嫉妒 | zit6 dou3 | Medium | 4:5. |
| Humble / proud | ταπεινός / ὑπερήφανος | 謙卑 / 驕傲 | him1 bei1 / giu1 ngou6 | Low | 4:6, 4:10. |
| Submit to God / resist the devil | ὑποτάγητε τῷ θεῷ / ἀντίστητε τῷ διαβόλῳ | 順服神 / 抵擋魔鬼 | seon6 fuk6 san4 / dai2 dong2 mo1 gwai2 | High | 魔鬼 must denote the singular cosmic adversary, distinct from 鬼魔 (plural lesser demonic beings) and from folk fox-spirits/wandering ghosts. |
| Draw near to God | ἐγγίζω | 親近神 | can1 gan6 san4 | Low | 4:8. |
| Judge/speak evil against | καταλαλέω / κρίνω | 論斷 | leon6 dyun6 | Medium | 4:11. |
| Vapor/mist (life’s brevity) | ἀτμίς | 雲霧 | wan4 mou6 | Low | 4:14. |
| ”If the Lord wills” | εἴ ὁ κύριος θελήσῃ | 若係主嘅意思 | — | High | Providence doctrine; personal submission, not fatalistic hedge-phrase (天意/運程). |
| Sin (knowing and not doing) | ἁμαρτία | 罪 | zeoi6 | High | Baseline reuse; 4:17. |
H. Prayer and Healing (James 5:13–18)
| English Term | Greek | Cantonese | Jyutping | Risk | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prayer | προσεύχομαι / εὔχομαι | 禱告 | tou2 gou3 | Low | Standard established term. |
| Elders | πρεσβύτεροι | 長老 | zoeng2 lou5 | Medium | Church office, distinct from clan/village elder authority (鄉紳/族長). |
| Anoint with oil | ἀλείφω ἐλαίῳ | 用油抹佈 | jung6 jau4 mut3 bou3 | Medium | Healing attributed to the prayer of faith, not to oil as ritual agent; distinguish from folk blessed-oil/exorcism practices. |
| Save/heal the sick | σῴζει τὸν κάμνοντα | 醫治 | ji1 zi6 | High | Physical-healing referent of σῴζω; must not substitute for or dilute 救恩 (eternal salvation). |
| Confess (sins, mutually) | ἐξομολογέομαι | 彼此認罪 | bei2 ci2 jing6 zeoi6 | High | Distinct from Catholic sacramental confession (辦告解), Buddhist ritual repentance (懺悔), and face-preservation concealment (唔衰得). |
| Prayer of a righteous person | δέησις δικαίου | 義人嘅禱告 | — | Medium | Illustrated by Elijah; builds on baseline 義. |
| Elijah | Ἠλίας | 以利亞 | ji5 lei6 aa3 | Low | Established proper name form. |
I. Patience and the Lord’s Return (James 5:1–11)
| English Term | Greek | Cantonese | Jyutping | Risk | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wages | μισθός | 工錢 | gung1 cin2 | Medium | 5:4, withheld laborers’ wages. |
| Lord of Sabaoth/hosts | κύριος Σαβαώθ | 萬軍之主 | maan6 gwan1 zi1 zyu2 | Medium | Established Chinese Bible title. |
| Patience (awaiting the Lord) | μακροθυμία | 耐心等候 | noi6 sam1 dang2 hau6 | Medium | Distinct from ch.1’s ὑπομονή; illustrated by the farmer. |
| Coming/return of the Lord | παρουσία | 主再來 | zyu2 zoi3 loi4 | High | Prefer over 主降臨, which risks collision with forbidden 顯靈 (repeatable temple-manifestation) framing. |
| Judge | κριτής | 審判者 | sam2 pun3 ze2 | Low | 5:9. |
| Blessed | μακάριος | 有福 | jau5 fuk1 | Medium | Shares gospel’s 福-root risk with New Year prosperity culture; God’s approval on the steadfast sufferer, not worldly luck. |
| Oath / swear | ὅρκος / ὀμνύω | 起誓 | hei2 sai6 | Low | 5:12. |
J. Confession and Restoration (James 5:16, 19–20)
| English Term | Greek | Cantonese | Jyutping | Risk | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Confess sins to one another | ἐξομολογέομαι | 彼此認罪 | bei2 ci2 jing6 zeoi6 | High | See Section H; cross-listed as this doctrine’s defining term. |
| Wander from truth / turn back | πλανάω / ἐπιστρέφω | 走迷咗真道 / 使佢回轉 | zau2 mai4 zo2 zan1 dou6 / sai2 keoi5 wui4 zyun2 | Medium | 5:19–20 closing pastoral scenario. |
| Cover a multitude of sins | καλύψει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν | 遮蓋咗好多罪 | ze1 goi3 zo2 hou2 do1 zeoi6 | High | God’s gracious removal of sin’s guilt through restoration, not social face-saving cover-up (大事化小/唔衰得). |
| Save a soul from death | σῴζει ψυχὴν ἐκ θανάτου | 救靈魂脫離死亡 | — | High | σῴζω again; eternal-rescue referent here, requiring the same care as Section B/H’s dual-referent flag. |
Risk Summary
| Risk Tier | Count (new James terms) | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | 3 (行為, 得以完全/τελειόω, 稱義-in-James-context note) | Human theologian, every occurrence |
| High | 19 | Human theologian |
| Medium | 18 | Native speaker review |
| Low | 16 | Automated review |
Highest-priority flag for Phase 2: every occurrence of ἔργα (行為), δικαιόω (稱義) and τελειόω (得以完全/得以成全) within James 2:14–26 requires a mandatory translator note per the escalation rules already established in 12_ai_translation_requirements.md, harmonizing James’s demonstrative-justification language with Romans’ forensic-justification vocabulary so that no segment can be approved without this note attached.
