Core Glossary
Core Glossary — Philemon (English → Koine Greek → Dogri)
This glossary consolidates every load-bearing term identified in 07_semantic_analysis.md, covering the entire book of Philemon (all 25 verses of its single chapter). Terms already fixed by the baseline Romans translation_memory.json are marked REUSED and MUST be rendered exactly as recorded there; no alternative is permitted. New terms are proposed here for Phase 2 translation-memory ingestion and Phase 1 doctrine-risk-registry extension, following the same risk framework (Critical / High / Medium / Low) and citation conventions as the baseline.
A. Terms Reused Exactly from the Romans Translation Memory
| English Term | Greek (translit.) | Dogri Rendering (translit.) | Risk | Doctrine Category | Verses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gospel | εὐαγγέλιον (euangelion) | खरी खबर (khari khabar) | High | Gospel | v.13 |
| Grace | χάρις (charis) | बिना कमाई दित्ती दया (bina kamai ditti daya) | Critical | Grace | vv.3, 22, 25 |
| Faith | πίστις (pistis) | भरोसा (bharosa) | High | Faith | vv.5, 6 |
| Saints | ἅγιοι (hagioi) | पवित्तर लोक (pavittar lok) | High | Sainthood | v.7 |
| Peace | εἰρήνη (eirēnē) | शान्ति (shanti) | Medium | Peace with God | v.3 |
| Fellowship | κοινωνία (koinōnia) | संगत (sangat) | Low | Christian Fellowship | v.6 |
| Church | ἐκκλησία (ekklēsia) | कलीसिया (kalisiya) | Medium | Church as God’s People | v.2 |
| Thanksgiving | εὐχαριστία / εὐχαριστῶ (eucharistia/eucharistō) | धन्नवाद (dhannvaad) | Low | Thanksgiving | v.4 |
| Exhort/Appeal | παρακαλῶ (parakalō) | बिनती करना (binti karna) — entreaty sense per TM context rule | Low | Mutual Edification | vv.9, 10 |
| God | θεός (theos) | परमेश्वर (Parmeshwar) | Critical | Deity of Christ | vv.3, 4 |
| Father | πατήρ (patēr) | पिता (pita) | Critical | Adoption into God’s Family | v.3 |
| Lord | κύριος (kyrios) | प्रभु (prabhu) | Critical | Lordship of Christ | vv.3, 5, 16, 20, 25 |
| Christ Jesus | Χριστός Ἰησοῦς (Christos Iēsous) | मसीह यीशु (Masih Yishu) | Critical | Messianic Promise / Lordship | vv.1, 9, 23, 25 |
| Intercession (genre-level) | (letter functions as ἔντευξις-type appeal) | बिचाल्ले होइयै बिनती (bichalle hoiyai binti) | Medium | Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another | whole letter |
B. New Terms Identified in Philemon — Core Passage (1:8-21)
| English Term | Greek (translit.) | Literal Meaning | Proposed Dogri (translit.) | Risk | Doctrine | Verses | Rejected Alternatives / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slave / bondservant | δοῦλος (doulos) | one owned, legally bound in service | गुलाम (ghulam) | Critical | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | v.16 | REJECTED: दास (Hindu devotional self-submission connotation, e.g. “Ram-dās”); नौकर (too weak — implies paid free employee). Mandatory note distinguishing Greco-Roman chattel slavery from historical Dogra-era begar (corvée labor); doctrine, not institution, is the teaching point. |
| Love | ἀγάπη (agapē) | self-giving good will | प्यार (pyar) | High | Forgiveness and Reconciliation; Christian Brotherhood | vv.5, 7, 9 | Risk of collision with bhakti devotional prem/priya directed at a chosen deity (Krishna/Rama/Vaishno Devi). Must be anchored as horizontal, self-giving love between believers, not devotional longing toward a deity. |
| Heart / deep affection | σπλάγχνα (splagchna) | inward parts, seat of visceral emotion | दिल दी ममता (dil di mamta) | High | Forgiveness and Reconciliation; Intercession | vv.7, 12, 20 | Must not flatten to generic “dear friend.” Same rendering required at all 3 occurrences; native-speaker review recommended for consistency. |
| Beloved brother | ἀδελφὸς ἀγαπητός (adelphos agapētos) | dearly loved kinsman, extended to fellow believers | प्यारा भाई (pyara bhai) | High | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | v.16 | Must retain full leveling force against Dogra Rajput izzat/lineage-status stratification; do not soften to a polite honorific that leaves hierarchy intact. |
| Boldness/authority (to command) | παρρησία (parrēsia) | freedom/confidence to speak or command | पूरा हक्क ते हौसला (pura hakk te hausla) | Medium | Grace-Motivated Obedience | v.8 | Descriptive compound; do not collapse to mere “permission.” |
| What is fitting/proper | τὸ ἀνῆκον (to anēkon) | that which is due/proper | जो ठीक ऐ (jo theek ai) | Medium | Grace-Motivated Obedience | v.8 | REJECTED: फर्ज़ / धर्म-duty framing (Dogra Rajput honor-duty resonance, cf. baseline’s rejection of धर्म for “law”). |
| Old man / ambassador (textual variant) | πρεσβύτης / πρεσβευτής (presbytēs / presbeutēs) | elder / envoy | बजुर्ग (buzurg) / दूत (doot) | Medium | (textual-critical note) | v.9 | Flag variant for translator note; do not use भेजेआ होया (reserved for “apostle”). |
