Core Glossary
Core Glossary: Gospel of John — English → Cantonese
This glossary consolidates every load-bearing theological term identified across the full book of John (07_semantic_analysis.md), organized by doctrinal category. Terms already present in the baseline Romans translation_memory.json are marked [REUSED — exact match required] and their rendering, transliteration, and risk tier are carried over unchanged. New terms introduced by John are marked [NEW] and are proposed here for addition to translation memory at the next version increment, subject to theologian review for every Critical/High entry per the escalation rules in 12_ai_translation_requirements.md.
Risk tiers follow the baseline’s definitions exactly:
- Critical — mistranslation destroys essential doctrine; mandatory human theologian review every occurrence.
- High — significant theological confusion/syncretism risk; mandatory human theologian review.
- Medium — reduces clarity but preserves essential meaning; native speaker review recommended.
- Low — minor imprecision; automated review sufficient.
1. God, Trinity, and the Deity/Pre-existence of Christ
| Term (EN) | Greek / Transliteration | Cantonese (Jyutping) | Risk | Status | Chapters | Key Distinction / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| God | θεός / theos | 神 (san4) | Critical | REUSED | All | Never 天主 or 上帝 or 老天爺; Protestant curriculum consistency per baseline. |
| Jesus | Ἰησοῦς / Iēsous | 耶穌 (je4 sou1) | Critical | REUSED | All | Standard transliteration. |
| Lord | κύριος / kyrios | 主 (zyu2) | Critical | REUSED | 1,4,6,9,11,13,20,21 | Never 事頭 or 老爺; exclusive, supreme lordship. |
| Son of God | υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ / huios theou | 神嘅兒子 (san4 ge3 ji4 zi2) | Critical | REUSED | 1,3,5,9,10,11,19,20 | Never abbreviate; never 天子. |
| the Word (Logos) | λόγος / logos | 道 (dou6) | Critical | NEW | 1, 17 | MUST NOT be conflated with the Daoist Dao (道教之道), an impersonal cosmic principle prominent through Hong Kong’s active Daoist temple culture (e.g. Wong Tai Sin). John’s 道 is the eternal, personal, self-conscious divine Son. Mandatory theologian review at every occurrence; teaching note required distinguishing this from 道路 (the Way, John 14:6) and from Daoist usage. |
| only begotten Son / one and only Son | μονογενής / monogenēs | 獨生子 (duk6 sang1 zi2) | Critical | NEW | 1, 3 | Never implies Christ is “a son” among many; must remain distinct from believers’ adoptive sonship (baseline 兒子嘅名分) and from 神嘅兒女 (children of God, John 1:12, also NEW). |
| equal with God | ἴσος τῷ θεῷ / isos tō theō | 同神平等 (tung4 san4 ping4 dang2) | Critical | NEW | 5 | Full ontological equality, not representative likeness; grounds Unity of the Father and the Son. |
| I and the Father are one | ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν | 我與父原為一 (ngo5 jyu5 fu6 jyun4 wai4 jat1) | Critical | NEW | 10 | Unity of essence, not identity of Person; guards against both modalism and subordinationism. Mandatory theologian review. |
| before Abraham was, I AM | πρὶν Ἀβραὰμ γενέσθαι ἐγὼ εἰμί | 未有亞伯拉罕,我已經存在 / 我是 (ngo5 si6) | Critical | NEW | 8 | Absolute divine self-designation echoing Exodus 3:14; highest-water-mark deity claim in the Gospel. |
| my Lord and my God | ὁ κύριός μου καὶ ὁ θεός μου | 我嘅主,我嘅神 (ngo5 ge3 zyu2, ngo5 ge3 san4) | Critical | NEW | 20 | Climactic personal confession combining two baseline Critical terms; mandatory theologian review. |
| Son of Man | υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου / huios tou anthrōpou | 人子 (jan4 zi2) | High | NEW | 1,3,5,6,8,9,12,13 | Retain Danielic eschatological authority; not merely “a human being.” |
| God is spirit | πνεῦμα ὁ θεός | 神係屬靈嘅 (san4 hai6 suk6 ling4 ge3) [recommended] | Critical (special case) | NEW | 4 | Never render with bare 靈; describes God’s non-corporeal nature, distinct from a direct Holy Spirit reference. Flag for theologian AND native-speaker review. |
2. Holy Spirit / Pneumatology
| Term (EN) | Greek / Transliteration | Cantonese (Jyutping) | Risk | Status | Chapters | Key Distinction / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holy Spirit | πνεῦμα ἅγιον / pneuma hagion | 聖靈 (sing3 ling4) | Critical | REUSED | 1,3,4,6,7,14,15,16,20 | Never bare 靈; never 問米-medium or ancestral-spirit framing. |
| Paraclete / Counselor / Comforter / Advocate | παράκλητος / paraklētos | 保惠師 (bou2 wai6 si1) | Critical | NEW | 14,15,16 | Established CUV coinage; distinguish sharply from 問米 spirit-medium and ancestral “helper spirit” concepts — the Paraclete is the personal, permanently indwelling third Person of the Trinity. |
| Spirit of truth | τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας | 真理嘅聖靈 (zan1 lei5 ge3 sing3 ling4) | Critical | NEW | 14,15,16 | 聖靈 required in full. |
| rivers of living water (Spirit outpouring) | ποταμοὶ ὕδατος ζῶντος | 活水嘅河 (wut6 seoi2 ge3 ho4) | High | NEW | 7 | Explicit narrator gloss identifies this as the Spirit; teaching materials must make the connection explicit. |
| convict…of sin, righteousness, judgment | ἐλέγξει…περὶ ἁμαρτίας, δικαιοσύνης, κρίσεως | 使人知罪、知義、知審判 | Critical | NEW | 16 | Combines baseline Critical/High terms 罪 and 義; 義 here is Christ’s forensic vindication, not the Cantonese loyalty-honor idiom (義氣). |
| receive the Holy Spirit | λάβετε πνεῦμα ἅγιον | 領受聖靈 (ling5 sau6 sing3 ling4) | Critical | NEW (reuses 聖靈) | 20 | New-creation commissioning act by the risen Christ. |
3. The New Birth, Regeneration, and Eternal Life
| Term (EN) | Greek / Transliteration | Cantonese (Jyutping) | Risk | Status | Chapters | Key Distinction / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| born again / born from above | γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν / gennēthē anōthen | 重生 (cung4 sang1) | Critical | NEW | 3 | NEVER conflated with Buddhist reincarnation (投胎轉世, already forbidden under baseline resurrection); one-time, Spirit-wrought new beginning, not a life-cycle. |
| born of water and Spirit | γεννηθῇ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος | 由水同聖靈生 (jau4 seoi2 tung4 sing3 ling4 sang1) | Critical | NEW | 3 | Exegetically ambiguous referent (baptism vs. natural/spiritual birth contrast); flag for theologian review with alternatives_considered recorded. |
| eternal life | ζωὴ αἰώνιος / zōē aiōnios | 永生 (wing5 sang1) | Critical | NEW | 3,4,5,6,10,17,20 | NEVER conflated with Daoist immortality-cultivation (長生不老) associated with Wong Tai Sin/immortal (神仙) devotion; relational and present-beginning, not extended physical duration. |