Critical Risk Terms
Grace
Approved rendering: 恩典
Transliteration: jan1 din2
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
Rejected alternatives: 福氣, 有求必應式嘅恩典, 功德
Original: χάρις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. James 4:6 (‘God gives grace to the humble’) reinforces the baseline’s Critical anti-merit doctrine: humility, not achievement, status, or ritual offering, is the posture that receives grace, directly opposed to Wong Tai Sin’s transactional vow-and-offering exchange model.
God
Approved rendering: 神
Transliteration: san4
Doctrine: Monotheism and the Insufficiency of Bare Orthodoxy
Rejected alternatives: 天主, 上帝, 老天爺
Original: θεός
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Never substitute 天主/上帝/老天爺, per baseline’s Protestant-curriculum-consistency rationale.
Lord
Approved rendering: 主
Transliteration: zyu2
Doctrine: Patience and the Lord’s Return
Rejected alternatives: 事頭, 老爺
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Underlies ‘Lord of Sabaoth’ (James 5:4) and ‘the coming of the Lord’ (5:7-8); never 事頭/老爺.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: 聖靈
Transliteration: sing3 ling4
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: 問米嘅靈, 祖先靈
Original: πνεῦμα ἅγιον
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. CONTRAST CASE: reserved exclusively for genuine Trinitarian reference. James 2:26’s πνεῦμα (life-breath, see ‘life_breath_spirit’ entry) is NOT the Holy Spirit and must never be rendered 聖靈 nor bare 靈.
Righteousness
Approved rendering: 義
Transliteration: ji6
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: 道德, 善行
Original: δικαιοσύνη
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Underlies ‘fruit of righteousness’ (3:18) and ‘credited to him as righteousness’ (2:23); must not collapse into the Confucian loyalty-and-honor idiom 義氣.
Justification
Approved rendering: 稱義
Transliteration: cing1 ji6
Doctrine: Justification Harmony (James and Paul)
Rejected alternatives: 修成正果, 還神還願
Original: δικαίωσις / δικαιόω
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package, WITH MANDATORY ADDITIONAL JAMES-SPECIFIC NOTE at every James 2:21 and 2:24 occurrence: James’s 稱義 describes the demonstrative vindication before observers of a faith already reckoned righteous (see 2:23’s citation of Genesis 15:6, using 算為義) — not a second, works-based justification contradicting Romans 3:28’s 唯獨因信稱義. Single highest-stakes theological-translation decision in the book; human theologian review required at every occurrence without exception.
Imputed Righteousness
Approved rendering: 算為義
Transliteration: syun3 wai4 ji6
Doctrine: Justification Harmony (James and Paul)
Rejected alternatives: 修成正果嘅義, 自義
Original: ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. James 2:23 quotes the identical Genesis 15:6 event Paul cites in Romans 4:3 — the anchor term resolving the James/Paul tension; must remain verbatim identical wherever cross-referenced across both curricula.
Salvation
Approved rendering: 救恩 / 得救
Transliteration: gau3 jan1 / dak1 gau3
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: 解脫, 超度, 大慈大悲救苦救難
Original: σωτηρία / σῴζω
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package, for the eternal-salvation referent only. Cantonese does not use one root verb for both ‘heal’ and ‘eternally save’ as Greek σῴζω does; must be kept distinct from 醫治 (physical-healing sense at James 5:15). Used for the eternal-rescue referent at 2:14 (救, rhetorical) and 5:20 (救靈魂脫離死亡).
Jesus
Approved rendering: 耶穌
Transliteration: je4 sou1
Doctrine: Patience and the Lord’s Return
Inherited from Romans package. James 1:1, 2:1 ‘the Lord Jesus Christ’; standard transliteration retained.
Messiah
Approved rendering: 基督
Transliteration: gei1 duk1
Doctrine: Patience and the Lord’s Return
Rejected alternatives: 彌勒, 黃大仙式嘅救世主
Inherited from Romans package. James 1:1, 2:1. Never conflate with Maitreya (彌勒), a live risk given James 5:7-8’s future-coming language; see parousia_return_of_lord entry.
Works
Approved rendering: 行為
Transliteration: hang4 wai4
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: 功德, 修成正果, 義氣
Original: ἔργα
Category: Faith and Works
New term for James. 行為 sits directly adjacent to two forbidden-substitution zones: Buddhist merit-accumulation (功德, e.g. temple donation, 放生 captive-animal release) and the Confucian loyalty-and-honor performance code (義氣). MANDATORY translator note at every occurrence: 行為 is the fruit and evidence of already-given faith, never merit that earns 恩典 or 稱義.
Save Eternal
Approved rendering: 救
Transliteration: gau3
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: 幫助
Original: σῶσαι (σῴζω)
Category: Faith and Works
New term for James. James 2:14’s rhetorical question (‘can such faith save him?’); must not be softened to a generic ‘help’ (幫助) — the eternal stakes must be visible. Distinct referent from 5:15’s physical-healing σῴζω (see heal_the_sick).