| Begotten (spiritual fathering) | γεννάω (gennaō) | to father, bring to birth | जन्म दित्ता (janm ditta) | High | Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another | v.10 | Must not be confused with baseline’s Sonship-of-Christ or Adoption doctrine terms; this is an everyday pastoral metaphor, not divine begetting. |
| Useless | ἄχρηστος (achrēstos) | worthless in service | निकम्मा (nikamma) | Medium | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | v.11 | Wordplay with Onesimus’s name lost in Dogri; requires translator footnote. |
| Useful/profitable | εὔχρηστος (euchrēstos) | valuable in service | कम्मी आह् (kammi aah) | Medium | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | v.11 | Pair consistently with निकम्मा above. |
| Serve/minister | διακονέω (diakoneō) | to render service | सेवा करना (seva karna) | Medium | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | v.13 | CAUTION: सेवा evokes Hindu temple/ritual service and caste-linked household service; anchor explicitly to gospel ministry, never left generic. |
| Consent/will | γνώμη (gnōmē) | opinion, judgment, consent | मरजी (marzi) | Medium | Grace-Motivated Obedience | v.14 | — |
| Compulsion | ἀνάγκη (anankē) | external necessity/constraint | मजबूरी (majboori) | High | Grace-Motivated Obedience | v.14 | Must stay sharply distinct from grace vocabulary; parallels baseline’s rejection of the mannat vow-exchange logic for “grace.” |
| Voluntary | ἑκούσιον (hekousion) | of one’s own free will | आपणी खुशी नाल (apni khushi naal) | High | Grace-Motivated Obedience | v.14 | Paired term with ἀνάγκη/मजबूरी above; single most important contrast pair in the letter. |
| Separated | χωρίζω (chōrizō) | to part, divide | अलग होना (alag hona) | Low | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | v.15 | — |
| Slave (again) — see above | δοῦλος (doulos) | — | गुलाम (ghulam) | Critical | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | v.16 | See full entry above. |
| Partner | κοινωνός (koinōnos) | one with a common share/stake | सांझीदार (sanjhidar) | Medium | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | v.17 | Distinct from κοινωνία/संगत (corporate fellowship); dyadic mutual-stake partnership. |
| Receive/welcome | προσλαμβάνω (proslambanō) | to take to oneself, welcome fully | अपनाना (apnauna) | Medium | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | v.17 | Must convey full relational welcome, not mere toleration. |
| Wronged | ἀδικέω (adikeō) | to do injustice | अन्याय करना (anyay karna) | Low | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | v.18 | — |
| Owe | ὀφείλω (opheilō) | to be indebted | कर्जदार होना (karzdar hona) | Medium | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | v.18 | — |
| Charge to account | ἐλλογάω (ellogaō) | to credit/reckon on a ledger | मेरे हिसाब चा लिख (mere hisab cha likh) | High | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | v.18 | Typologically parallels baseline’s imputed_righteousness (गिनी गेई धरमीपन, Critical); flag for theologian review when cross-referenced with Romans. |
| Repay | ἀποτίνω (apotinō) | to pay back in full | भरी देंगा (bhari denga) | Low | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | v.19 | — |
| Owe besides | προσοφείλω (prosopheilō) | to owe in addition | उप्पर था कर्ज़ा (uppar tha karza) | Medium | Grace-Motivated Obedience | v.19 | Retain “how much more” rhetorical weight. |
| Benefit (wordplay on “Onesimus”) | ὀνίνημι / ὀναίμην (oninēmi / onaimēn) | to profit, may I benefit | मिगी फैदा हो (migi phaida ho) | Medium (translation) / High (footnote) | Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another | v.20 | Mandatory translator note: wordplay on Onesimus’s name (“useful one”) is lost in Dogri. |
| Refresh (heart) | ἀναπαύω (anapauō) | to give rest/relief | मन शान्त कर / राहत दे (man shant kar / rahat de) | Medium | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | vv.7, 20 | Keep consistent rendering across both occurrences. |
| Confident/persuaded | πείθω, ptc. πεποιθώς (peithō/pepoithōs) | having settled trust in | भरोसा रखदे होए (bharosa rakhde hoye) | Medium | Grace-Motivated Obedience | v.21 | Built on भरोसा root but object is a person’s character, not saving faith in Christ — flag distinction. |
| Obedience (Philemon’s compliance) | ὑπακοή (hypakoē) | compliance, submission to instruction | आज्ञा मन्नणा (aagya mannana) | High | Grace-Motivated Obedience | v.21 | Distinct from baseline’s “obedience_of_faith” (भरोसे कन्नै ताल्लुक रखदी मन्नता). AVOID any रूप बनावट using “mannat” root — collides with baseline’s rejected vow-economy term. |
