Semantic Analysis

07 Semantic Analysis — 1 John (English → Filipino)

Purpose and Method

This document analyzes the full Greek text of 1 John, chapter 1 through chapter 5, identifying every load-bearing theological term. The core passage (1 John 4:7-21) receives verse-by-verse treatment. Every other chapter receives a chapter-level study of its load-bearing terms using the same fields. Where a term already exists in the baseline Romans Language Package (translation_memory.json / bible_term_registry.json), the recorded Filipino rendering is reused exactly and marked [BASELINE REUSE]. New terms required for 1 John are marked [NEW] and are carried forward into 08_core_glossary.md.

Fields used per term: Original (Greek), Transliteration, Literal meaning, Semantic range, English variants, Contextual theological meaning, Destination-language rendering risk.

CORE PASSAGE: 1 John 4:7-21 — Verse-by-Verse Analysis

Verse 7 — “Ἀγαπητοί, ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους, ὅτι ἡ ἀγάπη ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν, καὶ πᾶς ὁ ἀγαπῶν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ γεγέννηται καὶ γινώσκει τὸν θεόν.”

ἀγαπητοί (agapētoi) — Lit. “beloved ones.” Semantic range: term of endearment used by a writer for readers held in affection; from the same root as agapē. English variants: “beloved,” “dear friends.” Contextual meaning: John addresses the church as objects of God’s love and his own pastoral affection before issuing the command to love. Rendering risk: [NEW] Medium. Filipino “Mga minamahal” is natural and low-risk, but must not be flattened to a generic greeting (“mga kaibigan”) that loses the relational warmth.
ἀγαπῶμεν (agapōmen), from ἀγαπάω (agapaō) — Lit. “let us love.” Semantic range: volitional, other-directed love distinguished in Greek from erōs (romantic/sexual desire) and philia (affectionate friendship). English variants: “let us love.” Contextual meaning: a command rooted in shared new-birth identity (“since love is from God”), not mere sentiment. Rendering risk: [NEW] High. Filipino “pag-ibig”/“ibigin” carries strong cultural association with romantic love (love songs, courtship, “pag-ibig” in popular media). Every occurrence of agapē/agapaō in this letter needs contextual framing distinguishing selfless, God-originated love from erotic or romantic pag-ibig.
ἡ ἀγάπη (hē agapē) — Lit. “the love.” Semantic range: the noun form of committed, self-giving love; in John’s usage here it is not one virtue among many but describes God’s own nature (v.8). English variants: “love.” Contextual theological meaning: love is presented as having its source and origin in God, not human sentiment or reciprocal social obligation. Rendering risk: [NEW] High. See ἀγαπῶμεν above; additionally, must be guarded against collapse into the baseline-documented utang na loob framework (reciprocal debt of gratitude), since some readers may hear “obligation to love because God loved us” (v.11) as debt-repayment rather than a family likeness flowing from new birth. This is the same collision the baseline flags for “grace” and must be applied here too.
γεγέννηται (gegennētai), from γεννάω (gennaō) — Lit. “has been born / has been begotten,” perfect tense indicating a past act with continuing effect. Semantic range: birth/begetting, used here metaphorically of spiritual regeneration. English variants: “is born of,” “has been begotten by.” Contextual meaning: love for others is evidence of the new birth, not its cause. Rendering risk: [NEW] Critical. Filipino “ipinanganak” or “isinilang” (born) risks being absorbed into folk-Catholic sacramental theology, where spiritual new life is understood as conferred at binyag (infant baptism) through the ritual itself. Every occurrence needs a teaching note: new birth from God is evidenced by a transformed capacity to love, not automatically conferred by a rite performed in infancy apart from living faith.
γινώσκει (ginōskei), from γινώσκω (ginōskō) — Lit. “knows.” Semantic range: relational, experiential knowing (contrast οἶδα/oida, more propositional “knowing that”). English variants: “knows.” Contextual meaning: genuine relational knowledge of God is inseparable from a loving character. Rendering risk: [NEW] Medium. Filipino “nakikilala” (relational, to know a person) should be preferred over “nalalaman” (to know a fact) to preserve the relational nuance.

Verse 8 — “ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν οὐκ ἔγνω τὸν θεόν, ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν.”

ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν (ho theos agapē estin) — Lit. “God is love.” Semantic range: not “God is loving” (an attribute among others) but a statement of God’s essential nature, parallel to 1:5 “God is light.” English variants: “God is love.” Contextual theological meaning: the doctrinal anchor of the whole passage — love is not merely something God does but what God essentially is; all human love that reflects him must be measured against his self-giving character revealed at the cross (v.10), not against feeling or attraction. Rendering risk: [NEW] Critical. “Ang Diyos ay pag-ibig” is the natural, established Filipino rendering, but the sentence is easily misheard sentimentally (God as generically “loving/kind,” compatible with any warm feeling) or romantically. A teaching note is required distinguishing this from romantic pag-ibig and from a vague, undemanding benevolence — God’s love is holy, self-giving, and defined by the sending of the Son (v.9-10), not sentiment.
ἔγνω (egnō), aorist of γινώσκω — see v.7. Contextual meaning: the one who does not love has, by that fact, not truly and relationally known God, regardless of professed belief. Rendering risk: [BASELINE-adjacent] Medium — see γινώσκει above.

Verse 9 — “ἐν τούτῳ ἐφανερώθη ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν, ὅτι τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ ἀπέσταλκεν ὁ θεὸς εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἵνα ζήσωμεν διʼ αὐτοῦ.”

