Core Glossary
08 Core Glossary — Gospel of John (English → Filipino)
How to read this table
- Filipino Rendering: the fixed, required translation. Must be used exactly, per pipeline rule.
- Risk: Critical / High / Medium / Low, per the same risk framework as
doctrine_risk_registry.json. - Status: [BASELINE REUSE] (already fixed by the Romans Language Package, reused verbatim) or [NEW] (introduced by this John curriculum; to be added to translation memory in Phase 2 Step 16).
- Chapters: John chapters where the term is load-bearing (not exhaustive of every occurrence).
A. Christology / Deity and Pre-existence of Christ
| # | English Term | Greek Original | Transliteration | Filipino Rendering | Risk | Status | Chapters | Notes / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Word (Logos) | λόγος | logos | Salita | Critical | NEW | 1 | Personal, eternal, divine title; never render as impersonal “message” or “reasoning principle.” |
| 2 | Only begotten / one-and-only | μονογενής | monogenēs | bugtong | Critical | NEW | 1, 3 | ”bugtong na Anak.” Must express unique, unrepeatable divine Sonship, not “favorite child” among comparable others. |
| 3 | Son of God | υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ | huios theou | Anak ng Diyos | High | BASELINE REUSE | 1, 3, 5, 10, 11, 20 | Reused exactly from baseline. |
| 4 | Son of Man | υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου | huios tou anthrōpou | Anak ng Tao | High | NEW | 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 12, 13 | Combines full humanity with hidden divine authority (Daniel 7); do not flatten to “a human being.” |
| 5 | Absolute “I am” (theophanic) | ἐγώ εἰμι | egō eimi | Ako na / AKO NA | Critical | NEW | 6, 8, 18 | Echoes Exodus 3:14 LXX; must not be smoothed into ordinary past-tense self-reference. |
| 6 | ”I am” + predicate (seven statements) | ἐγώ εἰμι + predicate | egō eimi | Ako ang… | High | NEW | 6, 8, 10 (x2), 11, 14, 15 | Preserve definite article “the,” not “a,” in every instance. See dedicated table below. |
| 7 | Equal with God | ἴσος τῷ θεῷ | isos tō theō | kapantay ng Diyos | Critical | NEW | 5 | John endorses this as a true deity claim, not a distorted accusation to be softened. |
| 8 | Incarnation (“the Word became flesh”) | ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο | ho logos sarx egeneto | pagkakatawang-tao | Critical | BASELINE REUSE | 1 | Reused exactly from baseline registry; watch Santo Niño-devotional-image collision risk already flagged in baseline. |
| 9 | Flesh (human nature / natural life) | σάρξ | sarx | laman | Medium | NEW | 1, 3, 6 | Positive (1:14, true humanity) and negative (3:6, merely-natural-life) senses; do not treat flesh as inherently evil. |
| 10 | Glory | δόξα | doxa | kaluwalhatian | High | BASELINE REUSE | 1, 2, 11, 12, 17 | Reused exactly from baseline. |
| 11 | My Lord and my God (Thomas’s confession) | ὁ κύριός μου καὶ ὁ θεός μου | ho kyrios mou kai ho theos mou | Panginoon ko at Diyos ko | Critical | NEW (combination) | 20 | Reuses baseline Panginoon + Diyos; flag colloquial-flattening risk (“Diyos ko!” as a casual exclamation). |
| 12 | I and the Father are one | ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν | egō kai ho patēr hen esmen | Ako at ang Ama ay isa | Critical | NEW | 10, 17 | Neuter “one” = essential unity, not identity of person; guard against both Arian and modalist misreadings. |
| 13 | Pre-existence / descended from heaven | καταβὰς ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ | katabas ek tou ouranou | nanaog/bumaba mula sa langit | High | NEW | 3, 6 | Must be unambiguous heavenly-origin language, not visionary or angelic-visitation language. |
B. Salvation / New Birth / Eternal Life
| # | English Term | Greek Original | Transliteration | Filipino Rendering | Risk | Status | Chapters | Notes / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Born again / born from above | γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν | gennēthē anōthen | ipanganak na muli / mula sa itaas | Critical | NEW | 3 | Double meaning of anōthen; must not be reduced to moral self-reform or a repeatable emotional experience. |
| 15 | Born of water and spirit | γεννηθῇ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος | gennēthē ex hydatos kai pneumatos | ipinanganak sa tubig at Espiritu | Critical | NEW | 3 | Highest Filipino-Catholic-collision risk term in the book; mandatory note distinguishing Spirit-wrought birth from baptism as an automatically regenerating rite. |
| 16 | Wind / Spirit wordplay | πνεῦμα | pneuma | hangin / Espiritu | High | NEW | 3 | Single Greek word covers both senses; Filipino requires two words, so the analogy’s logic must be made explicit in translation. |
| 17 | Eternal life | ζωὴ αἰώνιος | zōē aiōnios | buhay na walang hanggan | Critical | NEW | 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 17, 20 | Present relational + future unending dimensions both required; guard against reduction to “going to heaven” secured by ritual performance. |
| 18 | Salvation / to save | σῴζω / σωτηρία | sōzō / sōtēria | kaligtasan / iligtas | Critical | BASELINE REUSE | 3, 4, 5, 10, 12 | Reused exactly from baseline; same sacrament-vs-faith teaching note applies. |
| 19 | Perish | ἀπόλλυμι | apollymi | mapahamak | Medium | NEW | 3 | Eternal ruin, not merely temporal loss or physical death alone. |
| 20 | Believe (in Christ) | πιστεύω | pisteuō | sumampalataya / maniwala | Medium-High | NEW (verb form of baseline noun) | throughout | Reuses root of baseline pananampalataya; object of belief (Christ specifically) must remain explicit. |
| 21 | Judge / condemn / judgment | κρίνω / κρίσις | krinō / krisis | hatulan / paghuhukom | High | NEW | 3, 5, 12, 16 | Forensic condemnation sense; the “already” tense in 3:18 must be preserved. |
| 22 | Light | φῶς | phōs | liwanag | Medium | NEW | 1, 3, 8, 9, 12 | Moral-revelatory sense (Christ himself as light); distinguish from candle/image-devotion associations. |
| 23 | Darkness | σκότος | skotos | kadiliman | Medium | NEW | 1, 3, 12 | Moral/spiritual alienation from God, paired with light. |