C. New Terms Identified Outside the Core Passage (1:1-7, 22-25)
| English Term | Greek (translit.) | Literal Meaning | Proposed Dogri (translit.) | Risk | Doctrine | Verses | Rejected Alternatives / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prisoner (of Christ) | δέσμιος (desmios) | one bound, in custody | कैदी / मसीह दा कैदी (qaidi / Masih da qaidi) | Medium | (Paul’s rhetorical self-humbling) | vv.1, 9, 10, 13 | Deliberately chosen over “apostle” (भेजेआ होया) — preserve the rhetorical contrast. |
| Brother | ἀδελφός (adelphos) | sibling; fellow believer | भाई (bhai) | High | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | vv.1, 7, 16, 20 | Becomes doctrinally loaded once applied across a master-slave relationship (v.16); track consistent use. |
| Beloved | ἀγαπητός (agapētos) | dearly loved | प्यारा (pyara) | Medium | (see ἀγάπη above) | v.1 | — |
| Fellow worker | συνεργός (synergos) | co-laborer | कम्म च साथी (kamm cha sathi) | Low | Christian Fellowship | vv.1, 24 | — |
| Sister | ἀδελφή (adelphē) | female fellow believer | बहन (behen) | Low | Christian Brotherhood | v.2 | — |
| Fellow soldier | συστρατιώτης (systratiōtēs) | comrade-in-arms (metaphor) | जंग च साथी सिपाही (jang cha sathi sipahi) | Medium | Christian Fellowship | v.2 | Must be explicitly spiritual, not literal-martial; caution given Dogra Rajput military-honor tradition. |
| House church | κατ᾽ οἶκόν ἐκκλησία (kat’ oikon ekklēsia) | church meeting in a home | घर च होने वाली कलीसिया (ghar cha hone wali kalisiya) | Medium | Church as God’s People | v.2 | Reinforces baseline’s कलीसिया-vs-मंदर distinction; home-based, not temple-based. |
| Remembrance | μνεία (mneia) | mention, remembrance | याद (yaad) | Low | Christian Fellowship | v.4 | — |
| Prayers | προσευχή (proseuchē) | petitionary prayer | प्रार्थना (prarthana) | Low | Prayer and Intercession | v.4 | — |
| Fellowship of faith | κοινωνία τῆς πίστεως (koinōnia tēs pisteōs) | shared participation grounded in faith | भरोसे दी संगत (bharose di sangat) | Medium | Faith; Christian Fellowship | v.6 | Compound of two REUSED terms; verify consistency. |
| Effective/active | ἐνεργής (energēs) | working, effective | असरदार (asardar) | Low | Christian Fellowship | v.6 | — |
| Full knowledge | ἐπίγνωσις (epignōsis) | intensified/experiential knowing | पूरी पछान (puri pachhan) | Low-Medium | Faith | v.6 | Distinguish from ज्योतषी-style predictive/occult “knowledge.” |
| Good (thing) | ἀγαθόν (agathon) | goodness | भलाई (bhalai) | Low | Christian Fellowship | v.6 | — |
| Joy | χαρά (chara) | joy | खुशी (khushi) | Low | Thanksgiving | v.7 | — |
| Comfort/encouragement | παράκλησις (paraklēsis) | consolation, encouragement | तसल्ली (tasalli) | Low | Mutual Edification | v.7 | — |
| Guest room/hospitality | ξενία (xenia) | lodging for a guest | रौने आस्तै जगह (raune aastai jagah) | Low | Christian Fellowship | v.22 | — |
| Graciously given/restored | χαρίζομαι, fut. χαρισθήσομαι (charizomai/charisthēsomai) | to be granted as a favor (grace-root) | मिगी दया कन्नै सौंपा जासां (migi daya kannai saumpa jasan) | Medium | Grace | v.22 | Built on REUSED grace term; flag χάρις-root wordplay in translator note. |
| Fellow prisoner (intensified) | συναιχμάλωτος (synaichmalōtos) | fellow captive (lit. “fellow spear-captive”) | कैद च साथी (qaid cha sathi) | Low-Medium | Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another | v.23 | Stronger than δέσμιος; note intensity difference if precision required. |
| Human spirit (benediction) | πνεῦμα (pneuma) | breath, human spirit | आत्मा (aatma) | High | (closing benediction) | v.25 | Risk of collision with Hindu ātman (eternal self, non-different from Brahman in much Hindu philosophy). Anchor explicitly as created, relational, distinct-from-God human spirit receiving grace, not a divine spark. Distinct concern from baseline’s Holy-Spirit-specific caution re: bare परमात्मा. |
D. Risk-Tier Summary for Philemon
| Risk Tier | Count (new terms, B+C) | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | 1 (δοῦλος / गुलाम) | Human theologian — mandatory, every occurrence |
| High | 8 (ἀγάπη, σπλάγχνα, ἀδελφὸς ἀγαπητός, γεννάω, ἀνάγκη, ἑκούσιον, ἐλλογάω, ὑπακοή, ἀδελφός, πνεῦμα) | Human theologian |
| Medium | 20 | Native speaker review |
| Low | 15 | Automated review |
Note on totals: ἀδελφός and πνεῦμα are counted once each in the High tier above though they recur across multiple verses; δοῦλος recurs at both v.16 (core passage) and is cross-referenced in table B — counted once as Critical. This mirrors the baseline registry’s convention of counting doctrines/terms once regardless of verse-occurrence frequency, with occurrence lists preserved for reviewer reference.