Perfected Completed
Approved rendering: 得以完全
Transliteration: dak1 ji5 jyun4 cyun4
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: 修成正果
Original: ἐτελειώθη (τελειόω)
Category: Faith and Works
New term for James. James 2:22 (ἐτελειώθη). Sits directly beside the baseline’s explicitly forbidden 修成正果 (self-cultivated spiritual attainment). MANDATORY translator note: faith reaching Spirit-given, grace-grounded maturity through obedience already flowing from grace — NEVER self-attained perfection.
Maturity Perfect
Approved rendering: 成熟完全
Transliteration: sing4 suk6 jyun4 cyun4
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Rejected alternatives: 修成正果
Original: τέλειος / τελειόω (James 1:4)
Category: Trials
New term for James. τέλειος/τελειόω, James 1:4. Same forbidden-substitution risk as 得以完全 (2:22): must never suggest 修成正果 (self-cultivated attainment); Spirit-produced, grace-grounded maturity.
High Risk Terms
Faith
Approved rendering: 信心
Transliteration: seon3 sam1
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: 虔誠, 睇相算命式嘅相信
Original: πίστις
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. In James’s diatribe (2:14-26), the object of faith must remain recoverable as personal trust in God/Christ; James interrogates a merely professed, workless faith-CLAIM, never the category of faith itself.
Sin
Approved rendering: 罪
Transliteration: zeoi6
Doctrine: Confession and Restoration
Rejected alternatives: 報應, 唔衰得
Original: ἁμαρτία
Category: Sin
Inherited from Romans package. Recurs at James 1:15, 2:9, 4:17, 5:15-16, 5:20; a moral offense against a personal God, never karmic retribution (報應) or a face-loss category (唔衰得).
Law
Approved rendering: 律法
Transliteration: leot6 faat3
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: 禮, 規矩, 法律
Original: νόμος
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Recurs as ‘the perfect law of liberty’ (1:25, 2:12) and ‘the royal law’ (2:8); never 規矩 (generic custom) or 法律 (secular/civil law).
Father
Approved rendering: 父
Transliteration: fu6
Doctrine: Divine Impartiality and the Source of Temptation
Rejected alternatives: 祖先, 老竇式嘅父
Original: πατήρ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. James 1:17’s ‘Father of lights’, 1:27, 3:9 require the personal, relational sense, distinguished from ancestor veneration (拜祖先).
Glory
Approved rendering: 榮耀
Transliteration: wing4 jiu6
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Rejected alternatives: 面子, 威水
Original: δόξα
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. James 2:1’s new collocation ‘the Lord of glory’ must be rendered as a unified divine-honor title, never a status compliment; never 面子/威水.
Providence
Approved rendering: 神嘅護理
Transliteration: san4 ge3 wu6 lei5
Doctrine: Providence and Human Plans
Rejected alternatives: 天意, 運程
Original: (cf. Romans 8:28 doctrine concept)
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Underlies James 4:15’s ‘if the Lord wills’ (若係主嘅意思); must never collide with impersonal fate (天意) or annual fortune-forecast almanac culture (運程).
Obedience Of Faith
Approved rendering: 因信而生嘅順服
Transliteration: jan1 seon3 ji4 sang1 ge3 seon6 fuk6
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
Rejected alternatives: 孝順, 還神還願式嘅順服
Inherited from Romans package. Root vocabulary reused for James 4:7’s ‘submit to God’ (順服神); obedience flowing from grace already given, not filial duty or vow-fulfillment.
Dead Faith
Approved rendering: 死
Transliteration: sei2
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: 冇用, 軟弱
Original: νεκρά (of πίστις)
Category: Faith and Works
New term for James. Must not be softened to 冇用 (useless) or 軟弱 (weak), which would imply degrees of faith; James 2:17’s force is categorical — a faith-claim with zero works is not weak faith but no faith at all.
Friend Of God
Approved rendering: 神嘅朋友
Transliteration: san4 ge3 pang4 jau5
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Original: φίλος θεοῦ
Category: Faith and Works
New term for James. James 2:23. Hong Kong commercial/guanxi culture can color ‘friendship’ with expectation of negotiable, reciprocal favor-exchange (paralleling Wong Tai Sin’s vow-and-offering model); this is covenant intimacy flowing from grace already given. Must share the 朋友 root with James 4:4’s friendship_with_world for the deliberate rhetorical contrast.
Doer Of The Word Vs Hearer
Approved rendering: 遵行道嘅人 / 淨係聽道嘅人
Transliteration: zeon1 hang4 dou6 ge3 jan4 / zing6 hai6 teng1 dou6 ge3 jan4
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Original: ποιητὴς λόγου / ἀκροατής
Category: Faith and Works
New term for James. James 1:22-25; direct thematic seed of Faith and Works developed fully in ch.2. Must use vocabulary consistent with the ἔργα/πίστις terms of the core passage.
One God
Approved rendering: 獨一嘅神
Transliteration: duk6 jat1 ge3 san4
Doctrine: Monotheism and the Insufficiency of Bare Orthodoxy
Original: εἷς θεός
Category: Wisdom
New term for James. James 2:19, echoing the Shema. Hong Kong’s religious environment is functionally polytheistic/pluralistic in daily practice (Wong Tai Sin, Guanyin, Tin Hau, ancestral spirits) even among nominally irreligious residents; must carry unmistakable numerical/exclusive force, not read as ‘our God is one of the gods.‘
Demons
Approved rendering: 鬼魔
Transliteration: gwai2 mo1
Doctrine: Monotheism and the Insufficiency of Bare Orthodoxy
Rejected alternatives: 鬼
Original: δαιμόνια
Category: Wisdom
New term for James. James 2:19. Bare 鬼 in Cantonese folk usage denotes the vast, actively engaged category of ghosts and ancestral spirits (Hungry Ghost Festival 盂蘭節, 問米 spirit-mediumship). 鬼魔 (never bare 鬼) must always be used; fallen, personal, malevolent spiritual beings in rebellion against God, distinct from deceased ancestors or wandering hungry ghosts. Must also stay distinct in number from 魔鬼 (singular devil, James 4:7).