| 24 | World (loved by God / hostile system) | κόσμος | kosmos | sanlibutan | High | NEW | 1, 3, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18 | Sense shifts across John (loved object / hostile system / ruled by the evil one); tag sense per occurrence. |
| 25 | Eat [Christ’s] flesh, drink [his] blood | φάγητε τὴν σάρκα…πίητε τὸ αἷμα | phagēte tēn sarka…piēte to haima | kumain ng laman…uminom ng dugo | Critical | NEW | 6 | Highest transubstantiation-collision-risk passage in the Gospel; mandatory note per John 6:63’s own interpretive key. |
| 26 | Draw (effectual calling) | ἑλκύω | helkō | akitin / ilapit | High | NEW | 6 | Father’s sovereign initiative in bringing a person to faith; related to baseline election/pagkahirang concept. |
| 27 | Assurance (“no one will snatch them out of my hand”) | οὐδεὶς ἁρπάσει | oudeis harpasei | walang makasasagpang | High | NEW | 10 | Grounds Assurance of Salvation doctrine (High risk per baseline); permanence, not merely present protection. |
| 28 | Truth | ἀλήθεια | alētheia | katotohanan | Medium | NEW | throughout, esp. 1, 3, 8, 14, 17 | Ontological/revelatory sense (reality disclosed by God, embodied in Christ), not merely propositional accuracy. |
C. The Seven “I Am” Statements (dedicated table)
| # | Statement | Greek | Filipino | Chapter | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I am the bread of life | ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς | Ako ang tinapay ng buhay | 6:35, 48, 51 | High |
| 2 | I am the light of the world | ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου | Ako ang liwanag ng sanlibutan | 8:12 | High |
| 3 | I am the door | ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ θύρα | Ako ang pintuan | 10:7, 9 | High |
| 4 | I am the good shepherd | ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός | Ako ang mabuting Pastol | 10:11, 14 | High |
| 5 | I am the resurrection and the life | ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή | Ako ang muling pagkabuhay at ang buhay | 11:25 | Critical |
| 6 | I am the way, the truth, and the life | ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή | Ako ang daan, ang katotohanan, at ang buhay | 14:6 | Critical |
| 7 | I am the true vine | ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή | Ako ang tunay na puno ng ubas | 15:1, 5 | Medium-High |
Formula consistency rule: every instance must preserve the definite article (“the,” not “a”) to retain exclusivity.
D. God’s Love, the World, and Judgment/Belief
| # | English Term | Greek Original | Transliteration | Filipino Rendering | Risk | Status | Chapters | Notes / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | Love (God’s self-giving love) | ἀγάπη / ἀγαπάω | agapē / agapaō | pag-ibig / umibig | High | NEW | 3, 13, 15, 17, 21 | Must be distinguished from romantic-love connotations of everyday Filipino “pag-ibig”; sacrificial, willed, purposive love. |
| 30 | Love (Peter’s reply, near-synonym) | φιλέω | phileō | mahal / pag-ibig | Low-Medium | NEW | 21 | Filipino sustains no clean lexical distinction from agapaō; flag as translation-loss risk, not doctrinal-distortion risk. |
| 31 | Sign | σημεῖον | sēmeion | tanda | High | NEW | 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 11, 12, 20 | Never render as himala; John’s signs are Christ-identity-revealing acts, not free-floating wonders tied to an image or shrine. |
| 32 | Witness / testimony | μαρτυρία / μαρτυρέω | martyria / martyreō | patotoo | Medium | NEW | 1, 3, 5 | Authoritative eyewitness declaration, not casual opinion. |
E. The Holy Spirit as Counselor
| # | English Term | Greek Original | Transliteration | Filipino Rendering | Risk | Status | Chapters | Notes / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | Counselor / Comforter / Advocate (Paraclete) | παράκλητος | paraklētos | Mangaaliw | High | NEW | 14, 15, 16 | Must not be rendered with baseline’s pamamagitan (intercession) term; distinguish the Spirit’s personal indwelling help from saints’/Mary intercession practice. |
| 34 | Spirit of truth | τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας | to pneuma tēs alētheias | Espiritu ng Katotohanan | High | NEW | 14, 15, 16 | Full title for a distinct divine Person; not an abstract personification of truthfulness. |
| 35 | Convict (of sin) | ἐλέγχω | elegchō | paalalahanan / hikayat tungkol sa kasalanan | High | NEW | 16 | Forensic exposing/convicting work of the Spirit, not generic guilt-feeling. |
| 36 | Holy Spirit | πνεῦμα ἅγιον | pneuma hagion | Espiritu Santo | Critical | BASELINE REUSE | 1, 3, 7, 14-16, 20 | Reused exactly from baseline; never anito or bare kaluluwa. |
F. Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
| # | English Term | Greek Original | Transliteration | Filipino Rendering | Risk | Status | Chapters | Notes / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | Lamb of God | ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ | amnos tou theou | Kordero ng Diyos | High | NEW | 1, 19 (typology) | Substitutionary, sacrificial sense (Passover/Isaiah 53); not a generic gentleness symbol. |
| 38 | Lay down [my] life | τίθημι τὴν ψυχήν μου | tithēmi tēn psychēn mou | ibinibigay ko ang aking buhay | High | NEW | 10 | Voluntary, purposeful self-giving; preserve Christ’s active agency. |
| 39 | Lifted up (cross = exaltation) | ὑψωθῆναι | hypsōthēnai | itataas | High | NEW | 3, 12 | Double sense: physical crucifixion AND glorification; both must be taught together. |
| 40 | It is finished | τετέλεσται | tetelestai | Naganap na | High | NEW | 19 | Completed, sufficient, once-for-all atoning work; not merely the end of suffering. |
| 41 | Resurrection | ἀνάστασις | anastasis | pagkabuhay na mag-uli | Medium | BASELINE REUSE | 5, 11, 20 | Reused exactly from baseline; bodily, historical, once-for-all — comparatively low syncretism risk per baseline. |
| 42 | Grain of wheat (dying to bear fruit) | κόκκος τοῦ σίτου | kokkos tou sitou | butil ng trigo | Medium | NEW | 12 | Illustrates necessity/fruitfulness of substitutionary death and self-giving discipleship. |