| life | ζωή / zōē | 生命 (sang1 ming6) | Medium (escalates to Critical when qualified “eternal”) | NEW | 1,3,5,6,10,11,14 | General term underlying “eternal life”; track consistently. |
| flesh (natural human origin) | σάρξ / sarx | 肉體 (juk6 tai2) | Medium | NEW | 1,3,6 | Distinct from 肉身 (used specifically in baseline’s 道成肉身, incarnation) — do not use interchangeably. |
| children of God | τέκνα θεοῦ / tekna theou | 神嘅兒女 (san4 ge3 ji4 neoi5) | High | NEW | 1 | Distinct from both baseline 兒子嘅名分 (adoption) and 獨生子/神嘅兒子 (Christ’s unique Sonship). |
| this is eternal life, that they know you | αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωή, ἵνα γινώσκωσιν σε | 呢個就係永生,就係認識你 | Critical | NEW | 17 | John’s own definition of eternal life as relational knowledge (γινώσκω), distinct from factual knowing (οἶδα, ch.3:2). |
4. Faith, Judgment, and Belief/Unbelief
| Term (EN) | Greek / Transliteration | Cantonese (Jyutping) | Risk | Status | Chapters | Key Distinction / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| faith | πίστις / pistis | 信心 (seon3 sam1) | High | REUSED | (noun form, cross-reference) | Personal trust in Christ; not fortune-telling confidence. |
| believe | πιστεύω / pisteuō | 信 (seon3) | High | NEW (verb form of REUSED noun) | 1,3,4,5,6,8,9,10,11,12,14,17,20 | Consistent verb rendering across the Gospel; keep tied to personal trust in Christ, not generic piety. |
| testify / witness / testimony | μαρτυρέω, μαρτυρία / martyreō, martyria | 見證/作證 (gin3 zing3 / zok3 zing3) | Medium | NEW | 1,3,5,8,15,16,18,19,21 | Keystone recurring Johannine motif (John the Baptist, Scripture, works, Spirit, disciples); maintain courtroom/eyewitness weight. |
| perish | ἀπόλλυμι / apollymi | 滅亡 (mit6 mong4) | High | NEW | 3,10,17 | Distinguish from Buddhist nirvana/cessation (涅槃) framing as a desirable extinguishing; here it is tragic loss. |
| judgment / condemn | κρίσις, κρίνω / krisis, krinō | 審判 (sam2 pun3) / 定罪 (ding6 zeoi6) | High | NEW | 3,5,8,9,12,16 | Distinguish from impersonal karmic retribution (報應, flagged in baseline under “sin”); personal, forensic divine verdict. |
| wrath of God | ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ / orgē tou theou | 神嘅忿怒 (san4 ge3 fan6 nou6) | Critical | NEW | 3 | Distinguish from karmic retribution and from capricious folk-deity anger requiring ritual appeasement. |
| light / darkness | φῶς / σκοτία, σκότος | 光 (gwong1) / 黑暗 (hak1 am3) | Medium | NEW | 1,3,8,9,12 | Keep tied to Christ’s person; avoid diffusion into generic Buddhist “enlightenment” (開悟/覺悟) imagery. |
| truth | ἀλήθεια / alētheia | 真理 (zan1 lei5) | High | NEW | 1,4,8,14,16,17,18 | Ultimate reality embodied in Christ; distinguish from your-word-is-truth’s distinct λόγος reference (ch.17). |
| the truth will set you free | ἡ ἀλήθεια ἐλευθερώσει ὑμᾶς | 真理必使你哋得自由 | High | NEW | 8 | Never 解脫 (forbidden per baseline “salvation”); freedom from sin’s bondage through Christ, not liberation from a karmic cycle. |
| name (believing in his name) | ὄνομα / onoma | 名 (ming4) | Medium | NEW | 1,3,20 | Christ’s revealed identity/authority, not face/reputation (面子). |
5. The Seven “I Am” Statements
| Statement | Greek | Cantonese (Jyutping) | Risk | Status | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I am the bread of life | ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς | 我就是生命嘅糧 (ngo5 zau6 si6 sang1 ming6 ge3 loeng4) | Critical | NEW | 6:35,48 |
| I am the light of the world | ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου | 我就是世界嘅光 (ngo5 zau6 si6 sai3 gaai3 ge3 gwong1) | Critical | NEW | 8:12; 9:5 |
| I am the door | ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ θύρα | 我就是門 (ngo5 zau6 si6 mun4) | Critical | NEW | 10:7,9 |
| I am the good shepherd | ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός | 我就是好牧人 (ngo5 zau6 si6 hou2 mau4 jan4) | Critical | NEW | 10:11,14 |
| I am the resurrection and the life | ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή | 我就是復活,亦係生命 | Critical | NEW | 11:25 |
| I am the way, the truth, and the life | ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή | 我就是道路、真理、生命 | Critical | NEW | 14:6 |
| I am the true vine | ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή | 我就是真葡萄樹 (ngo5 zau6 si6 zan1 pou4 tou4 syu6) | Critical | NEW | 15:1,5 |
| (absolute, no predicate) before Abraham was, I AM | ἐγὼ εἰμί | 我是 (ngo5 si6) | Critical | NEW | 8:58; 18:5-6 |
All eight entries (seven predicated + one absolute) require the emphatic 我就是/我是 rendering consistently, preserving the deliberate echo of the divine name (Exodus 3:14). Mandatory human theologian review for every occurrence.
6. Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
| Term (EN) | Greek / Transliteration | Cantonese (Jyutping) | Risk | Status | Chapters | Key Distinction / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| resurrection | ἀνάστασις / anastasis | 復活 (fuk6 wut6) | Critical | REUSED | 2,5,6,11,20 | Never 投胎轉世 or 問米-mediumship framing. |
| Lamb of God | ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ | 神嘅羔羊 (san4 ge3 gou1 joeng4) | High | NEW | 1, 19 | Distinguish from folk temple food/joss-paper offerings; direction of gift is reversed (God provides, not humans offering to appease). |
| lay down [his] life | τίθημι τὴν ψυχήν | 捨命 (se2 meng6) | Critical | NEW | 10 | Voluntary, substitutionary, “for the sheep” — not martyrdom imposed externally. |
| eat my flesh, drink my blood | φάγητε τὴν σάρκα…πίητε τὸ αἷμα | 食我嘅肉、飲我嘅血 | Critical | NEW | 6 | Figurative, provocative language for total reliance on Christ’s sacrifice; not literal, not a folk blood/food offering. |
| blood | αἷμα / haima | 血 (hyut3) | High | NEW | 6,19 | Sacrificial, atoning life poured out. |
| crucify | σταυρόω / stauroō | 釘十字架 (deng1 sap6 zi6 gaa3) | Critical | NEW | 19 | Genuinely historical, bodily execution; not mythic/symbolic. |
| it is finished | τετέλεσται / tetelestai | 成了 (sing4 liu5) | Critical | NEW | 19 | Never 修成正果 (forbidden per baseline justification); once-for-all completed work FOR sinners, not personal attainment. |
| a grain of wheat…dies…bears fruit | ὁ κόκκος τοῦ σίτου…ἀποθάνῃ | 一粒麥子…死咗…結出果子 | Medium | NEW | 12 | Death-producing-life metaphor tied to substitutionary death and resurrection pattern. |
| lifted up (double meaning) | ὑψωθῆναι / hypsōthēnai | 被舉起 (bei6 geoi2 hei2) | Critical | NEW | 3,8,12 | Simultaneously crucifixion and exaltation; requires translator note every occurrence. |
7. Church, Discipleship, and Christian Ethics
| Term (EN) | Greek / Transliteration | Cantonese (Jyutping) | Risk | Status | Chapters | Key Distinction / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| disciple | μαθητής / mathētēs | 門徒 (mun4 tou4) | Medium | NEW | All | Distinguish from martial-arts/Buddhist master-disciple (師徒) apprenticeship traditions. |