Highest-priority guardrails for Phase 2 translation of Philemon (in order): (1) δοῦλος never रendered as दास; (2) ἀνάγκη/ἑκούσιον contrast never collapsed or reversed; (3) σπλάγχνα rendered consistently at all three occurrences; (4) ἀδελφὸς ἀγαπητός retains full status-leveling force at v.16; (5) πνεῦμα (v.25) anchored against ātman-collapse.
Critical Risk Terms
Grace
Approved rendering: बिना कमाई दित्ती दया
Transliteration: bina kamai ditti daya
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: मन्नत दा फल (a boon granted through a shrine vow at Vaishno Devi; never use), पुण्य (merit earned through right action; never use)
Original: χάρις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Recurs in Philemon’s greeting (1:3) and twice in the benediction/closing (1:22, 1:25), including the χάρις-root wordplay at 1:22 (‘graciously given/restored’) where the mannat-vow collision risk is especially acute since Paul frames his own hoped-for release as a gracious gift, not an answer to a vow.
God
Approved rendering: परमेश्वर
Transliteration: Parmeshwar
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: भगवान (broad Hindu deity usage, avoid for doctrinal precision)
Original: θεός
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Recurs in Philemon 1:3-4.
Father
Approved rendering: पिता
Transliteration: pita
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Original: πατήρ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Recurs in the greeting, Philemon 1:3. Must not be confused with Paul’s figurative ‘fathering’ of Onesimus (γεννάω, 1:10), which is a pastoral-conversion metaphor, not this doctrine.
Lord
Approved rendering: प्रभु
Transliteration: prabhu
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: महाराजा (the historic Dogra dynastic royal title; never use)
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Recurs at Philemon 1:3, 1:5, 1:16, 1:20, 1:25 — every occurrence carries the same Critical risk of being heard as one lord among several regionally worshipped deities, or as an echo of Dogra royal dynastic rule.
Jesus
Approved rendering: यीशु
Transliteration: Yishu
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: ईसा (Muslim/Urdu-influenced form; reserve for interfaith-dialogue framing only)
Original: Ἰησοῦς
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Frequently paired with ‘Christ’ as ‘Christ Jesus’ throughout Philemon (1:1, 1:9, 1:23, 1:25).
Messiah
Approved rendering: मसीह
Transliteration: masih
Doctrine: Messianic Promise
Original: Χριστός
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Appears throughout Philemon in the fixed construct ‘Christ Jesus.’ Not one of several divine avatars or locally venerated figures.
Christ Jesus
Approved rendering: मसीह यीशु
Transliteration: Masih Yishu
Doctrine: Messianic Promise / Lordship of Christ
New compound entry built strictly from two inherited Critical terms (messiah + jesus), reflecting the fixed phrase Παῦλος δέσμιος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ etc. recurring across Philemon 1:1, 1:9, 1:23, 1:25. Both component terms must individually match their Romans-package renderings exactly; this entry exists only to fix the compound’s word order and prevent inconsistent phrase construction across Phase 2 segments.
Slave Bondservant
Approved rendering: गुलाम
Transliteration: ghulam
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Rejected alternatives: दास (Hindu devotional honorific for a devotee’s willing, pious self-submission to a deity or guru, e.g. ‘Ram-dās’; would romanticize/spiritualize involuntary chattel servitude, never use), नौकर (paid free employee; too weak, erases legal bondedness), मजूर/मज़दूर (day laborer; wrong economic category, implies terminable wage contract)
Original: δοῦλος
Category: Slavery and Social Status
CRITICAL, new term. Philemon 1:16. गुलाम is itself a Persian/Urdu loanword long naturalized into Dogri/Punjabi for ‘slave,’ deliberately chosen for its lower devotional loading versus Sanskrit-rooted दास. Mandatory translator note required in every occurrence distinguishing first-century Greco-Roman chattel slavery from the historical Dogra-era begar (corvée forced-labor) system, without equating or artificially distancing the two. The letter’s central interpretive ambiguity (does Paul demand manumission or only reconciled reception?) must be preserved, not resolved, by word choice.
High Risk Terms
Gospel
Approved rendering: खरी खबर
Transliteration: khari khabar
Doctrine: Gospel
Rejected alternatives: सुसमाचार (Hindi Christian loanword; avoid so this curriculum reads as Dogri, not Hindi with Devanagari spelling)
Original: εὐαγγέλιον
Category: Gospel
Inherited from Romans package. Recurs in Philemon 1:13, describing Paul’s imprisonment ‘for the gospel.’ No change from baseline.
Faith
Approved rendering: भरोसा
Transliteration: bharosa
Doctrine: Faith
Rejected alternatives: श्रद्धा (generalized devotional reverence, too broad)
Original: πίστις
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Recurs in Philemon 1:5-6, paired with love (ἀγάπη), and underlies ‘fellowship of your faith’ (1:6) and ‘confident of your obedience’ (1:21, where भरोसा-rooted ‘confident’ must be flagged as trust in Philemon’s character, not saving faith in Christ).