G. Unity of the Father and the Son
| # | English Term | Greek Original | Transliteration | Filipino Rendering | Risk | Status | Chapters | Notes / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | I and the Father are one | ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν | egō kai ho patēr hen esmen | Ako at ang Ama ay isa | Critical | NEW | 10 | (Cross-listed with §12 above.) |
| 44 | Equal honor to Father and Son | τιμᾷ τὸν υἱὸν καθὼς τιμᾷ τὸν πατέρα | timai ton huion kathōs timai ton patera | igalang ang Anak gaya ng pagigalang sa Ama | Critical | NEW | 5 | Equal honor = deity claim, not derivative/lesser honor. |
| 45 | That they may be one (believers’ unity, modeled on Father-Son unity) | ἵνα ὦσιν ἕν | hina ōsin hen | upang sila ay maging isa | High | NEW | 17 | Analogical, Spirit-enabled human unity — distinct from the Father-Son’s own essential ontological unity. |
| 46 | Father | πατήρ | patēr | Ama | High | BASELINE REUSE | throughout | Reused exactly from baseline. |
| 47 | Lord | κύριος | kyrios | Panginoon | High | BASELINE REUSE | throughout | Reused exactly from baseline. |
H. Other Reused Baseline Terms Occurring in John
| English Term | Filipino Rendering | Risk | Chapters (representative) |
|---|---|---|---|
| God | Diyos | Critical | throughout |
| Jesus | Jesus | Critical | throughout |
| Christ / Messiah | Kristo / Mesiyas | High | 1, 4, 7, 11, 20 |
| Grace | biyaya | High | 1 |
| Faith | pananampalataya | Medium | throughout |
| Sin | kasalanan | High | 1, 8, 9, 16 |
| Israel | Israel | Medium | 1, 3 |
| Peace | kapayapaan | Medium | 14, 16, 20 |
| Kingdom of God | Kaharian ng Diyos | Medium | 3, 18 |
| Church (ekklēsia, implied “one flock” imagery) | iglesia | Medium | 10 (typological) |
Governance Notes for Phase 2
- All [NEW] entries above must be added to
translation_memory.json(incrementing its version number) before any Phase 2 segment translation of John begins, per the AI Translation Requirements pre-flight checklist. - Every [NEW] Critical or High risk entry must be flagged for human theologian review on first occurrence, consistent with the escalation rules already established in
12_ai_translation_requirements.md. - Two new forbidden-substitution rules for John, extending baseline’s list:
- Sign (σημεῖον): NEVER default to himala without qualification — risk of collision with folk-Catholic image/apparition-miracle devotion.
- Paraclete (παράκλητος): NEVER render with baseline’s pamamagitan — risk of collision with saints’/Marian intercession devotion; keep as Mangaaliw.
- Two new mandatory contextual framing requirements for John, extending baseline’s list:
- Ipinanganak sa tubig at Espiritu (John 3:5): note that Spirit-wrought new birth is not mechanically secured by the physical rite of baptism alone.
- Kumain ng laman…uminom ng dugo (John 6:53-56): note that Jesus’s own interpretive key (6:63) points to spiritual, faith-appropriated reception of Christ, not a claim settling sacramental metaphysics on its own.
Critical Risk Terms
Absolute I Am
Approved rendering: Ako na / AKO NA
Transliteration: egō eimi
Doctrine: Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
Rejected alternatives: ako ay umiiral na, matagal na akong nariyan
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι
Category: Christology
The bare, unpredicated theophanic formula echoing Exodus 3:14 LXX, most explicit at John 8:58; also 6:20, 18:5-6, 18:8. Must not be smoothed into ordinary past-tense self-reference. Reserve this fixed formula exclusively for the four unpredicated occurrences, never for the seven predicate ‘I am X’ statements. Reject sectarian (JW/NWT) softenings that obscure the divine-Name echo.
Born Again From Above
Approved rendering: ipanganak na muli / mula sa itaas
Transliteration: gennēthē anōthen
Doctrine: The New Birth and Regeneration by the Spirit
John 3:3, 3:7 (core passage). Double sense of anōthen (‘again’ and ‘from above’); standard Filipino ‘ipanganak na muli’ captures ‘again’ but risks losing ‘from above.’ Must be taught alongside its divine origin so it is not reduced to moral self-reform, a repeatable emotional experience, or sacramental infant-baptism regeneration apart from personal faith.
Born Of Water And Spirit
Approved rendering: ipinanganak sa tubig at Espiritu
Transliteration: gennēthē ex hydatos kai pneumatos
Doctrine: The New Birth and Regeneration by the Spirit
Original: γεννηθῇ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος
Category: Salvation
John 3:5 (core passage). THE single highest-risk phrase in the core passage for the majority-Catholic Filipino destination culture. Mandatory teaching note on every occurrence: Spirit-wrought regeneration, not a claim that the physical rite of baptism alone mechanically regenerates a person apart from Spirit-given faith.
Eat Flesh Drink Blood
Approved rendering: kumain ng laman…uminom ng dugo
Transliteration: phagēte tēn sarka…piēte to haima
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Original: φάγητε τὴν σάρκα τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ πίητε αὐτοῦ τὸ αἷμα
Category: Salvation
John 6:53-56, interpreted by Jesus himself at 6:63. The single most Catholic-collision-prone passage in the whole Gospel given the strong Real Presence/transubstantiation catechesis in Filipino Catholic tradition. Mandatory teaching note required at every occurrence, keyed to 6:63’s own interpretive statement, distinguishing this Language Package’s contextual reading (spiritual, faith-appropriated reception of Christ) from a claim settling sacramental metaphysics on its own.
Equal Honor To Father And Son
Approved rendering: igalang ang Anak gaya ng pagigalang sa Ama
Transliteration: timai ton huion kathōs timai ton patera
Doctrine: Unity of the Father and the Son
Original: τιμᾷ τὸν υἱὸν καθὼς τιμᾷ τὸν πατέρα
Category: Christology
John 5:23. Equal honor due the Son is itself a deity claim and must not be rendered or taught as a lesser, derivative honor one step below the Father’s.
