Semantic Analysis — Acts (English → english)

Purpose and Scope

This document extends the baseline Romans Language Package to the book of Acts. As with the Romans package, English is simultaneously the source and destination language: there is no cross-language translation risk here. The analytical task is to document where contemporary English usage drifts from Luke’s meaning through (1) false-friend drift (a term’s dominant secular/legal/popular-culture sense silently displacing its theological sense), (2) denominational contest (English-speaking Christian traditions disagreeing on a term’s meaning — acutely relevant in Acts given its subject matter: baptism, tongues, church governance, and the Spirit’s ongoing work), and (3) obsolescence/post-Christian erosion (a term simply falling out of ordinary use or having its felt weight hollowed out by secularization).

Every term already recorded in the baseline translation_memory.json and bible_term_registry.json (Romans) is reused here exactly as recorded — no re-definition, no alternate rendering. This document adds only new terms and new contextual notes required by Acts’ specific narrative and doctrinal content: the Holy Spirit and Pentecost, the gospel to Jews and Gentiles, repentance and baptism, the church as community, apostolic authority and miracles, persecution and bold witness, the conversion of Paul, justification apart from the Law, and the Great Commission fulfilled.

Coverage below proceeds: (A) the core passage, Acts 2:1-41, verse-by-verse; (B) every other chapter of Acts, first to last, noting new load-bearing terms or explicitly stating that a chapter introduces none.

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PART A — CORE PASSAGE: Acts 2:1-41 (Verse-by-Verse)

Acts 2:1-4 — The Spirit Poured Out

Acts 2:1 (NLT, paraphrase): “On the day of Pentecost, all the believers were meeting together in one place.” Acts 2:2: “Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house.” Acts 2:3: “Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them.” Acts 2:4: “And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.”

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
Pentecost πεντηκοστή pentēkostē ”fiftieth [day]“	The Jewish Feast of Weeks (Shavuot), celebrated fifty days after Passover, originally a harvest/covenant-renewal festival Pentecost, Feast of Weeks	Luke times the Spirit’s outpouring to this specific pilgrimage feast, presenting the church’s birth as God’s own act on Israel’s calendar, not an invented new occasion	High — denominational capture: the modern “Pentecostal” movement and its associated “Pentecostal/charismatic” churches have attached their own distinctive theology (subsequent Spirit-baptism, ongoing tongues and healing) to this word so thoroughly that many readers now hear “Pentecost” as a brand name for one wing of Christianity rather than the original Jewish festal day Luke’s audience would have recognized instantly. Must be explicitly anchored to the Feast of Weeks/Old Testament background before any denominational application is discussed.
filled (with the Holy Spirit) ἐπλήσθησαν (πίμπλημι) eplēsthēsan (pimplēmi) “were filled, saturated”	Complete filling/permeation; used repeatedly in Acts for Spirit-empowered speech and boldness (2:4; 4:8, 31; 13:9) filled with the Spirit, Spirit-filled	A repeatable, sovereignly-given empowerment for bold proclamation, distinct from (though related to) the once-for-all indwelling of the Spirit at conversion	Critical — denominational contest: this phrase sits at the center of the Pentecostal/charismatic “baptism in the Spirit as a distinct, subsequent experience” position versus the Reformed/covenantal view that Spirit-baptism (1 Cor 12:13) occurs at conversion and “filling” describes repeated empowerments of an already-indwelt believer. This curriculum must state its own reading explicitly rather than assume all English-speaking readers already agree — see doctrine registry, “The Holy Spirit and Pentecost.”
Holy Spirit πνεῦμα ἅγιον pneuma hagion —	— —	—	Reuses baseline holy_spirit entry exactly (Critical risk: guard against “good vibes/positive energy” secular substitutes for a personal divine Person).
tongues (of fire) γλῶσσαι (ὡσεὶ πυρός) glōssai (hōsei pyros) “tongues,” i.e., flame-shapes resembling tongues	Physical appearance simile; distinct from the “other tongues” (languages) of v.4 tongues, flame-like tongues	A visible sign marking the Spirit’s arrival, echoing Sinai’s fire (Exodus 19) and John the Baptist’s promise of Spirit-and-fire baptism (Luke 3:16)	Medium — obscurity: modern readers may not immediately connect “tongues of fire” to Sinai typology without it being supplied; low false-friend risk since the phrase has no strong competing secular sense.
tongues (languages) γλῶσσαι (ἑτέραις γλώσσαις) glōssais (heterais glōssais) “tongues,” i.e., languages	(a) known human languages (the sense operative in 2:4-11, confirmed by the nation-list); (b) in 1 Corinthians, a distinct, debated phenomenon of ecstatic/unintelligible speech requiring interpretation speaking in tongues, speaking in other languages, glossolalia	At Pentecost, real, known foreign languages miraculously spoken, reversing Babel’s confusion (Genesis 11) and signaling the gospel’s reach to every nation	Critical — the single most denominationally contested term in Acts: cessationist traditions hold this gift ceased with the apostolic age; continuationist/Pentecostal-charismatic traditions hold it continues today, often in a private-prayer-language form distinct from Acts 2’s known languages; popular culture also associates “speaking in tongues” with televised revival spectacle, which can prejudice readers before the text is even read. This curriculum must state plainly that Acts 2’s tongues were understood, known human languages (v.6, 8, 11), while noting — without adjudicating — that the relationship of this event to 1 Corinthians 12-14’s later, debated phenomenon is a live cross-denominational disagreement.
sound / wind ἦχος / πνοή ēchos / pnoē ”noise” / “breath, blowing”	Auditory phenomenon; πνοή is cognate with πνεῦμα (spirit/wind/breath) sound, roar, wind, breath	Wordplay: the Spirit (pneuma) arrives with a wind-sound (pnoē), recalling Ezekiel 37’s breath of life and Genesis 2’s breath into Adam	Low — minor risk that English readers miss the Spirit/wind/breath wordplay embedded in the Greek, since English uses three unrelated words; worth a supplied note but no competing false meaning.

Acts 2:5-13 — The Crowd’s Reaction

Acts 2:5-11 (paraphrase): Devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem hear the believers declaring “the wonders of God” each in his own native language; a list of some seventeen nations/regions follows. Acts 2:12-13: The crowd is amazed and perplexed; some mock, saying “They’re drunk on new wine.”

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
Jews, devout Ἰουδαῖοι, εὐλαβεῖς Ioudaioi, eulabeis ”Jews,” “reverent/devout”	Diaspora Jews who had returned or traveled to Jerusalem for the feast devout Jews, God-fearing Jews	Establishes the immediate audience as covenant-faithful Jews, not yet Gentiles — the gospel goes first to Israel (cf. Romans 1:16’s “to the Jew first”)	Low — proper/ethnic-religious designation; main risk is anachronistically reading later Jewish/Christian separation back into this initially all-Jewish scene.
the wonderful works of God τὰ μεγαλεῖα τοῦ θεοῦ ta megaleia tou theou ”the great things/mighty deeds of God”	God’s great redemptive acts, echoing Old Testament praise vocabulary (e.g., Psalm 71:19) the wonders/mighty works of God	The disciples’ Spirit-given speech is doxological — declaring God’s greatness, not displaying personal spiritual prowess	Low — stable; minor risk of flattening into generic “amazing things” without the specific covenant-historical resonance.
new wine γλεῦκος gleukos ”sweet/new wine”	Freshly fermented wine, associated with early-stage intoxication new wine, sweet wine	The mocking charge of drunkenness anticipates Peter’s rebuttal in v.15 and sets up the Joel citation as the true explanation	Low — minor risk that modern readers miss why “new” wine specifically (as opposed to aged) was thought to intoxicate quickly; a minor cultural-background note suffices.

Acts 2:14-21 — Peter’s Explanation: “This Is What Was Spoken Through the Prophet Joel”