| sanctification | ἁγιασμός / hagiasmos | 成聖 (sing4 sing3) | High | REUSED | 10, 17 (verb ἁγιάζω applications) | Spirit-wrought, not self-cultivation (修煉). |
| a new commandment / love one another | ἐντολὴν καινήν, ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους | 新命令 (san1 ming6 ling6) / 彼此相愛 (bei2 ci5 soeng1 oi3) | Medium-High | NEW | 13 | Distinguish from Confucian filial duty (孝順) and ritual propriety (禮); standard is Christ’s own self-giving love. |
| abide / remain | μένω / menō | 常在 (soeng4 zoi6) | High | NEW | 15 | Relational dependence on Christ, not self-cultivated meditative “abiding in the Dao.” |
| friends, not servants | φίλοι…οὐκέτι δοῦλοι | 朋友,唔再係僕人 | Medium | NEW | 15 | Elevated relational status. |
| that they may be one, as we are one | ἵνα ὦσιν ἕν, καθὼς ἡμεῖς ἕν | 使佢哋合一,好似我哋原為一噈樣 | Critical | NEW | 17 | Not generic religious-syncretism oneness (avoid echo of Daoist cosmic monism, 萬物歸一); grounded specifically in Father-Son unity. |
| forgiveness of sins (authority) | ἀφίενται αἱ ἁμαρτίαι | 赦罪 (se3 zeoi6) | High | NEW | 20 | Not a vow-fulfillment exchange (還神還願, forbidden under baseline justification/covenant); proclaimed on Christ’s finished work. |
| feed/tend my sheep | βόσκε/ποίμαινε τὰ πρόβατά μου | 餵養/牧養我嘅羊 | Medium | NEW | 21 | Pastoral commissioning grounded in the Good Shepherd’s own example. |
| worship | προσκυνέω / proskyneō | 敬拜 (ging3 baai3) | High | NEW | 4,9 | Distinguish sharply from 拜神/拜佛/拜祖先 (folk temple/ancestor worship gestures); relational, “in spirit and truth,” not location-bound ritual. |
| do you love me? (ἀγαπάω/φιλέω interchange) | ἀγαπᾷς με / φιλῶ σε | 你愛我嗎 (nei5 oi3 ngo5 maa3) | Medium-High | NEW | 21 | Cantonese 愛 cannot distinguish the two Greek verbs; flag for footnote/native-speaker handling. |
8. Cultural and Contextual Terms
| Term (EN) | Greek / Transliteration | Cantonese (Jyutping) | Risk | Status | Chapters | Key Distinction / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sign | σημεῖον / sēmeion | 神蹟 (san4 zik1) | Medium | NEW | 1,2,4,6,9,11,12,20 | Distinguish from Wong Tai Sin-style wish-granting miracle claims or feng shui efficacy; signs authenticate Christ’s identity. |
| temple / body as temple | ναός / naos | 聖殿 (sing3 din6) | High | NEW | 2 | Distinguish from generic folk temple (廟, forbidden per baseline “church”); Christ’s resurrected body replaces the physical temple as meeting-place with God. |
| Passover | πάσχα / pascha | 逾越節 (jyu4 jyut6 zit3) | Medium | NEW | 2,6,11-13,18-19 | Requires OT background note (Exodus 12); structures John’s chronology and Lamb-of-God typology. |
| Sabbath | σάββατον / sabbaton | 安息日 (on1 sik1 jat6) | Low-Medium | NEW | 5,9 | Established term; brief OT background sufficient. |
| the hour has come | ἡ ὥρα / hē hōra | 時候到咗 (si4 hau6 dou3 zo2) | High | NEW | 2,7,12,13,17 | Not astrological/almanac auspicious-timing (擇日, 睇時辰); divinely appointed redemptive moment. |
| King of the Jews / my kingdom is not of this world | βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων / ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου | 猶太人之王 / 我嘅國唔屬於呢個世界 | High | NEW (reuses baseline 神嘅國 concept) | 18-19 | Keep doctrinal, not politically loaded, per baseline’s Hong Kong sovereignty-sensitivity caution; this passage is itself the scriptural warrant for that caution. |
| living water | ὕδωρ ζῶν / hydōr zōn | 活水 (wut6 seoi2) | Medium | NEW | 4,7 | Life-giving, not merely flowing. |
| world (κόσμος — tracked by sense) | κόσμος / kosmos | 世界 (sai3 gaai3, system/order sense) / 世人 (sai3 jan4, humanity-as-loved-object sense, esp. 3:16) | High (consistency-tracking) | NEW | 1,3,4,8,9,12,14-17 | Track sense-shift across the Gospel: created order → humanity → hostile system opposed to God. |
| Samaritan | Σαμαρίτης / Samaritēs | 撒馬利亞人 (saat3 maa5 lei6 aa3 jan4) | Medium | NEW | 4 | Avoid reinforcing local insider/outsider hierarchy; narrative crosses, not reinforces, such barriers. |
| devil | διάβολος / diabolos | 魔鬼 (mo1 gwai2) | Medium-High | NEW | 8,13 | Distinguish from generic folk “ghosts” (鬼, Hungry Ghost Festival culture); the specific personal spiritual adversary. |
| soul (ψυχή, “my soul is troubled”) | ψυχή / psychē | 心 (sam1) [recommended over 靈魂] | High | NEW | 12 | Avoid 靈魂 where possible — carries wandering-ghost/ancestral-spirit associations in Hong Kong folk usage; recommend 心 (“inner self/heart”) for this specific context. |
| glory of man vs. glory of God | δόξα τῶν ἀνθρώπων / δόξα τοῦ θεοῦ | 人嘅榮耀 / 神嘅榮耀 | High | NEW (reuses baseline 榮耀) | 12 | Direct scriptural warrant for baseline’s caution against 面子/威水 framing of glory. |
Version Control Notes for Phase 2 Handoff
- All [REUSED] entries above must be enforced exactly as recorded in the baseline
translation_memory.json; no deviation is permitted regardless of new Johannine context. - All [NEW] entries are proposed additions to translation memory and require formal incorporation (with theologian sign-off for every Critical/High entry) before Phase 2 segment translation begins, per the version-increment procedure in
12_ai_translation_requirements.md. - The following five terms carry the highest cross-referencing complexity in the whole book and should receive dedicated theologian attention as a set, not merely individually: 道 (Logos, ch.1) / 道路 (the Way, ch.14) / 道 (Daoist collision); 我就是___ (seven I AM statements, chs.6,8,10,11,14,15) / 我是 (absolute I AM, ch.8,18); 聖靈 / 保惠師 (Holy Spirit / Paraclete, chs.1,3,4,6,7,14,15,16,20); 重生 / 永生 (born again / eternal life, ch.3 and throughout); 合一 / 我與父原為一 (unity, chs.10,17).
- No chapter of John was found to introduce zero new load-bearing vocabulary; every chapter (1-21) is represented above or in
07_semantic_analysis.mdwith either new terms or explicit reuse notes.
Critical Risk Terms
God
Approved rendering: 神
Transliteration: san4
Doctrine: Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
Rejected alternatives: 天主, 上帝, 老天爺
Original: θεός
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. Anchors John 1:1’s 道就是神 and every subsequent deity-of-Christ claim (5:18; 8:58; 10:30; 20:28). Never 天主 (Catholic term, historically significant in HK/Macau) or 上帝, for Protestant curriculum consistency.
Jesus
Approved rendering: 耶穌
Transliteration: je4 sou1
Doctrine: Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
Original: Ἰησοῦς
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. Standard Cantonese Bible transliteration used throughout John.