Saints
Approved rendering: पवित्तर लोक
Transliteration: pavittar lok
Doctrine: Sainthood
Rejected alternatives: साधु (ascetic renunciant, never use for the corporate sense)
Original: ἅγιοι
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Recurs in Philemon 1:5, 1:7 (‘the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you’), referring to ordinary fellow believers Philemon has served.
Love
Approved rendering: प्यार
Transliteration: pyar
Doctrine: Faith, Love, and Prayer
Rejected alternatives: प्रेम / प्रिय (bhakti devotional love directed upward toward a chosen personal deity, e.g. Krishna, Rama at Raghunath Mandir, or the Vaishno Devi goddess, sought in hope of favor; avoid as the primary rendering for this horizontal sense)
Original: ἀγάπη
Category: Christian Brotherhood
New term. Philemon 1:5, 1:7, 1:9 — the explicit ground of Paul’s appeal, chosen over authority (παρρησία). Must be anchored as self-giving, horizontal love between believers as equals in Christ, never as devotional longing offered upward to a deity in hope of a granted wish.
Deep Affection
Approved rendering: दिल दी ममता
Transliteration: dil di mamta
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Rejected alternatives: a generic ‘dear friend’ gloss (rejected — flattens the visceral, self-identifying force of the image)
Original: σπλάγχνα
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
New term. σπλάγχνα occurs three times (Philemon 1:7, 1:12, 1:20) and MUST be rendered identically at each occurrence. Paul says Onesimus IS his σπλάγχνα, not merely dear to him. Native speaker review mandatory to confirm cross-verse consistency.
Beloved Brother
Approved rendering: प्यारा भाई
Transliteration: pyara bhai
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Rejected alternatives: a softened polite honorific extended downward by a social superior (rejected — leaves the underlying master-slave hierarchy intact)
Original: ἀδελφὸς ἀγαπητός
Category: Christian Brotherhood
New term. Philemon 1:16, replacing δοῦλος. Given Dogra Rajput izzat/lineage stratification, this phrase must retain full leveling force — a declaration of actual equal standing ‘in the flesh and in the Lord,’ not warm paternalism.
Begotten Spiritual Fathering
Approved rendering: जन्म दित्ता
Transliteration: janm ditta
Doctrine: Spiritual Fatherhood and New Birth
Original: γεννάω
Category: Intercession and Appeal
New term. Philemon 1:10 (γεννάω). Must not be confused with baseline’s Critical Sonship-of-Christ (परमेश्वर दा पुत्तर) or High Adoption (गोद लैने आह् पुत्तर बनाना) doctrines. Also must not collide with the Hindu guru-shishya dwija (‘twice-born’) ritual-caste concept or with पुनर्जन्म (reincarnation). Mandatory translator note required at every occurrence.
Compulsion
Approved rendering: मजबूरी
Transliteration: majboori
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Original: ἀνάγκη
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
New term. Philemon 1:14 (ἀνάγκη). Names precisely what Paul refuses to impose. Must stay sharply distinct from grace vocabulary, paralleling baseline’s rejection of the mannat vow-exchange logic for ‘grace.’ Paired term: voluntary/आपणी खुशी नाल. This pairing must never be collapsed or reversed — the letter’s single sharpest terminological contrast.
Voluntary
Approved rendering: आपणी खुशी नाल
Transliteration: apni khushi naal
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Original: ἑκούσιον
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
New term. Philemon 1:14 (ἑκούσιον). Paired contrast term with मजबूरी. Must never be heard as vow-fulfillment (मन्नत) discharge of an obligation; this is free, personal willingness flowing from grace already received.
Charge To Account
Approved rendering: मेरे हिसाब चा लिख
Transliteration: mere hisab cha likh
Doctrine: Substitutionary Debt-Bearing
Original: ἐλλογάω
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
New term. Philemon 1:18 (ἐλλογάω), a technical accounting/legal term. Typologically echoes baseline’s Critical imputed_righteousness (गिनी गेई धरमीपन); mandatory theologian review whenever this verse is taught alongside Romans’ imputation doctrine, so it is understood as an illustrative earthly picture, not the atonement itself.
Obedience Compliance
Approved rendering: आज्ञा मन्नणा
Transliteration: aagya mannana
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Rejected alternatives: any construction built on the ‘मन्नत’ (vow) root — forbidden; would collide with baseline’s rejected shrine-vow-economy term for grace
Original: ὑπακοή
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
New term. Philemon 1:21 (ὑπακοή). Distinct from baseline’s technical High-risk ‘obedience of faith’ (भरोसे कन्नै ताल्लुक रखदी मन्नता), which belongs to the Romans doctrinal frame of saving faith. This is obedience expected because it flows from a transformed, grace-shaped heart, not command-compliance.