ἐφανερώθη (ephanerōthē), from φανερόω (phaneroō) — Lit. “was made manifest / was revealed.” Semantic range: to make visible/known what was previously hidden. English variants: “was manifested,” “was shown,” “was revealed.” Contextual meaning: God’s love is not an abstract claim but was historically demonstrated in a concrete act. Rendering risk: [NEW] Medium. Filipino “ipinahayag” or “inihayag” works well; ensure it conveys a historical, once-for-all demonstration, not a repeated ritual manifestation.
τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ (ton huion autou ton monogenē) — Lit. “his only/unique Son.” μονογενής (monogenēs): “only one of its kind,” “unique,” traditionally “only-begotten.” English variants: “only Son,” “one and only Son,” “only-begotten Son.” Contextual theological meaning: emphasizes the uniqueness and costliness of the gift — God had only one such Son to send. Rendering risk: [NEW, paired with BASELINE “son_of_god”] High. Use the established Filipino term “bugtong na Anak” alongside baseline’s “Anak ng Diyos,” rendering the phrase “ang kanyang bugtong na Anak.” Must not be read as “a” divine son among several, nor diluted by devotional attention shared with other holy figures — same risk the baseline documents for Sonship of Christ.
ἀπέσταλκεν (apestalken), from ἀποστέλλω (apostellō) — Lit. “has sent.” Semantic range: to send with a commission/purpose (root of “apostle”). English variants: “sent,” “has sent.” Contextual meaning: the sending is purposeful, historical, and once-for-all — the incarnation as a divine mission accomplished. Rendering risk: [BASELINE REUSE — cf. “power_of_god,” “mission” entries] Medium. Filipino “isinugo” (sent with a mission) is standard.
τὸν κόσμον (ton kosmon), from κόσμος (kosmos) — Lit. “the world.” Semantic range: (1) the created physical order; (2) humanity in general; (3) the moral-spiritual system organized in rebellion against God (dominant sense in 2:15-17; 5:19). Here in v.9, sense (2) — the world of human beings the Son was sent to save. English variants: “world.” Contextual meaning: God’s love reaches beyond a narrow in-group to the whole of humanity. Rendering risk: [NEW] Medium. Filipino “sanlibutan” (the moral/relational sense) is generally preferable to “daigdig” (the merely physical sense) in Johannine theological usage; translators must track which of the three senses is active in each occurrence throughout the letter.
ζήσωμεν (zēsōmen), from ζάω (zaō) — Lit. “we might live.” Contextual meaning: connects to “eternal life” as the purpose of the Son’s sending. Rendering risk: [NEW] Low-Medium. Filipino “mabuhay” is standard; see “eternal life” entry below for the fuller doctrinal term.

Verse 10 — “ἐν τούτῳ ἐστὶν ἡ ἀγάπη, οὐχ ὅτι ἡμεῖς ἠγαπήσαμεν τὸν θεόν, ἀλλʼ ὅτι αὐτὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς καὶ ἀπέστειλεν τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἱλασμὸν περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν.”

ἱλασμὸν (hilasmon), from ἱλασμός (hilasmos) — Lit. “propitiation,” “atoning sacrifice.” Semantic range: a sacrifice that satisfies divine justice and turns away wrath, removing the offense of sin. English variants: “propitiation,” “atoning sacrifice,” “sacrifice of atonement.” Contextual theological meaning: the love of God is defined and proven specifically by the sending of the Son as a sin-bearing sacrifice, not merely as a moral example or teacher. Rendering risk: [NEW] Critical. Filipino needs a compound phrase such as “haing pantubos sa kasalanan” (an atoning sacrifice for sin) rather than a single word, to avoid two collapses: (1) reducing it to a mere “gift” or “blessing” that loses the sacrificial/judicial weight; (2) allowing folk-Catholic Mass theology — where the sacrifice of Christ is understood as re-presented in each celebration of the Eucharist — to suggest the atonement is an ongoing ritual act rather than a completed, once-for-all sacrifice. Every occurrence requires a teaching note: Christ’s propitiatory death was accomplished once, fully, and is not repeated or re-enacted.
τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν (tōn hamartiōn hēmōn) — “our sins.” [BASELINE REUSE — “sin” = kasalanan, Medium risk].

Verse 11 — “Ἀγαπητοί, εἰ οὕτως ὁ θεὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς, καὶ ἡμεῖς ὀφείλομεν ἀλλήλους ἀγαπᾶν.”

ὀφείλομεν (opheilomen), from ὀφείλω (opheilō) — Lit. “we owe,” “we are obligated / ought.” Semantic range: moral debt or obligation language, sometimes financial in origin. English variants: “ought,” “are obligated,” “owe it.” Contextual meaning: because God loved us first and completely (undeserved), a grateful, love-shaped response of loving others is fitting — but this obligation flows from transformed identity, not repayment of a debt that could ever be fully discharged. Rendering risk: [NEW] Critical. This is the single highest-risk verse in the passage for the baseline’s documented utang na loob collision. Filipino “may utang na loob tayo” would import the cultural framework of a debt of gratitude requiring reciprocal repayment and ongoing loyalty — precisely the frame the baseline forbids for “grace.” Recommend “kailangan nating” (we must/ought) or “tungkulin nating” (it is our duty) rather than any phrase built on “utang,” with a mandatory teaching note distinguishing gratitude-motivated love from transactional repayment.

Verse 12 — “θεὸν οὐδεὶς πώποτε τεθέαται· ἐὰν ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους, ὁ θεὸς ἐν ἡμῖν μένει καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη αὐτοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν τετελειωμένη ἐστίν.”