Lord
Approved rendering: 主
Transliteration: zyu2
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 事頭, 老爺
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. Climactic use at John 20:28 (我嘅主,我嘅神) combined directly with 神; never an employer/feudal-honorific reading.
Son Of God
Approved rendering: 神嘅兒子
Transliteration: san4 ge3 ji4 zi2
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 天子, 神人
Original: υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. Must remain sharply distinct from believers’ 神嘅兒女 (children_of_god) and from Christ’s unique 獨生子 (only_begotten_son) — three related but categorically different Johannine sonship terms.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: 聖靈
Transliteration: sing3 ling4
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Rejected alternatives: 問米嘅靈, 祖先靈
Original: πνεῦμα ἅγιον
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. Never bare 靈. John develops this doctrine most fully via 保惠師 (paraclete, see Section B).
Grace
Approved rendering: 恩典
Transliteration: jan1 din2
Doctrine: God’s Love for the World
Rejected alternatives: 福氣, 有求必應式嘅恩典, 功德
Original: χάρις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. John 1:14,17 (‘full of grace and truth’, see grace_and_truth) and 3:16 both require the unearned, unpetitioned sense, guarded against Wong Tai Sin-style transactional favor.
Salvation
Approved rendering: 救恩 / 得救
Transliteration: gau3 jan1 / dak1 gau3
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Rejected alternatives: 解脫, 超度, 大慈大悲救苦救難
Original: σωτηρία / σωθῇ
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package (noun 救恩); John 3:17 introduces the verb form 得救, reused within the same forbidden-substitution fence. Never 解脫 or 超度, and never Guanyin’s popular mercy epithet.
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
Category: Eschatology
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. Foreshadowed at John 2:19-22, 11:23-44, and fulfilled bodily and historically at John 20.
Incarnation
Approved rendering: 道成肉身
Transliteration: dou6 sing4 juk6 san1
Doctrine: Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
Rejected alternatives: 化身, 顯靈
Original: ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. This is the direct scriptural basis of the term, stated at John 1:14. Never 化身 (Guanyin-style repeatable manifestation) or 顯靈.
Messiah
Approved rendering: 基督
Transliteration: gei1 duk1
Doctrine: Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
Rejected alternatives: 彌勒, 黃大仙式嘅救世主
Original: Χριστός / Μεσσίας
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. Confessed at John 1:41 (paired with the transliteration 彌賽亞, see Section B), 4:25-26, 11:27, and named as John’s own purpose statement, 20:31.
Righteousness
Approved rendering: 義
Transliteration: ji6
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Rejected alternatives: 道德, 善行
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. John 16:8,10 applies this term to Christ’s own forensic vindication through the Spirit’s convicting work (see spirit_convicts) — the baseline’s caution against collapsing 義 into the Cantonese loyalty-and-honor idiom (義氣) is especially acute here, since this names a legal verdict, not an honor code.
Logos
Approved rendering: 道
Transliteration: dou6
Doctrine: Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
Rejected alternatives: 道教之道 (Daoist impersonal cosmic principle), unmarked conflation with 道路 (the Way, 14:6)
Original: λόγος
Category: Christology
NEW. 道 is the central concept of Daoism, one of Hong Kong’s Three Teachings, and Wong Tai Sin Temple is itself a Daoist site; John’s 道 is a personal, self-conscious, eternal divine Being who ‘was with God’ and ‘became flesh’ (1:1,14). Mandatory theologian review every occurrence; also names God’s spoken message at 17:17 with a different referent, requiring a distinguishing teaching note.
Only Begotten Son
Approved rendering: 獨生子
Transliteration: duk6 sang1 zi2
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: a son among many, 神嘅兒女 used interchangeably
Original: μονογενής
Category: Christology
NEW. Established CUV coinage. Must never be softened to imply Christ is merely ‘a son’ among many; must remain sharply distinct from children_of_god and from adoption (兒子嘅名分). John 1:14,18; 3:16,18.
Equal With God
Approved rendering: 同神平等
Transliteration: tung4 san4 ping4 dang2
Doctrine: Unity of the Father and the Son
Rejected alternatives: 似神, 有神咁嘅能力
Original: ἴσος τῷ θεῷ
Category: Christology
NEW. Full ontological equality, not representative likeness or ‘a powerful spirit’; John 5:18, correctly perceived by hostile hearers as Christ’s claim.
Father Son Unity
Approved rendering: 我與父原為一
Transliteration: ngo5 jyu5 fu6 jyun4 wai4 jat1
Doctrine: Unity of the Father and the Son
Rejected alternatives: 萬物歸一式嘅合一, 單純講合作無間
Original: ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν
Category: Christology
NEW. John 10:30. Must preserve unity of essence (not merely agreement) while retaining distinction of Persons — guards against both modalism and subordinationism, and against Daoist monistic ‘all returns to one’ readings.
Absolute I Am
Approved rendering: 我是
Transliteration: ngo5 si6
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Rejected alternatives: 我已經存在 (NWT-style weakened rendering), 我出世之前就有 (mere priority-in-age reading)
Original: ἐγὼ εἰμί (unqualified)
Category: Christology
NEW. John 8:58; 18:5-6,8. Absolute divine self-designation echoing Exodus 3:14; must unmistakably signal eternal, uncreated existence, not merely age priority. Mandatory theologian review every occurrence; this is the verse the Chinese New World Translation weakens most consequentially (see 12_ai_translation_requirements.md).
My Lord My God
Approved rendering: 我嘅主,我嘅神
Transliteration: ngo5 ge3 zyu2, ngo5 ge3 san4
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 一個表達驚訝嘅感嘆詞
Original: ὁ κύριός μου καὶ ὁ θεός μου
Category: Christology
NEW. Thomas’s climactic confession, John 20:28, combining the two baseline Critical terms 主 and 神 applied directly and personally to Jesus. Must never be softened into a mere exclamation of surprise.
God Is Spirit
Approved rendering: 神係屬靈嘅
Transliteration: san4 hai6 suk6 ling4 ge3
Doctrine: True Worship in Spirit and Truth
Rejected alternatives: 神係靈 (bare 靈)
Original: πνεῦμα ὁ θεός
Category: God
NEW, special case. John 4:24 describes God’s own non-corporeal nature, distinct from a direct reference to the Holy Spirit as Person. Never bare 靈, which would place God within Hong Kong’s folk-religious spirit world. Flag for theologian AND native-speaker review.
Paraclete
Approved rendering: 保惠師
Transliteration: bou2 wai6 si1
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Rejected alternatives: 問米嘅靈媒, 祖先嘅保護靈
Original: παράκλητος
Category: Pneumatology
NEW. Established CUV coinage; retained. John 14:16,26; 15:26; 16:7. Must be firmly distinguished from the 問米 spirit-medium practice and ancestral ‘helper spirit’ concepts — the Paraclete is the personal, permanently indwelling third Person of the Trinity.
Spirit Of Truth
Approved rendering: 真理嘅聖靈
Transliteration: zan1 lei5 ge3 sing3 ling4
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Rejected alternatives: 靈 (bare)
Original: τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας
Category: Pneumatology
NEW. John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13. 聖靈 must always be used in full.
Spirit Convicts
Approved rendering: 使人知罪、知義、知審判
Transliteration: sai2 jan4 zi1 zeoi6, zi1 ji6, zi1 sam2 pun3
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Rejected alternatives: 令人感受到報應
Original: ἐλέγξει…περὶ ἁμαρτίας καὶ περὶ δικαιοσύνης καὶ περὶ κρίσεως
Category: Pneumatology
NEW. John 16:8-11. Combines baseline Critical/High terms 罪 and 義; here 義 names Christ’s own forensic vindication.