Equal With God
Approved rendering: kapantay ng Diyos
Transliteration: isos tō theō
Doctrine: Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
Original: ἴσος τῷ θεῷ
Category: Christology
John 5:18. The Jewish leaders’ own inference from Jesus calling God ‘my Father,’ endorsed by John’s narrative as a true deity claim, not a distorted accusation to be corrected downward. Reject Iglesia ni Cristo/MCGI-style framing that treats this as opponents’ misunderstanding.
Eternal Life
Approved rendering: buhay na walang hanggan
Transliteration: zōē aiōnios
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Original: ζωὴ αἰώνιος
Category: Salvation
John 3:15-16 (core passage), 3:36, 4:14, 5:24, 6:47, 10:28, 11:25-26, 17:3, 20:31. Must be taught with both present relational and unending future dimensions intact (anchored to 17:3’s definition), so it is not reduced to ‘going to heaven when you die’ secured by sacramental performance, novena devotion, or religious observance frequency.
Father And Son Are One
Approved rendering: Ako at ang Ama ay isa
Transliteration: egō kai ho patēr hen esmen
Doctrine: Unity of the Father and the Son
Original: ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν
Category: Christology
John 10:30. The neuter ‘isa’ (one) signals essential unity of nature/will, not identity of person; a mandatory teaching note must guard against both an Arian reading (mere agreement, denying deity) and a modalist reading (Father and Son as the identical single Person). Filipino devotional habit of relating to Father, Son, Mary, and saints somewhat interchangeably raises the stakes for precision here.
God
Approved rendering: Diyos
Transliteration: Diyos
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: Bathala
Original: θεός
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Never Bathala. Combines with Panginoon at John 20:28 (see my_lord_and_my_god, new term).
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: Espiritu Santo
Transliteration: Espiritu Santo
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: anito, kaluluwa
Original: πνεῦμα ἅγιον
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Never anito or bare kaluluwa. John 20:22’s ‘mini-Pentecost’ should be taught alongside the Paraclete promises of chs.14-16, not as a separate or competing account.
I Am Resurrection And Life
Approved rendering: Ako ang muling pagkabuhay at ang buhay
Transliteration: egō eimi hē anastasis kai hē zōē
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή
Category: Christology
John 11:25. Fifth of the seven. Jesus identifies himself, not merely his power, as the very source and embodiment of resurrection life; the raising of Lazarus functions narratively as a sign (tanda) validating it, not as an isolated miracle story.
I Am Way Truth Life
Approved rendering: Ako ang daan, ang katotohanan, at ang buhay
Transliteration: egō eimi hē hodos kai hē alētheia kai hē zōē
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή
Category: Christology
John 14:6. Sixth and most explicit exclusive-access statement of the seven (‘no one comes to the Father except through me’). The exclusive-access clause must be retained in full, held in careful tension with the Gospel’s universal offer to all peoples.
Incarnation
Approved rendering: pagkakatawang-tao
Transliteration: pagkakatawang-tao
Doctrine: Incarnation
Original: ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package; risk elevated to Critical for this curriculum given John 1:14’s direct textual ground for the doctrine. Watch the Santo Niño devotional-image collision risk already flagged in baseline — anchor to the historical incarnation, not image-veneration.
Intercession
Approved rendering: pamamagitan
Transliteration: pamamagitan
Doctrine: Prayer and Intercession
Inherited from Romans package. MUST be kept lexically and conceptually distinct from John’s Paraclete term (Mangaaliw, see paraclete_counselor, new term); never substitute one for the other despite English overlap between ‘intercede’ and ‘counsel/comfort’.
Jesus
Approved rendering: Jesus
Transliteration: Jesus
Doctrine: Deity and Pre-existence of Christ
Inherited from Romans package; risk elevated to Critical for this curriculum given the density of direct deity/pre-existence claims attached to this name throughout John (1:1-18, 8:58, 20:28).
Monogenes Only Begotten
Approved rendering: bugtong
Transliteration: monogenēs
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: paborito, espesyal na anak
Occurs at John 1:14, 1:18, 3:16, 3:18 (core passage). ‘Bugtong na Anak’ is culturally resonant (the ordinary Filipino word for an only child) but must be taught as expressing Christ’s utterly unique, unrepeatable divine Sonship, not ‘favorite’ or ‘special’ among comparable others — must not be diluted by devotional patterns placing Mary or particular saints in functionally comparable mediating roles.
My Lord And My God
Approved rendering: Panginoon ko at Diyos ko
Transliteration: ho kyrios mou kai ho theos mou
Doctrine: Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
Original: ὁ κύριός μου καὶ ὁ θεός μου
Category: Christology
Thomas’s confession at John 20:28, the Gospel’s most direct, unambiguous confession of Jesus’s full deity by a named disciple. Must read as a genuine worship-confession, not a diluted colloquial exclamation; ‘Diyos ko!’ functions as a casual everyday Filipino exclamation, so a translator note flagging this flattening risk is mandatory.
Saints
Approved rendering: mga banal
Transliteration: mga banal
Doctrine: Sainthood
Inherited from Romans package. Relevant where John’s ‘children of God’ language (1:12-13) touches corporate believer-identity; must not be read as describing an elite canonized class.
Salvation
Approved rendering: kaligtasan
Transliteration: kaligtasan
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: seguradong pumunta sa langit dahil sa sakramento
Original: σῴζω / σωτηρία
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. John 3:17 (core passage) grounds salvation in the Father’s sending of the Son on a saving mission received by faith, not guaranteed by sacramental performance.
Word Logos
Approved rendering: Salita
Transliteration: logos
Doctrine: Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
Rejected alternatives: mensahe, bare ‘Logos’ loanword
Original: λόγος
Category: Christology
John 1:1-18’s foundational deity/pre-existence title. Must be capitalized and treated as a personal, eternal, divine title, never softened to an impersonal ‘message’ or ‘reasoning principle.’ The three-fold claim of 1:1 (pre-existence, distinct personhood, full deity) must survive translation intact without collapsing any clause into the others. Reject Jehovah’s Witness NWT-style ‘isang diyos’ (a god) rendering.