τεθέαται (tetheatai), from θεάομαι (theaomai) — Lit. “has seen/beheld,” a strong verb for careful, attentive gazing. English variants: “has seen.” Contextual meaning: God’s invisibility means love among believers becomes the visible demonstration of his presence. Rendering risk: [NEW] Low. Filipino “nakakita” is adequate.
μένει (menei), from μένω (menō) — Lit. “abides / remains.” Semantic range: to dwell continually, remain in a settled relationship, not a temporary visit. English variants: “abides,” “remains,” “dwells.” Contextual meaning: mutual love among believers is the locus where God’s abiding presence is experienced and confirmed. Rendering risk: [NEW] Medium-High. Filipino “nananatili” is standard, but this is the letter’s key relational-communion verb (occurring repeatedly through chs. 2-4) and must consistently convey ongoing, living union with God — parallel to the “in Christ” identity language the baseline flags as High risk for Romans. Recommend a single consistent Filipino rendering throughout 1 John.
τετελειωμένη (teteleiōmenē), from τελειόω (teleioō) — Lit. “has been perfected/completed/brought to its intended goal.” Semantic range: not sinless perfection but reaching full maturity or completion of purpose. English variants: “perfected,” “made complete,” “matured.” Contextual meaning: love reaches its intended completeness/goal when it is expressed toward others, not merely felt or professed. Rendering risk: [NEW] Medium. Filipino “ganap” or “lubos” (complete/full) is preferable to “perpekto” (which suggests flawlessness) to avoid implying sinless performance as the standard.

Verse 13 — “ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ μένομεν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν ἡμῖν, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος αὐτοῦ δέδωκεν ἡμῖν.”

τοῦ πνεύματος αὐτοῦ (tou pneumatos autou) — “his Spirit.” [BASELINE REUSE — “holy_spirit” = Espiritu Santo, High risk]. Contextual meaning: the indwelling Spirit is the objective ground of assurance of mutual abiding, not a subjective feeling alone. Rendering risk note: must retain “Espiritu Santo” in full per baseline instruction, not a bare “espiritu,” to avoid confusion with generic spirit-language (see Testing the Spirits notes in ch. 4:1-6 below).

Verse 14 — “καὶ ἡμεῖς τεθεάμεθα καὶ μαρτυροῦμεν ὅτι ὁ πατὴρ ἀπέσταλκεν τὸν υἱὸν σωτῆρα τοῦ κόσμου.”

μαρτυροῦμεν (martyroumen), from μαρτυρέω (martyreō) — Lit. “we testify/bear witness.” Semantic range: to give authoritative eyewitness testimony. English variants: “testify,” “bear witness,” “witness.” Contextual meaning: apostolic, eyewitness-grounded testimony undergirds the claim about the Son. Rendering risk: [NEW] Low-Medium. Filipino “sumasaksi kami” or “pinatototohanan namin” is standard.
σωτῆρα (sōtēra), from σωτήρ (sōtēr) — Lit. “Savior.” [BASELINE-adjacent — links to “salvation” = kaligtasan, Critical]. Contextual meaning: the Father’s sending of the Son has the specific purpose of rescue/salvation for the world. Rendering risk: Critical. Filipino “Tagapagligtas” is the established term; per baseline, every Critical-risk occurrence of the salvation word-group needs a note that this saving work is received by faith, not mechanically guaranteed through sacramental performance.
ὁ πατὴρ (ho patēr) — “the Father.” [BASELINE REUSE — “father” = Ama, High risk].

Verse 15 — “ὃς ἐὰν ὁμολογήσῃ ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, ὁ θεὸς ἐν αὐτῷ μένει καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν τῷ θεῷ.”

ὁμολογήσῃ (homologēsē), from ὁμολογέω (homologeō) — Lit. “confesses,” “acknowledges publicly,” lit. “to say the same thing” (i.e., to agree with and openly affirm a truth). Semantic range: public, verbal affirmation of a truth-claim (used both for confessing Christ, as here, and for confessing sin in 1:9). English variants: “confesses,” “acknowledges,” “professes.” Contextual theological meaning: the specific confession “Jesus is the Son of God” is the doctrinal boundary marker distinguishing true faith from the false teaching addressed throughout the letter (cf. 4:2-3; 2:22-23). Rendering risk: [NEW] Critical. Filipino “ipahayag” (proclaim/declare openly) is recommended over “kumpisal/ikumpisal,” which in Filipino Catholic usage names the sacrament of Confession/Penance performed with a priest and risks importing a ritual-mediated framework into what is, in 1 John, a direct, personal, verbal affirmation of who Jesus is. This same Greek verb, used for confessing sin in 1:9, carries the identical risk and needs the identical caution.
ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ (ho huios tou theou) — “the Son of God.” [BASELINE REUSE — “son_of_god” = Anak ng Diyos, High risk].

Verse 16 — “καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐγνώκαμεν καὶ πεπιστεύκαμεν τὴν ἀγάπην ἣν ἔχει ὁ θεὸς ἐν ἡμῖν. ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν, καὶ ὁ μένων ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ ἐν τῷ θεῷ μένει καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἐν αὐτῷ μένει.”

πεπιστεύκαμεν (pepisteukamen), from πιστεύω (pisteuō) — “we have believed.” [BASELINE REUSE — “faith” = pananampalataya, Medium risk]. Contextual meaning: believing in God’s love toward “us” specifically (not merely believing generic facts about God) is paired with relational knowing (ἐγνώκαμεν). Rendering risk note: object of belief must remain God’s love as demonstrated in the Son, not diffuse religious sentiment.
ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν — repeated from v.8; see notes there. The repetition frames vv. 7-21 as an inclusio built on this statement.