Receive Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: 領受聖靈
Transliteration: ling5 sau6 sing3 ling4
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Original: λάβετε πνεῦμα ἅγιον
Category: Pneumatology
NEW. John 20:22, echoing Genesis 2:7. Never bare 靈; connects Resurrection of Christ and Holy Spirit doctrines as a new-creation act.
Born Again
Approved rendering: 重生
Transliteration: cung4 sang1
Doctrine: The New Birth and Regeneration by the Spirit
Rejected alternatives: 投胎轉世, 改運
Original: γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν
Category: Salvation
NEW. John 3:3,5,7. MUST NOT be conflated with Buddhist rebirth/reincarnation (投胎轉世) or folk fate-change ritual (改運); one-time, Spirit-wrought, non-cyclical new beginning. Some HK study Bibles gloss 從天上重生 to preserve the ἄνωθεν ‘again’/‘from above’ double sense.
Born Of Water And Spirit
Approved rendering: 由水同聖靈生
Transliteration: jau4 seoi2 tung4 sing3 ling4 sang1
Doctrine: The New Birth and Regeneration by the Spirit
Original: γεννηθῇ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος
Category: Salvation
NEW. John 3:5. Exegetically debated referent (baptism / natural-birth contrast / OT cleansing typology); record alternatives_considered and route for mandatory theologian review per the ambiguity-handling protocol.
Eternal Life
Approved rendering: 永生
Transliteration: wing5 sang1
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Rejected alternatives: 長生不老, 得道成仙
Original: ζωὴ αἰώνιος
Category: Salvation
NEW. John 3:15-16,36; 4:14; 5:24; 6:47,54; 10:28; 17:3; 20:31. MUST NOT be conflated with Daoist immortality-cultivation (長生不老) or Wong Tai Sin-style immortal (神仙) devotion; relational, present-beginning life (John’s own definition, 17:3).
Eternal Life Defined
Approved rendering: 呢個就係永生,就係認識你
Transliteration: nei1 go3 zau6 hai6 wing5 sang1, zau6 hai6 jing6 sik1 nei5
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Original: αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωή, ἵνα γινώσκωσιν σε
Category: Salvation
NEW. John 17:3, John’s own definition of eternal life as relational knowledge (認識, γινώσκω), distinguished from factual knowing (知道, οἶδα, used at 3:2).
Wrath Of God
Approved rendering: 神嘅忿怒
Transliteration: san4 ge3 fan6 nou6
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Rejected alternatives: 報應, 菩薩發怒式嘅隨機憤怒
Original: ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: God
NEW. John 3:36. Distinguished from impersonal karmic retribution and from capricious folk-deity anger requiring ritual appeasement; God’s settled, righteous, personal response to persistent unbelief, balancing 3:16’s declaration of love.
I Am Bread Of Life
Approved rendering: 我就是生命嘅糧
Transliteration: ngo5 zau6 si6 sang1 ming6 ge3 loeng4
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς
Category: Christology
NEW. John 6:35,48. First of the seven predicated I AM statements; emphatic 我就是 mandatory. Mandatory theologian review.
I Am Light Of World
Approved rendering: 我就是世界嘅光
Transliteration: ngo5 zau6 si6 sai3 gaai3 ge3 gwong1
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου
Category: Christology
NEW. John 8:12; 9:5. Mandatory theologian review.
I Am Door
Approved rendering: 我就是門
Transliteration: ngo5 zau6 si6 mun4
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ θύρα
Category: Christology
NEW. John 10:7,9. Mandatory theologian review.
I Am Good Shepherd
Approved rendering: 我就是好牧人
Transliteration: ngo5 zau6 si6 hou2 mau4 jan4
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός
Category: Christology
NEW. John 10:11,14. Grounds Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection doctrine directly. Mandatory theologian review.
I Am Resurrection And Life
Approved rendering: 我就是復活,亦係生命
Transliteration: ngo5 zau6 si6 fuk6 wut6, jik6 hai6 sang1 ming6
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή
Category: Christology
NEW. John 11:25. 復活 reused exactly per baseline within this statement; never 投胎轉世 or 問米 framing. Mandatory theologian review.
I Am Way Truth Life
Approved rendering: 我就是道路、真理、生命
Transliteration: ngo5 zau6 si6 dou6 lou6, zan1 lei5, sang1 ming6
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή
Category: Christology
NEW. John 14:6. 道路 shares its root character 道 with the Logos title (ch.1) and the Daoist Dao — a triple point of collision requiring dedicated theologian review alongside John 1:1.
I Am True Vine
Approved rendering: 我就是真葡萄樹
Transliteration: ngo5 zau6 si6 zan1 pou4 tou4 syu6
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή
Category: Christology
NEW. John 15:1,5. Final of the seven predicated I AM statements. Mandatory theologian review.
Lay Down Life
Approved rendering: 捨命
Transliteration: se2 meng6
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Rejected alternatives: 被迫犧牲
Original: τίθημι τὴν ψυχήν
Category: Atonement
NEW. John 10:11,15,17-18. Voluntary, substitutionary, ‘for the sheep’ — a self-giving sacrifice, not externally-imposed martyrdom.
Eat Flesh Drink Blood
Approved rendering: 食我嘅肉、飲我嘅血
Transliteration: sik6 ngo5 ge3 juk6, jam2 ngo5 ge3 hyut3
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Rejected alternatives: 字面食人肉嘅理解, 祭祖式嘅食物供奉
Original: φάγητε τὴν σάρκα…πίητε τὸ αἷμα
Category: Atonement
NEW. John 6:51-58. Deliberately provocative figurative language for total reliance on Christ’s sacrifice; not literal, not a folk blood/food offering.
Crucify
Approved rendering: 釘十字架
Transliteration: deng1 sap6 zi6 gaa3
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Rejected alternatives: 神話式嘅象徵性死亡
Original: σταυρόω
Category: Atonement
NEW. John 19:16-18,23. Genuinely historical, bodily execution, never mythic or symbolic.
It Is Finished
Approved rendering: 成了
Transliteration: sing4 liu5
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Rejected alternatives: 修成正果
Original: τετέλεσται
Category: Atonement
NEW. John 19:30. Once-for-all completed work FOR sinners, never personal spiritual attainment through cultivation. Standardize on CUV’s 成了 (established Cantonese Good Friday liturgical exclamation), not 完成咗.
Lifted Up
Approved rendering: 被舉起
Transliteration: bei6 geoi2 hei2
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Original: ὑψωθῆναι
Category: Atonement
NEW. John 3:14; 8:28; 12:32,34. Simultaneous crucifixion and exaltation double meaning; mandatory translator note at every occurrence.
That They May Be One
Approved rendering: 使佢哋合一,好似我哋原為一噈樣
Transliteration: sai2 keoi5 dei6 hap6 jat1, hou2 ci5 ngo5 dei6 jyun4 wai4 jat1 gam3 joeng6
Doctrine: Unity of the Father and the Son
Rejected alternatives: 萬物歸一, 宗教大同式嘅合一
Original: ἵνα ὦσιν ἕν, καθὼς ἡμεῖς ἕν
Category: Church
NEW. John 17:11,21-22. Must not be softened into a generic ‘all religions/all things are ultimately one’ reading; grounded specifically in the Father-Son unity model (10:30), not generalized cosmic oneness.
Grace And Truth
Approved rendering: 恩典同真理
Transliteration: jan1 din2 tung4 zan1 lei5
Doctrine: God’s Love for the World
NEW. John 1:14,17. Echoes Exodus 34:6’s covenant character of God, now embodied in Christ; combines baseline Critical 恩典 with new High-risk 真理.
