Core Glossary
08 Core Glossary — Acts 1–28
English → Filipino | Acts | Language Package
Purpose: Consolidated, risk-tiered glossary of every load-bearing theological term identified in 07_semantic_analysis.md, drawn from the entire book of Acts (chs. 1–28), citing both terms reused exactly from the baseline Romans translation_memory.json and new terms required for this curriculum. This glossary will seed the Acts additions to translation_memory.json and bible_term_registry.json in a later Phase 1 step.
Status legend:
- [REUSED] — term and rendering already fixed in the baseline Romans Language Package; reused exactly, no deviation permitted.
- [NEW] — term not present in the baseline Romans Language Package; introduced for Acts, rendering proposed here for confirmation.
Table 1 — Terms Reused Exactly from Baseline Romans Translation Memory
| Term (English) | Filipino Rendering | Risk (baseline) | Doctrine | Key Acts Passages | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gospel | Mabuting Balita | Medium | Gospel | 8:12,25,35; 10:36; 14:7,21; 15:7; 16:10; 20:24 | [REUSED] |
| grace | biyaya | High | Grace | 4:33; 11:23; 13:43; 14:3,26; 15:11,40; 18:27; 20:24,32 | [REUSED] |
| faith | pananampalataya | Medium | Faith | 3:16; 6:5,7; 11:24; 13:8; 14:9,22,27; 15:9; 16:5; 20:21; 26:18 | [REUSED] |
| righteousness | katuwiran | High | Salvation | 3:14; 13:39; 24:25 | [REUSED] |
| justification | pagpapawalang-sala | High | Salvation | 13:39 | [REUSED] |
| salvation | kaligtasan | Critical | Salvation | 2:21,40,47; 4:12; 11:14; 13:26,47; 16:17,30-31; 27:34; 28:28 | [REUSED] |
| apostle | apostol | Medium | Apostleship | 1:2,25-26; 2:37,42-43; 4:33-37; 5:2,12,18,29,34,40; 6:6; 8:1,14,18; 9:27; 11:1; 14:4,14; 15:2,4,6,22-23; 16:4 | [REUSED] |
| called | tinawag | Medium | Divine Calling | 2:39; 13:2; 16:10 | [REUSED] |
| calling | pagkatawag | Medium | Divine Calling | 2:39 (conceptual) | [REUSED] |
| holy | banal | Medium | Sanctification | 3:14,21; 6:13; 7:33; 21:28; 26:18 | [REUSED] |
| saints | mga banal | Critical | Sainthood | 9:13,32,41; 26:10 | [REUSED] |
| sanctification | pagpapabanal | Medium | Sanctification | 20:32; 26:18 | [REUSED] |
| resurrection | pagkabuhay na mag-uli | Medium | Resurrection of Christ | 1:22; 2:24-32; 4:2,33; 17:18,32; 23:6,8; 24:15,21; 26:23 | [REUSED] |
| lord | Panginoon | High | Lordship of Christ | 2:21,34,36; 4:33; 10:36; 11:17,20; 16:31; 22:16; 28:31 | [REUSED] |
| son_of_god | Anak ng Diyos | High | Sonship of Christ | 9:20; 13:33 (conceptually) | [REUSED] |
| peace | kapayapaan | Medium | Peace with God | 9:31; 10:36; 15:33 | [REUSED] |
| spiritual_gifts | kaloob na espirituwal | Medium | Spiritual Gifts | 8:20 (contrast); 10:45 (conceptual) | [REUSED] |
| thanksgiving | pasasalamat | Low | Thanksgiving | 27:35; 28:15 (conceptual) | [REUSED] |
| fellowship | pagsasamahan | Low | Christian Fellowship | 2:42 | [REUSED] |
| church | iglesia | Medium | Church as God’s People | 2:47; 5:11; 8:1,3; 9:31; 11:22,26; 12:1,5; 13:1; 14:23,27; 15:3-4,22,41; 16:5; 20:17,28 | [REUSED] |
| kingdom_of_god | Kaharian ng Diyos | Medium | Kingdom Mission | 1:3,6; 8:12; 14:22; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23,31 | [REUSED] |
| law | kautusan | Medium | Justification apart from the Law | 6:13; 7:53; 13:39; 15:5,24,28; 18:13,15; 21:20,24,28; 22:3,12; 23:3,29; 24:14; 25:8; 28:23 | [REUSED] |
| sin | kasalanan | Medium | Universal Human Accountability | 2:38; 3:19; 5:31; 7:60; 10:43; 13:38; 22:16; 26:18 | [REUSED] |
| gentiles | mga Hentil | Medium | Gospel to Jews and Gentiles | 9:15; 10:45; 11:1,18; 13:46-48; 14:27; 15:3,7,12,14,19; 18:6; 21:19,25; 22:21; 26:17,20,23; 28:28 | [REUSED] |
| glory | kaluwalhatian | Medium | Deity of Christ | 7:2,55; 12:23; 22:11 | [REUSED] |
| obedience_of_faith | pagsunod na mula sa pananampalataya | High | Obedience of Faith | 26:19 (conceptual parallel) | [REUSED] |
| power_of_god | kapangyarihan ng Diyos | High | Power of God for Salvation | 1:8; 3:12; 4:7,33; 8:10,19; 10:38; 19:11 (concept underlying general “power” usage) | [REUSED] |
| messiah | Mesiyas | High | Messianic Promise | 2:31,36; 3:18,20; 4:26; 5:42; 8:5; 9:22; 17:3; 18:5,28 | [REUSED] |
| prophet | propeta | Low | Inspiration of Scripture | 2:16,30; 3:18,21-25; 7:37,48,52; 8:28,30,34; 10:43; 11:27; 13:1,20,27,40; 15:15,32; 21:10; 26:22,27 | [REUSED] |
| prophecy | propesiya | Low | Fulfillment of Prophecy | 2:17-18; 19:6; 21:9 | [REUSED] |
| covenant | tipan | Medium | Davidic Covenant | 3:25; 7:8 | [REUSED] |
| election | pagkahirang | High | Election / Effectual Calling | 9:15; 13:48; 22:14 | [REUSED] |
| intercession | pamamagitan | Critical | Prayer and Intercession | 8:24 (conceptual); 12:5 (church interceding) | [REUSED] |
| providence | kalinga ng Diyos | Medium | Providence | 2:23; 4:28; 17:26-28; 27:24 | [REUSED] |
| mission | misyon | Medium | Mission to the Nations | 1:8; 13:2-4; 22:21; 26:17 | [REUSED] |
| david | David | Low | Davidic Covenant | 1:16; 2:25,29,34; 4:25; 7:45; 13:22,34,36; 15:16 | [REUSED] |
| israel | Israel | Medium | Unity of Jews and Gentiles | 1:6; 2:36; 4:10,27; 5:21,31; 7:23,37,42; 9:15; 10:36; 13:16-24; 28:20 | [REUSED] |
| jesus | Jesus | High | Lordship of Christ | throughout (e.g., 2:22,32,36,38; 4:10; 9:5; 16:31) | [REUSED] |
| god | Diyos | High | Deity of Christ | throughout | [REUSED] |
| holy_spirit | Espiritu Santo | Critical | Holy Spirit and Pentecost | 1:5,8,16; 2:4,17,33,38; 4:8,31; 5:3,9,32; 6:5,10; 7:51,55; 8:15-19,29,39; 9:17,31; 10:19,38,44-47; 11:12,15-16,24,28; 13:2,4,9,52; 15:8,28; 16:6-7; 19:2-6; 20:23,28; 21:4,11; 28:25 | [REUSED] |
| father | Ama | High | Adoption into God’s Family | 1:4,7; 2:33 (conceptually, “from the Father”) | [REUSED] |
| exhort | pasiglahin | Low | Mutual Edification | 11:23; 14:22; 15:32; 16:40; 20:1-2 | [REUSED] |
| seed_of_david | lahi ni David | Medium | Davidic Covenant | 13:23 | [REUSED] |
| imputed_righteousness | katuwirang ibinilang | Critical | Justification apart from the Law | 13:39 (conceptual link) | [REUSED] |
Table 2 — New Terms Introduced for Acts (Proposed Additions to Translation Memory)