Verse 17 — “ἐν τούτῳ τετελείωται ἡ ἀγάπη μεθʼ ἡμῶν, ἵνα παρρησίαν ἔχωμεν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως, ὅτι καθὼς ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐσμὲν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ.”

παρρησίαν (parrēsian), from παρρησία (parrēsia) — Lit. “boldness/confidence/freedom of speech.” Semantic range: originally political/legal — the right to speak openly and without fear before an authority; extended to confident access before God. English variants: “confidence,” “boldness.” Contextual theological meaning: assurance for the day of final judgment, grounded not in personal merit but in Christlike love perfected in the believer as evidence of union with him. Rendering risk: [NEW, links to baseline “assurance_of_salvation” pattern, High]. Filipino “pagtitiwala” or “lakas ng loob” is appropriate; requires a note that this confidence rests on Christ’s finished work and the Spirit’s transforming presence, not on the frequency or correctness of sacramental observance — echoing the baseline’s Assurance of Salvation guidance.
τῆς κρίσεως (tēs kriseōs), from κρίσις (krisis) — “the judgment.” English variants: “judgment,” “day of judgment.” Contextual meaning: the eschatological day of final divine judgment. Rendering risk: [NEW] Medium. Filipino “araw ng paghuhukom” is standard and well understood.

Verse 18 — “φόβος οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ, ἀλλʼ ἡ τελεία ἀγάπη ἔξω βάλλει τὸν φόβον, ὅτι ὁ φόβος κόλασιν ἔχει, ὁ δὲ φοβούμενος οὐ τετελείωται ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ.”

φόβος (phobos) — “fear.” Semantic range: dread, terror, anxious apprehension (distinguished from reverent “fear of the Lord” in OT wisdom usage, though John here means anxious dread of judgment). English variants: “fear,” “dread.” Contextual meaning: describes the anxious dread of a guilty person expecting punishment, which mature love displaces. Rendering risk: [NEW] Low-Medium. Filipino “takot” is standard; translators should be alert that this is not the same as reverent “pagkatakot sa Diyos” found elsewhere in Scripture, and context should make the distinction clear.
τελεία (teleia), from τέλειος (teleios) — “perfect/complete/mature.” See τετελειωμένη above. Rendering risk: [NEW] Medium — same caution against “perpekto” implying flawless performance rather than mature, fully-formed love.
κόλασιν (kolasin), from κόλασις (kolasis) — Lit. “punishment/torment.” English variants: “punishment,” “torment.” Contextual meaning: the dread that accompanies expectation of judgment. Rendering risk: [NEW] Low. Filipino “kaparusahan” is standard.

Verse 19 — “ἡμεῖς ἀγαπῶμεν, ὅτι αὐτὸς πρῶτος ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς.”

πρῶτος (prōtos) — “first.” Contextual theological meaning: the priority and initiative of God’s love is the ground and enabling cause of all human love for God and others — the reverse of a reciprocity-first framework. Rendering risk: [NEW] High, tightly linked to the utang na loob caution above: God’s love precedes and enables ours; ours is responsive, not a repayment that discharges a debt.

Verse 20 — “ἐάν τις εἴπῃ ὅτι ἀγαπῶ τὸν θεόν, καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ μισῇ, ψεύστης ἐστίν· ὁ γὰρ μὴ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ὃν ἑώρακεν, τὸν θεὸν ὃν οὐχ ἑώρακεν οὐ δύναται ἀγαπᾶν.”

τὸν ἀδελφὸν (ton adelphon), from ἀδελφός (adelphos) — “brother.” Semantic range: biological sibling, extended to spiritual kinship among believers — a central Johannine category (cf. also 2:9-11; 3:10-17; 4:20-21). English variants: “brother,” “brother or sister,” “fellow believer.” Contextual theological meaning: love for the visible fellow-believer is the concrete, testable proof of love for the invisible God — this is not optional piety but the letter’s diagnostic test for genuine faith. Rendering risk: [NEW] Low-Medium. Filipino “kapatid” is warm and well-understood, already used broadly for fellow believers (“mga kapatid kay Kristo”); ensure the spiritual-family sense (not only biological) is clear from context throughout the letter.
μισῇ (misē), from μισέω (miseō) — “hates.” Contextual meaning: the direct antithesis of love; John allows no neutral middle ground between the two. Rendering risk: [NEW] Low. Filipino “napopoot/kinapopootan” or simply “namumuhi” is standard.
ψεύστης (pseustēs) — “liar.” Contextual meaning: strong, unambiguous moral verdict on the disconnect between professed love for God and actual hatred of a brother. Rendering risk: [NEW] Low. Filipino “sinungaling” is standard and carries appropriate moral weight.

Verse 21 — “καὶ ταύτην τὴν ἐντολὴν ἔχομεν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα ὁ ἀγαπῶν τὸν θεὸν ἀγαπᾷ καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ.”

τὴν ἐντολὴν (tēn entolēn), from ἐντολή (entolē) — “commandment.” Semantic range: a specific directive from an authority, distinct from νόμος (nomos, the Mosaic Law as a whole body of legislation). English variants: “commandment,” “command.” Contextual theological meaning: love for God and love for brother/sister are bound together as a single, unified command, not two separable religious duties. Rendering risk: [NEW] Medium. Filipino “utos” is standard; care should be taken not to let “utos” collapse into “kautusan” (the baseline’s rendering for the Mosaic Law) — entolē here names Christ’s specific ethical mandate, not Torah observance as a system.

