Doctrine Analysis
Doctrine Analysis — Acts (Handelingen) | English → Dutch
Purpose
This document provides the full doctrine matrix for the Acts curriculum, covering every chapter from Acts 1 to Acts 28. It is fully consistent with doctrine_risk_registry.json (Acts): same 35 doctrines, same risk tiers, same review routing. This document adds (a) a consolidated matrix with book-wide supporting passages and condensed translation-risk summaries for quick reference in Phase 2, and (b) a chapter-by-chapter walkthrough confirming full-book coverage per the PRD Phase 1 mandate — every chapter is explicitly accounted for, including chapters that contribute no new doctrinal or lexical risk.
The core passage, Acts 2:1-41 (Pentecost and Peter’s sermon), is the theological anchor of this curriculum and carries the single highest concentration of Critical-risk doctrine in the book (Holy Spirit and Pentecost, Deity and Lordship of Christ, Sovereignty and Human Responsibility, Repentance and Baptism, Universal Human Accountability). It is treated in full detail below but is not the scope boundary — the matrix and walkthrough extend across the entire book.
Part A — Master Doctrine Matrix (35 Doctrines, Full Book)
| # | Doctrine | Risk | Primary Supporting Passages (Acts) | Translation Risk Summary (Dutch) | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Holy Spirit and Pentecost | Critical | 1:4-5,8; 2:1-21,33,38; 4:31; 8:14-20; 10:44-48; 19:1-7 | Live Pentecostal/Reformed interpretive split; “Pinksteren” secularized to a holiday weekend requiring re-grounding; Spirit’s personal deity must not be diluted to a force. | Human theologian |
| 2 | Speaking in Tongues | High | 2:4-11; 10:46; 19:6 | Dutch charismatic vs. mainstream Reformed reading of “tongentaal” is live and divisive; translation must not resolve the debate via word choice — context (vv.6-11) must disambiguate known-language speech. | Human theologian |
| 3 | Repentance and Baptism | Critical | 2:38; 8:36-38; 9:18; 10:47-48; 16:15,30-33; 18:8; 19:3-5; 22:16 | Collides with Doopsgezinden believer’s-baptism vs. Reformed/Catholic kinderdoop; must not be silently resolved either direction; “bekering” must exceed mere regret (“berouw”). | Human theologian |
| 4 | The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles | Critical | 10:1-11:18; 13:46-48; 15:1-29 | Netherlands’ WWII history and contemporary Reformed Christian Zionism both shape how Jew-Gentile pairing is heard; Cornelius narrative is the doctrinal hinge for the whole book. | Human theologian |
| 5 | The Church as Community | High | 2:42-47; 4:32-35; 6:1-6; 14:23; 20:17,28 | ”Gemeente” vs. “kerk” distinction as load-bearing as in Romans, now anchored to the church’s literal narrative formation. | Human theologian |
| 6 | Apostolic Authority and Miracles | High | 2:22,43; 3:1-16; 4:33; 5:12; 8:6-13; 9:32-42; 14:3; 19:11-12; 28:8-9 | Must read as divine self-authentication, not folklore, against secular Dutch scientific-naturalist default framing. | Human theologian |
| 7 | Persecution and Bold Witness | High | 4:1-31; 5:17-42; 7:54-8:3; 12:1-19; 14:19-22; 16:19-24; 21:27-36 | ”Vrijmoedigheid” risks generic-confidence reading unless anchored to persecution context; “sekte” risks importing accusers’ hostile framing. | Human theologian |
| 8 | Conversion of Paul | Critical | 9:1-22; 22:3-21; 26:9-23 | Christ’s identification with his persecuted church, and Paul’s “chosen vessel” calling, sit inside the same Canons-of-Dort-adjacent sovereign-election sensitivity as Romans 9-11. | Human theologian |
| 9 | Justification Apart from the Law | Critical | 13:38-39; 15:1-29 | Direct doctrinal bridge into Romans; forensic, faith-alone precision required, now concretized in a real historical controversy (circumcision) rather than an abstract principle. | Human theologian |
| 10 | The Great Commission Fulfilled | High | 1:8; 13:1-3; 28:16-31 | Jerusalem-to-Rome structure enacts the Commission; closing “unhindered” carries triumphant doctrinal weight easily flattened to an administrative note; “zending” carries Dutch East Indies colonial-missionary history. | Human theologian |
| 11 | Effectual Calling and Election (Acts) | Critical | 9:15; 13:48; 22:14 | The most Dutch-specific doctrinal flashpoint carried from the baseline; “ordained to eternal life” (13:48) and “chosen vessel” (9:15) directly engage the Canons of Dort’s condemnation of the Remonstrants. | Human theologian |