| Term (English) | Original (Greek) | Transliteration | Filipino Rendering | Risk | Doctrine | Key Passages | Risk Notes / Forbidden Substitutions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pentecost | πεντηκοστή | pentēkostē | Pentekostes | Medium | Holy Spirit and Pentecost | 2:1; 20:16 | Connect to the OT Feast of Weeks background; do not present as a free-standing Christian holiday severed from Israel’s calendar. |
| tongues (Spirit-given languages) | γλῶσσαι | glōssai | mga wika / iba’t ibang wika | High | Holy Spirit and Pentecost | 2:4,11; 10:46; 19:6 | Must be anchored to real, intelligible human languages understood by hearers (2:6-11), not private ecstatic utterance; sensitive given the size of Filipino Pentecostal/Charismatic pagsasalita sa dila practice. |
| filled with the Holy Spirit | ἐπλήσθησαν πνεύματος ἁγίου | eplēsthēsan pneumatos hagiou | napuspos ng Espiritu Santo | High | Holy Spirit and Pentecost | 2:4; 4:8,31; 9:17; 13:9,52 | Never render with a term suggesting spirit-possession (sinapian) as understood in Filipino folk animism; this is personal indwelling by the divine Spirit. |
| repentance | μετάνοια / μετανοέω | metanoia / metanoeō | pagsisisi | Critical | Repentance and Baptism | 2:38; 3:19; 5:31; 8:22; 11:18; 17:30; 19:4; 20:21; 26:20 | CRITICAL: distinguish from the folk-Catholic sacrament of Confession (Kumpisal), where contrition functions as a precondition for priestly absolution within a repeatable ritual cycle. In Acts, repentance is a decisive, Spirit-enabled turning to God that itself, with faith, receives forgiveness directly — no priestly mediation required. |
| baptism / to baptize | βάπτισμα / βαπτίζω | baptisma / baptizō | bautismo / magpabautismo | Critical | Repentance and Baptism | 2:38,41; 8:36-38; 9:18; 10:47-48; 16:15,33; 18:8; 19:3-5; 22:16 | CRITICAL: must not be conflated with folk-Catholic binyag (infant baptism) understood as mechanically securing salvation/removing original sin apart from personal faith and repentance. In Acts, baptism consistently follows genuine repentance and faith as public identification with Christ. |
| the Way | ἡ ὁδός | hē hodos | Ang Daan | Medium | Church as Community / Christian Identity | 9:2; 19:9,23; 22:4; 24:14,22 | Render as a quasi-proper noun distinguishing the technical, self-referential sense from generic “daan” (a road/method); consistency required across all documents. |
| witness | μάρτυς | martys | saksi | Medium | Persecution and Bold Witness | 1:8,22; 22:15,20; 26:16 | Later narrows toward “martyr” (one who dies for testimony, e.g., Stephen, ch.7); must not be conflated with Catholic mga martir venerated as intercessory saints. |
| boldness | παρρησία | parrēsia | katapangan | Medium | Persecution and Bold Witness | 4:13,29,31; 9:27-28; 14:3; 19:8; 28:31 | Spirit-produced courage rooted in prayer and gospel certainty, not mere natural bravado. |
| signs and wonders | σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα | sēmeia kai terata | mga tanda at kababalaghan | High | Apostolic Authority and Miracles | 2:22,43; 4:30; 5:12; 6:8; 8:6,13; 14:3; 15:12 | Must authenticate God’s redemptive message specifically; must not be treated as free-floating supernatural spectacle akin to folk-magic wonder-working; ties to baseline’s rejection of anting-anting framing. |
| fear (upon the church/community) | φόβος | phobos | takot | Medium | Apostolic Authority and Miracles | 2:43; 5:5,11; 9:31; 19:17 | Reverent, sobering awe before God’s holiness, not superstitious dread of an impersonal spiritual force (a live folk category in the Philippines). |
| serving / service (office) | διακονία / διακονέω | diakonia / diakoneō | paglilingkod / diakono | Medium | Church as Community | 6:1-4; 11:29; 12:25; 20:24; 21:19 | Names both an appointed office (deacon) and general practical service; distinct from but related to spiritual gifts. |
| laying on of hands | ἐπίθεσις τῶν χειρῶν | epithesis tōn cheirōn | pagpapatong ng kamay | High | Apostolic Authority and Miracles / Church as Community | 6:6; 8:17-19; 9:17; 13:3; 19:6; 28:8 | Must be distinguished from the Catholic sacramental rites of Confirmation/Ordination administered exclusively by a bishop as a channel of sacramental grace; in Acts it is a congregational commissioning/impartation practice that accompanies, but does not mechanically produce, the Spirit’s work. |
| God’s servant [Jesus] | παῖς (θεοῦ) | pais (theou) | Lingkod (ng Diyos) | High | Deity of Christ / Messianic Promise | 3:13,26; 4:27,30 | Echoes Isaiah’s Suffering Servant; must not be flattened to a generic “anak” (child) reading — the Isaianic Servant background is intended. |
| sorcery / magic | μαγεία | mageia | panggagaway / salamangka | High | Apostolic Authority and Miracles | 8:9-11; 13:6,8; 19:19 | Direct collision with baseline’s forbidden substitution anting-anting; Simon Magus (ch.8) is the negative case-study the baseline’s warning already anticipates. |
| chosen instrument | σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς | skeuos eklogēs | hinirang na kasangkapan | High | Conversion of Paul | 9:15 | Frames Paul’s conversion/calling as an act of sovereign election; ties to baseline’s pagkahirang (High risk). |
| common / unclean (ritual) | κοινός | koinos | marumi / karaniwan | High | Gospel to Jews and Gentiles | 10:14-15,28; 11:8-9 | Ceremonial/ritual boundary language declared obsolete to open the gospel to Gentiles — must not be confused with moral impurity (kasalanan). |
| devout, God-fearing (Gentile) | εὐσεβής / φοβούμενος τὸν θεόν | eusebēs / phoboumenos ton theon | may takot sa Diyos / relihiyoso | Medium | Gospel to Jews and Gentiles | 10:2,22; 13:16,26; 17:4,17 | Describes a sincere Gentile seeker prior to full inclusion; not itself sufficient for salvation apart from faith in Christ. |
| God shows no partiality | προσωπολήμπτης (negated) | prosōpolēmptēs | hindi nagtatangi ang Diyos | High | Gospel to Jews and Gentiles / Universal Scope of the Gospel | 10:34 | Must retain full ethnic/social impartiality without softening. |
| Christian | Χριστιανός | Christianos | Kristiyano | Low | Church as Community | 11:26; 26:28 | Well-established, non-controversial loanword across all Filipino Christian traditions. |