Chapter-by-Chapter Study of the Whole Book

Chapter 1 (1 John 1:1-10)

ὁ λόγος τῆς ζωῆς (ho logos tēs zōēs) — “the Word of life” (1:1). Lit. “the word/message of life,” but in context (echoing John 1:1) identifying the eternal, incarnate Person, not merely a spoken message. English variants: “the Word of life.” Contextual meaning: John grounds his entire letter in apostolic, eyewitness, physical contact (“heard,” “seen,” “touched”) with the eternal Son who became visible and tangible in history. Rendering risk: [NEW] High, directly tied to the baseline’s Incarnation doctrine (pagkakatawang-tao). Filipino “ang Salita ng buhay” is workable but needs the same teaching caution as baseline’s incarnation entry: this names a historical, once-for-all event, not devotional attachment to an image or statue.
φανερόω (phaneroō) — “was manifested/revealed” (1:2). See notes at 4:9 above; here applied to “the life” being made visible in Christ.
κοινωνία (koinōnia) — “fellowship” (1:3, 1:6, 1:7). [BASELINE REUSE — “fellowship” = pagsasamahan, Low risk]. Contextual meaning: fellowship with the Father and Son, and consequent fellowship among believers, is the letter’s opening purpose statement (1:3) and recurring theme.
τὸ φῶς (to phōs) — “the light” (1:5, 1:7). Lit. “light.” Semantic range: moral and spiritual purity/truth, opposed to σκοτία (darkness). English variants: “light.” Contextual theological meaning: “God is light” (1:5) parallels “God is love” (4:8) as a statement of God’s essential moral nature — perfect purity with no admixture of moral darkness. Rendering risk: [NEW] Medium-High. Filipino “liwanag” is the natural, established rendering (already used in Filipino Bible tradition for this verse); the risk is sentimentalizing “liwanag” into vague positivity rather than preserving its force as a statement about God’s holy, sin-excluding purity — parallel treatment to “God is love” is recommended.
σκοτία (skotia) — “darkness” (1:5, 1:6, 2:8-11). Contextual meaning: moral/spiritual falsehood and sin, the realm opposed to fellowship with God. Rendering risk: [NEW] Medium. Filipino “kadiliman” is standard.
περιπατέω (peripateō) — “to walk” (1:6, 1:7; also 2:6, 2:11). Semantic range: literal walking, extended idiomatically to habitual conduct/way of life. English variants: “walk,” “live,” “conduct oneself.” Contextual meaning: a person’s habitual, observable conduct reveals whether they are in fellowship with a holy God. Rendering risk: [NEW] Low. Filipino “lumakad” (walk) is used idiomatically in Filipino Christian usage as “paglakad sa buhay,” well understood.
τὸ αἷμα (to haima) — “the blood” (1:7; also 5:6, 5:8). Semantic range: literal blood, extended to the atoning, sacrificial death of Christ. English variants: “blood.” Contextual meaning: “the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” — a sacrificial, substitutionary sense. Rendering risk: [NEW] Medium. Filipino “dugo” is standard and carries strong existing cultural resonance (e.g., “sandugo,” blood compact/kinship bonding), which can be a helpful bridge if carefully taught as sacrificial, atoning blood rather than merely a kinship-forming ritual bond.
καθαρίζω (katharizō) — “to cleanse” (1:7, 1:9). Semantic range: ritual and moral cleansing. English variants: “cleanse,” “purify.” Contextual meaning: cleansing from sin is accomplished by Christ’s blood, appropriated through confession and faith. Rendering risk: [NEW] Medium, linked to the confession/forgiveness Critical-risk cluster below.
ἁμαρτία (hamartia) — “sin” (1:7-10; pervasive through the letter). [BASELINE REUSE — “sin” = kasalanan, Medium risk].
ὁμολογέω (homologeō) — “to confess” (1:9, of sin). See full treatment at 4:15 above. Rendering risk: [NEW] Critical, specifically here referring to confession of sin to God for forgiveness/cleansing. Filipino must avoid “kumpisal” (sacramental Confession to a priest) and use “ipagtapat” or “aminin” (to openly admit/acknowledge) with a teaching note that forgiveness in 1:9 follows directly from confessing sin to God on the basis of Christ’s finished sacrifice, not from a priest’s pronounced absolution as a mechanically necessary step.
ἀφίημι / ἀφεσις (aphiēmi / aphesis) — “to forgive / forgiveness” (1:9). Semantic range: to release, let go, pardon a debt or offense. English variants: “forgive,” “forgiveness.” Contextual meaning: God’s faithful and just forgiveness is promised to all who confess, on the basis of his own character and Christ’s sacrifice. Rendering risk: [NEW] Critical, same collision cluster as confession above — Filipino “patawad/patawarin” is standard, but needs the same teaching note that this forgiveness is God’s direct response to confession and faith, not a benefit dispensed exclusively through priestly sacramental mediation.
ἀδικία (adikia) — “unrighteousness” (1:9). Contextual meaning: paired with “sin” as the totality of wrongdoing God cleanses. Rendering risk: [NEW] Low. Filipino “kalikuan” or “kasamaan” is adequate.