Resurrection Of Life And Judgment
Approved rendering: 得生命嘅復活 / 被審判嘅復活
Transliteration: dak1 sang1 ming6 ge3 fuk6 wut6 / bei6 sam2 pun3 ge3 fuk6 wut6
Doctrine: Resurrection of Christ
NEW. John 5:28-29. Combines the baseline’s Critical 復活 with the Judgment doctrine; the two-fold outcome (life vs. judgment) must not be blurred.
Honor Son As Father
Approved rendering: 尊敬個仔好似尊敬父一樣
Transliteration: zyun1 ging3 go3 zai2 hou2 ci5 zyun1 ging3 fu6 jat1 joeng6
Doctrine: Unity of the Father and the Son
NEW. John 5:23. Equal reverence/worship due to both Father and Son; directly grounds the worship of Christ as fully appropriate and required.
High Risk Terms
Father
Approved rendering: 父
Transliteration: fu6
Doctrine: Unity of the Father and the Son
Rejected alternatives: 祖先, 老竇式嘅父
Original: πατήρ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. In John specifically names the eternal Father-Son relationship (5:17-23; 10:30; 14:9-11; 17), not only God’s fatherhood toward believers; distinguish from ancestor veneration (拜祖先).
Abba
Approved rendering: 阿爸
Transliteration: aa3 baa1
Doctrine: Adoption and Sonship of Believers as Children of God
Inherited from Romans package. Not directly textual in John’s Gospel (unlike Romans 8:15) but retained for cross-curriculum teaching consistency when connecting John 1:12’s 神嘅兒女 to Pauline adoption/intimacy language.
Glory
Approved rendering: 榮耀
Transliteration: wing4 jiu6
Doctrine: Glory of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 面子, 威水
Original: δόξα
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package; risk held at High for John given the density of glory-language tied to the cross-resurrection-ascension complex (7:39; 12:23-28; 17:1-5). John 12:43 itself supplies the scriptural warrant for the baseline’s caution against 面子/威水 framing (see glory_of_man_vs_god).
Sin
Approved rendering: 罪
Transliteration: zeoi6
Doctrine: Universal Human Accountability and Sin
Rejected alternatives: 報應, 唔衰得
Original: ἁμαρτία
Category: Sin
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. John 9:2-3 explicitly rejects a sin-causes-suffering causation, guarding against a 報應 (karmic retribution) misreading already flagged in the baseline.
Faith
Approved rendering: 信心
Transliteration: seon3 sam1
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Rejected alternatives: 虔誠, 睇相算命式嘅相信
Original: πίστις
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly as the noun underlying John’s dominant verb 信 (see believe, Section B).
Sanctification
Approved rendering: 成聖
Transliteration: sing4 sing3
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: 修煉, 戒除惡習
Original: ἁγιάζω / ἁγιασμός
Category: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. Applied Christologically in John to the Father’s consecration of the Son for mission (10:36) and the disciples’ sanctification ‘in truth’ (17:17,19).
Adoption
Approved rendering: 兒子嘅名分
Transliteration: ji4 zi2 ge3 ming4 fan6
Doctrine: Adoption and Sonship of Believers as Children of God
Rejected alternatives: 過繼, 認契仔
Original: υἱοθεσία (concept; cf. τέκνα θεοῦ)
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. Must be kept distinct from John’s own 神嘅兒女 (children_of_god, new-birth framing) and from Christ’s unique 獨生子.
Seed Of David
Approved rendering: 大衛嘅後裔
Transliteration: daai6 wai6 ge3 hau6 jeoi6
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. Underlies the crowd’s messianic-lineage question at John 7:42.
Law
Approved rendering: 律法
Transliteration: leot6 faat3
Doctrine: Inspiration of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: 禮, 規矩, 法律
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. John uses νόμος (the Mosaic Law) repeatedly (1:17; 7:19,23; 8:5,17; 10:34; 15:25; 19:7).
Holy
Approved rendering: 聖潔
Transliteration: sing3 git3
Doctrine: True Worship in Spirit and Truth
Rejected alternatives: 清淨, 戒口修行式嘅潔淨
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. John 17:11 addresses God as ‘Holy Father’ (聖潔嘅父).
Son Of Man
Approved rendering: 人子
Transliteration: jan4 zi2
Doctrine: Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
Rejected alternatives: 普通人嘅仔
Original: υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου
Category: Christology
NEW. Retain the Danielic (Daniel 7:13-14) eschatological authority sense; do not reduce to a purely humble ‘son of a human’. John 1:51; 3:13-14; 5:27; 6:27; 9:35; 12:23; 13:31.
Rivers Of Living Water
Approved rendering: 活水嘅河
Transliteration: wut6 seoi2 ge3 ho4
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Original: ποταμοὶ ὕδατος ζῶντος
Category: Pneumatology
NEW. John 7:38-39. Narrator-glossed metaphor for the Spirit’s future outpouring; teaching materials must make the Spirit-connection explicit.
Children Of God
Approved rendering: 神嘅兒女
Transliteration: san4 ge3 ji4 neoi5
Doctrine: Adoption and Sonship of Believers as Children of God
Rejected alternatives: 過繼, 認契仔
Original: τέκνα θεοῦ
Category: Salvation
NEW. John 1:12-13. Must be kept theologically distinct from adoption (兒子嘅名分) and from Christ’s unique 神嘅兒子/獨生子.
Believe
Approved rendering: 信
Transliteration: seon3
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Rejected alternatives: 睇相算命式嘅相信
Original: πιστεύω
Category: Faith
NEW, verb form of the baseline noun 信心. Must consistently mean trusting reliance on Christ personally, never generic religious piety.
Perish
Approved rendering: 滅亡
Transliteration: mit6 mong4
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Rejected alternatives: 涅槃 (desirable cessation)
Original: ἀπόλλυμι
Category: Salvation
NEW. John 3:16; 10:28; 17:12. Tragic loss to be avoided by faith, never a spiritual attainment.
Judgment
Approved rendering: 審判 / 定罪
Transliteration: sam2 pun3 / ding6 zeoi6
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Rejected alternatives: 報應
Original: κρίσις / κρίνω
Category: Judgment
NEW. Personal, forensic divine verdict (3:17-19; 5:22,27,29-30; 8:16; 9:39; 12:31,47-48; 16:8,11), distinct from impersonal karmic retribution.
Truth
Approved rendering: 真理
Transliteration: zan1 lei5
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἀλήθεια
Category: Revelation
NEW. 1:14,17; 4:23-24; 8:32; 14:6; 16:13; 17:17; 18:37-38. Must remain tied to Christ’s person, not diffused into generic philosophical/moral truth; distinct referent at 17:17 (‘your word is truth’).
Truth Sets Free
Approved rendering: 真理必使你哋得自由
Transliteration: zan1 lei5 bit1 sai2 nei5 dei6 dak1 zi6 jau4
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Rejected alternatives: 解脫
Original: ἡ ἀλήθεια ἐλευθερώσει ὑμᾶς
Category: Revelation
NEW. John 8:31-32. Freedom from bondage to sin through Christ’s word, never liberation from an impersonal karmic cycle (解脫, already forbidden for salvation).
Lamb Of God
Approved rendering: 神嘅羔羊
Transliteration: san4 ge3 gou1 joeng4
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Rejected alternatives: 燒香紙/食物式嘅祭品
Original: ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Atonement
NEW. John 1:29,36; 19:36. Distinguish from transactional temple food/joss-paper offerings; direction of the gift is reversed — God provides the Lamb.