| persecution | διωγμός | diōgmos | paguusig | Medium | Persecution and Bold Witness | 8:1; 11:19; 13:50 | Names the recurring organized hostility pattern; ties to boldness/witness terms. |
| angel of the Lord | ἄγγελος Κυρίου | angelos Kyriou | anghel ng Panginoon | Low | Providence | 5:19; 8:26; 10:3; 12:7,23; 27:23 | Distinct from folk anito (ancestral/nature spirit) categories; a personal, created heavenly messenger. |
| a light for the Gentiles | φῶς ἐθνῶν | phōs ethnōn | isang liwanag para sa mga Hentil | Medium | Gospel to Jews and Gentiles / Mission to the Nations | 13:47 | Scriptural (Isaiah 49:6) authorization for the deliberate Gentile-directed turn of the apostolic mission. |
| elder (church office) | πρεσβύτερος | presbyteros | mga matanda [sa iglesia] | High | Church as Community / Apostolic Authority | 11:30; 14:23; 15:2,4,6,22-23; 16:4; 20:17; 21:18 | Functional, plural, local congregational office; must not be equated with the Catholic clerical office presbitero (priest) exercising sacramental/mediatorial authority. Avoid the loanword “presbitero.” |
| overseer | ἐπίσκοπος | episkopos | tagapangasiwa | High | Church as Community / Apostolic Authority | 20:28 | Same office as “elder,” viewed by function; avoid the loanword “obispo,” which carries strong Roman Catholic hierarchical-episcopal connotations absent from this local-church office. |
| shepherd (verb, pastoral care) | ποιμαίνω | poimainō | pastolan | Medium | Church as Community | 20:28 | Sacrificial, protective care modeled on Christ’s shepherding, not administrative control for personal gain. |
| yoke (of the Law) | ζυγός | zygos | pamatok | High | Justification apart from the Law | 15:10 | Must not be softened; the Jerusalem Council explicitly rejects imposing this “yoke” as a condition of salvation. |
| Gentile practical-holiness requirements | ἐπάναγκες τούτων, εἰδωλόθυτα κτλ. | epanagkes toutōn, eidōlothyta ktl. | mga kailangang iwasan (inihandog sa diyus-diyosan, dugo, pakikiapid) | High | Justification apart from the Law | 15:20,28-29 | Pastoral/relational requirements for Jewish-Gentile table fellowship, explicitly distinct from and additional to salvation by grace alone. |
| unknown god / idols | ἀγνώστῳ θεῷ / εἴδωλα | agnōstō theō / eidōla | Diyos na hindi kilala / mga diyus-diyosan | High | Gospel to Jews and Gentiles | 17:16,23,29 | Model respectful engagement with existing devotional practice followed by clear doctrinal correction; requires pastoral sensitivity given Filipino Catholic devotional use of images (santos), without softening the exclusive call to worship God alone. |
| baptism of John / preparatory baptism | τὸ Ἰωάννου βάπτισμα | to Iōannou baptisma | bautismo ni Juan | High | Repentance and Baptism | 19:3-4 | A preparatory rite insufficient without explicit faith in Christ and reception of the Spirit; clarifies the completeness required of full Christian baptism. |
| evil spirits / exorcism | δαιμόνια | daimonia | mga masamang espiritu | High | Apostolic Authority and Miracles | 19:12-16 | Authority over evil spirits belongs to Christ, exercised through genuine faith in his name, never through formula or ritual object; reinforces rejection of anting-anting framing. |
| the whole counsel of God | πᾶσα ἡ βουλὴ τοῦ θεοῦ | pasa hē boulē tou theou | buong plano ng Diyos | Low | Apostolic Authority | 20:27 | Comprehensive, unshrinking doctrinal proclamation as the ministry standard. |
| vow (Nazirite-type) | εὐχή | euchē | panata | Critical | Church as Community / Justification apart from the Law | 18:18; 21:23-26 | CRITICAL: major cultural collision with the Filipino devotional Panata sa Poong Nazareno (Black Nazarene vow devotion, Quiapo). Must be anchored strictly to the OT Nazirite-type ritual (temporary, law-based, no salvific merit) — never an endorsement of image-directed devotional vow practice. |
| self-control | ἐγκράτεια | enkrateia | pagpipigil sa sarili | Medium | Justification apart from the Law (ethical outworking) | 24:25 | Personal moral discipline paired with righteousness and coming judgment in Paul’s preaching to Felix. |
| opening eyes / turning from darkness to light and from Satan’s authority to God | ἀνοῖξαι τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς … ἀπὸ τοῦ σκότους εἰς φῶς καὶ τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ Σατανᾶ ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν | anoixai tous ophthalmous … apo tou skotous eis phōs kai tēs exousias tou Satana epi ton theon | buksan ang mata… mula sa kadiliman patungo sa liwanag, mula sa kapangyarihan ni Satanas patungo sa Diyos | High | Conversion of Paul | 26:18 | Fullest single-verse Acts summary of conversion as a decisive transfer of allegiance/dominion; not gradual self-improvement. |
| kingdom of God proclaimed with all boldness, unhindered | κηρύσσων τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ … μετὰ πάσης παρρησίας ἀκωλύτως | kēryssōn tēn basileian tou theou meta pasēs parrēsias akōlytōs | ipinahahayag ang Kaharian ng Diyos… nang may buong katapangan, at walang humahadlang | High | The Great Commission Fulfilled | 28:31 | Acts’s capstone thesis-statement; parallel in cross-document weight to Romans 1:16-17 — must be rendered consistently wherever cited in future Acts curriculum documents. |
Summary Statistics
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Terms reused exactly from baseline Romans translation memory | 40 |
| New terms introduced for Acts | 33 |
| New terms at Critical risk | 3 (repentance, baptism, vow/panata) |
| New terms at High risk | 16 |
| New terms at Medium risk | 11 |
| New terms at Low risk | 3 |
Note on Critical-risk new terms: Repentance (pagsisisi), baptism (bautismo), and the Nazirite-type vow (panata) join the baseline’s existing Critical-risk terms (kaligtasan, mga banal, pamamagitan, katuwirang ibinilang, Espiritu Santo, Diyos, Jesus, resurrection-as-anastasis, lord, son_of_god, messiah) as requiring mandatory human theologian review at every occurrence in Phase 2. The panata collision is assessed as the single highest cultural-syncretism risk introduced by the Acts curriculum, given its direct overlap with one of the most visible mass devotional practices in Philippine folk Catholicism.
