Core Glossary
08 Core Glossary: Philemon (English → Filipino)
This glossary covers every load-bearing theological term identified across the full text of Philemon (analysis/07_semantic_analysis.md), organized by status relative to the baseline Romans Language Package. Terms marked REUSED carry over the baseline rendering exactly, with no deviation permitted. Terms marked NEW are introduced for this curriculum and must be added to translation memory before Phase 2 processing begins, per the AI Translation Requirements’ term-registration protocol.
Section A — Terms Reused Exactly from Baseline (No Deviation Permitted)
| Term (EN) | Greek / Transliteration | Filipino Rendering | Risk Tier | Doctrine (Philemon) | Baseline Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| grace | χάρις / charis | biyaya | High | Grace-Motivated Obedience | Never utang na loob; occurs at vv.3, 25 (benediction bookends) and underlies χαρίζομαι, v.22 |
| peace | εἰρήνη / eirēnē | kapayapaan | Medium | (greeting formula) | v.3 |
| faith | πίστις / pistis | pananampalataya | Medium | Grace-Motivated Obedience | v.5 |
| gospel | εὐαγγέλιον / euangelion | Mabuting Balita | Medium | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | v.13 |
| saints | ἅγιοι / hagioi | mga banal | Critical | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | vv.5, 7; retain baseline teaching note (all believers, not a canonized elite) |
| church | ἐκκλησία / ekklēsia | iglesia | Medium | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | v.2, house church |
| fellowship | κοινωνία / koinōnia | pagsasamahan | Low | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | v.6 |
| thanksgiving | εὐχαριστία / eucharistia | pasasalamat | Low | (opening) | v.4 |
| exhort / appeal | παρακαλέω / parakaleō | makiusap (entreaty sense, active here) | High (contextually elevated for Philemon) | Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another | vv.9-10; baseline distinguishes makiusap (entreaty) from pasiglahin (encouragement) — Philemon uses the entreaty sense |
| God | θεός / theos | Diyos | High | (greeting formula) | v.3 |
| Father | πατήρ / patēr | Ama | High | (greeting formula) | v.3 |
| Lord | κύριος / kyrios | Panginoon | High | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | vv.3, 16, 20 |
| Jesus | Ἰησοῦς / Iēsous | Jesus | High | (throughout) | vv.1, 3, 9, 25 |
| Christ (name) | Χριστός / Christos | Kristo | High | (throughout) | Rendered “Kristo Jesus” per AI transliteration standard, distinct from the title-sense Mesiyas; occurs vv.1, 3, 6, 8, 9, 20, 23, 25 |
Section B — New Terms Introduced for Philemon (To Be Added to Translation Memory)
| Term (EN) | Greek / Transliteration | Filipino Rendering | Risk Tier | Doctrine | Key Verse(s) | Rationale / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| slave / bondservant | δοῦλος / doulos | alipin | High | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | 1:16 | Ancient chattel-slavery sense must be preserved, not flattened into modern “katulong” (household helper); Philippine pre-colonial/colonial slavery history and live modern concerns around exploitative domestic labor and trafficking make this term culturally loaded, requiring explicit teaching that the gospel transforms the relationship, not that the letter issues an outright command to manumit |
| brother | ἀδελφός / adelphos | kapatid | Medium | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | 1:1, 7, 16, 20 | Standard, gender-neutral Filipino sibling/kinship term already used in Filipino church life (“mga kapatid kay Kristo”); must be applied consistently as the term that displaces δοῦλος at v.16 |
| heart / inward affection | σπλάγχνα / splagchna | puso | High | Forgiveness and Reconciliation; Christian Brotherhood | 1:7, 12, 20 | Idiom for deepest affection; a flat/polite rendering loses the visceral, embodied warmth driving the appeal; consistent rendering required across all three occurrences |
| grant graciously / restore | χαρίζομαι / charizomai | ipagkaloob | High | Grace-Motivated Obedience; Forgiveness and Reconciliation | 1:22 | Shares root with χάρις/biyaya; carries a “forgive/restore graciously” sense elsewhere in the NT; must not be rendered with a merit-neutral verb that severs the grace-root connection |
| charge to account / credit | ἐλλογάω / ellogaō | ibilang sa akin | High | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | 1:18 | Technical accounting/ledger term; deliberately parallels the baseline’s “ibinilang” root used for imputed_righteousness (katuwirang ibinilang); rendering must preserve the ledger/crediting sense, not merely “babayaran ko” |
| partner / sharer | κοινωνός / koinōnos | kabahagi | Medium | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | 1:17 | Related to, but distinct from, the baseline fellowship (pagsasamahan) noun; must remain visibly connected to that root |
| voluntary / of one’s own accord | ἑκούσιος / hekousios | kusang-loob | Medium-High | Grace-Motivated Obedience | 1:14 | Positive pole of the grace-vs-compulsion contrast; reinforces the baseline’s rejection of utang na loob framing for grace-responses |
| necessity / compulsion | ἀνάγκη / anankē | pamimilit | Medium | Grace-Motivated Obedience | 1:14 | Negative pole of the same contrast; names what grace-motivated obedience is not |
| obedience | ὑπακοή / hypakoē | pagsunod | Medium | Grace-Motivated Obedience | 1:21 | Distinct from the baseline compound obedience_of_faith (pagsunod na mula sa pananampalataya, a specific Romans doctrinal phrase); here it is Philemon’s personal, appeal-responsive compliance, though the same grace-not-compulsion logic applies |