Life Breath Spirit
Approved rendering: 靈魂
Transliteration: ling4 wan4
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: 聖靈, 靈
Original: πνεῦμα (James 2:26)
Category: Faith and Works
New term for James. James 2:26’s πνεῦμα is the animating life-breath/life-principle, NOT the Holy Spirit. The baseline mandates 聖靈 always as a compound reserved for Trinitarian reference and forbids bare 靈 (folk ancestral-spirit/問米 association). This verse is the reverse risk: avoid both 聖靈 (wrong referent) and bare 靈 (folk-spirit risk); 靈魂 with a clarifying note is required. CUV itself already uses 靈魂 here, confirming this choice.
Trial Testing
Approved rendering: 試煉
Transliteration: si3 lin6
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Rejected alternatives: 報應
Original: πειρασμός
Category: Trials
New term for James. James 1:2-4, 1:12. Cantonese/Chinese folk cosmology (報應, 因果) commonly interprets suffering as consequence for past wrongdoing; if 試煉 collapses toward this framework, ‘trials produce endurance’ could be misheard as punishment, contradicting 1:17’s declaration that God is only the source of good gifts. Must be distinguished from 試探 (temptation to sin, never from God).
Temptation To Sin
Approved rendering: 試探
Transliteration: si3 taam3
Doctrine: Divine Impartiality and the Source of Temptation
Original: πειράζω / πειρασμός (1:13-14)
Category: Trials
New term for James. James 1:13-14. A single Greek root (πειρασμός/πειράζω) covers both ‘trial’ (1:2, from God) and ‘temptation to sin’ (1:13, never from God); Cantonese requires this deliberate lexical split (試煉 vs 試探) since no single existing convention distinguishes them.
Double Minded
Approved rendering: 心懷二意
Transliteration: sam1 waai4 ji6 ji3
Doctrine: Wisdom from Above
Original: διακρίνω / δίψυχος
Category: Trials
New term for James. διακρίνω/δίψυχος, James 1:6-8. Maps closely onto a real, common Hong Kong devotional pattern: professing Christian faith while privately consulting fortune-tellers or feng shui practitioners, or making ‘backup’ temple offerings ‘just in case.’ Names practical syncretism, not merely psychological indecision.
Religion
Approved rendering: 宗教
Transliteration: zung1 gaau3
Doctrine: True Religion Defined (Ethical, Not Ritual)
Original: θρησκεία
Category: Church
New term for James. θρησκεία, James 1:26-27. Hong Kong readers default to a ritual/temple-shaped frame (incense-offering, fortune-stick drawing, festival observance) for 宗教. James’s ethical redefinition (tongue-control, orphan/widow care) is a deliberately subversive move requiring an explicit contrast note foregrounding the ethical content.
Wisdom
Approved rendering: 智慧
Transliteration: zi3 wai6
Doctrine: Wisdom from Above
Original: σοφία
Category: Wisdom
New term for James. σοφία, James 1:5 (seed), 3:13-18. Risks conflation with feng shui/divination practical skill (術數, a commercially prominent Hong Kong consultation industry) and Confucian sage-wisdom (智) without a distinguishing note; never used bare in doctrinally load-bearing contexts.
Favoritism
Approved rendering: 偏待人
Transliteration: pin1 doi6 jan4
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Original: προσωπολημψία
Category: Church
New term for James. προσωπολημψία, James 2:1, 2:9. Live, present-day social reflex in Hong Kong’s status-/wealth-conscious commercial culture, not merely a historical problem; already flagged under 面子/威水 in baseline’s ‘glory’ entry.
Mercy
Approved rendering: 憐憫
Transliteration: lin4 man5
Doctrine: Mercy and Judgment
Rejected alternatives: 大慈大悲救苦救難
Original: ἔλεος
Category: Church
New term for James. ἔλεος, James 2:13. Acute risk of echoing Guanyin devotion’s popular epithet (‘大慈大悲救苦救難’), extremely common in Hong Kong households. ‘Mercy triumphs over judgment’ must be grounded in God’s own character, demonstrated at the cross — never quote/echo the Guanyin epithet phrasing.
Wisdom From Above
Approved rendering: 從天上嚟嘅智慧
Transliteration: cung4 tin1 soeng6 lai4 ge3 zi3 wai6
Doctrine: Wisdom from Above
Original: σοφία ἄνωθεν
Category: Wisdom
New term for James. σοφία ἄνωθεν, James 3:17. Chapter 3’s climax; God-given, Spirit-produced wisdom producing peace and gentleness. Never abbreviate to bare 智慧 in this context — the qualifying phrase does essential fencing work.
Earthly Demonic Wisdom
Approved rendering: 世上嘅、唔屬靈嘅、屬鬼魔嘅智慧
Transliteration: sai3 soeng6 ge3, m4 suk6 ling4 ge3, suk6 gwai2 mo1 ge3 zi3 wai6
Doctrine: Wisdom from Above
Rejected alternatives: 邪靈
Original: ἐπίγειος, ψυχική, δαιμονιώδης
Category: Wisdom
New term for James. ἐπίγειος, ψυχική, δαιμονιώδης, James 3:15. ‘Earthly wisdom’ risks a POSITIVE reading in Hong Kong, where feng shui/divination (術數) is popularly regarded as practical, results-oriented wisdom, not pejorative. Must retain all three qualifying clauses together; δαιμονιώδης must use 鬼魔, matching James 2:19, never a softer synonym like 邪靈.