| 12 | Deity and Lordship of Christ (Acts) | Critical | 2:33-36; 3:15; 5:31; 9:20; 10:36 | 2:36’s “Heer en Christus” double confession requires the same fixed, unqualified rendering discipline as Romans 10:9; “Leidsman ten leven” (Prince of life) is an added Christological title of equal weight. | Human theologian |
| 13 | Resurrection of Christ (Acts emphasis) | Medium | 1:22; 2:24-32; 4:2,33; 17:18,32; 23:6,8; 24:15,21; 26:23 | Central content of nearly every apostolic sermon; Hades/Sheol quotation at 2:25-28 risks conflation with “hel” (eternal punishment). | Native speaker review |
| 14 | Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility | Critical | 2:23; 4:27-28; 20:27 | 2:23 holds divine sovereignty over the cross together with full human culpability — the precise tension the Canons of Dort tradition addresses; must not be smoothed toward fatalism or bare free will. | Human theologian |
| 15 | The Holy Spirit’s Personal Deity | Critical | 5:3,9 | ”Lying to the Holy Spirit” establishes sin against the Spirit as sin against God himself; must never read as merely lying to an institution. | Human theologian |
| 16 | Sainthood and Holiness of All Believers (Acts) | High | 9:13,32,41; 26:10; 3:14 | Same Catholic-canonized-saint vs. Reformed-corporate-believer fault line as the baseline, sharpened because Acts narrates the historical origin of “heiligen” as a name for the first believers. | Human theologian |
| 17 | Grace Versus Law and Merit | Critical | 15:1-11 | The Jerusalem Council’s summary (15:11) packs grace, lord, faith, and salvation into one clause at full Critical/High weight; contrast with law-works must be preserved exactly as baseline Romans 3-4/11:5-6 rules require. | Human theologian |
| 18 | Sanctification by Faith | High | 26:18 | Unique Acts phrase combining sanctification with faith rather than works or ritual; must not imply a separate works-based sanctification track. | Human theologian |
| 19 | Universal Human Accountability (Acts) | High | 2:37-38; 3:19; 17:30-31 | Same “zonde” colloquial “pity/waste” drift risk as baseline, compounded because forgiveness-of-sins is the climactic promise of nearly every sermon. | Human theologian |
| 20 | Mission to the Nations (Acts) | Medium | 1:8; 13:1-4; 22:21 | ”Zending” has a cleaner semantic field than comparison languages but still carries Dutch East Indies colonial-missionary history requiring sensitive framing. | Native speaker review |
| 21 | Kingdom of God and Political Misreading | Medium | 1:3,6-8; 3:19-21 | Disciples’ own “restore the kingdom to Israel” question enacts the nationalist-political misreading Dutch Christian Zionism risks repeating; Jesus’ redirection (1:7-8) must be preserved as corrective. | Native speaker review |
| 22 | Providence and God’s Purposeful Governance | Medium | 1:24-26; 17:26-28; 20:27 | Areopagus speech addresses providence to a pagan philosophical audience, a distinct register from Romans 8:28; Dutch “lot” (lottery/fate) risks a chance-based misreading of 1:24-26’s sovereign casting of lots. | Native speaker review |
| 23 | Fellowship and Koinonia Life | Medium | 2:42-47; 4:32-35 | Foundational NT description of communal life; “gemeenschap” risks a generic-secular-community reading absent explicit koinonia-in-Christ framing. | Native speaker review |
| 24 | Apostleship and Church Office (Acts) | Medium | 1:15-26; 6:1-6; 14:23; 20:17,28 | Concrete, still-active Dutch Reformed office names (ouderling, diaken) trace directly to these narratives; must not retroject full later Reformed polity, nor import Catholic episcopal “bisschop” via episkopos. | Native speaker review |
| 25 | Inspiration and Fulfillment of Prophecy (Acts) | Medium | 2:16-21; 3:18-25; 13:27; 15:15-18 | Low OT/prophetic literacy among secular Dutch readers requires explicit cross-referencing. | Native speaker review |
| 26 | Glory and Divine Judgment | Medium | 7:2,55; 12:23 | Herod’s death for taking glory due to God alone reinforces “heerlijkheid” as belonging to God exclusively, beyond generic honor. | Native speaker review |
| 27 | Covenant Continuity: Abrahamic and Davidic (Acts) | High | 2:29-31; 3:25; 7:8; 13:22-23,34-36 | Dutch “verbondsleer” gives this vocabulary unusual dogmatic weight; throne-of-David language risks conflation with modern political restoration-of-Israel readings in Christian-Zionist circles. | Human theologian |