High Risk Terms
Believe In Christ
Approved rendering: sumampalataya / maniwala
Transliteration: pisteuō
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Original: πιστεύω
Category: Faith
Verb form of baseline pananampalataya, occurring throughout John and underlying the Gospel’s stated purpose (20:31). The object of belief (Christ specifically) must remain explicit given the passage’s entire belief/unbelief judgment logic (John 3:15-18, core passage).
Convict Of Sin
Approved rendering: paalalahanan / hikayat tungkol sa kasalanan
Transliteration: elegchō
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Original: ἐλέγχω
Category: God
John 16:8. The Spirit’s forensic, exposing, convicting ministry (resonant with the Paraclete’s advocate-role) leading toward repentance and faith, not a generic feeling of guilt or shame independent of the Spirit’s personal, targeted ministry.
Draw Effectual Calling
Approved rendering: akitin / ilapit
Transliteration: helkō
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Original: ἑλκύω
Category: Salvation
John 6:37,44,65; 10:27-29. The Father’s sovereign, effectual initiative in bringing a person to faith in Christ; related to baseline’s election/pagkahirang concept (never swerte/kapalaran). Must be taught as God’s sovereign initiative distinguished from human self-generated religious effort, while avoiding language suggesting coercion against the will.
Father
Approved rendering: Ama
Transliteration: Ama
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Original: πατήρ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Central to John’s Father-Son unity doctrine (5:18-23, 10:30, 14:9-11, 17); keep distinct from Padre (priest) and ancestor-veneration usage.
Glory
Approved rendering: kaluwalhatian
Transliteration: kaluwalhatian
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Original: δόξα
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. In John, glory is paradoxically revealed through the cross (12:23-28) and shared eternally between Father and Son (17:5) — both points require explicit teaching.
Grace And Truth
Approved rendering: biyaya at katotohanan
Transliteration: charis kai alētheia
Doctrine: Grace
Original: χάρις καὶ ἀλήθεια
Category: Salvation
John 1:14,17. Echoes the OT covenant formula ‘steadfast love and faithfulness’ (Exodus 34:6), presenting Christ as the full embodiment of God’s covenant character. Reuses baseline biyaya (never utang na loob) plus this book’s katotohanan.
Grace
Approved rendering: biyaya
Transliteration: biyaya
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: utang na loob
Inherited from Romans package. Reused in John 1:14, 1:16-17’s ‘grace and truth’ (see grace_and_truth, new term below), describing Christ as the full embodiment of God’s covenant character (Exodus 34:6). Never utang na loob.
I Am Bread Of Life
Approved rendering: Ako ang tinapay ng buhay
Transliteration: egō eimi ho artos tēs zōēs
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς
Category: Christology
John 6:35,48,51. First of the seven. The definite article (‘the,’ not ‘a’) must be preserved to retain the exclusive claim to be the unique, sufficient source of spiritual sustenance, fulfilling the manna typology of Exodus 16.
I Am Light Of The World
Approved rendering: Ako ang liwanag ng sanlibutan
Transliteration: egō eimi to phōs tou kosmou
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου
Category: Christology
John 8:12. Second of the seven. Preserve definite article; connects directly to the light/darkness theology of John 1:4-9 and 3:19-21 (core passage).
I Am The Door
Approved rendering: Ako ang pintuan
Transliteration: egō eimi hē thyra
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ θύρα
Category: Christology
John 10:7,9. Third of the seven. Must retain exclusivity (‘I am the door; anyone who enters through me will be saved’) — not one of several available entry points.
I Am The Good Shepherd
Approved rendering: Ako ang mabuting Pastol
Transliteration: egō eimi ho poimēn ho kalos
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός
Category: Christology
John 10:11,14. Fourth of the seven. Must retain both personal, relational care (‘knows his own sheep’) and voluntary substitutionary self-sacrifice (‘lays down his life for the sheep’) — grounds Christ’s Substitutionary Death doctrine, not a generic leadership metaphor.
I Am True Vine
Approved rendering: Ako ang tunay na puno ng ubas
Transliteration: egō eimi hē ampelos hē alēthinē
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή
Category: Christology
John 15:1,5. Seventh and final of the seven. Must retain both exclusivity (‘true,’ contrasted with Israel as the OT vine that failed to bear fruit, Isaiah 5, Psalm 80) and organic-dependency imagery (branches cannot bear fruit apart from the vine).
It Is Finished
Approved rendering: Naganap na
Transliteration: tetelestai
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Original: τετέλεσται
Category: Salvation
John 19:30. Must be taught as marking Christ’s atoning work as fully, sufficiently, once-for-all completed on the cross, not merely the end of physical suffering — cautioning against any framing suggesting ongoing sacrificial re-presentation is needed, given associative proximity to the Mass’s sacrificial liturgical language.
Judgment Condemnation
Approved rendering: hatulan / paghuhukom
Transliteration: krinō / krisis
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Original: κρίνω / κρίσις
Category: Salvation
John 3:18-19 (core passage); also 5:24,29; 9:39; 12:31,48; 16:8-11. The perfect-tense ‘has already been judged’ (3:18) must be preserved so the doctrine’s ‘already’ dimension is not lost to a flattened present- or future-only rendering.
Lamb Of God
Approved rendering: Kordero ng Diyos
Transliteration: amnos tou theou
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Original: ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Salvation
John 1:29,36; typologically fulfilled at 19:36 (citing Exodus 12:46). Must retain the substitutionary, sacrificial sense (Passover lamb, Isaiah 53’s suffering servant), not flattened to a generic gentleness/innocence symbol.
Lay Down My Life
Approved rendering: ibinibigay ko ang aking buhay
Transliteration: tithēmi tēn psychēn mou
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Original: τίθημι τὴν ψυχήν μου
Category: Salvation
John 10:11,15,17-18. Must be rendered as a voluntary, purposeful self-giving (‘I lay it down of my own accord’), preserving Christ’s active agency in his own substitutionary death, not something merely done to him.
Lifted Up
Approved rendering: itataas
Transliteration: hypsōthēnai
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Original: ὑψωθῆναι
Category: Salvation
John 3:14 (core passage), 12:32-34. Deliberate double meaning — the physical lifting up on the cross AND exaltation/glorification. A standing teaching note must preserve both senses; readers should be taught the cross itself, not merely the resurrection, is presented as an exaltation.