Blood
Approved rendering: 血
Transliteration: hyut3
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Original: αἷμα
Category: Atonement
NEW. John 6:53-56; 19:34. Sacrificial, atoning life poured out.
New Commandment
Approved rendering: 新命令 / 彼此相愛
Transliteration: san1 ming6 ling6 / bei2 ci5 soeng1 oi3
Doctrine: The New Commandment of Christlike Love
Rejected alternatives: 孝順, 禮
Original: ἐντολὴν καινήν / ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους
Category: Church
NEW. John 13:34-35; 15:12-17. Distinguish from Confucian filial duty (孝順) and ritual propriety (禮); the standard is Christ’s own self-sacrificial love.
Abide
Approved rendering: 常在
Transliteration: soeng4 zoi6
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: 修煉式嘅安住
Original: μένω
Category: Sanctification
NEW. John 15:4-10. Relational dependence on Christ’s word and love, not a self-cultivated meditative state (‘abiding in the Dao’).
Forgiveness Of Sins
Approved rendering: 赦罪
Transliteration: se3 zeoi6
Doctrine: Authority to Proclaim Forgiveness of Sins
Rejected alternatives: 還神還願
Original: ἀφίενται αἱ ἁμαρτίαι
Category: Salvation
NEW. John 20:23. Proclaimed on the authority of Christ’s finished work and the indwelling Spirit, never negotiated through ritual petition.
Worship
Approved rendering: 敬拜
Transliteration: ging3 baai3
Doctrine: True Worship in Spirit and Truth
Rejected alternatives: 拜神, 拜佛, 拜祖先
Original: προσκυνέω
Category: Church
NEW. John 4:20-24; 9:38. Sharply distinguished from the common Hong Kong gestures of 拜神/拜佛/拜祖先, all location-and-ritual-bound; relational, Spirit-enabled worship ‘in spirit and truth’.
Temple Body
Approved rendering: 聖殿
Transliteration: sing3 din6
Doctrine: The Temple and Christ’s Resurrected Body
Rejected alternatives: 廟
Original: ναός
Category: Christology
NEW. John 2:19-21. Distinguished from the generic folk temple (廟, forbidden under baseline ‘church’); Christ’s resurrected body is the true meeting-place of God and humanity.
The Hour
Approved rendering: 時候到咗
Transliteration: si4 hau6 dou3 zo2
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Rejected alternatives: 擇日, 睇時辰
Original: ἡ ὥρα
Category: Christology
NEW. 2:4; 7:30; 12:23,27; 13:1; 17:1. Not astrologically auspicious-timing language from Hong Kong almanac/feng shui culture; the divinely appointed redemptive moment.
King Of The Jews
Approved rendering: 猶太人之王
Transliteration: jau4 taai3 jan4 zi1 wong4
Doctrine: Kingdom of God and Political Neutrality
Original: βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων
Category: Kingdom
NEW. 18:33-39; 19:3,19,21. Keep doctrinal, not politically loaded, given Hong Kong’s sovereignty sensitivities; paired with 18:36’s kingdom_of_god clause.
World
Approved rendering: 世人 / 世界
Transliteration: sai3 jan4 / sai3 gaai3
Doctrine: God’s Love for the World
Original: κόσμος
Category: Salvation
NEW. κόσμος ranges from created order to humanity-as-loved-object (世人, esp. 3:16) to a morally hostile system (世界, predominant from ch.15). Track sense-shift consistently within a single translated document.
Devil
Approved rendering: 魔鬼
Transliteration: mo1 gwai2
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Rejected alternatives: 鬼 (generic folk ‘ghost’)
Original: διάβολος
Category: Judgment
NEW. John 8:44; 13:2. Distinguish from generic folk ‘evil ghosts’ (鬼, Hungry Ghost Festival culture); the specific personal spiritual adversary of Scripture.
Soul
Approved rendering: 心
Transliteration: sam1
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Rejected alternatives: 靈魂
Original: ψυχή
Category: Christology
NEW. John 12:27, affirming Christ’s full humanity when troubled facing the cross. Prefer 心 over 靈魂, which carries wandering-ghost/ancestral-spirit associations in Hong Kong folk usage.
Glory Of Man Vs God
Approved rendering: 人嘅榮耀 / 神嘅榮耀
Transliteration: jan4 ge3 wing4 jiu6 / san4 ge3 wing4 jiu6
Doctrine: Glory of Christ
Original: δόξα τῶν ἀνθρώπων / δόξα τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: God
NEW, reuses baseline 榮耀. John 12:43 is direct scriptural warrant for the baseline’s caution against reducing 榮耀 to 面子/威水.
Draw
Approved rendering: 吸引 / 引導
Transliteration: kap1 jan5 / jan5 dou6
Doctrine: The New Birth and Regeneration by the Spirit
Rejected alternatives: 命運, 八字注定
NEW. John 6:44. Must retain the sense of sovereign, effectual initiative, not merely persuasive influence, per the baseline’s 揀選 (election) caution against fatalistic renderings.
Holy One Of God
Approved rendering: 神嘅聖者
Transliteration: san4 ge3 sing3 ze2
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: 神仙, 得道高人
NEW. John 6:69, Peter’s confession. Not a class of especially advanced spiritual attainers (神仙/得道高人); a unique title for Christ alone.
Dwelt Tabernacled
Approved rendering: 住
Transliteration: zyu6
Doctrine: Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
NEW. John 1:14. Echoes the OT tabernacle (Exodus 25-40); requires a teaching note on this background given assumed low OT narrative literacy.
Overcome The World
Approved rendering: 我已經戰勝咗世界
Transliteration: ngo5 ji5 ging1 zin3 sing3 zo2 sai3 gaai3
Doctrine: Assurance of Salvation
NEW. John 16:33. A triumphant, already-accomplished-victory assurance statement grounding the baseline’s Assurance of Salvation doctrine in its Christological basis.
Medium Risk Terms
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: 神嘅國
Transliteration: san4 ge3 gwok3
Doctrine: Kingdom of God and Political Neutrality
Rejected alternatives: 天下, 王朝
Original: βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Kingdom
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. John 3:3,5 and 18:36 (‘my kingdom is not of this world’) both use this exact term; 18:36 is itself the scriptural warrant for the baseline’s political-neutrality caution given Hong Kong’s sovereignty sensitivities.
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, reused exactly. John 14:27’s explicit contrast with ‘the world’s peace’ strengthens the baseline’s caution against a protective-charm (平安符) reading.
Israel
Approved rendering: 以色列
Transliteration: ji5 sik1 lit6
Doctrine: Kingdom of God and Political Neutrality
Original: Ἰσραήλ
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. Used in Nathanael’s confession ‘King of Israel’ (1:49) and Nicodemus’s title ‘teacher of Israel’ (3:10).
David
Approved rendering: 大衛
Transliteration: daai6 wai6
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. Referenced at John 7:42 regarding the Messiah’s Davidic, Bethlehem origin.
Church
Approved rendering: 教會
Transliteration: gaau3 wui2
Doctrine: Church Fellowship and Unity
Rejected alternatives: 廟, 祠堂
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. John’s Gospel itself does not use ἐκκλησία, but the term is retained for teaching material connecting John 17:11,20-23’s believer-unity prayer to the doctrine of the gathered church.
Life
Approved rendering: 生命
Transliteration: sang1 ming6
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Original: ζωή
Category: Salvation
NEW. General substrate term underlying eternal_life; escalates to Critical when qualified ‘eternal’. Track consistently across occurrences (1:4; 5:26; 6:33,51; 10:10; 11:25; 14:6).