Image Of God
Approved rendering: 神嘅形象
Transliteration: san4 ge3 jing4 zoeng6
Doctrine: The Image of God and Human Dignity
Rejected alternatives: 性善, 佛性
Original: εἰκὼν θεοῦ
Category: Wisdom
New term for James. εἰκὼν θεοῦ, James 3:9. Risks flattening into Confucian innate moral nature (性善) or Buddhist inherent Buddha-nature (佛性) — both immanent, self-developing views of human dignity. This is a conferred, relational likeness given by a distinct, personal Creator.
Gehenna Hell
Approved rendering: 地獄
Transliteration: dei6 juk6
Doctrine: Taming the Tongue
Original: γέεννα
Category: Speech
New term for James. γέεννα, James 3:6. 地獄 is also the standard Cantonese term for the Ten Courts of Hell folk-Buddhist/Daoist cosmology (十殿閻羅) and hell-money ancestor-appeasement rites (燒街衣, Hungry Ghost Festival). No lexical alternative exists; biblical γέεννα names a single, final, divinely-appointed judgment — MANDATORY clarifying note at every occurrence, not a lexical substitution.
Friendship With World
Approved rendering: 同世界做朋友即係同神為敵
Transliteration: tung4 sai3 gaai3 zou6 pang4 jau5 zik1 hai6 tung4 san4 wai4 dik6
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
Original: φιλία τοῦ κόσμου / ἔχθρα τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Worldliness
New term for James. φιλία τοῦ κόσμου/ἔχθρα τοῦ θεοῦ, James 4:4. Must share the 朋友/φίλος root with James 2:23’s friend_of_god so Cantonese readers perceive the deliberate rhetorical contrast between the two exclusive ‘friendships’; losing the verbal echo weakens the chapter’s structure. Must not be softened into compatible dual loyalties.
Submit And Resist Devil
Approved rendering: 順服神 / 抵擋魔鬼
Transliteration: seon6 fuk6 san4 / dai2 dong2 mo1 gwai2
Doctrine: Submission to God and Resistance to the Devil
Rejected alternatives: 狐仙
Original: ὑποτάγητε τῷ θεῷ / ἀντίστητε τῷ διαβόλῳ
Category: Worldliness
New term for James. James 4:7. 魔鬼 must be reserved for the singular, personal, cosmic adversary of Scripture, distinct from 鬼魔 (plural lesser demonic beings, James 2:19) and from the broad Cantonese folk category of fox-spirits (狐仙) or wandering ghosts, engaged very differently (avoidance/appeasement) than James’s direct, faith-based resistance.
If The Lord Wills
Approved rendering: 若係主嘅意思
Transliteration: joek6 hai6 zyu2 ge3 ji3 si1
Doctrine: Providence and Human Plans
Rejected alternatives: 天意, 運程
Original: εἴ ὁ κύριος θελήσῃ
Category: Worldliness
New term for James. εἴ ὁ κύριος θελήσῃ, James 4:15. Shares the baseline’s providence-doctrine collision risk with impersonal fate (天意) or annual fortune-forecast almanac culture (運程) consulted before major decisions; must be read as submission to a personal, relational Lord, not a fatalistic hedge-phrase.
Heal The Sick
Approved rendering: 醫治
Transliteration: ji1 zi6
Doctrine: Prayer and Healing
Original: σῴζει τὸν κάμνοντα
Category: Prayer and Healing
New term for James. σῴζει τὸν κάμνοντα, James 5:15 (physical-healing sense of σῴζω). Cantonese does not naturally use one root verb for both ‘heal’ and ‘eternally save’ as Greek does; MANDATORY translator note at 5:15 clarifying that this physical-healing referent does not diminish or substitute for the distinct, Critical-risk 救恩 (eternal salvation) doctrine.
Confess Sins
Approved rendering: 彼此認罪
Transliteration: bei2 ci2 jing6 zeoi6
Doctrine: Confession and Restoration
Rejected alternatives: 辦告解, 懺悔
Original: ἐξομολογέομαι
Category: Prayer and Healing
New term for James. ἐξομολογέομαι, James 5:16. Collides with three distinct frameworks requiring careful differentiation: Roman Catholic sacramental confession (辦告解, well-known given Hong Kong’s historic Catholic population), Buddhist ritual repentance (懺悔), and the strong Cantonese face-preservation reflex against public admission of failure (唔衰得). This is voluntary, mutual, restorative confession within trusted Christian community, never sacramental absolution, ritual repentance liturgy, or public shaming.
Parousia Return Of Lord
Approved rendering: 主再來
Transliteration: zyu2 zoi3 loi4
Doctrine: Patience and the Lord’s Return
Rejected alternatives: 主降臨
Original: παρουσία
Category: Eschatology
New term for James. παρουσία, James 5:7-8. 主降臨 (‘the Lord’s descent’) risks resonance with the baseline’s forbidden 顯靈 pattern (a deity’s repeatable shrine-manifestation) and reincarnation-adjacent ‘descent’ imagery; STANDING RULE: always use 主再來, never 主降臨. Also never conflate with Maitreya’s future coming or the Church of Almighty God’s ‘already secretly returned’ claim; the return is future, visible, bodily, and not-yet-occurred.