Living Water
Approved rendering: buhay na tubig
Transliteration: hydōr zōn
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Original: ὕδωρ ζῶν
Category: Salvation
John 4:10-14; explicitly identified as the Spirit at 7:37-39 (‘the Spirit had not yet been given’ because Jesus was not yet glorified). The flowing/spring-water metaphor is not native to ordinary Filipino idiom; a clarifying note that this is continually satisfying (not single-instance) water helps preserve Jesus’s contrast with Jacob’s well, and the Spirit-giving/glorification sequencing at 7:39 must not be flattened.
Lord
Approved rendering: Panginoon
Transliteration: Panginoon
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Combines with Diyos at John 20:28’s Critical-risk confession (see my_lord_and_my_god, new term).
Love Agape
Approved rendering: pag-ibig / umibig
Transliteration: agapē / agapaō
Doctrine: God’s Love for the World
Original: ἀγάπη / ἀγαπάω
Category: Faith
John 3:16 (core passage), 13:34-35, 15:13, 17:23, 21:15-17. Filipino ‘pag-ibig’ strongly connotes romantic love in everyday usage; a mandatory teaching note is required distinguishing God’s sacrificial, purposive, willed love from romantic or merely emotional affection, so the most-memorized verse in the Filipino Bible tradition is not sentimentalized.
Messiah
Approved rendering: Mesiyas
Transliteration: Mesiyas
Doctrine: Messianic Promise
Inherited from Romans package. John 1:41 explicitly glosses the Hebrew/Aramaic Mesiyas with the Greek Kristo, giving a natural cross-reference anchor; both transliterated forms (Mesiyas, Kristo) are retained per John’s own bilingual gloss.
New Commandment Love One Another
Approved rendering: mag-ibigan kayo
Transliteration: entolēn kainēn…agapate allēlous
Doctrine: God’s Love for the World
Original: ἐντολὴν καινὴν…ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους
Category: Faith
John 13:34-35; 15:12-13,17. Called ‘a new commandment,’ with the standard explicitly set at ‘as I have loved you’ — Christ’s self-giving love becomes the measure, not a generic ethic of kindness. Same pag-ibig-dilution risk as love_agape.
No One Will Snatch Them
Approved rendering: walang makasasagpang sa kanila mula sa aking kamay
Transliteration: oudeis harpasei auta ek tēs cheiros mou
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Original: οὐδεὶς ἁρπάσει αὐτὰ ἐκ τῆς χειρός μου
Category: Salvation
John 10:28-29; cf. 17:12. Grounds the Assurance of Salvation doctrine; must retain the sense of permanent security, not merely present protection subject to later loss through failure to maintain sacramental standing.
Paraclete Counselor
Approved rendering: Mangaaliw
Transliteration: paraklētos
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Rejected alternatives: Tagapayo, Katulong, pamamagitan
Original: παράκλητος
Category: God
John 14:16,26; 15:26; 16:7. MUST NOT be rendered with baseline’s pamamagitan (intercession), which the baseline flags Critical for its association with saints’/Marian intercession devotion. The Spirit’s Paraclete-ministry is a unique divine Person’s personal indwelling help, not one helper among several available spiritual patrons.
Pre Existence Descended From Heaven
Approved rendering: nanaog/bumaba mula sa langit
Transliteration: katabas ek tou ouranou
Doctrine: Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
Original: καταβὰς ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ
Category: Christology
John 3:13 (core passage); cf. 6:38, 6:62. Must be rendered as unambiguous heavenly-origin language, not read as merely visionary or as the language used for an angelic visitation.
Sign
Approved rendering: tanda
Transliteration: sēmeion
Doctrine: Signs as Revelation of Christ’s Identity
Rejected alternatives: himala
Original: σημεῖον
Category: Salvation
John 2:11,18,23; 3:2 (core passage); 4:48; 6:14,26; 9:16; 11:47; 12:37; 20:30-31. NEVER render as himala without qualification; himala in Filipino folk-Catholic usage carries strong associations with miraculous images, apparitions, and localized devotional shrines. John’s signs are Christ-identity-revealing acts, not free-floating wonders validating a shrine or image.
Son Of God
Approved rendering: Anak ng Diyos
Transliteration: Anak ng Diyos
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ
Original: υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. John 20:31’s stated purpose (‘that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God’) makes this term the Gospel’s own hermeneutical target; must not read as metaphorical or honorary sonship.
Son Of Man
Approved rendering: Anak ng Tao
Transliteration: huios tou anthrōpou
Doctrine: Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
Rejected alternatives: tao lamang
Original: υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου
Category: Christology
Jesus’s preferred self-designation (John 1:51; 3:13-14, core passage; 5:27; 6:27,53; 9:35; 12:23; 13:31), combining true humanity with hidden Danielic (Dan 7:13-14) divine authority. Filipino ‘Anak ng Tao’ reads naturally as plain humanity; the hidden divine-authority sense must be recovered through a standing teaching note.
Spirit Of Truth
Approved rendering: Espiritu ng Katotohanan
Transliteration: to pneuma tēs alētheias
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Original: τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας
Category: God
John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13. A full title for the Holy Spirit as a distinct divine Person, reusing baseline Espiritu Santo; must not be read as an abstract personification of ‘truthfulness.‘
That They May Be One
Approved rendering: upang sila ay maging isa
Transliteration: hina ōsin hen
Doctrine: Unity of the Father and the Son
Original: ἵνα ὦσιν ἕν
Category: Church
John 17:11,21-23. Must be distinguished from the essential, ontological unity of the Father and Son themselves (see father_and_son_are_one) — this is an analogical, Spirit-enabled relational/missional unity among believers, not a flattening of the Trinity-level doctrine into a merely human-level unity claim.
Wind Spirit Wordplay
Approved rendering: hangin / Espiritu
Transliteration: pneuma
Doctrine: The New Birth and Regeneration by the Spirit
Original: πνεῦμα
Category: Salvation
John 3:8 (core passage). Single Greek word covers both ‘wind’ and ‘Spirit’; Filipino requires two separate words, so the pun cannot survive. The illustrative logic (the Spirit’s regenerating work is as sovereign and unseen as the wind) must be made explicit in the surrounding text.