Chapter 2 (1 John 2:1-29)

παράκλητος (paraklētos) — “advocate” (2:1, of Christ before the Father). Lit. “one called alongside,” a legal-advocate/helper term. Semantic range: defense attorney, intercessory helper, comforter (the same word describes the Holy Spirit in John’s Gospel, not used that way in 1 John). English variants: “advocate,” “one who speaks in our defense,” “comforter” (older versions). Contextual theological meaning: when believers sin, they have a heavenly legal advocate — the righteous Christ himself — pleading their case before the Father, on the basis of his propitiatory sacrifice (2:2). Rendering risk: [NEW] Critical. Recommend Filipino “Tagapagtanggol” (defender/advocate) rather than reusing baseline “pamamagitan” (intercession) directly, though the doctrine connects tightly to the baseline’s Critical-risk Prayer and Intercession entry: every occurrence needs a note that Christ’s advocacy with the Father is unique and fully sufficient, not one intercessory relationship to be added alongside intercession of Mary or the saints, which is a central devotional practice in Filipino folk Catholicism.
ἱλασμός (hilasmos) — “propitiation” (2:2). See full treatment at 4:10 above.
ἐντολή (entolē) — “commandment” (2:3-8). See treatment at 4:21 above; here framed as “old” (already given, cf. Lev 19:18) yet “new” (fulfilled and exemplified in Christ, 2:7-8).
μένω (menō) — “abide” (2:6, 2:10, 2:14, 2:17, 2:24, 2:27-28). See treatment at 4:12-13 above; this chapter establishes abiding “in him” as the letter’s central relational-continuity theme, contrasted with the antichrist figures who “went out from us” (2:19) and did not abide.
σκάνδαλον-related: πρόσκομμα absent; note σκοτία/φῶς reused (2:8-11) — see Chapter 1 notes; here applied ethically: hating a brother is walking in darkness regardless of doctrinal profession.
κόσμος (kosmos) — “world” (2:15-17). See treatment at 4:9 above; here the moral-system sense dominates: “the world” as the object of forbidden love, opposed to “the will of the Father.” Rendering risk: [NEW] High in this specific passage — Filipino “sanlibutan” must clearly carry the negative, opposed-to-God sense here, distinct from the neutral “world of people” sense in 4:9 and 4:14; translators must not use a single undifferentiated Filipino word without contextual signaling.
ἐπιθυμία τῆς σαρκός / τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν, ἀλαζονεία τοῦ βίου — “lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life” (2:16). Contextual meaning: a threefold description of worldly desire opposed to the Father’s will. Rendering risk: [NEW] Medium. Filipino “pita ng laman,” “pita ng mata,” “kayabangan sa buhay” — standard, low ambiguity.
ἀντίχριστος (antichristos) — “antichrist” (2:18, 2:22; also 4:3; 2 John 7). Lit. “against Christ” or “instead of/in place of Christ.” Semantic range: both a future eschatological figure (“the antichrist is coming”) and a present spirit/pattern already active in false teachers who deny the Son. English variants: “antichrist.” Contextual theological meaning: identified specifically by denial that Jesus is the Christ and denial of the Father-Son relationship (2:22-23), and later by denial of the incarnation (4:2-3). Rendering risk: [NEW] High. Filipino “anticristo” is an established transliteration; the teaching risk is twofold — (1) readers may fixate only on a future singular figure (paralleling popular end-times speculation) and miss John’s present-tense warning about false teachers now; (2) the term must be tied precisely to denial of Christ’s true identity and incarnation, not treated as a vague label for any opponent.
χρῖσμα (chrisma) — “anointing” (2:20, 2:27). Lit. “anointing,” the result of χρίω (to anoint with oil). Semantic range: literal oil-anointing (kings, priests, prophets in OT) extended metaphorically to the Holy Spirit’s gift of discernment/teaching given to all believers. English variants: “anointing.” Contextual theological meaning: every believer, not a special class, has received the Spirit’s anointing enabling them to recognize truth from falsehood. Rendering risk: [NEW] Critical. Filipino “pahid” or “ang pagpapahid” risks being heard through the lens of Catholic sacramental anointing (Confirmation’s chrism, or the Anointing of the Sick performed by a priest with consecrated oil), which could suggest this gift is mediated ritually by clergy to a subset of believers rather than given directly by the Spirit to every believer. A teaching note is required distinguishing the Spirit’s universal internal anointing here from a priest-administered sacramental rite.
ψεῦδος / ψεύστης (pseudos / pseustēs) — “lie / liar” (2:21-22, 2:27). See treatment at 4:20 above; here applied doctrinally to denial of Christ.
ἀρνέομαι (arneomai) — “to deny” (2:22-23). Contextual meaning: the antithesis of ὁμολογέω (confess); denying the Son necessarily means not having the Father either. Rendering risk: [NEW] Medium. Filipino “itatwa/itanggi” is standard.
γεννάω (gennaō) — “born of him” (2:29, transitioning into ch. 3). See full treatment at 4:7 above.
δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē) — “righteousness” (2:29). [BASELINE REUSE — “righteousness” = katuwiran, High risk]. Contextual meaning: doing righteousness is evidence of being born of the righteous God, not the ground of that new birth.

Chapter 3 (1 John 3:1-24)