Cover Multitude Of Sins
Approved rendering: 遮蓋咗好多罪
Transliteration: ze1 goi3 zo2 hou2 do1 zeoi6
Doctrine: Confession and Restoration
Rejected alternatives: 大事化小
Original: καλύψει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν
Category: Confession and Restoration
New term for James. καλύψει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν, James 5:20, echoing Proverbs 10:12. Must be clearly distinguished from the Cantonese social-shame reflex of covering up failure to preserve face (大事化小, 唔衰得, already flagged under ‘sin’ in the baseline) — God’s gracious removal of sin’s guilt through restoration, not a social cover-up.
Save Soul From Death
Approved rendering: 救靈魂脫離死亡
Transliteration: gau3 ling4 wan4 tyut3 lei4 sei2 mong4
Doctrine: Confession and Restoration
Original: σῴζει ψυχὴν ἐκ θανάτου
Category: Confession and Restoration
New term for James. σῴζει ψυχὴν ἐκ θανάτου, James 5:20 (eternal-rescue sense of σῴζω). Requires the same dual-referent care as heal_the_sick and save_eternal — this is the eternal-salvation sense, not physical healing.
Medium Risk Terms
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: 神嘅國
Transliteration: san4 ge3 gwok3
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Rejected alternatives: 天下, 王朝
Original: βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Kingdom
Inherited from Romans package. James 2:5 ‘heirs of the kingdom’ links the poor’s spiritual wealth to this doctrine.
Church
Approved rendering: 教會
Transliteration: gaau3 wui2
Doctrine: Prayer and Healing
Rejected alternatives: 廟, 祠堂
Inherited from Romans package. James 5:14 ‘call for the elders of the church’; must be distinguished from a temple (廟) or clan ancestral hall (祠堂), paralleling the ‘elders’ entry’s clan-authority caution.
Altar
Approved rendering: 祭壇
Transliteration: zai3 taan4
Doctrine: Justification Harmony (James and Paul)
Original: θυσιαστήριον
Category: Covenant
New term for James. James 2:21, Genesis 22. Cantonese readers’ most immediate cultural referent for ‘altar’ is the ancestral offering table (神枱/香案) or a temple incense altar; requires a brief contextual note clarifying this is the one-time OT sacrificial altar of Abraham’s covenant testing, not a recurring household or temple ritual site.
Rahab
Approved rendering: 妓女喇合
Transliteration: kei5 neoi5 laai1 hap6
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Original: Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη
Category: Faith and Works
New term for James. James 2:25. Established CUV proper-name form (喇合); πόρνη deliberately not softened, since James’s illustration depends on the social shock of a prostitute commended for faith — a deliberate, honor-defying illustration of grace reaching the socially disqualified.
Testing Genuineness
Approved rendering: 試驗
Transliteration: si3 jim6
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Original: δοκίμιον / δόκιμος
Category: Trials
New term for James. δοκίμιον/δόκιμος; metallurgical-assaying metaphor. Companion, lower-risk term once the 試煉/試探 split is established.
Endurance
Approved rendering: 忍耐
Transliteration: jan2 noi6
Doctrine: Trials and the Testing of Faith
Original: ὑπομονή
Category: Trials
New term for James. ὑπομονή, James 1:3-4. Active, persevering endurance under pressure; distinct from ch.5’s μακροθυμία (耐心等候, patient waiting for the Lord’s return) — the two must not be collapsed into one Cantonese word.
Desire Lust
Approved rendering: 私慾
Transliteration: si1 juk6
Doctrine: Divine Impartiality and the Source of Temptation
Original: ἐπιθυμία
Category: Trials
New term for James. ἐπιθυμία, James 1:14-15; internal source of temptation, contrasted with God’s good gifts (1:17).
Implanted Word
Approved rendering: 道 / 種在心裡嘅道
Transliteration: dou6 / zung3 zoi6 sam1 leoi5 ge3 dou6
Doctrine: True Religion Defined (Ethical, Not Ritual)
Rejected alternatives: 老黃曆
Original: λόγος / ἔμφυτος λόγος
Category: Trials
New term for James. λόγος/ἔμφυτος λόγος, James 1:18, 1:21. Must be distinguished from divinatory or almanac guiding texts (老黃曆, already flagged High in the baseline’s Inspiration of Scripture doctrine); God’s personal, saving communication, not a predictive reference text.
Law Of Liberty
Approved rendering: 使人自由嘅完全律法
Transliteration: sai2 jan4 zi6 jau4 ge3 jyun4 cyun4 leot6 faat3
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Rejected alternatives: 規矩
Original: νόμος τέλειος τῆς ἐλευθερίας
Category: Covenant
New term for James. νόμος τέλειος τῆς ἐλευθερίας, James 1:25, 2:12. Must be distinguished from generic 規矩 (rules/customs) and from a legalistic, merit-earning framing; this law liberates rather than enslaves.
World
Approved rendering: 世界
Transliteration: sai3 gaai3
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
Original: κόσμος
Category: Worldliness
New term for James. κόσμος, James 1:27 (seed), 4:4. The fallen human system in opposition to God; seeds the ch.4 antithesis.
Poor And Rich
Approved rendering: 窮人 / 富人
Transliteration: kung4 jan4 / fu3 jan4
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Original: πτωχός / πλούσιος
Category: Church
New term for James. πτωχός/πλούσιος, James 2:5-6. God’s paradoxical choice of the poor in the world to be rich in faith, heirs of the kingdom.