Acts 2:14-15: Peter stands and addresses the crowd, denying drunkenness. Acts 2:16-18: “This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy… I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants.’” Acts 2:19-20: Wonders and signs, the sun turned to darkness, the moon to blood, before “the great and glorious day of the Lord.” Acts 2:21: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
last days ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις eschatais hēmerais ”final/end days”	The whole era inaugurated by Christ’s first coming, running until his return — not merely an imminent countdown last days, end times, latter days	Peter reinterprets Joel: the “last days” have already begun at Pentecost, not merely a future event still awaited	High — post-Christian and popular-media erosion: “end times”/“last days” language is now strongly associated in secular culture with sensationalist doomsday prediction, apocalyptic fiction, and cult movements (date-setting scandals), which can make readers either dismiss the phrase as fringe or misunderstand its meaning as “the final countdown” rather than “the whole present church age.”
pour out (the Spirit) ἐκχεῶ ekcheō ”I will pour out”	Abundant, deliberate outpouring — a liquid metaphor for generous divine self-giving pour out, pour forth	Signals abundance and universality (on “all people,” v.17) rather than a scarce or selectively rationed gift	Low — stable liquid metaphor; minor risk of missing the contrast with the Old Testament’s more restricted, occasional bestowal of the Spirit on select individuals (judges, kings, prophets).
prophesy προφητεύσουσιν prophēteusousin ”will prophesy”	To speak forth God’s message under the Spirit’s inspiration prophesy, speak God’s word	Reuses baseline prophecy/prophet entries; in this context, extended to “sons and daughters,” “young and old,” “menservants and maidservants” — a democratization of the prophetic gift across social categories previously restricted	Medium — reuse baseline risk (secular “self-fulfilling prophecy” idiom, “prophet of doom” usage); additional note needed that Joel/Acts extend this gift beyond a professional prophetic office to the whole believing community, which can be missed if “prophet” is read only as a specialized job title.
signs and wonders σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα sēmeia kai terata ”signs and portents/marvels”	Miraculous, attention-arresting acts confirming a divine message signs and wonders, miracles	Cosmic and this-worldly miracles authenticate the message that the last days have arrived	Medium — post-Enlightenment secular skepticism treats reported miracles as legend, exaggeration, or psychosomatic explanation by default; this curriculum should state the plain historical claim rather than hedge it as metaphor, consistent with the Romans package’s resurrection-claim rule.
the day of the Lord ἡμέρα Κυρίου hēmera Kyriou ”day of the Lord”	The Old Testament’s climactic day of divine judgment and vindication the Day of the Lord, Judgment Day	Anchors Pentecost within the larger biblical storyline moving toward final judgment and salvation	Medium — “Judgment Day” carries heavy secular-cinematic/pop-culture connotations (disaster films, “doomsday”) that can trivialize or sensationalize what is a sober covenantal-legal concept; distinguish from apocalyptic entertainment tropes.
call on the name of the Lord ἐπικαλέσηται τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου epikalesētai to onoma Kyriou ”call upon/invoke the name of the Lord”	To appeal to, entreat, and personally trust in the Lord for rescue — an act of faith-filled address, not a magical incantation call on the name of the Lord, call on the Lord	The specific, personal act of turning to Christ in trust that appropriates the salvation just described; directly parallel to Romans 10:13, which cites this same Joel text	High — must be read together with baseline lord (Critical) and salvation (Critical) entries; risk of readers hearing “calling on a name” as a superstitious verbal formula (cf. folk-magic “calling on a name” tropes) rather than personal, trusting address to a specific divine Person.
saved σωθήσεται (σῴζω) sōthēsetai (sōzō) “will be saved/rescued”	— —	—	Reuses baseline salvation entry exactly (Critical: denominational contest between event and process readings; guard against generic secular “rescue” sense). This occurrence (Joel-citation, future tense, universal offer) leans toward the decisive-event pole the baseline notes, paired with the ongoing-transformation emphasis that follows at v.38-41.

Acts 2:22-24 — Jesus: Attested, Crucified, Raised

Acts 2:22: “People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus of Nazareth by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him.” Acts 2:23: “But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him.” Acts 2:24: “But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip.”

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
miracles, wonders, signs δυνάμεσι καὶ τέρασι καὶ σημείοις dynamesi kai terasi kai sēmeiois ”powers/miracles and portents and signs”	Threefold formula covering (a) demonstrations of power, (b) awe-inspiring marvels, (c) meaning-bearing signs miracles, wonders, signs, mighty works	God’s own public attestation of Jesus during his earthly ministry — miracles as divine authentication, not mere spectacle	Reuses baseline power_of_god framework and the new signs and wonders entry above; Medium-High given contemporary skepticism about the miraculous generally (see 2:19 note).
predetermined plan and foreknowledge ὡρισμένῃ βουλῇ καὶ προγνώσει hōrismenē boulē kai prognōsei ”determined/fixed plan and foreknowledge”	God’s sovereign, prior decree and knowledge governing even the crucifixion God’s plan, foreordained purpose, divine foreknowledge	The cross was neither an accident nor a defeat of God’s purpose but its very fulfillment; reuses the interpretive category of baseline providence	Critical — reuses baseline providence risk profile exactly: rare, formal vocabulary with a well-known secular substitute (“everything happens for a reason”) that implies impersonal fate rather than a personal God’s specific, purposive decree concerning Christ’s death. Also intersects live theological debate (compatibilism/human responsibility) that should be named, since the same verse holds Judas/Rome’s culpable “lawless” act (“you…killed him”) together with God’s sovereign plan without contradiction.
crucified / nailed to a cross προσπήξαντες ἀνείλατε prospēxantes aneilate ”having fastened, you did away with”	Roman method of capital execution by nailing/binding to a wooden cross crucified, put to death on a cross	Names the specific, historical, shameful mode of Jesus’ death — foundational to the gospel’s scandal (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:23)	Low-Medium — the term itself is stable, but “cross” in contemporary decorative/jewelry and idiomatic use (“bear your cross,” “cross to bear” as generic burden-idiom) can drain the specific horror and historicity of Roman crucifixion; a brief historical-note anchoring is useful, especially for readers with no church background.
raised (him) up / resurrection ἀνέστησεν anestēsen ”he raised up”	— —	—	Reuses baseline resurrection entry exactly (Critical: must be stated as historical, bodily fact, not myth or metaphor, against contemporary “Easter as commercialized/mythic” framing).

Acts 2:25-28 — David’s Prophecy Cited (Psalm 16)

Acts 2:25-28 (paraphrase): Peter quotes David: “I saw the Lord always before me… my body also will rest in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to the grave or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.”

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
Hades / the grave ᾅδης Hadēs ”Hades,” the realm of the dead	The abode of the dead generally (not the later, specifically punitive “hell” sense that develops in English) Hades, the grave, the realm of the dead	David’s psalm, read prophetically, points beyond David’s own death to the Messiah’s resurrection, which alone escapes bodily decay	Medium — false-friend risk: modern popular usage of “Hades” (mythological Greek underworld/deity name, video-game and fantasy-genre associations) can obscure its more neutral Old Testament sense as simply “the realm of the dead,” distinct from the New Testament’s more developed “hell” (Gehenna) concept; should not be conflated with a punitive afterlife image here.
Holy One τὸν ὅσιόν σου ton hosion sou ”your holy/devout one”	A title of consecrated faithfulness, applied typologically to the Messiah Holy One, your Holy One	Identifies the resurrected Christ as uniquely set apart, uncorrupted by death	Reuses baseline holy entry framework (Medium: obsolescence/exclamatory drain of “holy” in ordinary speech); here applied as a messianic title rather than a general attribute.

Acts 2:29-32 — Fulfillment Declared: The Patriarch’s Tomb and the Living Christ

Acts 2:29-30: “Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David didn’t ascend to heaven, for his body is still in the tomb here among us. But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised him that one of his own descendants would sit on his throne.” Acts 2:31-32: “David was speaking of the future, providing us with a preview of the resurrection of the Messiah… God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this.”

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
patriarch πατριάρχης patriarchēs ”father-ruler, clan-founder”	Founding ancestor of the covenant nation/dynasty patriarch, forefather	Grounds Peter’s argument in verifiable, known history (David’s tomb was a known Jerusalem landmark) rather than an unfalsifiable claim	Low — largely stable term; minor obsolescence in casual speech but no competing meaning.
seed of David — — —	— —	—	Reuses baseline seed_of_david entry exactly (Medium: archaic “seed” language; retain alongside plain “descendant” gloss). Directly connects Acts 2:30 to the covenant promise Romans 1:3 also invokes — this curriculum should cross-reference the Romans package’s Davidic-covenant note for consistency.
resurrection (of the Messiah) ἀνάστασις anastasis —	— —	—	Reuses baseline resurrection entry exactly (Critical). Here specifically identified as the Messiah’s resurrection, tying resurrection and messiah entries together as the twin hinge of Peter’s whole argument.
witnesses μάρτυρες martyres ”witnesses” (legal/testimonial)	(a) courtroom sense: one who testifies to a fact under legal obligation of truthfulness; (b) New Testament sense: one who has seen the risen Christ and is personally, often costingly, obligated to testify — the root from which English “martyr” (one who dies for testifying) later derives witness, eyewitness	The apostles’ authority rests on firsthand, verifiable eyewitness testimony to a historical event, not secondhand report or private religious experience	High — false-friend and erosion risk: contemporary English “witness” most readily evokes either a neutral courtroom-procedural sense (stripped of any cost or devotion) or true-crime-media “eyewitness account” framing; the New Testament sense of witness as costly, Spirit-empowered, often life-risking testimony (which later gives English the word “martyr”) is easily flattened into mere factual reporting. This term organizes the whole book of Acts (cf. Acts 1:8) and should be actively restored to its full weight — see doctrine registry, “Persecution and Bold Witness.”

Acts 2:33-36 — Exalted, Enthroned, and Confessed as Lord and Messiah

Acts 2:33: “Now he sits in the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us.” Acts 2:34-35: David’s own words are cited (Psalm 110): “The Lord said to my Lord, sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies.” Acts 2:36: “So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!”