Brother
Approved rendering: भाई
Transliteration: bhai
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Original: ἀδελφός
Category: Christian Brotherhood
New term. Occurs at Philemon 1:1, 1:7, 1:16, 1:20 (ἀδελφός). An ordinary, extremely common Dogri address term that becomes doctrinally loaded the moment it is applied across a master-slave relationship at 1:16; track consistent, full-force use, not softened by izzat-conscious politeness.
Human Spirit
Approved rendering: आत्मा
Transliteration: aatma
Doctrine: Human Spirit and Grace Benediction
Rejected alternatives: bare use without contextual anchoring (rejected — risks ātman-Brahman collapse)
Original: πνεῦμα
Category: God
New term. Philemon 1:25 (πνεῦμα), the HUMAN spirit, not the Holy Spirit. आत्मा is the standard word for Hindu ātman, held in much Hindu philosophy to be ultimately non-different from Brahman. Must always be anchored by context (paired explicitly with grace) as a created, relational human spirit distinct from God, receiving grace from outside itself — never a divine spark. Distinct concern from baseline’s Holy-Spirit-specific caution regarding bare परमात्मा.
Reconciliation
Approved rendering: मेल-मिलाप़
Transliteration: mel-milap
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Rejected alternatives: सुलह (legal-dispute-settlement/truce connotation between roughly equal parties; avoid as the primary doctrine-level gloss)
New doctrine-level gloss term (not a single Greek word in Philemon itself, but the theological frame needed for vv.17-20). Must be explicitly defined in teaching notes as reunion made possible by another’s intervention (Paul’s mediation, echoing Christ’s), not a negotiated truce between two aggrieved equals. Pending confirmation against the BSI Dogri Bible if/when Philemon coverage is available there.
Medium Risk Terms
Peace
Approved rendering: शान्ति
Transliteration: shanti
Doctrine: Peace with God
Original: εἰρήνη
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Recurs in Philemon’s greeting, 1:3.
Church
Approved rendering: कलीसिया
Transliteration: kalisiya
Doctrine: Church as God’s People
Rejected alternatives: मंदर (temple, e.g. Raghunath Mandir/Bahu Fort, never use)
Original: ἐκκλησία
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Recurs in Philemon 1:2 as ‘the church that meets in your house’ — a meaningful home-vs-temple contrast with Duggar temple-centered worship culture, to be surfaced in teaching notes.
Intercession
Approved rendering: बिचाल्ले होइयै बिनती
Transliteration: bichalle hoiyai binti
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Original: ἔντευξις (genre-level; cf. ὑπερεντυγχάνει, Rom 8:26)
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. The entire letter of Philemon functions as an act of intercession on Onesimus’s behalf; must be distinguished from mediated petitionary practice at regional shrines (e.g. a mannat vow offered at Vaishno Devi).
Boldness Authority
Approved rendering: पूरा हक्क ते हौसला
Transliteration: pura hakk te hausla
Doctrine: Apostolic Authority and Appeal
Rejected alternatives: mere ‘permission’ (rejected — loses the rhetorical force of authority deliberately laid aside)
Original: παρρησία
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
New term. Philemon 1:8 (παρρησία). Names the authority Paul deliberately sets aside in favor of appeal.
What Is Fitting
Approved rendering: जो ठीक ऐ
Transliteration: jo theek ai
Doctrine: Apostolic Authority and Appeal
Rejected alternatives: फर्ज़ / धर्म-duty framing (rejected — pulls toward Dogra Rajput izzat-bound honor-duty, the same register baseline already rejects for ‘law’)
Original: τὸ ἀνῆκον
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
New term. Philemon 1:8 (τὸ ἀνῆκον).
Ambassador Elder
Approved rendering: बजुर्ग / दूत
Transliteration: buzurg / doot
Doctrine: Apostolic Authority and Appeal
Rejected alternatives: भेजेआ होया (reserved exclusively for the apostolic office term; never reuse here even under the ‘ambassador’ reading)
Original: πρεσβύτης / πρεσβευτής
Category: Apostleship
New term, textual-critical. Philemon 1:9 (πρεσβύτης/πρεσβευτής variant). Mandatory translator note flagging the manuscript variant rather than silently resolving it: बजुर्ग if ‘old man,’ दूत if ‘ambassador.‘
Useless
Approved rendering: निकम्मा
Transliteration: nikamma
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Original: ἄχρηστος
Category: Slavery and Social Status
New term. Philemon 1:11 (ἄχρηστος). Wordplays on Onesimus’s own name (‘useful one’); the pun is lost in Dogri and requires a translator footnote, not a lexical fix. Pair consistently with कम्मी आह्.
Useful
Approved rendering: कम्मी आह्
Transliteration: kammi aah
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Original: εὔχρηστος
Category: Slavery and Social Status
New term. Philemon 1:11 (εὔχρηστος). Must be paired consistently with निकम्मा to preserve the before/after transformation contrast.
Serve Minister
Approved rendering: सेवा करना
Transliteration: seva karna
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Rejected alternatives: चाकरी (routine household chores, carries caste-linked service connotations; avoid as the primary term)
Original: διακονέω
Category: Slavery and Social Status
New term. Philemon 1:13 (διακονέω). सेवा carries strong resonance with Hindu temple ritual service (e.g. at Vaishno Devi or Raghunath Mandir) and caste-linked household service; must always be anchored explicitly to gospel ministry rendered to Paul personally, never left to float as generic devotional or domestic-service language.