Royal Law
Approved rendering: 至尊嘅律法
Transliteration: zi3 zyun1 ge3 leot6 faat3
Doctrine: The Royal Law of Love
Rejected alternatives: 規矩
Original: νόμος βασιλικός
Category: Covenant
New term for James. νόμος βασιλικός, James 2:8. The love-of-neighbor law described as supreme; the qualifying phrase must always be retained so it does not flatten into generic 規矩.
Heir
Approved rendering: 承受…嘅人 / 後嗣
Transliteration: sing4 sau6 … ge3 jan4 / hau6 si6
Doctrine: Favoritism and the Poor
Original: κληρονόμος
Category: Church
New term for James. κληρονόμος, James 2:5 ‘heirs of the kingdom.’ Links naturally to the baseline’s adoption/inheritance doctrine vocabulary.
Fruit Of Righteousness
Approved rendering: 義嘅果子 / 締造和平嘅人
Transliteration: ji6 ge3 gwo2 zi2 / dai3 zou6 wo4 ping4 ge3 jan4
Doctrine: Wisdom from Above
Original: καρπὸς δικαιοσύνης / εἰρηνοποιός
Category: Wisdom
New term for James. καρπὸς δικαιοσύνης/εἰρηνοποιός, James 3:18. Visible, relational outcome of heavenly wisdom, built on baseline 義 reuse.
Blessing And Cursing
Approved rendering: 祝福 / 咒詛
Transliteration: zuk1 fuk1 / zau3 zou2
Doctrine: Taming the Tongue
Original: εὐλογία / κατάρα
Category: Speech
New term for James. εὐλογία/κατάρα, James 3:9-10. 祝福 shares the gospel’s 福-root risk of New Year prosperity-greeting association (恭喜發財); must be kept as a speech-act directed at/from God, never a fortune/luck wish.
Spiritual Adultery
Approved rendering: 淫亂
Transliteration: jam4 lyun6
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
Original: μοιχαλίς / μοιχεία
Category: Worldliness
New term for James. μοιχαλίς/μοιχεία, James 4:4. Register-sensitive; must retain OT covenant-betrayal force, not merely a moral vice label.
Envy
Approved rendering: 嫉妒
Transliteration: zit6 dou3
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
Original: φθόνος
Category: Worldliness
New term for James. φθόνος, James 4:5. Internal source of the quarrels James addresses.
Judge Speak Evil
Approved rendering: 論斷
Transliteration: leon6 dyun6
Doctrine: The Royal Law of Love
Original: καταλαλέω / κρίνω
Category: Speech
New term for James. καταλαλέω/κρίνω, James 4:11. Must retain the Royal Law of Love’s (2:8) neighbor-love logic, not flatten into generic social-etiquette advice.
Elders
Approved rendering: 長老
Transliteration: zoeng2 lou5
Doctrine: Prayer and Healing
Rejected alternatives: 鄉紳, 族長
Original: πρεσβύτεροι
Category: Prayer and Healing
New term for James. πρεσβύτεροι, James 5:14. Must be distinguished from clan/village elder authority (鄉紳, 族長) rooted in Pearl River Delta lineage-hall governance, a social/ancestral authority structure rather than a spiritually-commissioned church office.
Anoint With Oil
Approved rendering: 用油抹佈
Transliteration: jung6 jau4 mut3 bou3
Doctrine: Prayer and Healing
Original: ἀλείφω ἐλαίῳ
Category: Prayer and Healing
New term for James. ἀλείφω ἐλαίῳ, James 5:14. Risks collision with folk-ritual healing/blessing practices (temple blessed oil/water, Daoist exorcism-oil rites) where the substance itself is believed ritually potent. Healing is attributed to ‘the prayer of faith’ (5:15) and the Lord who raises up, never to the oil as an independently potent ritual agent. This is also the primary proof-text used by the True Jesus Church (真耶穌教會) to require oil-anointing as a necessary sacramental rite — must not echo that framing.
Prayer Of Righteous
Approved rendering: 義人嘅禱告
Transliteration: ji6 jan4 ge3 tou2 gou3
Doctrine: Prayer and Healing
Original: δέησις δικαίου
Category: Prayer and Healing
New term for James. δέησις δικαίου, James 5:16-18, illustrated by Elijah; built on baseline 義 reuse.
Wages
Approved rendering: 工錢
Transliteration: gung1 cin2
Doctrine: Wealth and Judgment on the Oppressive Rich
Original: μισθός
Category: Eschatology
New term for James. μισθός, James 5:4; withheld laborers’ wages, socially resonant in Hong Kong’s commercial/labor context.
Lord Of Sabaoth
Approved rendering: 萬軍之主
Transliteration: maan6 gwan1 zi1 zyu2
Doctrine: Wealth and Judgment on the Oppressive Rich
Original: κύριος Σαβαώθ
Category: Eschatology
New term for James. κύριος Σαβαώθ, James 5:4. Established Chinese Bible title, built on baseline 主 reuse; emphasizes God’s power to vindicate the oppressed.
Patience Longsuffering
Approved rendering: 耐心等候
Transliteration: noi6 sam1 dang2 hau6
Doctrine: Patience and the Lord’s Return
Original: μακροθυμία
Category: Eschatology
New term for James. μακροθυμία, James 5:7-8, 5:10. Distinct from ch.1’s ὑπομονή (忍耐, active endurance under pressure); this is specifically patient waiting for the Lord’s return, illustrated by the farmer awaiting harvest.