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
exalted ὑψωθείς hypsōtheis ”having been lifted up/exalted”	Elevation to supreme honor and rule, the reversal and vindication of the cross’s shame exalted, lifted up	Christ’s exaltation is the direct sequel to and vindication of his crucifixion — shame answered with supreme honor	Low-Medium — stable term; minor risk of a vague, generic “praised/celebrated” secular sense of “exalted” (as in “an exalted reputation”) crowding out the specific enthronement-to-cosmic-rule sense intended here.
right hand (of God) ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ τοῦ θεοῦ en tē dexia tou theou ”at the right hand of God”	Ancient Near Eastern idiom for the position of supreme co-regent authority next to a monarch at God’s right hand	Declares Christ’s present, active co-regency with the Father, not a passive or merely honorary status	Low — largely retained in traditional Christian usage (creeds, hymnody); minor risk that readers unfamiliar with ancient royal-court idiom read it over-literally or miss its authority claim entirely.
Lord Κύριος Kyrios —	— —	—	Reuses baseline lord entry exactly (Critical). Acts 2:36 is this curriculum’s parallel confession-verse to Romans 10:9 and should receive the same “actively restore total, exclusive, personal allegiance” treatment the Romans package mandates — this is the climactic title Peter’s whole sermon has been building toward.
Messiah / Christ Χριστός Christos —	— —	—	Reuses baseline messiah entry exactly (Medium). Acts 2:36 makes explicit what Romans assumes: “Christ” is not Jesus’ surname but his covenantal title, “the Anointed One.”
poured out ἐξέχεεν execheen ”he poured out”	— —	—	Reuses the pour out note from 2:17-18 above; now stated as an accomplished fact rather than a future promise — Pentecost is Joel fulfilled in real time.

Acts 2:37-41 — Repentance, Baptism, and the Growing Church

Acts 2:37: “Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said… ‘What should we do?’” Acts 2:38: “Peter replied, ‘Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” Acts 2:39: “This promise is for you, and your children, and even for the Gentiles — all who have been called by the Lord our God.” Acts 2:40: “Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation!’” Acts 2:41: “Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day — about 3,000 in all.”

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
cut to the heart κατενύγησαν katenygēsan ”were pierced/stabbed”	Vivid, visceral metaphor for conviction of conscience cut to the heart, pierced to the heart, deeply convicted	Genuine, Spirit-produced conviction of guilt, not mere intellectual agreement	Low — vivid idiom, largely self-explanatory; minor risk that “cut to the heart” reads as generic emotional impact (being “moved” by a story) rather than specifically moral/spiritual conviction of sin — worth a light clarifying note.
repent μετανοήσατε metanoēsate ”change your mind/direction”	A total reorientation of mind and life, turning away from sin and toward God — more than regret or apology repent, turn from sin and turn to God	The necessary human response to the gospel proclamation; not a one-time emotional remorse but a decisive reorientation with ongoing fruit	High — obsolescence combined with dilution: contemporary English “repent” survives mainly in fire-and-brimstone caricature (“Repent!” sandwich-board street-preacher stereotype) or is reduced to mere “regret/apologize” in casual usage, both of which lose the full biblical sense of a Spirit-enabled change of direction encompassing mind, will, and behavior. See doctrine registry, “Repentance and Baptism.”
baptized / baptize βαπτισθήτω (βαπτίζω) baptisthētō (baptizō) “let him be baptized,” literally “immersed/dipped”	Ritual washing marking entry into a new identity and community; in Acts, consistently linked to repentance, forgiveness, and reception of the Spirit baptize, baptism, be baptized	The outward, public, corporate sign of the inward reality of repentance and cleansing; in Acts 2 tied directly to “the name of Jesus Christ,” marking a specifically Christian (not merely Jewish proselyte or Johannine) rite	Critical — the single most denominationally contested practice-term in this whole curriculum: English-speaking Christian traditions divide sharply on mode (immersion vs. sprinkling/pouring), subjects (believers only vs. households/infants — note Acts 16’s household baptisms), and theological effect (a merely symbolic ordinance vs. a means of grace that itself confers regeneration/forgiveness, i.e., “baptismal regeneration” debates). This curriculum must state its own reading of Acts 2:38’s baptism-forgiveness link explicitly and note, respectfully, that other traditions read the causal relationship between baptism, repentance, and forgiveness differently.
in the name of Jesus Christ ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ epi tō onomati Iēsou Christou ”upon/in the name of Jesus Christ”	Invocation of Christ’s authority and identity over the baptized person; not a magical formula but a declaration of ownership and allegiance in the name of Jesus Christ, in Jesus’ name	Marks this baptism as decisively Christian, distinguishing it from John’s baptism of repentance alone (cf. Acts 19:1-5)	Medium — risk that “in the name of” reads as a mere legalistic formula (cf. secular “in the name of the law”) rather than a declaration of personal allegiance and identity-transfer to Christ; should be read alongside the baseline lord entry’s “total, exclusive, personal allegiance” emphasis.
forgiveness of sins ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν aphesin tōn hamartiōn ”release/sending-away of sins”	Full cancellation of moral debt and guilt before God forgiveness of sins, remission of sins	The specific content of the salvation offered — sins genuinely removed, not merely overlooked or excused	Reuses baseline sin entry framework (High: guard against both trivializing “sinfully delicious” marketing usage and guilt-averse therapeutic culture); “forgiveness” itself is comparatively stable in English but risks a shallow, merely interpersonal “letting it go” sense rather than the specific judicial cancellation of guilt before a personal God.
gift of the Holy Spirit δωρεὰν τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος dōrean tou Hagiou Pneumatos ”the free gift of the Holy Spirit”	The Spirit himself, given as an unearned gift, not a reward for repentance/baptism the gift of the Holy Spirit, receiving the Spirit	The Spirit’s indwelling presence is itself the promised inheritance-deposit of salvation (cf. Romans 8:15-16’s Spirit of adoption)	High — intersects directly with the filled with the Holy Spirit Critical entry above (2:1-4): readers must not confuse the initial, once-for-all “gift” of the Spirit received at repentance/baptism with the repeatable, later “fillings” for empowered service that recur throughout Acts. Denominational contest over whether these are the same event or two distinct experiences must be named.
promise ἐπαγγελία epangelia ”promise, pledge”	A specific, previously announced divine commitment now being fulfilled promise, the promise	Peter frames Pentecost’s benefits as the fulfillment of a specific, Old Testament-rooted promise (Joel 2, and ultimately the Abrahamic/Davidic covenant promises), not a new, unanchored offer	Low-Medium — stable religious usage; minor risk that “promise” reads as merely a nice sentiment (as in casual “I promise”) rather than a binding covenantal pledge with a specific redemptive-historical background.
called προσκαλέσηται (προσκαλέω) proskalesētai (proskaleō) “calls to himself”	— —	—	Reuses baseline called/calling entries (High). Acts 2:39’s “all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God calls” extends this calling explicitly to Gentiles — a direct anticipation of the doctrine “The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles” developed across Acts 10-15.
exhort / urge strongly παρεκάλει parekalei —	— —	—	Reuses baseline exhort entry exactly (Low: obsolescence, no competing secular meaning).
saved σώθητε (σῴζω) sōthēte (sōzō) —	— —	—	Reuses baseline salvation entry exactly (Critical). “Save yourselves from this crooked generation” (v.40) pictures salvation as a decisive rescue out of a specific corrupt social/spiritual environment — the “event” pole of the baseline’s event/process tension, complementing v.47’s ongoing “those being saved” (present-tense, process-oriented) later in the chapter.
added (to their number) προσετέθησαν prosetethēsan ”were added”	Passive verb — the church’s growth is God’s act, not a membership-recruitment achievement added, added to their number, joined	The church grows by God’s own addition of the saved, not by human institutional recruitment strategy	Medium — contemporary church-growth/marketing culture (“membership drives,” numeric attendance metrics) risks recasting this as an institutional achievement statistic rather than a divine act; see doctrine registry, “The Church as Community.”

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PART B — CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER STUDY OF THE WHOLE BOOK OF ACTS

Chapter 1 — The Ascension and the Promise of the Spirit

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
ascension / taken up ἀνελήμφθη anelēmphthē ”was taken up”	Christ’s visible, bodily departure into heaven (1:9-11), inaugurating his heavenly reign and guaranteeing his promised bodily return the ascension, taken up into heaven	Completes the resurrection narrative and grounds the promise of Christ’s personal, bodily return (“in the same way,” 1:11)	Medium — post-Christian culture treats any “ascension” claim (bodily departure into the sky) as pre-modern cosmology or legend; should be stated as historical claim, not merely symbolic vision, consistent with the Romans package’s resurrection-historicity rule.
witnesses μάρτυρες martyres —	— —	—	See core-passage entry (2:32) above. Acts 1:8 — “you will be my witnesses…to the ends of the earth” — is the programmatic thesis-verse of the entire book, structurally parallel to Romans 1:16-17’s role in that curriculum; this curriculum should render it with equally weighted consistency across all documents.
kingdom of God βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ basileia tou theou —	— —	—	Reuses baseline kingdom_of_god entry exactly (Medium). Acts 1:3, 6 frame the disciples’ (mistaken, nationalistic) kingdom expectations against Jesus’ redirection toward Spirit-empowered global witness — an important corrective against both ancient nationalist and modern fantasy-genre misreadings.
apostle ἀπόστολος apostolos —	— —	—	Reuses baseline apostle entry exactly (Medium). Chapter 1’s concern to replace Judas (vv.15-26) shows the office’s defined, verifiable, non-self-appointed nature (eyewitness of the resurrection required, v.22) — directly relevant to the doctrine “Apostolic Authority and Miracles.”
casting lots κλῆρον klēron ”lot, portion”	Ancient method of decision-making believed to reveal divine choice (cf. Proverbs 16:33) casting lots, drawing lots	The last recorded instance of lot-casting for major decisions in the New Testament; after Pentecost, guidance shifts toward the Spirit’s direct leading (cf. Acts 13:2, 16:6-10)	Low — minor obsolescence; modern “drawing lots” is understood mainly as a gambling/lottery idiom, but context makes the decision-making sense clear without risk of serious misreading.