Consent Will
Approved rendering: मरजी
Transliteration: marzi
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Original: γνώμη
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
New term. Philemon 1:14 (γνώμη). Paul insists Philemon’s own free consent be preserved, modeling how grace never overrides the will it addresses.
Partner
Approved rendering: सांझीदार
Transliteration: sanjhidar
Doctrine: Christian Fellowship and Partnership
Original: κοινωνός
Category: Christian Brotherhood
New term. Philemon 1:17 (κοινωνός). Distinct from κοινωνία/संगत (corporate, gathered fellowship); this is the dyadic, mutual-stake partnership term carrying the social leverage of Paul’s appeal for Onesimus.
Receive Welcome
Approved rendering: अपनाना
Transliteration: apnauna
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Rejected alternatives: mere tolerance/grudging re-admission (rejected — too weak)
Original: προσλαμβάνω
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
New term. Philemon 1:17 (προσλαμβάνω), the letter’s central request. Must convey full relational welcome equal to how Philemon would welcome Paul himself.
Owe Debt
Approved rendering: कर्जदार होना
Transliteration: karzdar hona
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Original: ὀφείλω
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
New term. Philemon 1:18-19 (ὀφείλω).
Owe Besides
Approved rendering: उप्पर था कर्ज़ा
Transliteration: uppar tha karza
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Original: προσοφείλω
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
New term. Philemon 1:19 (προσοφείλω). Must retain the ‘how much more’ rhetorical weight — Philemon’s spiritual debt to Paul dwarfs any financial claim against Onesimus.
Benefit Wordplay
Approved rendering: मिगी फैदा हो
Transliteration: migi phaida ho
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Rejected alternatives: any forced phonetic recreation of the Greek pun (rejected — Dogri has no equivalent sound-pattern; would distort meaning)
Original: ὀνίνημι (optative ὀναίμην)
Category: Intercession and Appeal
New term. Philemon 1:20 (ὀναίμην), a deliberate wordplay on the name Ὀνήσιμος (‘useful/profitable one’). Mandatory translator footnote required explaining the lost pun; never attempt to force it into the verse text itself.
Refresh Heart
Approved rendering: मन शान्त कर / राहत दे
Transliteration: man shant kar / rahat de
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Original: ἀναπαύω
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
New term. Occurs at Philemon 1:7 and 1:20 (ἀναπαύω); keep rendering consistent across both occurrences.
Confident Persuaded
Approved rendering: भरोसा रखदे होए
Transliteration: bharosa rakhde hoye
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Original: πείθω (ptc. πεποιθώς)
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
New term. Philemon 1:21 (πείθω/πεποιθώς). Built on the भरोसा root [inherited — faith] but must be flagged so it is not confused with saving faith directed at Christ; here the object is Philemon’s known character.
Prisoner Of Christ
Approved rendering: मसीह दा कैदी
Transliteration: Masih da qaidi
Doctrine: Apostolic Authority and Appeal
Original: δέσμιος
Category: Apostleship
New term. Occurs at Philemon 1:1, 1:9, 1:10, 1:13 (δέσμιος). Paul deliberately identifies as ‘prisoner of Christ Jesus’ rather than ‘apostle’ throughout the letter; preserve the deliberate rhetorical contrast with भेजेआ होया (apostle, inherited).
Beloved
Approved rendering: प्यारा
Transliteration: pyara
Doctrine: Faith, Love, and Prayer
Original: ἀγαπητός
Category: Christian Brotherhood
New term. Philemon 1:1, of Philemon himself (ἀγαπητός). Same root as ἀγάπη/प्यार; see love entry for the bhakti-devotion collision risk this root carries.
Fellow Soldier
Approved rendering: जंग च साथी सिपाही
Transliteration: jang cha sathi sipahi
Doctrine: Christian Fellowship and Partnership
Original: συστρατιώτης
Category: Church
New term. Philemon 1:2, of Archippus (συστρατιώτης). Given Dogra Rajput culture’s strong historical military-honor tradition, this metaphor must be anchored explicitly as spiritual, not glorified as literal martial valor or izzat-language.
House Church
Approved rendering: घर च होने वाली कलीसिया
Transliteration: ghar cha hone wali kalisiya
Doctrine: Church as Household of God
Original: κατ᾽ οἶκόν ἐκκλησία
Category: Church
New term. Philemon 1:2 (κατ᾽ οἶκόν ἐκκλησία). Reinforces baseline’s कलीसिया-vs-मंदर distinction; a home-based, not temple-based, gathering — a meaningful contrast with Duggar temple-centered worship culture to surface in teaching notes.
Fellowship Of Faith
Approved rendering: भरोसे दी संगत
Transliteration: bharose di sangat
Doctrine: Faith, Love, and Prayer
Original: κοινωνία τῆς πίστεως
Category: Faith
New compound term. Philemon 1:6 (κοινωνία τῆς πίστεως), built from two inherited terms (संगत + भरोसा); verify consistency wherever used.