| 28 | ’The Way’ as Christian Identity | Medium | 9:2; 11:26; 19:9,23; 22:4; 24:14,22 | ”De Weg” risks a generic ethical-path reading (cf. secular “zijn eigen weg gaan”) rather than a designation rooted specifically in Christ. | Native speaker review |
| 29 | Laying On of Hands and Spirit Reception | High | 8:14-19; 19:1-6 | Strong sacramental associations in Dutch Catholic practice (vormsel, wijding) versus restrained ordination-only Reformed usage risk implying a specific sacramental theology absent from the text. | Human theologian |
| 30 | ’Sect’ and Outsider Perception of the Church | Medium | 24:5,14; 28:22 | Modern Dutch “sekte” carries strongly negative destructive-cult connotations absent from the neutral Koine term; must not let accusers’ hostile framing be imported uncritically. | Native speaker review |
| 31 | Household Salvation and Baptism | High | 16:15,31-33; 18:8 | Ties directly into the paedobaptist/believer’s-baptism fault line; household-inclusive language is cited by both sides of the Dutch debate and must be handled even-handedly. | Human theologian |
| 32 | The Gift of the Spirit versus Spiritual Gifts | High | 2:38; 8:18-20; 10:45; 11:17 | Simon Magus’s attempted purchase (8:18-20) shows the Spirit’s own gift cannot be bought or merited; must be kept distinct from the charismata he later distributes. | Human theologian |
| 33 | Gospel Proclamation | Low | 8:25,35,40; 14:7,21; 16:10; 20:24 | Stable shared term; Acts narrates the gospel’s historical spread rather than introducing new lexical risk, though content assumption remains low among secular readers. | Automated review |
| 34 | Proper Names and Places | Low | Acts 1-28, passim | Standard established Dutch Bible transliteration forms; minimal risk beyond consistency. | Automated review |
| 35 | Thanksgiving and Table Fellowship | Low | 2:46-47; 27:35 | Standard vocabulary, no significant doctrinal risk. | Automated review |
Part B — Chapter-by-Chapter Coverage (Acts 1–28)
Every chapter is reviewed below. Chapters with dense doctrinal content are annotated with active doctrines from the matrix above; chapters that primarily advance narrative without introducing new doctrinal or lexical risk are explicitly marked “reviewed — no new risk” with a brief justification, per the PRD’s full-book coverage mandate.
Acts 1 — Active doctrines: #10 Great Commission Fulfilled (1:8), #21 Kingdom of God and Political Misreading (1:3,6-8), #22 Providence (casting lots, 1:24-26), #24 Apostleship and Church Office (choosing Matthias, 1:15-26), #13 Resurrection of Christ (1:22, background). Ascension (Part 2 new term, 08_core_glossary.md) is theologically load-bearing here. Reviewed in full.
Acts 2 — Core passage (2:1-41). Active doctrines: #1 Holy Spirit and Pentecost, #2 Speaking in Tongues, #12 Deity and Lordship of Christ (2:33-36), #14 Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility (2:23), #13 Resurrection of Christ (2:24-32), #3 Repentance and Baptism (2:38), #19 Universal Human Accountability (2:37-38), #23 Fellowship and Koinonia Life (2:42-47), #35 Thanksgiving and Table Fellowship (2:46-47), #25 Inspiration and Fulfillment of Prophecy (Joel citation, 2:16-21). Highest doctrinal density in the book; every occurrence in this chapter is a priority for human theologian review.
Acts 3 — Active doctrines: #6 Apostolic Authority and Miracles (healing of the lame man, 3:1-16, including the “Prince/Author of life” title), #13 Resurrection of Christ, #3 Repentance (3:19), #27 Covenant Continuity (3:25), #25 Inspiration and Fulfillment of Prophecy (3:18-25), #4 Gospel to Jews and Gentiles (background — “restoration of all things,” 3:19-21, ties to #21). Reviewed in full.
Acts 4 — Active doctrines: #7 Persecution and Bold Witness (4:1-31), #6 Apostolic Authority and Miracles (4:33), #23 Fellowship and Koinonia Life (4:32-35), #17/grace-adjacent (4:33 “grace”), #14 Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility (4:27-28). “Salvation” at 4:12 (“no other name”) is a key salvation (baseline term) occurrence. Reviewed in full.
Acts 5 — Active doctrines: #15 The Holy Spirit’s Personal Deity (Ananias and Sapphira, 5:3,9), #7 Persecution and Bold Witness (Sanhedrin, Gamaliel, 5:17-42), #6 Apostolic Authority and Miracles (5:12), #30 ‘Sect’ and Outsider Perception (background). Reviewed in full.