Chapter 2 — Pentecost (Core Passage)

Fully treated in Part A above (vv.1-41). Additional note on vv.42-47 (immediately following the core passage, describing the resulting church community):

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
fellowship κοινωνία koinōnia —	— —	—	Reuses baseline fellowship entry exactly (Medium: guard against “an academic fellowship/grant” false friend). Acts 2:42’s fellowship is concretely practiced through the following three items, not merely a warm feeling.
breaking of bread κλάσις τοῦ ἄρτου klasis tou artou ”breaking of the loaf”	Shared communal meals, including but likely not limited to what later tradition calls the Lord’s Supper/Eucharist breaking of bread, the Lord’s Supper, Communion	Ordinary table fellowship carrying deep symbolic and possibly sacramental weight; Acts itself does not fully distinguish an ordinary shared meal from a formal rite	High — significant denominational contest: whether Acts 2:42 refers to a formal sacrament (Eucharist/Mass, with associated real-presence or memorial debates) or simply ordinary shared meals with spiritual significance is disputed across Catholic, Orthodox, and various Protestant traditions; this curriculum should note the range of readings rather than assume one settled view.
holding all things in common ἅπαντα κοινά hapanta koina ”all things common”	Voluntary, radical economic sharing among the earliest believers held everything in common, shared everything	A concrete, voluntary expression of fellowship’s reality, not an imposed communal-property mandate (contrast Ananias/Sapphira in ch.5, where giving remains voluntary)	Medium — risk of anachronistic political-economic reading: modern readers may import contemporary “communism/socialism” ideological categories onto a voluntary, Spirit-motivated, temporary, localized practice that Acts itself does not present as a universal economic prescription for the church in every place and time.
grace (favor) χάρις charis —	— —	—	Reuses baseline grace entry exactly (Critical). Acts 2:47’s “and the Lord added to their numbers day by day” (v.47) follows immediately from “enjoying the favor of all the people” — a this-worldly sense of goodwill/favor, distinct from but not unrelated to the theological sense; worth flagging so readers do not confuse the two senses within the same short passage.

Chapter 3 — Healing at the Temple Gate

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
in the name of Jesus ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ en tō onomati Iēsou —	— —	—	Reuses the core-passage “in the name of” note (2:38). Here the invoked name itself, not the apostles’ own power or piety, effects the healing (3:12, 16) — central to the doctrine “Apostolic Authority and Miracles”: the apostles explicitly deny personal credit.
the Holy and Righteous One τὸν ἅγιον καὶ δίκαιον ton hagion kai dikaion ”the holy and righteous one”	A dual title combining holy (set apart, sinless) and righteous (right standing/moral perfection) the Holy and Righteous One	Applied to Jesus in contrast to the crowd’s rejection of him (3:14) — reuses both baseline holy and baseline righteousness entries as a compound Christological title	Medium — compound-title risk is the sum of the two baseline entries’ individual risks (holy’s exclamatory drain; righteousness’s “self-righteous/smug” negative-connotation drift); worth restating that here “righteous” describes Christ’s actual sinless character, the positive sense the baseline flags as endangered by “self-righteous” idiom.
Author of life / Prince of life ἀρχηγὸν τῆς ζωῆς archēgon tēs zōēs ”originator/pioneer/founder of life”	One who both originates and leads the way into a new reality; a term also used of Christ as “pioneer” of faith (Hebrews 12:2) Author of life, Prince of life, Pioneer of life	Names Jesus as the source and trailblazer of resurrection life, in stark irony since the crowd “killed” this very “Author of life” (3:15)	Medium — obsolescence: “author” and “prince” as titles for Christ are largely retained only in older hymnody and liturgy, not ordinary speech; readers need the term actively supplied rather than assumed familiar, though it carries no competing false-friend meaning.
times of refreshing καιροὶ ἀναψύξεως kairoi anapsyxeōs ”seasons of refreshment/relief”	A period of divine relief and restoration following repentance times of refreshing	Links personal repentance (3:19) to a communal, redemptive-historical hope, anticipating final restoration	Low — rare phrase with no strong competing secular meaning; primary risk is simple unfamiliarity requiring a gloss.
repentance / repent μετανοήσατε, ἐπιστρέψατε metanoēsate, epistrepsate —	— —	—	Reuses the core-passage repent entry (2:38) exactly (High). Note the added verb “turn back” (epistrephō) here, reinforcing repentance as an active, directional reorientation, not passive regret.

Chapter 4 — Boldness Before the Council

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
boldness παρρησία parrēsia ”freedom/frankness of speech”	Confident, unashamed, unhindered public speech, often in the face of opposition or danger boldness, confidence, unashamed speech	The observable, Spirit-given mark distinguishing the apostles’ witness — noted even by their opponents (4:13) — a key term for the doctrine “Persecution and Bold Witness”	Medium — “boldness” itself is fairly stable in English, but risks being read as a personality trait (natural confidence/assertiveness) rather than a Spirit-given gift granted specifically in response to prayer under threat (4:29-31); should be distinguished from mere temperamental boldness.
the Council / Sanhedrin τὸ συνέδριον to synedrion ”sitting-together, assembly”	The supreme Jewish judicial-religious council in Jerusalem the Sanhedrin, the Council, the Jewish high court	The highest religious authority structure of first-century Judaism, whose opposition frames nearly every major conflict in the first half of Acts	Low — proper institutional noun; minor risk that readers unfamiliar with Second Temple Judaism do not grasp its combined religious-and-civil authority, which is a background/cultural-literacy gap rather than a false-friend risk.
no other name οὐδὲ…ἐν ἄλλῳ οὐδενί oude…en allō oudeni ”nor…in any other”	Exclusivity claim regarding salvation no other name, salvation in no one else	Direct exclusivity claim (4:12) — salvation is available only through Jesus, not as one savior-option among several	High — this is a live flashpoint with contemporary religious pluralism and “many paths to God” popular spirituality; must be preserved plainly per the Romans package’s “doctrinal universality/exclusivity preserved, not softened” rule.
great grace χάρις μεγάλη charis megalē —	— —	—	Reuses baseline grace entry exactly (Critical). Acts 4:33 pairs “great grace” with continued “great power” in testimony — grace here functioning both as favor shown to the church and as the enabling gift behind their witness.

Chapter 5 — Ananias and Sapphira; The Fear of God

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
lie to the Holy Spirit ψεύσασθαι…τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον pseusasthai to Pneuma to Hagion ”to lie to/deceive the Holy Spirit”	Deliberate deception directed, ultimately, at God himself, not merely at the human apostles lie to the Holy Spirit, deceive the Holy Spirit	Confirms the Spirit’s full personhood and deity — sin against the church’s leaders is treated as sin against a divine Person present in the community	Reuses baseline holy_spirit entry framework (Critical: guard against impersonal “life-force” substitutes); this episode is a strong textual anchor for the Spirit’s personal, relational presence within the gathered church specifically.
fear (came upon the church) φόβος phobos ”fear, terror, reverential awe”	Ranges from ordinary fright to reverential awe before God’s holiness fear, great fear, reverential awe	A sobering, appropriate communal response to God’s manifest holiness and the seriousness of sin within the covenant community, not mere anxiety	Medium — contemporary therapeutic culture treats “fear” almost exclusively as a negative emotion to be managed away, which risks obscuring the positive, appropriate biblical sense of reverential awe before a holy God; should be distinguished from unhealthy anxiety.
signs and wonders σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα sēmeia kai terata —	— —	—	Reuses the core-passage entry (2:22) exactly; here performed “through the apostles” (5:12), reinforcing that miracles authenticate apostolic proclamation rather than functioning as free-floating spectacle — central to “Apostolic Authority and Miracles.”
we must obey God rather than men πειθαρχεῖν…θεῷ μᾶλλον ἢ ἀνθρώποις peitharchein theō mallon ē anthrōpois ”to obey God rather than men”	Explicit hierarchy of authority when human and divine commands conflict obey God rather than people	Direct precedent-setting statement for Christian civil disobedience limited specifically to cases of direct conflict with God’s command, not blanket anti-authority defiance (contrast Romans 13:1-7’s general call to submit to governing authorities)	High — must be read carefully alongside Romans 13’s baseline treatment of government/authority to avoid a simplistic “always resist authority” misreading; the principle is narrow (obey God when authorities command what God forbids or forbid what God commands), not a general license for civil disobedience on any disputed matter.