τέκνα θεοῦ (tekna theou) — “children of God” (3:1-2, 3:10; cf. 5:2). Lit. “children of God.” Semantic range: familial, relational sonship/childhood granted by new birth, distinct from υἱός used exclusively of Christ in this letter. English variants: “children of God,” “sons of God.” Contextual theological meaning: believers’ present identity and future hope both rest on this given, not achieved, status. Rendering risk: [NEW] Medium. Filipino “mga anak ng Diyos” (plural, common noun, lowercase) must be kept visually and grammatically distinct from “Anak ng Diyos” (baseline term, singular, capitalized, reserved for Christ) to avoid implying believers share Christ’s unique divine Sonship rather than an adoptive/regenerate family identity.
ἁγνίζω (hagnizō) — “purify” (3:3). Contextual meaning: the hope of Christ’s appearing motivates present moral purification. Rendering risk: [NEW] Low-Medium. Filipino “paglilinis ng sarili” or “pagdadalisay” is adequate.
ἀνομία (anomia) — “lawlessness” (3:4). Lit. “without law,” rebellion against God’s law as such. Semantic range: broader and more essentially rebellious than an isolated act of hamartia. English variants: “lawlessness,” “iniquity.” Contextual meaning: sin is here defined categorically as lawlessness — rejection of God’s rightful rule. Rendering risk: [NEW] Medium. Filipino “paglabag sa kautusan” links naturally to baseline’s “law” = kautusan, but care should be taken that this is about rebellion against God’s moral authority broadly, not narrowly the Mosaic ceremonial code.
σπέρμα αὐτοῦ (sperma autou) — “his seed” (3:9), i.e., God’s seed/nature abiding in the one born of him. Contextual meaning: the internal, Spirit-given principle that inclines the regenerate away from habitual sin. Rendering risk: [NEW] Medium. Filipino “binhi” (seed) used metaphorically is understandable but should be accompanied by explanation, since the metaphor is less immediately transparent in Filipino than in the source culture.
διάβολος (diabolos) — “the devil” (3:8, 3:10). Rendering risk: [NEW] Low. Filipino “diyablo” is an established, unambiguous transliteration.
ἀγαπάω τὸν ἀδελφόν (agapaō ton adelphon) — “love the brother” (3:10-18), the chapter’s central ethical test. See terms already treated at 4:7 (agapē/agapaō) and 4:20 (adelphos) above.
μισέω (miseō) — “hate,” paired with Cain and Abel (3:11-15) as the paradigmatic anti-example. See 4:20 above.
ἀνθρωποκτόνος (anthrōpoktonos) — “murderer” (3:15). Contextual meaning: John equates hatred of a brother with murder in moral kind, following Jesus’ Sermon-on-the-Mount-style ethic (cf. Matt 5:21-22). Rendering risk: [NEW] Low. Filipino “mamamatay-tao” is standard.
τὴν ψυχὴν τιθέναι (tēn psychēn tithenai) — “to lay down one’s life” (3:16). Contextual meaning: Christ’s self-sacrifice is the pattern and standard for love in the community, extending to material generosity for a brother in need (3:17). Rendering risk: [NEW] Medium. Filipino “iaalay ang buhay” or “ibigay ang buhay” is adequate; ensure the connection to Christ’s cross remains explicit.
λόγῳ … ἀλλὰ ἐν ἔργῳ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ (logō … alla en ergō kai alētheia) — “not in word… but in deed and in truth” (3:18). Contextual meaning: genuine love is verified by concrete action, not verbal profession alone. Rendering risk: [NEW] Low. Standard Filipino renderings (“sa gawa at katotohanan”) are adequate.
παρρησία (parrēsia) — “confidence” (3:21). See full treatment at 4:17 above; here tied to answered prayer and a clear conscience.
ἐντολή (entolē) — “commandment” (3:22-24), summarized as believing in the Son and loving one another — the letter’s twin, unified command. See 4:21 above.
μένω (menō) — “abide” (3:24). See 4:12-13 above; here explicitly grounded in the gift of the Spirit as the mark of mutual abiding.

Chapter 4 (1 John 4:1-6) — remainder of the chapter; verses 7-21 are treated fully in the Core Passage section above

δοκιμάζετε τὰ πνεύματα (dokimazete ta pneumata) — “test the spirits” (4:1). δοκιμάζω: “to test, examine, prove genuine” (as testing metal for purity). Semantic range: careful, criterion-based examination to distinguish authentic from counterfeit. English variants: “test,” “try,” “examine.” Contextual theological meaning: believers are commanded to test doctrinal claims made under spiritual authority against a single, concrete criterion — confession that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (4:2-3) — not to engage in open-ended spiritual experimentation. Rendering risk: [NEW] Critical. Filipino “subukin” or “suriin” is linguistically adequate, but this doctrine sits in acute tension with widespread Filipino folk-religious practice of consulting spirits, mediums, psychics, or ancestral/nature spirits (anito) for guidance — practices the baseline already flags as forbidden substitutions for “Holy Spirit.” A strong teaching note is required: “testing the spirits” in 1 John is doctrinal discernment measured against the confession of Christ’s true incarnation, categorically different from and opposed to consulting spiritual mediums or occult practices for guidance.
πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας / τῆς πλάνης (pneuma tēs alētheias / tēs planēs) — “spirit of truth / spirit of error” (4:6). Contextual meaning: two opposed spiritual sources of teaching, distinguishable by their content (confession of Christ) not by subjective religious feeling. Rendering risk: [NEW] High. Filipino “espiritu ng katotohanan” / “espiritu ng kamalian (pagkaligaw)” is workable but must be kept visually and doctrinally distinct from “Espiritu Santo” (capitalized baseline term for the Holy Spirit) to avoid implying multiple divine spirits of comparable status.
ὁμολογεῖ Ἰησοῦν … ἐν σαρκὶ ἐληλυθότα (homologei Iēsoun … en sarki elēlythota) — “confesses Jesus… come in the flesh” (4:2-3). See ὁμολογέω at 4:15 above; σάρξ (sarx), “flesh,” directly parallels the baseline’s Incarnation doctrine language (“came in the flesh”). Rendering risk: [BASELINE-linked] High. Filipino “laman” (“naparito sa laman”) reuses the baseline incarnation pattern; every occurrence needs the baseline’s caution against localizing the incarnation into devotion toward a specific miraculous image (e.g., the Santo Niño) rather than the historical, bodily reality of the Son’s taking on true human flesh.
ἀντίχριστος (antichristos) — “antichrist” (4:3). See full treatment in Chapter 2 above; here the “spirit of the antichrist” is defined precisely as denial of Christ’s incarnation.
κόσμος (kosmos) — “world” (4:1, 4:3-5). See treatment above (4:9; ch. 2); here in the sense of the unbelieving human system that receives false prophets.