Acts 6 — Active doctrines: #24 Apostleship and Church Office (institution of the diakonia/deacon role, 6:1-6), #5 The Church as Community. obedience_of_faith (baseline High-risk term) is conceptually present at 6:7. Reviewed in full.
Acts 7 — Active doctrines: #26 Glory and Divine Judgment (7:2,55), #27 Covenant Continuity (7:8), #25 Inspiration and Fulfillment of Prophecy, #7 Persecution and Bold Witness (Stephen’s martyrdom, transition from “witness” to “martyr” register begins here — see 08_core_glossary.md note). Reviewed in full.
Acts 8 — Active doctrines: #32 The Gift of the Spirit versus Spiritual Gifts (Simon Magus, 8:18-20), #29 Laying On of Hands and Spirit Reception (8:14-19), #6 Apostolic Authority and Miracles (8:6-13), #3 Repentance and Baptism (Ethiopian eunuch, 8:36-38), #4 Gospel to Jews and Gentiles (Samaritan mission as precursor), #25 Inspiration and Fulfillment of Prophecy (Isaiah 53 citation), #33 Gospel Proclamation. Reviewed in full.
Acts 9 — Active doctrines: #8 Conversion of Paul, #11 Effectual Calling and Election (9:15, “chosen vessel”), #12 Deity and Lordship of Christ (9:20, Son of God), #3 Repentance and Baptism (9:18), #28 ‘The Way’ as Christian Identity (9:2), #16 Sainthood and Holiness (9:13). Reviewed in full.
Acts 10 — Active doctrines: #4 Gospel to Jews and Gentiles (Cornelius narrative, the doctrinal hinge of the book), #32 Gift of the Spirit versus Spiritual Gifts (10:45), #3 Repentance and Baptism (10:47-48), #22 Providence. “Clean/unclean” and “respecter of persons” (Part 2 new terms) are central here. Reviewed in full.
Acts 11 — Active doctrines: #4 Gospel to Jews and Gentiles (11:1-18, Jerusalem’s reception of the Cornelius report), #5 The Church as Community (Antioch, believers first called “Christian,” 11:26), #20 Mission to the Nations. Reviewed in full.
Acts 12 — Active doctrines: #7 Persecution and Bold Witness (James’s death, Peter’s imprisonment), #26 Glory and Divine Judgment (Herod’s death, 12:23), #22 Providence, #23 Fellowship (intercessory prayer, 12:5, background). Reviewed in full.
Acts 13 — Active doctrines: #9 Justification Apart from the Law (13:38-39), #11 Effectual Calling and Election (13:48, “ordained to eternal life”), #27 Covenant Continuity (David typology, 13:22-23,34-36), #20 Mission to the Nations (Antioch commissioning, 13:1-4), #4 Gospel to Jews and Gentiles (13:46-48), #25 Inspiration and Fulfillment of Prophecy (13:27). Reviewed in full; among the most doctrinally dense chapters outside Acts 2.
Acts 14 — Active doctrines: #6 Apostolic Authority and Miracles (Lystra healing), #7 Persecution and Bold Witness, #24 Apostleship and Church Office (elders appointed, 14:23), #17 Grace (14:26). Reviewed in full.
Acts 15 — Active doctrines: #17 Grace Versus Law and Merit (15:1-11), #9 Justification Apart from the Law, #4 Gospel to Jews and Gentiles (Jerusalem Council resolution), #5 The Church as Community. Circumcision and “yoke of the law” (Part 2 new terms) are central. Reviewed in full; among the most doctrinally dense chapters in the book.
Acts 16 — Active doctrines: #3 Repentance and Baptism, #31 Household Salvation and Baptism (Lydia, the Philippian jailer), #7 Persecution and Bold Witness (imprisonment), #20 Mission to the Nations (Macedonian call). Reviewed in full.
Acts 17 — Active doctrines: #22 Providence and God’s Purposeful Governance (Areopagus speech, 17:26-28), #19 Universal Human Accountability (17:30-31), #13 Resurrection of Christ (mocked by philosophers), #4 Gospel to Jews and Gentiles (apologetic bridge to a pagan audience — “unknown god,” Part 2 new term). Reviewed in full.
Acts 18 — Active doctrines: #3 Repentance and Baptism (18:8), #5 The Church as Community, #20 Mission to the Nations, #30 ‘Sect’ and Outsider Perception (background, Gallio’s dismissal). Reviewed in full.