Chapter 6 — The Appointment of the Seven; Stephen Introduced

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
deacon / servant διάκονος (διακονία, v.1) diakonos (diakonia) “servant, table-waiter, attendant”	Ranges from a generic servant/minister to a later formal church office deacon, minister, servant	The “Seven” are appointed to serve (diakonia) practical needs (food distribution to widows) so the apostles can focus on prayer and the word — the origin narrative later traditions cite for the diaconal office	High — significant denominational contest: whether Acts 6 establishes a formal, ordained “deacon” office (as most later traditions read it) or simply describes an ad hoc practical arrangement is genuinely disputed; church governance structures (Catholic/Orthodox permanent deacons, Protestant deacon boards, congregational practices) read this chapter differently. This curriculum should state its reading and note the range of views, consistent with the Romans package’s denominational-transparency rule.
laying on of hands ἐπίθεσις τῶν χειρ�ῶν epithesis tōn cheirōn ”the placing on of hands”	A physical gesture accompanying commissioning, healing, or Spirit-impartation throughout Acts (6:6; 8:17-19; 9:17; 13:3; 19:6) laying on of hands, the imposition of hands	A visible, physical act of commissioning and blessing, not itself the source of spiritual power but an accompanying sign	Medium — some readers, especially from traditions with less emphasis on physical ritual gesture, may either overinvest the gesture with automatic causal power (a magical-touch misunderstanding) or dismiss it as an empty formality; both extremes should be avoided. Also relevant to later ordination/confirmation-rite denominational practices.
Hellenist Ἑλληνιστής Hellēnistēs ”Greek-speaker”	Greek-speaking (often diaspora-born) Jews, as distinguished from Aramaic/Hebrew-speaking “Hebrews” Hellenistic Jews, Greek-speaking Jews	The conflict over widow-care (6:1) reveals an early cultural/linguistic fault line inside the Jerusalem church, resolved through structured, Spirit-guided service rather than division	Low — historical/cultural proper term; minor risk that modern readers conflate “Hellenist” with “Gentile” (it refers to Greek-speaking Jews, not non-Jews) — a distinction worth stating explicitly, similar to the baseline’s gentiles caution against loose glossing.

Chapter 7 — Stephen’s Speech and Martyrdom

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
stoning ἐλιθοβόλουν elithoboloun ”were stoning”	Jewish method of capital punishment for blasphemy and other capital offenses stoned, stoning	Stephen becomes the first Christian martyr, dying in a manner explicitly paralleling Christ’s own death (committing his spirit, praying for his killers’ forgiveness)	Low — historically stable term; minor risk that modern casual idiomatic usage (“stoned” meaning intoxicated) creates unintended comic dissonance in spoken discussion, worth a note for oral/verbal teaching contexts specifically.
receive my spirit / into your hands I commit my spirit δέξαι τὸ πνεῦμά μου dexai to pneuma mou ”receive my spirit”	Final entrustment of one’s life/spirit to God at death receive my spirit	Stephen’s dying words deliberately echo Jesus’ own words from the cross (Luke 23:46), presenting Stephen’s martyrdom as patterned discipleship, not an isolated tragedy	Low — stable devotional language; minor risk that the deliberate Luke-Acts literary echo (a subtlety) is missed without it being pointed out explicitly.
Son of Man τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ton huion tou anthrōpou ”the Son of Man”	Christ’s characteristic self-designation (from Daniel 7), combining humanity and divine authority to judge and reign Son of Man	Stephen’s vision of the Son of Man standing at God’s right hand (7:56) is the only occurrence of this title outside the Gospels in the New Testament narrative portions, confirming Jesus’ exalted heavenly status even as Stephen is being killed on earth	Medium — contemporary readers may hear “Son of Man” as simply emphasizing Jesus’ humanity (paired conceptually with “Son of God” emphasizing deity), missing the title’s specific Danielic background as a divine-authority/end-time-judge title, not merely a humanity-marker.

Chapter 8 — Philip, Samaria, Simon the Sorcerer, and the Ethiopian Eunuch

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
sorcery / magic μαγεία mageia ”magic, sorcery”	Occult manipulation of spiritual power for personal gain or status, associated in Acts with Simon (8:9-24) and later Elymas (13:6-11) sorcery, magic, occult practice	Sharply contrasted with the Spirit’s freely given, non-transactional power; Simon’s attempt to purchase the gift of God (8:18-19) is the paradigm error the narrative condemns	Medium — modern secular culture’s largely entertainment-coded association with “magic” (stage illusion, fantasy fiction) can drain the text’s serious concern with real occult/spiritual power abuse; should be distinguished from both harmless stage magic and fantasy-genre “magic systems.”
gift of God ἡ δωρεὰ τοῦ θεοῦ hē dōrea tou theou ”the gift of God”	The Spirit’s presence and power, explicitly not purchasable the gift of God	Reinforces the grace/unmerited-gift framework at the heart of this whole curriculum: spiritual power and standing before God cannot be bought, inherited by office, or manipulated	Reuses baseline grace entry’s core “gift given apart from merit” principle (Critical), here applied specifically against a monetary/transactional misunderstanding — a distinct angle worth flagging alongside the baseline’s elegance/grace-period false-friend note.
eunuch εὐνοῦχος eunouchos ”eunuch, castrated court official”	A high court official, often (though not always) physically castrated, historically excluded from full temple participation under Deuteronomy 23:1 eunuch, court official	The Ethiopian eunuch’s inclusion and baptism (8:26-39) dramatizes the gospel’s reach to those excluded from the old covenant community’s full participation, anticipating Isaiah 56:3-5’s promise	Low-Medium — largely unfamiliar historical office/status to modern readers (obsolescence); minor risk of the word’s contemporary colloquial usage as a crude insult creating discomfort in oral teaching, worth handling with the same historical sensitivity Luke himself shows.
the Way ἡ ὁδός hē hodos ”the road/way”	Luke’s characteristic shorthand name for the Christian movement before “Christian” (11:26) became current (9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22) the Way, followers of the Way	An early, internally and externally used name identifying the Christian movement as a distinct path of life, echoing Jesus’ own self-description as “the way” (John 14:6)	Medium — false-friend risk: “The Way International” is the actual name of a modern American new religious movement/cult with unrelated and theologically divergent teaching, and generic “spiritual path”/“my own way” self-help language is pervasive in contemporary wellness culture; both associations must be explicitly set aside so readers understand this as Luke’s own historical name for the earliest, doctrinally orthodox Christian movement, not a generic “spiritual journey” or the unrelated modern group of the same name.

Chapter 9 — The Conversion of Saul

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
Why do you persecute me τί με διώκεις ti me diōkeis ”why do you persecute me”	Christ personally identifies with his suffering church — persecuting believers is persecuting Christ himself why do you persecute me	Grounds the doctrine of union with Christ (also developed in Romans 6, 8, 12) in a dramatic narrative form: the church’s sufferings are Christ’s own	Medium — risk of missing the identification-with-Christ theology if the verse is read merely as a rebuke of Saul’s specific actions rather than a general claim about Christ’s ongoing solidarity with his persecuted people everywhere.
scales fell from his eyes ὡς ἀπὸ…λεπίδες hōs apo…lepides ”as if scales”	Physical healing of Saul’s blindness, doubling as a vivid metaphor for the removal of spiritual blindness (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:4) scales fell from his eyes	Marks the moment of Saul’s full restoration — physical sight and spiritual insight granted together	Low — the phrase has entered common English idiom (“the scales fell from my eyes,” meaning a sudden realization), which is actually a mild asset here since the idiom’s popular meaning aligns fairly well with the text’s own sense, though the specifically Christ-centered content of Saul’s new sight must still be supplied.
disciple μαθητής mathētēs ”learner, pupil, follower”	A committed, ongoing follower and student of a teacher’s whole way of life, not merely an intellectual student disciple, follower	Luke’s standard term for a Christian believer throughout Acts (used of Ananias, 9:10, and repeatedly elsewhere)	Medium — secular usage (“a disciple of [a philosophy/guru/thinker]”) retains a loose sense of devoted followership but strips out the specifically Christ-centered, whole-life, covenant-community dimension; also risks confusion with the unrelated English word “discipline” through folk etymology.
chosen instrument / vessel σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς skeuos eklogēs ”vessel of election/choosing”	An object set apart and shaped for a specific divine purpose chosen instrument, chosen vessel	God’s sovereign, prior choice of Saul for a specific redemptive-historical role (9:15) — directly ties Paul’s conversion into the doctrine of election	Reuses baseline election entry exactly (Critical: near-total political-voting capture of “election” in ordinary English). Here rendered “vessel of election”/“chosen instrument,” which somewhat mitigates the political-vote false-friend risk since “instrument/vessel” language is less voting-coded than the bare noun “election,” but the underlying sovereign-choice doctrine and its risk profile remain identical.

Chapter 10 — Cornelius: The Gospel Opens to the Gentiles

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
unclean / common κοινός / ἀκάθαρτος koinos / akathartos ”common/shared” / “unclean”	Ritual purity categories under Mosaic dietary law, applied metaphorically in Peter’s vision to Gentile people themselves unclean, common, impure	God’s declaration “what I have made clean, do not call unclean” (10:15) dismantles the ritual-purity boundary that had excluded Gentiles from full table and covenant fellowship with Jews	Medium — contemporary readers, largely unfamiliar with Levitical dietary categories, may miss both the vision’s literal dietary reference and its extended application to Gentile people — a double layer of meaning requiring explicit unpacking, not a false-friend risk so much as a background-knowledge gap.
God-fearer φοβούμενος τὸν θεόν phoboumenos ton theon ”one fearing/reverencing God”	A technical term in Acts for Gentiles who worshiped Israel’s God and attended synagogue without becoming full proselytes (i.e., without circumcision) God-fearer, devout Gentile	Cornelius represents a recognized in-between category (Gentile sympathizer, not yet a full covenant member) whose full inclusion without circumcision becomes the test case for the doctrine “The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles”	Low-Medium — obscure technical historical category to modern readers (obsolescence); minor risk of confusing “God-fearer” with the more general, non-technical fear of God reverential-awe sense treated under Acts 5 above — worth distinguishing the technical social category from the general spiritual disposition.
God shows no partiality οὐκ…προσωπολήπτης ouk…prosōpolēptēs ”not a face-receiver/respecter of persons”	God does not judge or favor based on external status categories (ethnicity, social rank) God is not partial, God shows no favoritism	Peter’s own theological conclusion (10:34-35) drawn directly from the Cornelius episode — grounds Jew-Gentile equality in God’s own impartial character, not merely practical accommodation	Low — the phrase resonates positively with contemporary equality/anti-discrimination discourse (a genuine asset, similar to the baseline’s note on Romans’ “no distinction” language); minor risk of being read as generic modern egalitarianism divorced from its specific covenantal, Christ-centered basis — the same caution the baseline gives for “universal scope of the gospel.”
Holy Spirit fell on them (Gentiles) ἐπέπεσεν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον epepesen to Pneuma to Hagion ”the Holy Spirit fell upon”	Sudden, sovereign, visible outpouring, parallel in form to Pentecost itself the Spirit fell on them	Confirms, apart from any human ritual prerequisite (Cornelius’s household receives the Spirit before baptism, 10:44-48), that Gentiles are full, equal recipients of the same salvation and the same Spirit as Jewish believers	High — this episode is frequently cited on multiple sides of the baptism/Spirit-reception sequencing debate (does the Spirit’s coming precede or follow baptism, and what does that imply about baptism’s necessity or effect); this curriculum should note the sequence plainly (Spirit before baptism here) without over-generalizing it into a fixed universal pattern, since Acts elsewhere shows other sequences (e.g., 2:38; 19:1-6).