Blessed Makarios
Approved rendering: 有福
Transliteration: jau5 fuk1
Doctrine: Patience and the Lord’s Return
Original: μακάριος
Category: Eschatology
New term for James. μακάριος, James 5:11, exemplified by Job. Shares the gospel’s 福-root risk of collision with New Year prosperity-greeting culture (恭喜發財); must be clarified as God’s approval resting on the steadfast sufferer, not fortune or worldly success.
Wander And Turn Back
Approved rendering: 走迷咗真道 / 使佢回轉
Transliteration: zau2 mai4 zo2 zan1 dou6 / sai2 keoi5 wui4 zyun2
Doctrine: Confession and Restoration
Original: πλανάω / ἐπιστρέφω
Category: Confession and Restoration
New term for James. πλανάω/ἐπιστρέφω, James 5:19-20; the book’s closing pastoral scenario.
Low Risk Terms
Prophet
Approved rendering: 先知
Transliteration: sin1 zi1
Doctrine: Patience and the Lord’s Return
Rejected alternatives: 風水師, 算命佬
Original: προφήτης
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. James 5:10 (‘the prophets’) and Elijah (5:17) as endurance/prayer exemplars.
Orphans And Widows
Approved rendering: 孤兒 / 寡婦
Transliteration: gu1 ji4 / gwa2 fu5
Doctrine: True Religion Defined (Ethical, Not Ritual)
Original: ὀρφανός / χήρα
Category: Church
New term for James. James 1:27; concrete ethical content of ‘pure religion,’ seeding the Favoritism and the Poor doctrine.
Tongue
Approved rendering: 舌頭
Transliteration: sit6 tau4
Doctrine: Taming the Tongue
Original: γλῶσσα
Category: Speech
New term for James. γλῶσσα, central image of James 3.
Bridle Control
Approved rendering: 控制
Transliteration: hung3 zai3
Doctrine: Taming the Tongue
Original: χαλιναγωγέω
Category: Speech
New term for James. χαλιναγωγέω, James 1:26, 3:2-3.
Poison
Approved rendering: 毒
Transliteration: duk6
Doctrine: Taming the Tongue
Original: ἰός
Category: Speech
New term for James. ἰός, James 3:8.
Teacher
Approved rendering: 老師 / 教師
Transliteration: lou5 si1 / gaau3 si1
Doctrine: Taming the Tongue
Original: διδάσκαλος
Category: Speech
New term for James. διδάσκαλος, James 3:1. Cantonese/Confucian-influenced culture affords teachers high, largely unquestioned deference; translation must retain the verse’s warning force (‘judged with greater strictness’) despite this cultural reflex.
Humble And Proud
Approved rendering: 謙卑 / 驕傲
Transliteration: him1 bei1 / giu1 ngou6
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
Original: ταπεινός / ὑπερήφανος
Category: Worldliness
New term for James. ταπεινός/ὑπερήφανος, James 4:6, 4:10.
Draw Near To God
Approved rendering: 親近神
Transliteration: can1 gan6 san4
Doctrine: Worldliness versus Friendship with God
Original: ἐγγίζω
Category: Worldliness
New term for James. ἐγγίζω, James 4:8.
Vapor Mist
Approved rendering: 雲霧
Transliteration: wan4 mou6
Doctrine: Providence and Human Plans
Original: ἀτμίς
Category: Worldliness
New term for James. ἀτμίς, James 4:14. Human life’s brevity, grounding the call to hold plans loosely under God’s will.
Prayer
Approved rendering: 禱告
Transliteration: tou2 gou3
Doctrine: Prayer and Healing
Original: προσεύχομαι / εὔχομαι
Category: Prayer and Healing
New term for James. προσεύχομαι/εὔχομαι, James 5:13-18. Standard, established Cantonese church term.
Elijah
Approved rendering: 以利亞
Transliteration: ji5 lei6 aa3
Doctrine: Prayer and Healing
Original: Ἠλίας
Category: Prayer and Healing
New term for James. Established Cantonese Bible proper-name form; James 5:17-18.
Judge Krites
Approved rendering: 審判者
Transliteration: sam2 pun3 ze2
Doctrine: Patience and the Lord’s Return
New term for James. κριτής, James 5:9, ‘the Judge is standing at the door.‘
Oath Swear
Approved rendering: 起誓
Transliteration: hei2 sai6
Doctrine: Oaths and Truthful Speech
Original: ὅρκος / ὀμνύω
Category: Speech
New term for James. ὅρκος/ὀμνύω, James 5:12; standard, unambiguous term with minimal syncretism exposure.
James Author
Approved rendering: 雅各
Transliteration: ngaa5 gok3
Doctrine: Faith and Works
Original: Ἰάκωβος
Category: Proper Names
New proper name for James curriculum. Ἰάκωβος, the letter’s author and book title; established Cantonese Bible form.
Abraham
Approved rendering: 亞伯拉罕
Transliteration: aa3 baak3 laai1 hon2
Doctrine: Justification Harmony (James and Paul)
Original: Ἀβραάμ
Category: Proper Names
New proper name for James curriculum. Ἀβραάμ, James 2:21-23; established Cantonese Bible form, shared with baseline’s transliteration standard.
Job
Approved rendering: 約伯
Transliteration: joek3 baak3
Doctrine: Patience and the Lord’s Return
Original: Ἰώβ
Category: Proper Names
New proper name for James curriculum. Ἰώβ, James 5:11, exemplar of steadfast endurance amid suffering; established Cantonese Bible form.
Referenced passages