Acts 19 — Active doctrines: #1 Holy Spirit and Pentecost / #2 Speaking in Tongues (19:1-7, Ephesian disciples), #29 Laying On of Hands and Spirit Reception, #6 Apostolic Authority and Miracles (19:11-12), #30 ‘Sect’ and Outsider Perception (Artemis riot, background). Reviewed in full.
Acts 20 — Active doctrines: #24 Apostleship and Church Office (elders/overseers at Miletus, 20:17,28 — note the “opziener,” not “bisschop,” rendering discipline), #22 Providence (“all the counsel of God,” 20:27), #17 Grace (20:24,32), #23 Fellowship (breaking of bread, 20:7). Reviewed in full.
Acts 21 — Active doctrines: #7 Persecution and Bold Witness (temple riot, arrest), #25 Inspiration and Fulfillment of Prophecy (Agabus), #4 Gospel to Jews and Gentiles (Jewish-Christian law-observance tension, background). Reviewed — no new lexical risk beyond terms already staged in 08_core_glossary.md.
Acts 22 — Active doctrines: #8 Conversion of Paul (retold), #11 Effectual Calling and Election (22:14), #28 ‘The Way’ as Christian Identity (22:4), #3 Repentance and Baptism (22:16). Reviewed in full.
Acts 23 — Active doctrines: #7 Persecution and Bold Witness (Sanhedrin appearance), #13 Resurrection of Christ (Pharisee-Sadducee dispute, 23:6,8), #22 Providence (protection of Paul). Reviewed — no new lexical risk beyond terms already staged.
Acts 24 — Active doctrines: #7 Persecution and Bold Witness, #28 ‘The Way’ as Christian Identity (24:14,22), #30 ‘Sect’ and Outsider Perception (24:5,14). Note baseline term righteousness (gerechtigheid) recurs at 24:25 (“righteousness, self-control, and judgment to come”) — Critical risk per baseline; must not collapse into generic virtue. Reviewed in full.
Acts 25 — Active doctrines: #7 Persecution and Bold Witness (appeal to Caesar), #10 The Great Commission Fulfilled (Rome-bound trajectory advances). Reviewed — no new lexical risk; political-authority theme (Caesar) already flagged in 08_core_glossary.md Part 3.
Acts 26 — Active doctrines: #8 Conversion of Paul (retold before Agrippa), #18 Sanctification by Faith (26:18, unique combination of sanctification and faith), #13 Resurrection of Christ (26:23), #25 Inspiration and Fulfillment of Prophecy (26:22,27), #30 ‘Sect’ and Outsider Perception (background). Reviewed in full.
Acts 27 — Reviewed — no new doctrinal risk. Narrative shipwreck account. NOTE: baseline term salvation/σωτηρία occurs here in a non-doctrinal, physical “rescue at sea” sense (27:20,31,34); translators must not force the “behoud” theological register onto this occurrence — flagged already in 08_core_glossary.md Part 1. #22 Providence present as background theme.
Acts 28 — Active doctrines: #10 The Great Commission Fulfilled (arrival in Rome, “unhindered” closing word, 28:31), #21 Kingdom of God and Political Misreading (28:23,31), #33 Gospel Proclamation, #30 ‘Sect’ and Outsider Perception (28:22, background). Reviewed in full; closing chapter carries the book’s climactic triumphant-mission tone and must not be under-translated toward mere administrative closure.
Summary
All 35 doctrines from doctrine_risk_registry.json are represented across the full 28-chapter span of Acts, with the core passage (Acts 2:1-41) confirmed as the point of highest doctrinal density but not the outer boundary of analysis. Ten doctrines require human theologian review at Critical tier, twelve at High tier (also theologian-routed per the registry), ten require native speaker review at Medium tier, and three are automated-review Low tier — matching doctrine_risk_registry.json’s risk_summary exactly (Critical: 10, High: 12, Medium: 10, Low: 3; 22 total requiring theologian review, 10 requiring native speaker review, 3 automated-only).
Cross-reference: 08_core_glossary.md for term-level detail; doctrine_risk_registry.json for the machine-readable registry this document mirrors; 12_ai_translation_requirements.md (baseline, to be extended for Acts) for review-routing enforcement instructions.
Critical Risk Doctrines
The Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Dutch name: de Heilige Geest en Pinksteren
Key terms: holy_spirit, pentecost, tongues_spoken, tongues_fire, gift_of_holy_spirit
Review routing: Human theologian
The Spirit’s full personal deity (explicit at 5:3,9, ‘lying to the Holy Spirit’) and the live Pentecostal/Reformed interpretive split over tongues (Pinkstergemeenten vs. mainstream Reformed) make this the single most doctrinally fraught recurring theme in Acts for Dutch readers; ‘Pinksteren’ itself is secularized to a holiday weekend requiring explicit re-grounding.