Chapter 11 — The Jerusalem Church Affirms Gentile Inclusion; the Church at Antioch

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
granted repentance τὴν μετάνοιαν…ἔδωκεν tēn metanoian…edōken ”gave repentance”	Repentance itself as a divine gift, not merely a human achievement or decision God has granted repentance	The Jerusalem church’s own theological conclusion (11:18) from the Cornelius events: even the human act of turning to God is itself something God graciously gives, not something people summon up unaided	Medium — intersects the same grace/works synergism-vs.-monergism denominational contest flagged under the baseline grace entry; if repentance itself is granted by God, this bears directly on how “free will” and divine initiative in conversion are related — worth flagging as a live cross-denominational point rather than assuming settled consensus.
Christian Χριστιανός Christianos ”Christ-one, partisan of Christ”	Originally likely a semi-outsider or even mocking label (“Christ-party,” on the pattern of other political/philosophical “-ianos” party names), first applied at Antioch (11:26) Christian, Christians	The name that becomes the movement’s enduring self-designation, first used precisely in the multi-ethnic Antioch church where Jewish and Gentile believers worshiped together as one new community	Medium — significant post-Christian erosion: in contemporary secular Western usage “Christian” is very often a loose cultural, ethnic, or political identity marker (“cultural Christian,” “Christian nationalist” in political discourse, or simply “raised Christian” as inherited family background) detached from actual committed discipleship; the term’s original, costly, minority-identity sense at Antioch should be actively restored against this diluted, default-inherited-identity drift.

Chapter 12 — Herod’s Persecution; Peter’s Deliverance

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
angel ἄγγελος angelos ”messenger”	A created spiritual being sent to deliver a message or accomplish a divine task; can also mean a purely human “messenger” depending on context angel, messenger	God’s direct, miraculous intervention to free Peter from prison (12:7-11), framed as an answer to the church’s earnest, persistent prayer (12:5, 12)	Medium — contemporary “spiritual but not religious” and greeting-card/pop-culture “guardian angel” imagery (cute cherubs, deceased loved ones “becoming angels,” angel-card divination) significantly dilutes the biblical sense of a real, powerful, obedient created spiritual being sent on a specific divine errand; this doctrine is not formally listed among the nine core doctrines for this curriculum but recurs often enough in Acts (5:19; 8:26; 10:3; 12:7-11; 27:23) to warrant its own glossary entry.
the word of God continued to spread ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ ηὔξανεν ho logos tou theou ēuxanen ”the word of God was growing/increasing”	Recurring Lukan refrain (6:7; 12:24; 19:20) treating gospel proclamation as a living, growing organism the word of God grew and multiplied	Persecution (Herod’s death immediately follows in the same chapter) does not stop, and even accompanies, the gospel’s ongoing advance — a key note for “Persecution and Bold Witness” and “The Great Commission Fulfilled”	Low — stable agricultural/organic metaphor; minor risk of being read as mere institutional statistical growth (membership numbers) rather than the specific image of a living word bearing fruit, which the baseline’s spiritual_gifts/grace entries already flag as a broader modern-metrics-culture risk.

Chapter 13 — Barnabas and Saul Sent Out; Justification Proclaimed at Antioch

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
set apart (for the work) ἀφορίσατε aphorisate ”separate, mark off”	Deliberate, Spirit-directed designation for a specific task set apart, separated for the work	The Antioch church’s commissioning of Barnabas and Saul (13:2-3), combining fasting, prayer, and laying on of hands, models the doctrine “Apostolic Authority and Miracles” alongside “The Great Commission Fulfilled”	Reuses baseline sanctification/“set apart” language framework (Medium: contemporary egalitarian culture can hear “set apart” as elitist rather than purpose-specific commissioning).
everyone who believes is justified πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων δικαιοῦται pas ho pisteuōn dikaioutai ”everyone believing is justified/declared righteous”	— —	—	Reuses baseline justification (Critical) and faith/believes (High) entries exactly. Acts 13:38-39 is Paul’s own Acts-recorded statement of the doctrine “Justification apart from the Law” — “through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification the law of Moses could never give.” This should be cross-referenced directly with Romans 3:20-28’s fuller treatment for full-curriculum consistency, per the baseline’s “Same rendering of key thesis statements across all documents” rule.
law of Moses ὁ νόμος Μωϋσέως ho nomos Mōuseōs —	— —	—	Reuses baseline law entry exactly (Medium/High). Explicitly named here (13:39) as the specific body of commandments that cannot accomplish justification — directly reinforcing, in narrative form, the doctrinal point Romans 3-4 makes in epistolary form.
a light to the Gentiles φῶς ἐθνῶν phōs ethnōn ”light of/for the nations”	Isaiah’s servant-of-the-Lord title (Isaiah 49:6), applied by Paul and Barnabas to their own Gentile-directed mission (13:47) a light to the Gentiles, light for the nations	Explicit Old Testament grounding for the Gentile mission — not a novel improvisation but the fulfillment of a centuries-old prophetic promise	Reuses baseline gentiles/mission entries exactly (Medium each); “light” here functions positively and needs little correction, though should not be confused with generic “enlightenment”/self-help “finding the light” spiritual-growth idiom common in contemporary wellness culture.

Chapter 14 — Lystra, Iconium, and the First Missionary Journey’s Return

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
the living God τὸν θεὸν τὸν ζῶντα ton theon ton zōnta ”the living God”	God as personally active and existing, in explicit contrast to lifeless idols the living God	Paul and Barnabas’s response (14:15) when the Lystra crowd mistakes them for the gods Zeus and Hermes — redirecting worship from lifeless idols to the one active, personal God	Reuses baseline god entry exactly (Medium: contemporary vague “higher power”/“the universe” substitutes are the modern equivalent of ancient idol-substitution, worth naming as a structural parallel).
elders πρεσβύτεροι presbyteroi ”elder ones, older men”	Local congregational leaders/overseers appointed in each city church elders, presbyters	Paul and Barnabas’s practice of appointing elders “in every church” (14:23) on their return establishes local congregational leadership structure as standard missionary church-planting practice	High — significant denominational contest on church governance (see fuller treatment under Chapter 20 below, where “elders” and “overseers/bishops” are used interchangeably of the same office in 20:17, 28); this term recurs and should be treated consistently with that fuller entry.
idols εἴδωλα (implied; explicit at 14:15, “vain/worthless things”) eidōla ”images, likenesses”	Physical images representing false gods, and by extension the false gods themselves idols, false gods	The direct object of the “turn from…to the living God” call (14:15) — worthless, powerless objects/beings contrasted with the living God	Medium — false-friend drift: in overwhelmingly dominant contemporary English usage, “idol” refers to a celebrity or greatly admired public figure (a pop idol, a teen idol, or the globally popular “Idol” television talent-show franchise), a completely secularized sense carrying no religious-worship content at all; the biblical sense of an object or being wrongly given the worship due to God alone must be actively restored rather than assumed retained.