This glossary consolidates terms from every chapter of Acts analyzed in 07_semantic_analysis.md. It will feed the Acts-specific additions to translation_memory.json and bible_term_registry.json in the subsequent Phase 1 step (Doctrine Risk Registry / Core Glossary formalization).
Critical Risk Terms
Baptism
Approved rendering: bautismo / magpabautismo
Transliteration: bautismo
Doctrine: Repentance and Baptism
Rejected alternatives: binyag as mechanically securing salvation
Original: βάπτισμα / βαπτίζω
Category: Baptism
NEW TERM, CRITICAL. Ritual water immersion performed as a public, obedient response following genuine repentance and faith (Acts 2:38,41; 8:36-38; 9:18; 10:47-48; 16:15,33; 18:8; 19:3-5; 22:16). Must not be conflated with folk-Catholic binyag (infant baptism) understood as mechanically securing salvation apart from personal faith. In Acts, baptism consistently follows conscious repentance and faith and functions as public identification with Christ.
Imputed Righteousness
Approved rendering: katuwirang ibinilang
Transliteration: katuwirang ibinilang
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: katuwirang nakamit sa mga sakramento
Original: ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην
Category: Salvation
Righteousness credited by God, not earned. Conceptually links to Acts 13:39’s justification-by-faith statement, the key Acts text anchoring ‘Justification apart from the Law.’ Inherited from Romans package.
Intercession
Approved rendering: pamamagitan
Transliteration: pamamagitan
Doctrine: Prayer and Intercession
Original: ὑπερεντυγχάνει (Rom 8:26) / ἔντευξις
Category: Faith
CRITICAL: Pamamagitan ng mga santo remains a central, extremely common devotional practice in the Philippines. Every occurrence of corporate or intercessory prayer in Acts (2:21; 4:24-31; 12:5,12; 16:25) needs a teaching note affirming that believers pray directly to God in Christ’s name, with no additional intercessory figure required. Inherited from Romans package.
Repentance
Approved rendering: pagsisisi
Transliteration: pagsisisi
Doctrine: Repentance and Baptism
Rejected alternatives: kumpisal-framed contrition alone
Original: μετάνοια / μετανοέω
Category: Repentance
NEW TERM, CRITICAL. A decisive, whole-person reorientation away from sin and toward God (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 5:31; 8:22; 11:18; 17:30; 19:4; 20:21; 26:20). Must be sharply distinguished from the folk-Catholic sacrament of Confession (Kumpisal), where contrition functions as a precondition for priestly absolution within a repeatable ritual cycle. In Acts, repentance is Spirit-enabled and, with faith, receives forgiveness directly from God — no priestly mediation required.
Saints
Approved rendering: mga banal
Transliteration: mga banal
Doctrine: Sainthood
Original: ἅγιοι
Category: Church
CRITICAL: Mga banal is the same term used for canonized Catholic saints venerated with feast days, images, novenas, and requests for intercession. Every Critical-risk occurrence (Acts 9:13,32,41; 26:10) needs a teaching note clarifying that this word designates every believer set apart in Christ, not an elite, canonized class — and, in the Filipino context, also not the self-designated membership of modern restorationist groups appropriating this word. Inherited from Romans package.
Salvation
Approved rendering: kaligtasan
Transliteration: kaligtasan
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: seguradong pumunta sa langit dahil sa sakramento
Original: σωτηρία
Category: Salvation
CRITICAL: Kaligtasan is the established term, but folk-Catholic practice can treat salvation as mechanically secured through receiving the sacraments apart from genuine faith. Acts 2:21, 4:12, and 16:31 are single-verse salvation formulas requiring the same unqualified precision demanded of Romans 10:9. Every Critical-risk occurrence needs a teaching note clarifying that salvation is received by faith-filled appeal to Christ, not guaranteed by ritual performance alone. Inherited from Romans package.
Vow Nazirite
Approved rendering: panata
Transliteration: panata
Doctrine: Devotional Vows and Ritual Practice
Rejected alternatives: panata as image-directed devotional vow (Panata sa Poong Nazareno)
Original: εὐχή
Category: Law
NEW TERM, CRITICAL. A voluntary, temporary OT Nazirite-type ritual commitment undertaken by Paul out of cultural sensitivity toward Jewish believers (Acts 18:18; 21:23-26). This is the single highest cultural-syncretism risk in the Acts curriculum: major collision with the pervasive Filipino devotional practice of panata to a saint or holy image, most visibly the Panata sa Poong Nazareno (Black Nazarene devotion, Quiapo). Every occurrence must carry a teaching note anchoring the term strictly to the OT Nazirite-type ritual (temporary, law-based, no salvific merit) — never an endorsement of image-directed devotional vow practice or ritual penance as a means of securing divine favor.
High Risk Terms
Baptism Of John
Approved rendering: bautismo ni Juan
Transliteration: bautismo ni Juan
Doctrine: Repentance and Baptism
Original: τὸ Ἰωάννου βάπτισμα
Category: Baptism
NEW TERM. A preparatory water rite incomplete without explicit faith in Christ and reception of the Spirit (Acts 19:3-4). Clarifies that full Christian baptism requires more than a merely preparatory rite.
Chosen Instrument
Approved rendering: hinirang na kasangkapan
Transliteration: hinirang na kasangkapan
Doctrine: Conversion of Paul
Rejected alternatives: swerte/kapalaran framing
Original: σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς
Category: Salvation
NEW TERM. God’s sovereign selection of Paul as an instrument for the Gentile mission (Acts 9:15). Ties to pagkahirang (election); must never be reduced to swerte/kapalaran.
Common Unclean
Approved rendering: marumi / karaniwan
Transliteration: marumi
Doctrine: Gentile Inclusion and God’s Impartiality
Original: κοινός
Category: Gentile Inclusion
NEW TERM. Ceremonial/ritual boundary language (Acts 10:14-15,28; 11:8-9) declared obsolete to open the gospel to Gentiles. Must be carefully distinguished from moral impurity (kasalanan); requires a disambiguating note at every occurrence.
Conversion Transfer Of Allegiance
Approved rendering: buksan ang mata… mula sa kadiliman patungo sa liwanag, mula sa kapangyarihan ni Satanas patungo sa Diyos
Transliteration: buksan ang mata, mula sa kadiliman patungo sa liwanag
Doctrine: Conversion of Paul
Rejected alternatives: gradual pagbabagong-buhay-style self-improvement framing
Original: ἀνοῖξαι τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς … ἀπὸ τοῦ σκότους εἰς φῶς καὶ τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ Σατανᾶ ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν
Category: Conversion
NEW TERM. Acts’s fullest single-verse summary of conversion as a decisive transfer of spiritual perception and allegiance (Acts 26:18). Must be preserved as decisive and one-time, not softened into gradual moral improvement (a common devotional framing of ‘pagbabagong-buhay’).