Full Knowledge
Approved rendering: पूरी पछान
Transliteration: puri pachhan
Doctrine: Faith, Love, and Prayer
Rejected alternatives: ज्योतषी-style predictive/occult ‘knowledge’ framing (avoid)
Original: ἐπίγνωσις
Category: Faith
New term. Philemon 1:6 (ἐπίγνωσις), intensified/experiential knowing distinct from bare γνῶσις; relational, not predictive/occult knowledge.
Graciously Given
Approved rendering: मिगी दया कन्नै सौंपा जासां
Transliteration: migi daya kannai saumpa jasan
Doctrine: Grace
Original: χαρίζομαι (fut. χαρισθήσομαι)
Category: Salvation
New term. Philemon 1:22 (χαρίζομαι/χαρισθήσομαι), built on the inherited χάρις (grace) root. Flag the wordplay in a translator note since it echoes the letter’s central grace-theme applied to Paul’s own hoped-for release; must not be read as a mannat-style answered vow.
Fellow Prisoner
Approved rendering: कैद च साथी
Transliteration: qaid cha sathi
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Original: συναιχμάλωτος
Category: Intercession and Appeal
New term. Philemon 1:23 (συναιχμάλωτος), literally ‘fellow spear-captive,’ stronger than δέσμιος (implying capture in war). Note the greater intensity if precision is required in footnotes.
Low Risk Terms
Fellowship
Approved rendering: संगत
Transliteration: sangat
Doctrine: Christian Fellowship
Rejected alternatives: यारी-दोस्ती (casual friendship, too weak)
Original: κοινωνία
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Recurs in Philemon 1:6 (‘the fellowship of your faith’). Must remain distinct from सांझीदार (koinōnos, the dyadic partner term new to Philemon 1:17).
Thanksgiving
Approved rendering: धन्नवाद
Transliteration: dhannvaad
Doctrine: Thanksgiving
Original: εὐχαριστία / εὐχαριστῶ
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Opens Paul’s prayer, Philemon 1:4. Should not be pictured as a post-boon ritual thanksgiving offering.
Exhort
Approved rendering: हौसला देना
Transliteration: hausla dena
Doctrine: Mutual Edification
Original: παρακαλέω
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Context-sensitive: use बिनती करना (entreaty) for the beseeching sense that governs Philemon 1:9-10; reserve हौसला देना for building-up encouragement (cf. 1:7’s related παράκλησις/तसल्ली).
Separated
Approved rendering: अलग होना
Transliteration: alag hona
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Original: χωρίζω
Category: Slavery and Social Status
New term. Philemon 1:15 (χωρίζω), of Onesimus’s departure from Philemon’s household.
Wronged
Approved rendering: अन्याय करना
Transliteration: anyay karna
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Original: ἀδικέω
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
New term. Philemon 1:18 (ἀδικέω).
Repay
Approved rendering: भरी देंगा
Transliteration: bhari denga
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Original: ἀποτίνω
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
New term. Philemon 1:19 (ἀποτίνω).
Fellow Worker
Approved rendering: कम्म च साथी
Transliteration: kamm cha sathi
Doctrine: Christian Fellowship and Partnership
Original: συνεργός
Category: Church
New term. Philemon 1:1 (of Philemon), 1:24 (of Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke) — συνεργός.
Sister
Approved rendering: बहन
Transliteration: behen
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Original: ἀδελφή
Category: Christian Brotherhood
New term. Philemon 1:2, of Apphia (ἀδελφή).
Remembrance
Approved rendering: याद
Transliteration: yaad
Doctrine: Christian Fellowship and Partnership
Original: μνεία
Category: Church
New term. Philemon 1:4 (μνεία).
Prayers
Approved rendering: प्रार्थना
Transliteration: prarthana
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Original: προσευχή
Category: Faith
New term. Philemon 1:4, 1:22 (προσευχή).
Effective Active
Approved rendering: असरदार
Transliteration: asardar
Doctrine: Faith, Love, and Prayer
Original: ἐνεργής
Category: Faith
New term. Philemon 1:6 (ἐνεργής).
Good Thing
Approved rendering: भलाई
Transliteration: bhalai
Doctrine: Faith, Love, and Prayer
Original: ἀγαθόν
Category: Faith
New term. Philemon 1:6 (ἀγαθόν).
Joy
Approved rendering: खुशी
Transliteration: khushi
Doctrine: Thanksgiving
Original: χαρά
Category: Faith
New term. Philemon 1:7 (χαρά).
Comfort Encouragement
Approved rendering: तसल्ली
Transliteration: tasalli
Doctrine: Mutual Edification
Original: παράκλησις
Category: Faith
New term. Philemon 1:7 (παράκλησις), same root family as inherited exhort (हौसला देना).
Guest Room Hospitality
Approved rendering: रौने आस्तै जगह
Transliteration: raune aastai jagah
Doctrine: Christian Fellowship and Partnership
Original: ξενία
Category: Church
New term. Philemon 1:22 (ξενία), Paul’s request for lodging on a hoped-for visit.
Referenced passages