Chapter 15 — The Jerusalem Council

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
circumcision περιτομή peritomē ”cutting around”	The Mosaic covenant sign; in Acts 15, the specific demand of some Jewish believers (“the circumcision party”) that Gentile converts be circumcised and keep the Mosaic law to be truly saved circumcision, the circumcision requirement	The precise practical flashpoint of the doctrine “Justification apart from the Law” — the Council’s decision (15:1-29) that circumcision is not required for salvation is the narrative resolution of the theological argument Acts 13:38-39 and Romans 3-4 make doctrinally	High — false-friend drift risk: contemporary English speakers most readily encounter “circumcision” in a purely medical/hygiene context (a common, religiously-neutral surgical procedure performed on newborns in some cultures for health reasons), which can fully strip out its covenantal-sign, works-of-the-law significance in this passage; this specific ancient controversy must be explicitly reconstructed for modern readers, not assumed understood by analogy to the modern medical procedure.
saved through grace διὰ τῆς χάριτος…σωθῆναι dia tēs charitos…sōthēnai ”saved through grace”	— —	—	Reuses baseline grace (Critical) and salvation (Critical) entries exactly. Peter’s own summary statement (15:11) — “we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are” — is Acts’ clearest one-sentence restatement of Romans’ central thesis and should be rendered with identical phrasing to the Romans package’s grace/salvation entries for full-curriculum consistency.
yoke ζυγός zygos ”yoke” (farming implement joining draft animals)	A burden or binding obligation, here specifically the full weight of Mosaic law-keeping yoke, burden	Peter’s rhetorical question, “why do you try to test God by putting on the neck of the disciples a yoke…” (15:10), pictures law-as-salvation-requirement as an unbearable burden the earliest apostles themselves could not bear	Low-Medium — obsolescence: modern urban/suburban readers largely lack direct familiarity with agricultural yokes, requiring a brief supplied image, but the metaphor (a heavy, restrictive burden) is intuitively graspable without a strong competing false meaning.
apostolic decree — (letter, 15:23-29) — —	The Council’s written resolution: abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from meat of strangled animals, and from blood apostolic letter, the Jerusalem decree	A minimal, practical set of requirements aimed at preserving unity and removing specific stumbling blocks for Jewish believers, explicitly not a re-imposition of the full law	Medium — risk of readers either over-extending these four items into a permanent universal moral code detached from their specific first-century Jewish-Gentile table-fellowship context, or under-reading them as merely arbitrary cultural accommodation with no ongoing relevance; the text’s own stated purpose (unity, removing needless offense) should guide application.

Chapter 16 — Lydia, the Philippian Jailer, and Household Baptism

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
household (baptized) ὁ οἶκος ho oikos ”the house/household”	The extended household unit, including family members and often servants, treated as a unit in ancient Mediterranean social structure household, family, house	Both Lydia’s (16:15) and the jailer’s (16:33) entire households are baptized following the head-of-household’s belief — a key text in the infant/household baptism debate	Critical — directly feeds the same Critical baptism-denominational-contest flagged in the core passage (2:38): paedobaptist traditions (infant/household baptism, covenantal continuity with Old Testament circumcision of whole households) and credobaptist traditions (baptism only upon the individual’s own personal profession of faith) both appeal to this text, reading “household” quite differently (as necessarily including infants/non-professing members, versus as simply “everyone in the household who believed,” per 16:34’s “he and his whole household were filled with joy, having believed”). This curriculum should state its own reading and explicitly note the range of views.
a spirit of divination πνεῦμα πύθωνος pneuma pythōnos ”a python spirit,” i.e., a spirit associated with the Delphic Pythia/oracle	An evil spirit granting occult fortune-telling ability a spirit of divination, an evil spirit of fortune-telling	Paul’s exorcism of the slave girl (16:16-18) again authenticates apostolic authority over hostile spiritual powers, distinguishing genuine divine revelation from occult “spirit-channeled” knowledge	Medium — contemporary secular culture treats “fortune-telling”/“divination” (astrology, tarot, psychic hotlines) as harmless entertainment or a benign alternative-spirituality consumer product; the text’s serious framing of this as a real, oppressive evil-spiritual bondage requiring deliverance, not entertainment, should be actively restored.
what must I do to be saved τί με δεῖ ποιεῖν ἵνα σωθῶ ti me dei poiein hina sōthō ”what must I do that I may be saved”	— —	—	Reuses baseline salvation entry exactly (Critical). Paul’s answer — “believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household” (16:31) — again reuses baseline faith/believe and lord entries; this succinct formula is a natural companion cross-reference to Romans 10:9-10 and should be rendered with matching consistency.

Chapter 17 — Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens (the Areopagus)

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
an unknown god ἀγνώστῳ θεῷ agnōstō theō ”to an unknown god”	An altar inscription Paul finds in Athens (17:23), used as a rhetorical bridge into proclaiming the true God an unknown god, an altar to an unknown god	Models a specific apologetic method: starting from genuine common ground in the hearers’ own culture and pointing it toward the true, previously unknown God, rather than only confronting or condemning the culture	Low-Medium — mostly a positive rhetorical-strategy model with low doctrinal risk; minor risk of readers over-generalizing Paul’s Athens approach (affirming points of contact) into a full endorsement of pluralistic natural theology detached from the passage’s own clear call to repentance and the specific, exclusive truth of the resurrection that follows (17:30-31).
times of ignorance τοὺς…χρόνους τῆς ἀγνοίας tous…chronous tēs agnoias ”the times/seasons of ignorance”	The period before the gospel’s full revelation, during which God “overlooked” idolatrous ignorance in a limited, temporary sense times of ignorance	Distinguishes a temporary divine forbearance from final judgment — but this forbearance is now over: “now he commands everyone everywhere to repent” (17:30)	Medium — risk of misreading “overlooked” as tacit approval or moral relativism regarding other religions, rather than the text’s own clear point: that season has ended, and repentance is now commanded of “everyone everywhere” without exception — the doctrinal universality/exclusivity should not be softened here.
resurrection (mocked) ἀνάστασις anastasis —	— —	—	Reuses baseline resurrection entry exactly (Critical). Notably, Paul’s Athens sermon is cut short specifically because of resurrection-mockery (17:32) — a vivid ancient precedent for the exact same “resurrection as absurd myth” skepticism the baseline documents as a contemporary Western risk; this parallel is worth naming explicitly as encouragement that such skepticism is neither new nor a reason to soften the historical claim.

Chapter 18 — Corinth: Aquila, Priscilla, Gallio, and Apollos

No major new load-bearing theological terms are introduced in this chapter; it reuses the Way, disciple, synagogue, baptism (of John, contrasted implicitly with full Christian baptism, developed further in ch.19), and Christ/Messiah from earlier chapters. One item worth a brief note:

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
the Christ / that Jesus was the Messiah ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός hoti Iēsous estin ho Christos ”that Jesus is the Christ”	— —	—	Reuses baseline messiah entry exactly (Medium). Apollos’s ministry (18:24-28), further instructed by Priscilla and Aquila, models the pattern of an already-devout believer needing fuller instruction — relevant background for Acts 19’s similar case with John’s disciples.

Chapter 19 — Ephesus: The Holy Spirit, Exorcism, and the Riot over Artemis

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
baptism of John / into what then were you baptized τὸ Ἰωάννου βάπτισμα to Iōannou baptisma ”the baptism of John”	John’s baptism of repentance, preparatory but incomplete without knowledge of Jesus and reception of the Spirit John’s baptism, baptism of repentance	Acts 19:1-6 shows disciples who had only received John’s preparatory baptism being baptized again “in the name of the Lord Jesus” and receiving the Spirit through the laying on of hands — directly relevant to the Critical baptism-denominational entry above, since it shows Luke himself distinguishing two baptisms rather than treating “a baptism” generically as interchangeable	Critical — reuses and intensifies the Critical baptism risk from the core passage: this is one of the clearest texts showing that not all “baptism” in the Bible is theologically equivalent, a nuance easily lost if readers assume “baptism” is always a single undifferentiated rite; denominational traditions differ on how much weight to place on this John’s-baptism/Christian-baptism distinction for today’s practice.
burned the scrolls τὰς βίβλους κατέκαιον tas biblous katekaion ”were burning the books/scrolls”	Public destruction of occult/magical texts by new converts (19:19) burned their magic books	A dramatic, costly, public repentance from occult practice, underscoring genuine repentance’s practical, financially costly fruit	Low — vivid historical episode with minimal competing modern meaning; main risk is reading it as an argument for book-burning generally rather than the text’s specific point about voluntary renunciation of one’s own former occult practice.
the Way ἡ ὁδός hē hodos —	— —	—	Reuses the ch.8 entry exactly (Medium). The Ephesian riot (19:23-41) is explicitly triggered by economic threat to the Artemis-idol trade from “the Way’s” growth — a vivid illustration of how gospel advance can provoke economic/political, not merely theological, opposition, relevant to “Persecution and Bold Witness.”

Chapter 20 — Paul’s Farewell at Miletus: Elders, Overseers, Shepherds

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
elders / overseers / shepherd πρεσβυτέρους / ἐπισκόπους / ποιμαίνειν presbyterous / episkopous / poimainein ”elders” / “overseers” / “to shepherd”	Three overlapping terms Paul uses interchangeably of the same local church leadership office in a single short speech (20:17, 28) elders, overseers, bishops, pastors, shepherds	Acts 20:28’s charge — “shepherd the church of God, which he bought with his own blood” — grounds pastoral leadership in Christ’s own atoning ownership of the church, not human institutional appointment alone	Critical — this is the single clearest New Testament text showing “elder,” “overseer” (from which English derives “bishop,” via a sound-shift through Old English biscop), and “shepherd” (from which English derives “pastor,” via Latin pastor) as apparently interchangeable descriptions of one office in Luke’s own usage. English-speaking Christian traditions divide sharply and consequentially on church governance based partly on how this text is read: episcopal polities (Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Methodist) develop “bishop” into a distinct, higher office over multiple congregations/elders; presbyterian and many Baptist/congregational polities read “elder,” “overseer,” and “pastor” as the same single office, with no separate higher “bishop” rank. The English word “bishop” itself now carries strong, specific hierarchical/institutional connotations (miters, dioceses, Catholic/Anglican authority structures) that can actively mislead readers of traditions that use “elder” or “pastor” language instead, and vice versa. This curriculum must state plainly that Acts 20 itself uses these three English-derived terms of one office, and note the range of later denominational governance developments transparently rather than assume any one modern usage is self-evidently “biblical.”
purchased with his own blood περιεποιήσατο διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ ἰδίου periepoiēsato dia tou haimatos tou idiou ”acquired through his own blood”	Christ’s atoning death pictured as a purchase-price securing ownership of the church bought with his own blood, purchased with his blood	Directly connects pastoral care to the doctrine of the atonement — leaders shepherd a flock that already, fully belongs to Christ by costly purchase, not to the leaders themselves	Medium — “bought/purchased” language is stable but risks a purely commercial-transactional reading (as if God were paying off a debt to a third party) rather than the richer sacrificial/covenantal sense; should be read alongside baseline imputed_righteousness/atonement-adjacent notes for full doctrinal context.
the whole purpose/counsel of God πᾶσαν τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θεοῦ pasan tēn boulēn tou theou ”the whole plan/counsel of God”	The complete scope of God’s revealed redemptive message, without omission or compromise the whole counsel of God, God’s entire plan	Paul’s claim (20:27) to have proclaimed the entire message, holding nothing back to avoid offense — a model for faithful, non-selective gospel proclamation	Reuses the predetermined plan/providence framework (Critical) established at 2:23; here applied to the content of preaching rather than the plan behind the cross specifically — worth distinguishing these two related but distinct applications of “God’s plan/counsel” language.