Repentance and Baptism
Dutch name: bekering en doop
Key terms: repentance, baptism, forgiveness_of_sins, household_salvation
Review routing: Human theologian
Collides directly with the historic Doopsgezinden (Mennonite) believer’s-baptism tradition versus mainstream Reformed/Catholic infant baptism (kinderdoop); every occurrence is an active proof-text in ongoing Dutch intra-Protestant and Protestant-Catholic debate and must not be silently resolved in either direction.
The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles
Dutch name: het evangelie voor Joden en heidenen
Key terms: gentiles, israel, clean_unclean, respecter_of_persons, restoration_of_all_things
Review routing: Human theologian
Requires historically aware handling given the Netherlands’ own WWII history and its strong contemporary strand of Reformed Christian Zionism, both of which shape how Jew-Gentile pairing and ‘Israel’ language are heard; the Cornelius narrative is the doctrinal hinge for the whole book.
Conversion of Paul
Dutch name: de bekering van Paulus
Key terms: why_persecute_me, chosen_vessel, the_way
Review routing: Human theologian
Christ’s personal identification with his persecuted church (‘why persecutest thou me’) and Paul’s calling as a ‘chosen vessel’ (root of verkiezing) place this narrative squarely within the same Canons-of-Dort-adjacent sovereign-election sensitivity the baseline documents for Romans 9-11.
Justification Apart from the Law
Dutch name: de rechtvaardiging zonder de wet
Key terms: justification, law, circumcision, yoke_of_law, grace, sanctified_by_faith
Review routing: Human theologian
Acts 13:39 and the Jerusalem Council (ch.15) form the direct doctrinal bridge into Romans’ fuller argument; the law-as-yoke contrast with grace requires the same forensic, faith-alone precision the baseline mandates for rechtvaardiging and gerechtigheid, with the added concreteness of a real historical controversy (circumcision) rather than an abstract principle.
Effectual Calling and Election (Acts)
Dutch name: de werkzame roeping en verkiezing
Key terms: election, called, calling, chosen_vessel, ordained_to_eternal_life
Review routing: Human theologian
The single most Dutch-specific doctrinal flashpoint carried over from the baseline; Acts 13:48’s ‘ordained to eternal life’ and 9:15’s ‘chosen vessel’ are among the most direct election-vocabulary passages outside Romans 9-11, directly engaging the Canons of Dort’s condemnation of the Dutch Remonstrants.
Deity and Lordship of Christ (Acts)
Dutch name: de godheid en heerschappij van Christus
Key terms: lord, son_of_god, lord_and_christ, exalted_right_hand, prince_of_life
Review routing: Human theologian
Acts 2:36’s ‘Heer en Christus’ double confession requires the same fixed, unqualified cross-curriculum rendering discipline the baseline mandates for Romans 10:9; ‘Leidsman ten leven’ (Prince of life) is an additional Christological title of equal weight not present in Romans requiring the same non-negotiable precision.
Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility
Dutch name: de soevereiniteit van God en de verantwoordelijkheid van de mens
Key terms: determinate_counsel, all_the_counsel_of_god, providence
Review routing: Human theologian
Acts 2:23 holds divine sovereignty over the cross together with full human culpability in one sentence — precisely the tension the Canons of Dort tradition addresses; must not be smoothed toward either fatalism or bare human freedom.
The Holy Spirit’s Personal Deity
Dutch name: de persoonlijke godheid van de Heilige Geest
Key terms: holy_spirit
Review routing: Human theologian
‘Lying to/tempting the Holy Spirit’ establishes that sin against the Spirit is sin against God himself; must never be read as merely lying to an institution or a group’s collective conscience — a more explicit personal-deity statement than typically found in Romans.
Grace Versus Law and Merit
Dutch name: genade tegenover wet en verdienste
Key terms: grace, law, circumcision, yoke_of_law
Review routing: Human theologian
The Jerusalem Council’s own doctrinal summary (15:11) packs grace, lord, faith, and salvation into one clause at full Critical/High weight simultaneously; must preserve the contrast with law-works exactly as the baseline’s Romans 3-4/11:5-6 rules require.
High Risk Doctrines
Speaking in Tongues
Dutch name: het spreken in tongen
Key terms: tongues_spoken, tongues_fire, spiritual_gifts
Review routing: Human theologian
Dutch church culture has a live, sometimes divisive split between Pentecostal/charismatic congregations reading ongoing ecstatic ‘tongentaal’ and mainstream Reformed congregations reading Acts 2 as miraculous known-language speech specifically; the curriculum must not resolve this through translation choice alone.