Chapter 5 (1 John 5:1-21)

πιστεύω ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός (pisteuō hoti Iēsous estin ho Christos) — “believes that Jesus is the Christ” (5:1). [BASELINE REUSE — “messiah” = Mesiyas, High risk; “faith” = pananampalataya, Medium risk]. Contextual meaning: this confession is the marker of new birth; connects directly to the baseline’s Messianic Promise doctrine, requiring the teaching link back to Jesus as the fulfillment of OT promise (a task rather than a rival-concept guard in the Filipino context, per baseline notes).
νικάω (nikaō) — “overcome/conquer” (5:4-5; also 2:13-14, 4:4). Lit. “to be victorious, to conquer.” Semantic range: military/athletic victory language. English variants: “overcome,” “conquer,” “have victory over.” Contextual theological meaning: faith in Jesus as the Son of God is identified as the specific means by which believers overcome the world’s opposition and temptation. Rendering risk: [NEW] Medium. Filipino “dumaig” or “managumpay” (to be victorious/overcome) is standard and carries no significant syncretism risk, though the connection between “faith” and “victory” should remain explicit rather than drifting toward a generic self-help “overcoming” theme.
νίκη (nikē) — “the victory” (5:4, noun form). Same notes as above.
μαρτυρία (martyria) — “testimony/witness” (5:6-11). See μαρτυρέω at 4:14 above; here the Spirit, water, and blood together bear witness to the Son, and God’s own testimony concerning the Son is presented as the ground of belief. Rendering risk: [NEW] Medium. Filipino “patotoo” is standard.
ζωὴ αἰώνιος (zōē aiōnios) — “eternal life” (5:11-13, 5:20; also 1:2, 2:25, 3:15). Lit. “life of/pertaining to the age (to come).” Semantic range: not merely unending duration but life of a qualitatively different, God-given kind, possessed already in the present through the Son. English variants: “eternal life,” “everlasting life.” Contextual theological meaning: 5:13 states the purpose of the entire letter is that believers “may know” they have this life — a settled, present-tense assurance, not a hoped-for future possibility contingent on ongoing merit. Rendering risk: [NEW] Medium. Filipino “buhay na walang hanggan” is the established rendering; ensure it communicates a present possession received through the Son (5:11-12), not merely a future reward, and is not confused with any notion of an unending cycle of existence.
παρρησία (parrēsia) — “confidence” (5:14). See 4:17 above; here specifically confidence in prayer according to God’s will.
ἁμαρτία πρὸς θάνατον (hamartia pros thanaton) — “sin unto/leading to death” (5:16-17), contrasted with sin “not unto death.” Contextual meaning: a difficult, debated pastoral distinction regarding a category of sin for which intercessory prayer is not urged in the same way; interpreters differ on the precise referent (possibly analogous to Hebrews 6 and 10’s warnings, or a specific situation among John’s readers). Rendering risk: [NEW] Medium — this is primarily an interpretive-difficulty flag rather than a culture-collision risk; translators should render literally and preserve the ambiguity rather than resolving it interpretively, flagging for native speaker/theologian review given its pastoral sensitivity around prayer for the sick or spiritually struggling.
ὁ γεννηθεὶς ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ (ho gennētheis ek tou theou) — “the one born of God… does not sin” and “keeps himself” (5:18). See γεννάω at 4:7 above; here paired with the regenerate believer’s protection from the evil one.
ὁ κόσμος ὅλος ἐν τῷ πονηρῷ κεῖται (ho kosmos holos en tō ponērō keitai) — “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (5:19). See κόσμος above; here at its most starkly negative sense.
ὁ ἀληθινός (ho alēthinos) — “the true (God)” (5:20). Contextual meaning: contrasts the one true God with the false gods/idols named in the letter’s closing exhortation. Rendering risk: [NEW] Medium. Filipino “ang tunay na Diyos” is standard, reinforcing baseline’s “Diyos” (never Bathala) instruction.
εἴδωλα (eidōla) — “idols” (5:21), the letter’s closing exhortation: “keep yourselves from idols.” Lit. “idols/images.” Semantic range: images or objects of false worship, or by extension anything that displaces God as the object of ultimate trust and devotion. English variants: “idols.” Contextual theological meaning: after twenty chapters establishing fellowship, love, truth, and eternal life as grounded in the one true God and his Son, John’s abrupt closing command warns against any rival object of worship or trust. Rendering risk: [NEW] Critical. Filipino “mga diyus-diyosan” or “mga idolo” is linguistically accurate, but this verse lands in a uniquely sensitive area of Filipino religious life, where images/statues of Christ, Mary, and the saints (santos) are central to widespread devotional practice — including processions, novenas, and household altars. A careful, respectful teaching note is required (per the pipeline’s tone requirement not to frame folk-Catholic devotional practice dismissively): the doctrinal point is exclusive worship and ultimate trust directed to the one true God alone, not a blanket verdict on the use of religious images as such; but where an image or veneration practice functions as a rival object of worship or trust, it falls within what this verse warns against. This term must be routed for human theologian review given both its doctrinal weight and its cultural sensitivity.

Summary of Coverage

All five chapters of 1 John have been reviewed for load-bearing theological vocabulary. Chapters 1-5 each introduce new terms beyond the baseline Romans package (agapē/agapaō, phōs/skotia, homologeō, hilasmos, paraklētos, monogenēs, gennaō/regeneration language, tekna theou, anomia, antichristos, chrisma, dokimazō ta pneumata, nikaō, eidōla, and related items). No chapter of 1 John is theologically inert; every chapter contributes at minimum one Critical- or High-risk term requiring careful handling in Phase 2. All newly identified terms are carried into 08_core_glossary.md.

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