Chapter 21 — Return to Jerusalem, Agabus’s Warning, the Nazirite Vow

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
prophecy (Agabus) προφητεία prophēteia —	— —	—	Reuses baseline prophecy/prophet entries exactly (Medium/Low). Agabus’s specific, accurate, symbolic-action prophecy of Paul’s Jerusalem arrest (21:10-11) again models genuine predictive prophecy as distinct from the secular “self-fulfilling prophecy” idiom the baseline flags.
Nazirite vow / purification rites ἁγνισμός hagnismos ”purification”	A voluntary, time-limited vow of consecration involving abstention from wine, uncut hair, and ritual purification (cf. Numbers 6) Nazirite vow, purification rites	Paul’s participation in this Jewish vow (21:23-26) demonstrates his continued respect for Jewish practice among Jewish believers, even while defending Gentile freedom from the law elsewhere — a nuanced, context-sensitive practice, not a contradiction of the doctrine “Justification apart from the Law”	Low — genuinely rare, historically specific practice largely unfamiliar to modern readers (obsolescence); no significant competing modern meaning, but requires background explanation to avoid readers concluding Paul contradicted his own Gentile-freedom teaching.

Chapter 22 — Paul’s Defense Speech in Jerusalem

No major new load-bearing theological terms; this chapter is Paul’s own retelling of his Damascus-road conversion (reusing ch.9’s disciple, the Way, chosen instrument entries) combined with an account of his Roman citizenship, which is a civil/legal, not primarily theological, category.

Chapter 23 — The Sanhedrin Divided: Pharisees and Sadducees

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
Pharisee Φαρισαῖος Pharisaios ”separated one”	A first-century Jewish religious-legal movement emphasizing meticulous Torah observance and oral tradition; affirmed bodily resurrection (unlike the Sadducees) Pharisee	Paul strategically identifies his own hope in the resurrection as common ground with the Pharisaic party against the Sadducees (23:6-9), turning an internal Jewish theological division to his advantage	High — false-friend/negative-connotation drift, closely parallel to the baseline’s righteousness/“self-righteous” note: in contemporary English, “Pharisee” (and especially “pharisaical”) functions almost exclusively as a pejorative synonym for legalistic hypocrisy, stripping away the historical fact that Pharisees held theologically important, partly correct convictions (including bodily resurrection) that Paul himself, as a former Pharisee (23:6), continued to affirm and build on.
Sadducee Σαδδουκαῖος Saddoukaios —	A priestly-aristocratic Jewish party that denied bodily resurrection, angels, and an afterlife of judgment Sadducee	Their denial of resurrection (23:8) sets up a direct doctrinal contrast with the entire book’s resurrection-centered message	Low — obscure historical proper term with no strong modern competing meaning; mainly requires background supply, not correction.

Chapter 24 — Paul Before Felix

No major new load-bearing theological terms; reuses the Way (called “a sect” by opponents, 24:5, 14), faith, resurrection, and introduces civil/legal categories (governor, procurator) that are historical-cultural rather than doctrinal. One brief note:

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come περὶ δικαιοσύνης καὶ ἐγκρατείας καὶ τοῦ κρίματος τοῦ μέλλοντος peri dikaiosynēs kai egkrateias kai tou krimatos tou mellontos —	— —	—	Reuses baseline righteousness entry exactly (Critical/High). Felix’s fearful reaction (24:25) to Paul’s preaching on exactly these themes shows the gospel’s moral seriousness provoking real discomfort even in a position of political power — relevant to “Persecution and Bold Witness,” where opposition arises from conviction, not merely doctrinal disagreement.

Chapter 25 — Paul Before Festus; Appeal to Caesar

No new load-bearing theological terms; primarily civil-legal narrative (appeal to Caesar is a Roman legal category, not a theological term). Reuses resurrection (25:19) exactly as previously treated.

Chapter 26 — Paul Before Agrippa: The Conversion Retold

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
not disobedient to the heavenly vision οὐκ ἐγενόμην ἀπειθὴς τῇ…ὀπτασίᾳ ouk egenomēn apeithēs tē…optasia ”I did not become disobedient to the vision”	Paul’s own summary of his life’s direction after Damascus — obedient response to a specific divine call not disobedient to the heavenly vision	Directly parallels the baseline obedience_of_faith entry: obedience flowing from a specific, personal divine encounter, not externally compelled or generic religious duty	Reuses baseline obedience_of_faith entry exactly (High: contemporary Western suspicion of “obedience” as servility).
turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God ἐπιστρέψαι…ἀπὸ τοῦ σκότους εἰς φῶς καὶ τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ Σατανᾶ ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν epistrepsai…apo tou skotous eis phōs kai tēs exousias tou Satana epi ton theon ”to turn from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God”	Paul’s Damascus commissioning (26:18), summarizing the whole gospel’s effect as a decisive transfer of allegiance and realm turn from darkness to light, from Satan’s power to God	Names Satan as a real, personal spiritual power holding people in bondage prior to conversion — directly relevant to the doctrine “Conversion of Paul” as the paradigm case, and by extension to the doctrine of conversion generally	Medium-High — post-Christian secular culture has largely reduced “Satan”/“the devil” to a cartoonish, folkloric, or Halloween-costume figure (red skin, pitchfork, horns) rather than a real personal spiritual power holding people in bondage; this drift is directly analogous to the baseline’s treatment of “resurrection as myth” and should be corrected with the same directness: the text asserts a real, personal spiritual bondage and a real, personal deliverance, not a metaphor for generic moral improvement.

Chapter 27 — The Voyage and Shipwreck

No major new load-bearing theological terms; this chapter’s theological weight (God’s providence/sovereign care amid the storm, the angelic assurance of 27:23-24) reuses the baseline providence entry (Critical) and the angel entry established at Chapter 12 above. Explicitly noted as reviewed: no new theological vocabulary requiring separate glossary entries.

Chapter 28 — Malta, Rome, and the Kingdom Preached Unhindered

Terms	Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Destination Rendering Risk
preaching the kingdom of God…quite openly and unhindered κηρύσσων τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ…ἀκωλύτως kēryssōn tēn basileian tou theou…akōlytōs ”proclaiming the kingdom of God…without hindrance”	The book’s final word — Paul, though a Roman prisoner, proclaims openly and without legal obstruction preaching the kingdom of God unhindered, boldly and without hindrance	Acts’ deliberately open-ended, triumphant final note: the gospel’s advance from Jerusalem to Rome (the known world’s political center) cannot ultimately be stopped even by imprisonment — the narrative and theological climax of “The Great Commission Fulfilled”	Reuses baseline kingdom_of_god entry exactly (Medium). The specific pairing with boldness (parrēsia, reused from Acts 4) and “unhindered” (akōlytōs, a legal-administrative term meaning “without any obstruction placed in the way”) together form Acts’ closing thesis-statement and should be rendered with the same weight and consistency this curriculum gives to Acts 1:8 and Acts 2:38-39.

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Summary Notes on Full-Book Coverage

• Chapters with no new load-bearing theological vocabulary, explicitly noted above rather than silently omitted: Chapter 18 (Corinth narrative — reuses the Way, disciple, Messiah), Chapter 22 (Paul’s defense — reuses ch.9 conversion vocabulary), Chapter 24 (before Felix — reuses righteousness, resurrection, the Way), Chapter 25 (before Festus — reuses resurrection; civil-legal narrative), Chapter 27 (the voyage — reuses providence, angel).
• Every chapter of Acts, 1 through 28, has been reviewed. Chapters not listed above as “no new vocabulary” each contributed at least one new load-bearing term documented in the tables above.
• All baseline Romans Language Package terms encountered in Acts (grace, faith, righteousness, justification, salvation, apostle, called/calling, holy, saints, sanctification, resurrection, lord, peace, fellowship, church, kingdom_of_god, law, sin, gentiles, obedience_of_faith, power_of_god, messiah, prophet, prophecy, election, providence, mission, david, israel, jesus, god, holy_spirit, father, exhort, seed_of_david, imputed_righteousness) are reused with their exact recorded rendering and risk tier — never redefined or re-rated in this document.