Elder Church Office
Approved rendering: mga matanda [sa iglesia]
Transliteration: mga matanda
Doctrine: Church Leadership Offices
Rejected alternatives: presbitero
Original: πρεσβύτερος
Category: Church
NEW TERM. A functional, plural, local congregational office (Acts 11:30; 14:23; 15:2,4,6,22-23; 16:4; 20:17; 21:18). Must not be equated with the Catholic clerical office presbitero, which exercises sacramental/mediatorial authority. Avoid the loanword presbitero entirely.
Election
Approved rendering: pagkahirang
Transliteration: pagkahirang
Doctrine: Effectual Calling
Rejected alternatives: swerte, kapalaran
Original: ἐκλογή
Category: Salvation
God’s sovereign personal choice, not swerte/kapalaran. Central to Acts 9:15’s ‘chosen instrument,’ 13:48’s ‘appointed to eternal life,’ and 16:14’s ‘the Lord opened her heart.’ Inherited from Romans package.
Evil Spirits Exorcism
Approved rendering: mga masamang espiritu
Transliteration: mga masamang espiritu
Doctrine: Spiritual Warfare and Exorcism
Rejected alternatives: anting-anting, albularyo-style formula or ritual object
Original: δαιμόνια
Category: Apostolic Authority
NEW TERM. Malevolent spiritual beings expelled through Christ’s delegated authority, exercised only through genuine faith in his name (Acts 19:12-16, contrasted with the failed formulaic imitation of the sons of Sceva). Highly relevant given ongoing Filipino folk practices of exorcism/spirit-appeasement through albularyo.
Father
Approved rendering: Ama
Transliteration: Ama
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Original: πατήρ
Category: God
God as personal, relational Father. Keep distinct from the reverence-title Padre used for Catholic priests. Acts 1:4,7; 2:33. Inherited from Romans package.
Filled With Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: napuspos ng Espiritu Santo
Transliteration: napuspos ng Espiritu Santo
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Rejected alternatives: sinapian, pinasok
Original: ἐπλήσθησαν πνεύματος ἁγίου
Category: Pneumatology
NEW TERM. The Spirit’s decisive, personal, controlling indwelling, producing immediate outward evidence (Acts 2:4; 4:8,31; 9:17; 13:9,52). Never render with a term suggesting spirit-possession (sinapian), a live category in Filipino folk animism; this is personal indwelling by the divine Holy Spirit, not possession by an impersonal or ancestral spirit.
Gentile Holiness Requirements
Approved rendering: mga kailangang iwasan (inihandog sa diyus-diyosan, dugo, pakikiapid)
Transliteration: mga kailangang iwasan
Doctrine: Justification apart from the Law
Original: ἐπάναγκες τούτων
Category: Law
NEW TERM. Practical, culturally sensitive guidelines for Jewish-Gentile table fellowship (Acts 15:20,28-29), distinct from salvation requirements. Must be taught as pastoral/relational, explicitly separate from and additional to grace-alone salvation, to avoid conflation with the rejected ‘yoke’ of 15:10.
God Shows No Partiality
Approved rendering: hindi nagtatangi ang Diyos
Transliteration: hindi nagtatangi ang Diyos
Doctrine: Gentile Inclusion and God’s Impartiality
Original: προσωπολήμπτης (negated)
Category: Gentile Inclusion
NEW TERM. God’s declaration of ethnic/social impartiality in salvation (Acts 10:34). Must retain full force without softening toward any regional (Luzon/Visayas/Mindanao), class, or denominational favoritism.
God
Approved rendering: Diyos
Transliteration: Diyos
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: Bathala
Original: θεός / אֱלֹהִים / יהוה
Category: God
Diyos is shared across Catholic and Protestant Filipino usage with well-established, non-ambiguous doctrinal content. Avoid Bathala throughout Acts. Inherited from Romans package.
Gods Servant Jesus
Approved rendering: Lingkod (ng Diyos)
Transliteration: Lingkod
Doctrine: Deity and Sonship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: anak (generic child reading)
Original: παῖς (θεοῦ)
Category: Christology
NEW TERM. A Christological title echoing Isaiah’s Suffering Servant (Acts 3:13,26; 4:27,30). Must not be flattened to a generic ‘anak’ (child) reading; the Isaianic Servant background should be preserved or footnoted.
Grace
Approved rendering: biyaya
Transliteration: biyaya
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: utang na loob
Original: χάρις
Category: Salvation
Never frame grace as utang na loob, the deeply held Filipino social value of a debt of gratitude that obligates repayment through loyalty and reciprocal favor. Biyaya must be taught as a gift creating no debt to repay. In Acts, this distinction is sharpest at 15:11’s Council-resolving formula ‘we are saved through grace.’ Inherited from Romans package.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: Espiritu Santo
Transliteration: Espiritu Santo
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: anito, kaluluwa
Original: πνεῦμα ἅγιον
Category: God
Never use anito or bare kaluluwa. Espiritu Santo in full marks the divine, personal third Person of the Trinity. This term underlies the whole doctrine ‘The Holy Spirit and Pentecost,’ the curriculum’s Critical-risk anchor doctrine (Acts 1:5,8; 2:1-4,17-18,33,38; 4:8,31; 5:3,9,32; 8:15-19; 10:44-47; 19:2-6, and throughout). Inherited from Romans package.
Jesus
Approved rendering: Jesus
Transliteration: Jesus
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Original: Ἰησοῦς / יֵשׁוּעַ
Category: Christology
Jesus is the standard Filipino Protestant Bible spelling. Used throughout Acts (e.g., 2:22,32,36,38; 4:10; 9:5; 16:31). Inherited from Romans package.
Justification
Approved rendering: pagpapawalang-sala
Transliteration: pagpapawalang-sala
Doctrine: Salvation
Original: δικαίωσις
Category: Salvation
Literally ‘being declared without guilt.’ Compound phrase required; conveys the forensic, legal-declaration sense the doctrine needs. Acts 13:39’s ‘everyone who believes is justified’ is the key Acts anchor for this term. Inherited from Romans package.
Kingdom Proclaimed Unhindered
Approved rendering: ipinahahayag ang Kaharian ng Diyos… nang may buong katapangan, at walang humahadlang
Transliteration: ipinahahayag ang Kaharian ng Diyos nang may buong katapangan, at walang humahadlang
Doctrine: The Great Commission Fulfilled
Rejected alternatives: any softened or qualified rendering of ‘unhindered’
Original: κηρύσσων τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ … μετὰ πάσης παρρησίας ἀκωλύτως
Category: Kingdom
NEW TERM. Acts’s capstone thesis-statement (Acts 28:31), parallel in cross-document weight to Romans 1:16-17. ‘Unhindered’ (walang humahadlang) must be retained without qualification and rendered identically wherever cited across future Acts curriculum documents.