World Kosmos
Approved rendering: sanlibutan
Transliteration: kosmos
Doctrine: God’s Love for the World
Rejected alternatives: mundo, daigdig
John 1:10, 3:16-17 (core passage), 12:31, 15:18-19, 16:33, 17:9,23. Referent shifts across John — loved object (3:16), fallen order hostile to God (15:18-19), ruled by ‘the prince of this world’ (12:31,14:30,16:11). Each occurrence must be sense-tagged in the segment cache; a single flattened rendering risks either universalizing salvation without qualification or losing God’s love for fallen humanity as its stated ground.
Medium Risk Terms
Abba
Approved rendering: Abba
Transliteration: Abba
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Inherited from Romans package. Not directly used in John’s text but retained for cross-curriculum consistency of Father-intimacy vocabulary alongside John’s own Father-Son relational language.
Abide
Approved rendering: manatili
Transliteration: menō
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: μένω
Category: Faith
John 15:4-10. Ongoing, living, faith-sustained union with Christ, in his love, and in his word; must be distinguished from merely ‘staying’ in a physical location.
Adoption
Approved rendering: pag-ampon
Transliteration: pag-ampon
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Inherited from Romans package. Thematically related to John 1:12-13’s ‘children of God… born of God,’ though John does not use this exact vocabulary; retained for cross-curriculum consistency of the family-inheritance doctrine.
Blood And Water
Approved rendering: dugo at tubig
Transliteration: haima kai hydōr
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Original: αἷμα καὶ ὕδωρ
Category: Salvation
John 19:34, connected typologically to the Passover Lamb (19:36 citing Exodus 12:46). Keep the primary teaching emphasis on Passover-lamb typology (the once-for-all substitutionary sacrifice) rather than developing sacramental-theology conclusions the text itself does not make explicit.
Christs Victory Over The World
Approved rendering: Aking dinaig/natalo na ang sanlibutan
Transliteration: egō nenikēka ton kosmon
Doctrine: God’s Love for the World
Original: ἐγὼ νενίκηκα τὸν κόσμον
Category: Eschatology
John 16:33. A triumphant, already-accomplished-tense claim preceding the cross itself in narrative time; should be taught as confident anticipation of the victory the cross and resurrection will accomplish, not merely future hope.
Church
Approved rendering: iglesia
Transliteration: iglesia
Doctrine: Church as God’s People
Rejected alternatives: simbahan
Inherited from Romans package. John 10’s one-flock/shepherd imagery functions typologically for the gathered people of God; iglesia preferred over simbahan (the building).
Covenant
Approved rendering: tipan
Transliteration: tipan
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Background relevant to John 7:42’s crowd debate over Jesus’s Davidic descent; requires OT-background teaching as in baseline.
Darkness
Approved rendering: kadiliman
Transliteration: skotos
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Original: σκότος
Category: Salvation
John 1:5, 3:19-20 (core passage), 12:35, 12:46. Moral/spiritual alienation from God, hidden evil, unbelief; paired directly with light.
Election
Approved rendering: pagkahirang
Transliteration: pagkahirang
Doctrine: Effectual Calling
Rejected alternatives: swerte, kapalaran
Inherited from Romans package. Conceptually related to John 6:44’s ‘draw’ (see draw_effectual_calling, new term) describing the Father’s sovereign initiative; never swerte/kapalaran.
Faith
Approved rendering: pananampalataya
Transliteration: pananampalataya
Doctrine: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Verb form sumampalataya/maniwala (see believe_in_christ, new term) underlies John’s stated purpose (20:31); object of belief must remain Christ specifically throughout John.
Flesh
Approved rendering: laman
Transliteration: sarx
Doctrine: Incarnation
Original: σάρξ
Category: Christology
Positive sense (John 1:14, true humanity of the Word) and negative sense (John 3:6, core passage, merely-natural life) share the same Filipino word. A teaching note must clarify flesh is not inherently evil, since the same word describes the Word’s genuine incarnation.
Fruit
Approved rendering: bunga
Transliteration: karpos
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: καρπός
Category: Faith
John 15:2-8,16. The visible outcome of abiding faith in Christ; should not be moralized into a performance-based measure of one’s standing, echoing baseline’s grace-versus-merit caution.
Gods Kingdom Not Of This World
Approved rendering: ang aking kaharian ay hindi sa mundong ito
Transliteration: hē basileia hē emē ouk estin ek tou kosmou toutou
Doctrine: Kingdom of God (Entered by New Birth)
Original: ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου
Category: Kingdom
John 18:36. Should be taught as a claim about the kingdom’s source and character, not derived from worldly political power — not a claim that Christ’s kingship lacks real, present and future authority over the world.
Gospel
Approved rendering: Mabuting Balita
Transliteration: mabuting balita
Doctrine: Gospel
Inherited from Romans package. John 20:30-31’s purpose statement (‘that you may believe… and have life in his name’) functions as this Gospel’s own statement of evangelistic purpose; no new risk introduced.
Grain Of Wheat
Approved rendering: butil ng trigo
Transliteration: kokkos tou sitou
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Original: κόκκος τοῦ σίτου
Category: Salvation
John 12:24. Illustrates the necessity and fruitfulness of Christ’s substitutionary death, and by extension self-giving discipleship; should not be moralized into a performance-based measure of standing.
Holy
Approved rendering: banal
Transliteration: banal
Doctrine: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package. Root shared with sanctify/pagpapabanal (John 17:17,19) and mga banal (saints).
Israel
Approved rendering: Israel
Transliteration: Israel
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
Inherited from Romans package. Appears at John 1:49 (‘King of Israel’) and 3:10 (‘teacher of Israel’, core passage).
King Of The Jews King Of Israel
Approved rendering: Hari ng mga Judio / Hari ng Israel
Transliteration: basileus tōn Ioudaiōn / basileus tou Israēl
Doctrine: Messianic Promise
Original: βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων / βασιλεὺς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ
Category: Covenant
John 1:49 (acclamation) and 19:19-22 (crucifixion titulus, intended as mockery but affirmed by John as literally true). Reuses baseline Israel; worth a teaching note on the narrative irony resolving into a genuine kingship claim.