The Church as Community
Dutch name: de gemeente als gemeenschap
Key terms: church, fellowship, ministry_service, elders, overseers_shepherd
Review routing: Human theologian
Acts narrates the church’s actual formation and office structures, giving Dutch Reformed church polity (predikant/ouderling/diaken) a direct biblical-narrative anchor not present to the same degree in Romans; the ‘gemeente’ vs. ‘kerk’ distinction remains as load-bearing here as in the baseline.
Apostolic Authority and Miracles
Dutch name: het apostolisch gezag en de wonderen
Key terms: power_of_god, signs_wonders_miracles, prince_of_life, laying_on_of_hands
Review routing: Human theologian
Must read as divine self-authentication, not folklore; secular Dutch scientific-naturalist public discourse tends to default legend/superstition categories absent explicit framing.
Persecution and Bold Witness
Dutch name: de vervolging en vrijmoedige getuigenis
Key terms: boldness, witness, sanhedrin, sect
Review routing: Human theologian
‘Vrijmoedigheid’ (boldness) risks reading as generic social confidence unless anchored to its recurring persecution-context; a ‘sekte’ mistranslation could anachronistically validate the accusers’ hostile framing for a Dutch audience primed by modern high-control-cult associations with that word.
The Great Commission Fulfilled
Dutch name: de vervulling van de zendingsopdracht
Key terms: mission, unhindered, ascension, kingdom_of_god
Review routing: Human theologian
The book’s Jerusalem-to-Rome geographic structure enacts the Great Commission; the closing adverb ‘unhindered’ carries triumphant doctrinal weight easily under-translated as merely administrative, and ‘zending’ still carries residual Dutch East Indies colonial-missionary history requiring sensitive framing.
Sainthood and Holiness of All Believers (Acts)
Dutch name: de heiligheid van alle gelovigen
Key terms: saints, holy
Review routing: Human theologian
Same Catholic-canonized-saint vs. Reformed-corporate-believer fault line the baseline documents, sharpened because Acts narrates the historical origin of ‘heiligen’ as a name for the first Jerusalem believers.
Sanctification by Faith
Dutch name: de heiliging door het geloof
Key terms: sanctification, sanctified_by_faith, faith
Review routing: Human theologian
This unique Acts phrase combines sanctification with faith rather than works or ritual, reinforcing the justification-apart-from-the-law logic into the domain of ongoing Christian identity; must not imply a separate works-based sanctification track.
Universal Human Accountability (Acts)
Dutch name: de universele verantwoordelijkheid van de mens
Key terms: sin, forgiveness_of_sins, pierced_to_heart
Review routing: Human theologian
Same colloquial ‘a pity/waste’ drift risk the baseline documents for ‘zonde,’ compounded here because forgiveness-of-sins is the climactic promise of nearly every apostolic sermon in the book.
Covenant Continuity: Abrahamic and Davidic (Acts)
Dutch name: de continuïteit van het Abrahamitisch en Davidisch verbond
Key terms: covenant, david, seed_of_david, throne_of_david
Review routing: Human theologian
Dutch Reformed ‘verbondsleer’ gives this vocabulary unusual dogmatic weight; the throne-of-David language especially risks conflation with modern political restoration-of-Israel readings in Dutch orthodox Reformed Christian-Zionist circles.
Laying On of Hands and Spirit Reception
Dutch name: de handoplegging en de ontvangst van de Geest
Key terms: laying_on_of_hands, gift_of_holy_spirit, spiritual_gifts
Review routing: Human theologian
Strong sacramental associations in Dutch Catholic practice (vormsel/confirmation, wijding) versus restrained ordination-only Reformed usage risk implying a specific sacramental theology not present in the Acts narrative itself.
Household Salvation and Baptism
Dutch name: het behoud en de doop van het huisgezin
Key terms: household_salvation, baptism
Review routing: Human theologian
Ties directly into the paedobaptist/believer’s-baptism fault line already flagged for baptism; household-inclusive language is cited by both sides of the Dutch debate and must be handled even-handedly.
The Gift of the Spirit versus Spiritual Gifts
Dutch name: de gave van de Geest tegenover de genadegaven
Key terms: gift_of_holy_spirit, spiritual_gifts
Review routing: Human theologian
Simon Magus’s attempted purchase (8:18-20) underscores that the Spirit’s own gift cannot be bought or merited; this must be kept distinct from the charismata (genadegaven) he subsequently distributes, reinforcing the baseline’s grace-versus-merit discipline.