Laying On Of Hands
Approved rendering: pagpapatong ng kamay
Transliteration: pagpapatong ng kamay
Doctrine: Apostolic Authority and Miracles
Rejected alternatives: sacramental Confirmation/Ordination administered exclusively by a bishop
Original: ἐπίθεσις τῶν χειρῶν
Category: Apostolic Authority
NEW TERM. A congregational commissioning gesture accompanying, but not mechanically producing, the impartation of the Spirit or installation into ministry (Acts 6:6; 8:17-19; 9:17; 13:3; 19:6; 28:8). Must be distinguished from the Catholic sacramental rites of Confirmation/Holy Orders administered exclusively within apostolic succession; in Acts this is a plural, congregational practice.
Lord
Approved rendering: Panginoon
Transliteration: Panginoon
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Established term; must convey exclusive, supreme Lordship, not diluted by devotional attention shared broadly with Mary and the saints. Acts 2:36’s composite confession (‘God has made him both Lord and Christ’) and 2:21’s/16:31’s salvation formulas are load-bearing occurrences. Inherited from Romans package.
Messiah
Approved rendering: Mesiyas
Transliteration: Mesiyas
Doctrine: Messianic Promise
Original: Χριστός / מָשִׁיחַ
Category: Christology
Transliterated term; the unique, exclusively fulfilled OT promise. Peter’s and Paul’s sermons (Acts 2:29-36; 3:18-25; 13:22-37; 17:3) do the connective work back to OT roots. Inherited from Romans package.
Obedience Of Faith
Approved rendering: pagsunod na mula sa pananampalataya
Transliteration: pagsunod na mula sa pananampalataya
Doctrine: Obedience of Faith
Original: ὑπακοὴ πίστεως
Category: Faith
Obedience that flows from faith, not sacramental or ritual compliance. Paul’s lifelong ‘not disobedient to the heavenly vision’ (Acts 26:19) is the conceptual Acts parallel. Inherited from Romans package.
Overseer Church Office
Approved rendering: tagapangasiwa
Transliteration: tagapangasiwa
Doctrine: Church Leadership Offices
Rejected alternatives: obispo
Original: ἐπίσκοπος
Category: Church
NEW TERM. The same local church office as ‘elder,’ viewed by function (Acts 20:28). Avoid the loanword obispo, which carries strong Roman Catholic hierarchical-episcopal connotations absent from this local-congregation office.
Power Of God
Approved rendering: kapangyarihan ng Diyos
Transliteration: kapangyarihan ng Diyos
Doctrine: Power of God for Salvation
Rejected alternatives: anting-anting
Original: δύναμις θεοῦ
Category: God
God’s own personal power to save; never anting-anting. Directly relevant to Acts 1:8’s promised power for witness and the Simon Magus (ch. 8) and sons of Sceva (ch. 19) negative case studies. Inherited from Romans package.
Righteousness
Approved rendering: katuwiran
Transliteration: katuwiran
Doctrine: Salvation
Original: δικαιοσύνη
Category: Salvation
Right standing before God received by faith. Katuwiran is also the ordinary word for ‘reasonableness/rightness,’ so context must make clear a relational/legal standing is meant. Appears in Acts as a Christological title component (‘the Holy and Righteous One,’ 3:14; 7:52) and in Paul’s preaching to Felix (24:25). Inherited from Romans package.
Signs And Wonders
Approved rendering: mga tanda at kababalaghan
Transliteration: mga tanda at kababalaghan
Doctrine: Apostolic Authority and Miracles
Rejected alternatives: anting-anting-style wonder-working
Original: σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα
Category: Apostolic Authority
NEW TERM. Miraculous acts authenticating God’s redemptive message and apostolic authority (Acts 2:22,43; 4:30; 5:12; 6:8; 8:6,13; 14:3; 15:12). Must authenticate a specific redemptive message under Christ’s authority, never treated as free-floating supernatural spectacle akin to folk-magic wonder-working; also must not be folded into a prosperity-gospel ‘guaranteed miracle’ framework.
Son Of God
Approved rendering: Anak ng Diyos
Transliteration: Anak ng Diyos
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ
Original: υἱὸς θεοῦ
Category: Christology
Full phrase required. Risk is devotional dilution rather than doctrinal denial. Acts 9:20 and 13:33 are the key occurrences. Inherited from Romans package.
Sorcery Magic
Approved rendering: panggagaway / salamangka
Transliteration: panggagaway
Doctrine: Apostolic Authority and Miracles
Rejected alternatives: anting-anting
Original: μαγεία
Category: Apostolic Authority
NEW TERM. Manipulative occult power-seeking practiced for personal gain (Acts 8:9-11; 13:6,8; 19:19). Direct collision with the baseline’s forbidden substitution anting-anting; Simon Magus (ch. 8) is the text’s own negative case study against buying spiritual power.
Tongues
Approved rendering: mga wika / iba’t ibang wika
Transliteration: mga wika
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Rejected alternatives: pagsasalita sa dila (treated as private ecstatic utterance)
Original: γλῶσσαι
Category: Pneumatology
NEW TERM. Real, distinct human languages miraculously given for immediate, intelligible cross-cultural proclamation (Acts 2:4-11; 10:46; 19:6). Every occurrence needs a note anchoring the term to real, known human languages understood by hearers of many nations, distinguished from the contemporary Filipino Pentecostal/Charismatic devotional practice of glossolalia (pagsasalita sa dila), without adjudicating that later practice’s own theological standing.
Unknown God Idols
Approved rendering: Diyos na hindi kilala / mga diyus-diyosan
Transliteration: Diyos na hindi kilala
Doctrine: Idolatry and Apologetic Engagement
Original: ἀγνώστῳ θεῷ / εἴδωλα
Category: Apologetics
NEW TERM. Paul’s rhetorical bridge at the Areopagus, contrasted with idols as misdirected worship of creation rather than the Creator (Acts 17:16,23,29). Requires pastoral sensitivity given Filipino Catholic devotional use of images (santos); model respectful engagement followed by clear doctrinal correction, not blunt dismissiveness.
Yoke Of Law
Approved rendering: pamatok
Transliteration: pamatok
Doctrine: Justification apart from the Law
Original: ζυγός
Category: Law
NEW TERM. The burdensome weight of Torah observance/circumcision explicitly rejected as a salvation-requirement by the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:10). Must not be softened; this is the central Acts text anchoring ‘Justification apart from the Law.‘
Medium Risk Terms
Abba
Approved rendering: Abba
Transliteration: Abba
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Original: אַבָּא
Category: God
Aramaic term of intimacy; not directly occurring in Acts but retained for cross-document consistency with the baseline Romans package. Inherited from Romans package.
Apostle
Approved rendering: apostol
Transliteration: apostol
Doctrine: Apostleship
Original: ἀπόστολος
Category: Church
Established loanword; conveys a directly commissioned, authoritative sent-one. Acts uses this term extensively for the Twelve’s foundational, delegated authority. Inherited from Romans package.