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: Kaharian ng Diyos
Transliteration: Kaharian ng Diyos
Doctrine: Kingdom Mission
Inherited from Romans package. John 3:3,5 (core passage) conditions entrance on the new birth, not physical descent or religious pedigree; John 18:36 clarifies the kingdom’s source is not of this world.
Law
Approved rendering: kautusan
Transliteration: kautusan
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Prophecy
Inherited from Romans package. Appears in John 1:17 (‘the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ’), 7:19, 7:51, 8:5; no significant new folk-religious connotation risk beyond baseline.
Light
Approved rendering: liwanag
Transliteration: phōs
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Original: φῶς
Category: Salvation
John 1:4-9, 3:19-21 (core passage), 8:12, 9:5, 12:35-36. Must retain the moral-revelatory sense (Christ himself as light exposing deeds), not be read as a purely devotional or candle-lighting image before an icon or shrine.
Peace
Approved rendering: kapayapaan
Transliteration: kapayapaan
Doctrine: Peace with God
Inherited from Romans package. Reused at John 14:27, 16:33, 20:19,21,26; 14:27 explicitly distinguishes Christ’s peace from worldly peace.
Perish
Approved rendering: mapahamak
Transliteration: apollymi
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Original: ἀπόλλυμι
Category: Salvation
John 3:16 (core passage). Must retain the sense of ultimate, eternal ruin as the counterpart to eternal life, not be softened to a merely temporal ‘get lost’ or physical death alone.
Resurrection
Approved rendering: pagkabuhay na mag-uli
Transliteration: pagkabuhay na mag-uli
Doctrine: Resurrection of Christ
Original: ἀνάστασις
Category: Eschatology
Inherited from Romans package. John presents the resurrection as bodily and historically verifiable (empty tomb, grave-cloths, Thomas invited to touch, ch.20), consistent with baseline’s comparatively low syncretism risk in the Filipino context.
Sanctification
Approved rendering: pagpapabanal
Transliteration: pagpapabanal
Doctrine: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package. John 17:17,19 ties sanctification to God’s truth/word rather than ritual purification; see also sanctify (new term) for the verb hagiazō.
Sanctify
Approved rendering: banalin / ibukod para sa Diyos
Transliteration: hagiazō
Doctrine: Sanctification
Original: ἁγιάζω
Category: Sanctification
John 17:17,19. Jesus prays for the disciples’ sanctification ‘in truth’ and sanctifies himself on their behalf; ties sanctification directly to God’s word/truth rather than ritual purification.
Shepherd My Sheep
Approved rendering: pakanin/pastulan ang aking mga tupa
Transliteration: poimaine ta probata mou
Doctrine: Peter’s Restoration and the Pastoral Calling
Original: ποίμαινε τὰ πρόβατά μου
Category: Church
John 21:15-17. Commissions Peter (and by extension church leadership generally) into Christ’s own shepherding pattern (ch.10); should be taught as derivative, under-shepherd care, not a replacement of Christ’s own unique Good-Shepherd role.
Sin
Approved rendering: kasalanan
Transliteration: kasalanan
Doctrine: Universal Human Accountability
Inherited from Romans package. John 9:2-3,34 corrects the assumption that suffering is always direct divine punishment for personal sin; John 16:8’s Spirit-conviction of sin (see convict_of_sin, new term) is closely related but distinct.
Temple Of His Body
Approved rendering: templo (ng kanyang katawan)
Transliteration: naos
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Original: ναός
Category: Christology
John 2:19-21. The wordplay between the physical Jerusalem temple and Christ’s own body should be preserved with a teaching note anticipating both the crucifixion/resurrection doctrine and the later church-as-temple motif.
Truth
Approved rendering: katotohanan
Transliteration: alētheia
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Original: ἀλήθεια
Category: Faith
Throughout John, especially 1:14,17; 3:21 (core passage); 8:32; 14:6; 17:17. John’s use is more ontological/revelatory (reality disclosed by God, embodied in Christ) than merely propositional accuracy.
Witness Testimony
Approved rendering: patotoo
Transliteration: martyria / martyreō
Doctrine: Witness and Testimony to Christ
Original: μαρτυρία / μαρτυρέω
Category: Salvation
John 1:7-8,15,19-34; 3:11 (core passage); 5:31-39; 8:14-18. A major structural motif (John the Baptist, the Father, the works, the Scriptures); must retain the sense of authoritative eyewitness declaration, not casual personal opinion or anecdote.
Worship In Spirit And Truth
Approved rendering: sumamba sa espiritu at katotohanan
Transliteration: proskyneō / pneuma kai alētheia
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Original: προσκυνέω / πνεῦμα καὶ ἀλήθεια
Category: Salvation
John 4:20-24. Relocates true worship away from any specific geographic or ritual site to a Spirit-enabled, truth-grounded relationship with the Father. Important teaching point given the Filipino context’s strong attachment to place-specific and image-specific devotional practice; should be taught without dismissively caricaturing devotional practice.
Low Risk Terms
Follow Me
Approved rendering: sumunod
Transliteration: akoloutheō
Doctrine: Discipleship and Following Christ
Original: ἀκολουθέω
Category: Church
John 1:37-43; 21:19,22. The discipleship-following motif opening and closing the Gospel.
Grumble
Approved rendering: magbulung-bulungan
Transliteration: gongyzō
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Original: γογγύζω
Category: Salvation
John 6:41,43,61. Echoes Israel’s wilderness grumbling against the manna (Exodus 16-17), reinforcing the manna typology of the Bread of Life discourse.
Love Phileo
Approved rendering: mahal / pag-ibig
Transliteration: phileō
Doctrine: Peter’s Restoration and the Pastoral Calling
Original: φιλέω
Category: Faith
John 21:15-17 (Peter’s threefold reply, near-synonym to agapaō, cf. 5:20). Filipino sustains no clean lexical distinction from agapaō; translators should not invent an artificial two-term distinction not clearly sustained by John’s own broader usage, while preserving the pastoral force of Peter’s threefold restoration answering his threefold denial.
Wash Feet
Approved rendering: hugasan (ang paa)
Transliteration: niptō
Doctrine: Christlike Humility and Servanthood
Original: νίπτω
Category: Church
John 13:5-14. A culturally vivid enacted parable of servanthood; worth a teaching note on humble service as the pattern Christ’s followers are to imitate.
Referenced passages