Testify
Approved rendering: 見證 / 作證
Transliteration: gin3 zing3 / zok3 zing3
Doctrine: Testimony and Witness to Christ
Original: μαρτυρέω / μαρτυρία
Category: Faith
NEW. Keystone recurring Johannine motif (1:7-8; 3:11; 5:31-39; 8:14-18; 15:26-27; 18:37; 19:35; 21:24); retain courtroom/eyewitness weight, not softened to vague ‘sharing’.
Light
Approved rendering: 光
Transliteration: gwong1
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Rejected alternatives: 開悟, 覺悟
Original: φῶς
Category: Revelation
NEW. 1:4-9; 3:19-21; 8:12; 9:5; 12:35-36,46. Must stay tied to Christ’s person, not diffused into generic Buddhist enlightenment-attainment imagery.
Darkness
Approved rendering: 黑暗
Transliteration: hak1 am3
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Original: σκότος / σκοτία
Category: Revelation
NEW. 1:5; 3:19-20; 8:12; 12:35,46. ‘Loving’ darkness (3:19) names a moral choice, not mere ignorance.
Name Of Christ
Approved rendering: 名
Transliteration: ming4
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Rejected alternatives: 面子
Original: ὄνομα
Category: Revelation
NEW. 1:12; 3:18; 20:31. Christ’s revealed identity/authority, not face/reputation or a formulaic invocation.
Grain Of Wheat
Approved rendering: 一粒麥子死咗就結出好多果子
Transliteration: jat1 nap1 mak6 zi2 sei2 zo2 zau6 git3 ceot1 hou2 do1 gwo2 zi2
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Original: ὁ κόκκος τοῦ σίτου…ἀποθάνῃ…πολὺν καρπὸν φέρει
Category: Atonement
NEW. John 12:24. Agricultural metaphor for Christ’s fruitful, life-producing death.
Disciple
Approved rendering: 門徒
Transliteration: mun4 tou4
Doctrine: Church Fellowship and Unity
Rejected alternatives: 師徒
Original: μαθητής
Category: Church
NEW. Used throughout. Distinguish from martial-arts/Buddhist monastic master-disciple (師徒) apprenticeship traditions.
Friends Not Servants
Approved rendering: 朋友,唔再係僕人
Transliteration: pang4 jau5, m4 zoi3 hai6 buk6 jan4
Doctrine: Adoption and Sonship of Believers as Children of God
Original: φίλοι…οὐκέτι δοῦλοι
Category: Church
NEW. John 15:14-15. Elevated relational status Christ grants his own.
Feed My Sheep
Approved rendering: 餵養 / 牧養我嘅羊
Transliteration: wai3 joeng5 / mau4 joeng5 ngo5 ge3 joeng4
Doctrine: The Good Shepherd and Pastoral Ministry
Original: βόσκε / ποίμαινε τὰ πρόβατά μου
Category: Church
NEW. John 21:15-17. Pastoral commissioning grounded in and modeled after the Good Shepherd’s own example (ch.10).
Do You Love Me
Approved rendering: 你愛我嗎
Transliteration: nei5 oi3 ngo5 maa3
Doctrine: The Good Shepherd and Pastoral Ministry
Original: ἀγαπᾷς με / φιλῶ σε
Category: Church
NEW. John 21:15-17. Cantonese 愛 cannot distinguish ἀγαπάω from φιλέω; flag for footnote/native-speaker handling at this specific dialogue.
Sign
Approved rendering: 神蹟
Transliteration: san4 zik1
Doctrine: Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
Rejected alternatives: 黃大仙式嘅靈驗, 風水靈效
Original: σημεῖον
Category: Revelation
NEW. 2:11; 4:54; 6:14,26; 9:16; 11:47; 12:37; 20:30-31. Distinguish from Wong Tai Sin-style wish-granting miracle claims or feng shui efficacy claims; John’s signs authenticate Christ’s identity.
Passover
Approved rendering: 逾越節
Transliteration: jyu4 jyut6 zit3
Doctrine: Passover and Lamb of God Typology
Original: πάσχα
Category: Covenant
NEW. 2:13,23; 6:4; 11:55; 12:1; 13:1; 18:28,39; 19:14. Requires OT background (Exodus 12) given assumed low OT narrative literacy.
Living Water
Approved rendering: 活水
Transliteration: wut6 seoi2
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Original: ὕδωρ ζῶν
Category: Salvation
NEW. 4:10-14; 7:38. Must retain the ‘life-giving,’ not merely ‘flowing,’ sense.
Samaritan
Approved rendering: 撒馬利亞人
Transliteration: saat3 maa5 lei6 aa3 jan4
Doctrine: God’s Love for the World
Original: Σαμαρίτης
Category: Church
NEW. John 4. Avoid reinforcing local insider/outsider hierarchy; the narrative point is the crossing, not reinforcement, of such a barrier.
King Of Israel
Approved rendering: 以色列嘅王
Transliteration: ji5 sik1 lit6 ge3 wong4
Doctrine: Kingdom of God and Political Neutrality
NEW. John 1:49, Nathanael’s early messianic confession. Keep framed as theological, not a contemporary political claim, per Hong Kong sovereignty sensitivities.
Baptism
Approved rendering: 施洗 / 洗禮
Transliteration: si1 sai2 / sai2 lai5
Doctrine: The New Birth and Regeneration by the Spirit
Rejected alternatives: 儀式性沖身淨化
NEW. John 1,3. Distinguish from generic ritual purification bathing found in folk/temple practice; symbolizes union with Christ, not repeated ritual cleansing.
Receive The Word
Approved rendering: 接受
Transliteration: zip3 sau6
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
NEW. John 1:11-12. Welcoming acceptance vs. rejection; sets up the Judgment and Belief/Unbelief doctrine at the Gospel’s outset.
Persecution
Approved rendering: 迫害
Transliteration: bik1 hoi6
Doctrine: Church Fellowship and Unity
NEW. John 15:20. Given Hong Kong’s current political and social climate, handle with pastoral sensitivity, consistent with the baseline’s caution around public religious expression.
Low Risk Terms
Prophet
Approved rendering: 先知
Transliteration: sin1 zi1
Doctrine: Inspiration of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: 風水師, 算命佬
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. Used of John the Baptist’s own denial (1:21,25) and popular speculation about Jesus (4:19; 6:14; 7:40; 9:17).
Thanksgiving
Approved rendering: 感恩
Transliteration: gam2 jan1
Doctrine: Thanksgiving
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. Used of Jesus giving thanks before the feeding miracle (6:11,23).
Sabbath
Approved rendering: 安息日
Transliteration: on1 sik1 jat6
Doctrine: Inspiration of Scripture
Original: σάββατον
Category: Covenant
NEW. John 5:9-18; 9:14-16. Established term; brief OT background note sufficient.
Tribulation
Approved rendering: 患難
Transliteration: waan6 naan6
Doctrine: Assurance of Salvation
NEW. John 16:33. Paired with overcome_the_world; hardship expected but not ultimate.
Zeal
Approved rendering: 熱心
Transliteration: jit6 sam1
Doctrine: The Temple and Christ’s Resurrected Body
NEW. John 2:17. Jesus’ passionate concern for the purity of worship, echoing Psalm 69:9.
Friend Of Bridegroom
Approved rendering: 新郎嘅朋友
Transliteration: san1 long4 ge3 pang4 jau5
Doctrine: Testimony and Witness to Christ
NEW. John 3:29. John the Baptist’s model of joyful self-subordination to Christ, resonating with the baseline’s face/status ministry caution.
Referenced passages