Boldness
Approved rendering: katapangan
Transliteration: katapangan
Doctrine: Persecution and Bold Witness
Original: παρρησία
Category: Witness
NEW TERM. Fearless, unhindered public speech proclaiming Christ (Acts 4:13,29,31; 9:27-28; 14:3; 19:8; 28:31). Spirit-produced courage rooted in prayer and gospel certainty, not natural bravado.
Called
Approved rendering: tinawag
Transliteration: tinawag
Doctrine: Divine Calling
Original: κλητός
Category: Salvation
Context-sensitive: check which sense is active per occurrence (e.g., Acts 2:39’s calling of ‘all who are far off’). Inherited from Romans package.
Calling
Approved rendering: pagkatawag
Transliteration: pagkatawag
Doctrine: Divine Calling
Original: κλῆσις
Category: Salvation
Noun form for the act/state of being called; standard term. Inherited from Romans package.
Church
Approved rendering: iglesia
Transliteration: iglesia
Doctrine: Church as God’s People
Rejected alternatives: simbahan
Original: ἐκκλησία
Category: Church
Iglesia (the gathered body of believers) is preferred over simbahan (the physical parish building). In Acts, this term must remain free of any incidental institutional-exclusivity implication — it names the universal, geographically expanding new-covenant community (8:1,3; 9:31; 11:22,26; 13:1, etc.), never a single present-day organization’s self-designation. Inherited from Romans package.
Covenant
Approved rendering: tipan
Transliteration: tipan
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Original: διαθήκη
Category: Covenant
A relational, binding bond initiated by God; established term. Acts 3:25; 7:8. Inherited from Romans package.
Devout God Fearing
Approved rendering: may takot sa Diyos / relihiyoso
Transliteration: may takot sa Diyos
Doctrine: Gospel to Jews and Gentiles
Original: εὐσεβής / φοβούμενος τὸν θεόν
Category: Gentile Inclusion
NEW TERM. Describes a sincere Gentile seeker (Cornelius, Acts 10:2,22) prior to full inclusion. This devotion alone is not itself sufficient for salvation apart from explicit faith in Christ.
Diakonia Service
Approved rendering: paglilingkod / diakono
Transliteration: paglilingkod
Doctrine: The Church as Community
Original: διακονία / διακονέω
Category: Church
NEW TERM. Practical ministry of care, including the appointed office of resource distribution (Acts 6:1-4; 11:29; 12:25; 20:24; 21:19). Distinguish from, though related to, kaloob na espirituwal — this is an appointed task/office, not a charismatic gift per se.
Faith
Approved rendering: pananampalataya
Transliteration: pananampalataya
Doctrine: Faith
Original: πίστις
Category: Faith
Object of faith must always be specified as Christ; standard, well-established term. Inherited from Romans package.
Gentiles
Approved rendering: mga Hentil
Transliteration: mga Hentil
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
Original: ἔθνη
Category: Church
Non-Jews; established, transliterated Bible term. Central to the doctrine ‘The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles’ throughout Acts 10-15, 28. Inherited from Romans package.
Glory
Approved rendering: kaluwalhatian
Transliteration: kaluwalhatian
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Original: δόξα
Category: God
God’s radiant honor and majesty; standard, well-established term. Acts 7:2,55; 12:23; 22:11. Inherited from Romans package.
Gospel
Approved rendering: Mabuting Balita
Transliteration: mabuting balita
Doctrine: Gospel
Original: εὐαγγέλιον
Category: Salvation
Established Filipino Bible term (‘good news’). Standard, well-understood across Catholic and Protestant usage. Inherited from Romans package.
Holy
Approved rendering: banal
Transliteration: banal
Doctrine: Sanctification
Original: ἅγιος
Category: Sanctification
Set apart for God and morally pure; standard, well-established term. Appears in the Christological title ‘the Holy and Righteous One’ (Acts 3:14). Inherited from Romans package.
Israel
Approved rendering: Israel
Transliteration: Israel
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
Original: יִשְׂרָאֵל
Category: Covenant
Proper name; established form. Acts 1:6; 2:36; 4:10,27; 13:16-24; 28:20. Inherited from Romans package.
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: Kaharian ng Diyos
Transliteration: Kaharian ng Diyos
Doctrine: Kingdom Mission
Original: βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Kingdom
God’s sovereign reign; standard, well-established term. Brackets the whole book of Acts (1:3,6; 28:23,31). Inherited from Romans package.
Law
Approved rendering: kautusan
Transliteration: kautusan
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Prophecy
Original: νόμος
Category: Covenant
Mosaic Law; standard, well-established term. Central to the Jerusalem Council debate (Acts 15) over whether Gentiles must be circumcised and keep the Law. Inherited from Romans package.
Light For Gentiles
Approved rendering: isang liwanag para sa mga Hentil
Transliteration: isang liwanag para sa mga Hentil
Doctrine: Mission to the Nations
Original: φῶς ἐθνῶν
Category: Mission
NEW TERM. Citation of Isaiah 49:6 authorizing the deliberate Gentile-directed turn of the mission (Acts 13:47). Comparatively low risk once the OT background is supplied.
Mission
Approved rendering: misyon
Transliteration: misyon
Doctrine: Mission to the Nations
Original: ἀποστολή / πέμπω
Category: Church
Established loanword; carries some historical association with Spanish colonial-era friar orders. Keep the focus on Spirit-directed proclamation by ordinary believers and appointed missionaries (Acts 13:2-4), not an institutional or colonial enterprise. Inherited from Romans package.
Peace
Approved rendering: kapayapaan
Transliteration: kapayapaan
Doctrine: Peace with God
Original: εἰρήνη
Category: Salvation
Relational peace with God, not merely the absence of conflict. Acts 9:31; 10:36; 15:33. Inherited from Romans package.
Pentecost
Approved rendering: Pentekostes
Transliteration: Pentekostes
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Original: πεντηκοστή
Category: Pneumatology
NEW TERM. The Jewish Feast of Weeks (Shavuot), fifty days after Passover. Must be taught with its OT Feast-of-Weeks background (Acts 2:1; 20:16) so it is not read as a free-standing Christian holiday severed from Israel’s covenant calendar.
Persecution
Approved rendering: paguusig
Transliteration: paguusig
Doctrine: Persecution and Bold Witness
Original: διωγμός
Category: Witness
NEW TERM. Organized hostility against believers because of their testimony (Acts 8:1; 11:19; 13:50). Should be taught alongside boldness/witness so it is not framed fatalistically.
Providence
Approved rendering: kalinga ng Diyos
Transliteration: kalinga ng Diyos
Doctrine: Providence
Rejected alternatives: bahala na
Original: πρόνοια (cf. Romans 8:28’s “all things work together”)
Category: God
God’s personal, purposive, loving care; never bahala na. Acts 2:23; 4:28; 17:26-28; 27:23-24 all require personal, active governance, not passive fatalistic resignation. Inherited from Romans package.