Medium Risk Doctrines
Resurrection of Christ (Acts emphasis)
Dutch name: de opstanding van Christus
Key terms: resurrection, hades
Review routing: Native speaker review
Bodily, historical resurrection is the central content of nearly every apostolic sermon in Acts; the Hades/Sheol quotation at 2:25-28 carries a specific risk of eternal-punishment conflation (‘hel’) not present in a bare resurrection reference.
Mission to the Nations (Acts)
Dutch name: de zending onder de volken
Key terms: mission, gentiles, casting_lots
Review routing: Native speaker review
‘Zending’ has a cleaner theological semantic field than most comparison languages but still carries Dutch East Indies-era colonial missionary history requiring sensitive framing in teaching material.
Kingdom of God and Political Misreading
Dutch name: het Koninkrijk van God en de politieke misvatting
Key terms: kingdom_of_god, israel, restoration_of_all_things, throne_of_david
Review routing: Native speaker review
The disciples’ own question about ‘restoring the kingdom to Israel’ enacts precisely the nationalist-political misreading Dutch orthodox Reformed Christian Zionism risks repeating; Jesus’ redirection to Spirit-empowered witness (1:7-8) must be preserved as the corrective.
Providence and God’s Purposeful Governance
Dutch name: de voorzienigheid en het doelgerichte bestuur van God
Key terms: providence, casting_lots, all_the_counsel_of_god
Review routing: Native speaker review
The Areopagus speech (17:26-28) addresses providence to a pagan philosophical audience, a distinct apologetic register from the baseline’s Romans 8:28 pastoral context; Dutch ‘lot’ (lottery/fate) risks a chance-based misreading of the sovereign-choice casting of lots in 1:24-26.
Fellowship and Koinonia Life
Dutch name: de gemeenschap en het koinonia-leven
Key terms: fellowship, church
Review routing: Native speaker review
The foundational NT description of communal, table, and property-sharing fellowship; ‘gemeenschap’ risks being read as generic secular community absent the koinonia-in-Christ framing, per the baseline’s own note on this term.
Apostleship and Church Office (Acts)
Dutch name: het apostelschap en het kerkelijk ambt
Key terms: apostle, elders, overseers_shepherd, ministry_service
Review routing: Native speaker review
The concrete, still-active Dutch Reformed office names (ouderling, diaken) trace their biblical prototype directly to these Acts narratives; care must be taken not to retroject the full later Reformed polity system, nor to import the Catholic episcopal ‘bisschop’ structure via episkopos.
Inspiration and Fulfillment of Prophecy (Acts)
Dutch name: de inspiratie en vervulling van de profetie
Key terms: prophecy, prophet, messiah
Review routing: Native speaker review
Low OT/prophetic literacy among secular Dutch readers requires explicit cross-referencing, consistent with the baseline’s fulfillment_of_prophecy note.
Glory and Divine Judgment
Dutch name: de heerlijkheid en het oordeel van God
Key terms: glory
Review routing: Native speaker review
Herod’s death for taking glory due to God alone (12:23) is a stark contrast case reinforcing that ‘heerlijkheid’ belongs to God exclusively, beyond a general term for honor.
‘The Way’ as Christian Identity
Dutch name: ‘de Weg’ als christelijke identiteit
Key terms: the_way, christian
Review routing: Native speaker review
‘De Weg’ risks being read as a generic ethical path (cf. secular Dutch ‘zijn eigen weg gaan’) rather than a designation rooted specifically in Christ; capitalization and context must carry the specificity.
‘Sect’ and Outsider Perception of the Church
Dutch name: de ‘sekte’ en de perceptie van buitenstaanders
Key terms: sect
Review routing: Native speaker review
Modern Dutch ‘sekte’ carries strongly negative destructive-cult connotations absent from the comparatively neutral Koine term; teaching material must not let the accusers’ hostile framing be imported uncritically into the church’s own self-understanding.
Low Risk Doctrines
Gospel Proclamation
Dutch name: de verkondiging van het evangelie
Key terms: gospel
Review routing: Automated review
Stable term shared across Reformed and Catholic Dutch Bibles; Acts narrates the gospel’s historical spread rather than introducing new lexical risk, though content assumption remains low among secular readers.
Proper Names and Places
Dutch name: eigennamen en plaatsen
Key terms: david, israel, jesus
Review routing: Automated review
Standard established Dutch Bible transliteration forms; minimal risk beyond consistency across the whole book.
Thanksgiving and Table Fellowship
Dutch name: de dankzegging en de gemeenschap aan tafel
Key terms: thanksgiving, fellowship
Review routing: Automated review
Standard vocabulary, no significant doctrinal risk.
Referenced passages