Resurrection
Approved rendering: pagkabuhay na mag-uli
Transliteration: pagkabuhay na mag-uli
Doctrine: Resurrection of Christ
Original: ἀνάστασις
Category: Eschatology
Bodily, historical, once-for-all resurrection; already clearly affirmed in Filipino Catholic catechesis. In Acts, must never suggest reincarnation or an ongoing cycle, especially in the Pharisee/Sadducee dispute of ch. 23. Inherited from Romans package.
Reverent Fear
Approved rendering: takot
Transliteration: takot
Doctrine: Apostolic Authority and Miracles
Rejected alternatives: superstitious dread of anito/unseen spirits
Original: φόβος
Category: Church
NEW TERM. Sobering, reverent awe before God’s holiness (Acts 2:43; 5:5,11; 9:31; 19:17). Must be distinguished from superstitious dread of an impersonal spiritual force, a live category in Filipino folk belief.
Sanctification
Approved rendering: pagpapabanal
Transliteration: pagpapabanal
Doctrine: Sanctification
Original: ἁγιασμός
Category: Sanctification
The Spirit’s ongoing work of making believers holy; standard, well-established term. Acts 20:32 and 26:18 both use this in the sense of an inheritance received by faith. Inherited from Romans package.
Seed Of David
Approved rendering: lahi ni David
Transliteration: lahi ni David
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Original: σπέρμα Δαυίδ
Category: Covenant
Conveys physical lineage and fulfillment of the Davidic covenant promise. Acts 13:23. Inherited from Romans package.
Self Control
Approved rendering: pagpipigil sa sarili
Transliteration: pagpipigil sa sarili
Doctrine: Justification apart from the Law (ethical outworking)
Original: ἐγκράτεια
Category: Ethics
NEW TERM. Personal moral discipline, paired with righteousness and coming judgment in Paul’s preaching to Felix (Acts 24:25).
Shepherd Pastoral Care
Approved rendering: pastolan
Transliteration: pastolan
Doctrine: Church Leadership Offices
Original: ποιμαίνω
Category: Church
NEW TERM. Sacrificial, protective pastoral care modeled on Christ’s own shepherding (Acts 20:28), not administrative control exercised for personal gain or status.
Sin
Approved rendering: kasalanan
Transliteration: kasalanan
Doctrine: Universal Human Accountability
Original: ἁμαρτία
Category: Sin
Moral transgression against a personal God. In Acts, must be kept distinct from the ceremonial/ritual ‘common or unclean’ (κοινός) boundary language of ch. 10-11, which is a separate category. Inherited from Romans package.
Spiritual Gifts
Approved rendering: kaloob na espirituwal
Transliteration: kaloob na espirituwal
Doctrine: Spiritual Gifts
Rejected alternatives: anting-anting
Original: χαρίσματα
Category: Church
Spirit-given enablements for service; never anting-anting. Ties conceptually to Acts 8:20’s rebuke of Simon Magus’s attempt to purchase the gift of God. Inherited from Romans package.
The Way
Approved rendering: Ang Daan
Transliteration: Ang Daan
Doctrine: Christian Identity as ‘the Way’
Rejected alternatives: daan (generic, lowercase)
Original: ἡ ὁδός
Category: Church
NEW TERM. The early Christian movement’s technical self-designation (Acts 9:2; 19:9,23; 22:4; 24:14,22). Render as a quasi-proper noun to distinguish from generic ‘daan.’ Requires explicit contextual anchoring in teaching notes to avoid incidental audience association with the modern Philippine broadcast ministry publicly branded ‘Ang Dating Daan.‘
Witness
Approved rendering: saksi
Transliteration: saksi
Doctrine: Persecution and Bold Witness
Rejected alternatives: martir (venerated intercessory sense)
Original: μάρτυς
Category: Witness
NEW TERM. One who testifies from firsthand experience to Christ (Acts 1:8,22; 22:15,20; 26:16); narrows toward martyrdom at Stephen’s death (ch. 7). Must not be conflated with the Catholic devotional category mga martir venerated with feast days and invoked for intercession.
Low Risk Terms
Angel Of The Lord
Approved rendering: anghel ng Panginoon
Transliteration: anghel ng Panginoon
Doctrine: Providence
Rejected alternatives: anito
Original: ἄγγελος Κυρίου
Category: God
NEW TERM. A personal, created heavenly being sent by God (Acts 5:19; 8:26; 10:3; 12:7,23; 27:23). Established, non-controversial term; distinct from folk anito categories, which must not be conflated with this term.
Christian Name
Approved rendering: Kristiyano
Transliteration: Kristiyano
Doctrine: The Church as Community
Original: Χριστιανός
Category: Church
NEW TERM. The outsider-coined name for believers, first used at Antioch (Acts 11:26; 26:28). Well-established, non-controversial loanword across all Filipino Christian traditions.
David
Approved rendering: David
Transliteration: David
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Original: דָּוִד
Category: Covenant
Established Filipino Bible proper-name form. Acts 1:16; 2:25,29,34; 4:25; 7:45; 13:22,34,36; 15:16. Inherited from Romans package.
Exhort
Approved rendering: pasiglahin
Transliteration: pasiglahin
Doctrine: Mutual Edification
Original: παρακαλέω
Category: Faith
Context-sensitive: entreaty vs. encouragement. Acts 11:23; 14:22; 15:32; 16:40; 20:1-2. Inherited from Romans package.
Fellowship
Approved rendering: pagsasamahan
Transliteration: pagsasamahan
Doctrine: Christian Fellowship
Original: κοινωνία
Category: Church
Shared participation in Christ, deeper than ordinary social camaraderie. Acts 2:42. Inherited from Romans package.
Prophecy
Approved rendering: propesiya
Transliteration: propesiya
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Prophecy
Original: προφητεία
Category: Covenant
God-inspired declaration; standard, well-established term. Acts 2:17-18 (Joel citation); 19:6; 21:9. Inherited from Romans package.
Prophet
Approved rendering: propeta
Transliteration: propeta
Doctrine: Inspiration of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: manghuhula
Original: προφήτης
Category: Covenant
God’s spokesperson; do not confuse with manghuhula (fortune-teller). Includes citation of Deuteronomy 18’s ‘Prophet like Moses’ (Acts 3:22-23; 7:37). Inherited from Romans package.
Thanksgiving
Approved rendering: pasasalamat
Transliteration: pasasalamat
Doctrine: Thanksgiving
Original: εὐχαριστία
Category: Faith
Standard term; no significant doctrinal risk. Acts 27:35; 28:15. Inherited from Romans package.
Whole Counsel Of God
Approved rendering: buong plano ng Diyos
Transliteration: buong plano ng Diyos
Doctrine: Apostolic Authority and Miracles
Original: πᾶσα ἡ βουλὴ τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Apostolic Authority
NEW TERM. The complete body of God’s revealed purposes, proclaimed without omission (Acts 20:27). Standard exhortation to comprehensive, unshrinking doctrinal proclamation; minimal doctrinal risk.
Referenced passages