| prisoner | δέσμιος / desmios | bilanggo | Medium | Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another | 1:1, 9, 23 | Self-identification “prisoner of Christ Jesus,” not Rome; frames Paul’s authority-forgoing posture undergirding the appeal |
| wrong / do injustice | ἀδικέω / adikeō | nagkasala (contextually: may ginawang masama) | Medium | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | 1:18 | Real wrongdoing is named and acknowledged, not minimized, before forgiveness is extended |
| owe / be indebted | ὀφείλω / opheilō | may utang | Medium | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | 1:18-19 | Concrete financial/moral debt named alongside relational offense |
| owe besides | προσοφείλω / prosopheilō | may karagdagang utang | Medium | Grace-Motivated Obedience | 1:19 | Rhetorical leverage term; must not be read as claiming grace itself must be repaid |
| command | ἐπιτάσσω / epitassō | mag-utos | Medium | Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another | 1:8 | The authority Paul deliberately declines to use; must contrast sharply with makiusap (v.9-10) |
| persuaded / confident | πείθω / peithō | may tiwala | Medium | Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another | 1:21 | Confident trust, not anxious demand; consistent with the appeal-not-command posture |
| child (spiritual) | τέκνον / teknon | anak | Medium | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | 1:10 | Spiritual, not biological, fatherhood; conceptually adjacent to but distinct from baseline adoption |
| beget / father (spiritually) | γεννάω / gennaō | ipinanganak | Medium | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | 1:10 | Metaphorical spiritual begetting through conversion; requires context markers to avoid a literal biological reading |
| refresh / give rest | ἀναπαύω / anapauō | pahingahin | Medium | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | 1:7, 20 | Relational/emotional refreshment, not physical rest alone |
| separate / depart | χωρίζω / chōrizō | humiwalay | Medium | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | 1:15 | Diplomatic passive for Onesimus’s flight; must not minimize or contradict the direct wrongdoing language of vv.18-19 |
| love | ἀγάπη / agapē | pag-ibig | Medium | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | 1:5, 7, 9 | Ground of both Philemon’s character and Paul’s appeal; not previously a standalone baseline entry |
| beloved | ἀγαπητός / agapētos | minamahal | Low | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | 1:1, 16 | Intensifies ἀδελφός |
| boldness / confidence | παρρησία / parrēsia | lakas-loob | Low | Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another | 1:8 | Sets up the command-vs-appeal contrast |
| fitting / proper | ἀνῆκον / anēkon | nararapat | Low | Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another | 1:8 | |
| bonds / chains | δεσμός / desmos | mga tanikala / mga gapos | Low | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | 1:10, 13 | |
| useless | ἄχρηστος / achrēstos | walang kabuluhan | Low | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | 1:11 | Wordplay on Onesimus’s name; requires translator note |
| useful / profitable | εὔχρηστος / euchrēstos | lubhang kapaki-pakinabang | Low | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | 1:11 | Wordplay on Onesimus’s name; requires translator note |
| send back | ἀναπέμπω / anapempō | ipinadala kong pabalik | Low | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | 1:12 | |
| retain / keep | κατέχω / katechō | panatilihin | Low | Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another | 1:13 | |
| serve / minister | διακονέω / diakoneō | paglingkuran | Low | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | 1:13 | Gospel-repurposed service, not mere household labor |
| opinion / consent | γνώμη / gnōmē | pahintulot | Low | Grace-Motivated Obedience | 1:14 | |
| good (thing) | ἀγαθός / agathos | mabuti | Low | Grace-Motivated Obedience | 1:6, 14 | |
| eternal / permanent | αἰώνιος / aiōnios | magpakailanman (relational sense, contextual) | Low | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | 1:15 | Relational permanence, not the technical eternal-life sense |
| pay back / repay | ἀποτίνω / apotinō | babayaran ko | Low | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | 1:19 | |
| welcome / receive | προσλαμβάνω / proslambanō | tanggapin | Low | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | 1:17 | Concrete action requested: full welcome, not distant tolerance |
| fellow worker | συνεργός / synergos | kapwa manggagawa | Low | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | 1:1, 24 | |
| fellow soldier | συστρατιώτης / systratiōtēs | kapwa kawal | Low | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | 1:2 | |
| fellow prisoner | συναιχμάλωτος / synaichmalōtos | kapwa bihag | Low | Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another | 1:23 | |
| prayer | προσευχή / proseuchē | panalangin | Low | Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another | 1:4, 22 | |
| joy | χαρά / chara | kagalakan | Low | (opening warmth) | 1:7 | |
| comfort / encouragement | παράκλησις / paraklēsis | kaaliwan | Low | (opening warmth) | 1:7 | Noun form of parakaleō |
| full knowledge | ἐπίγνωσις / epignōsis | kaalaman | Low | (opening) | 1:6 | |
| hope | ἐλπίζω / elpizō | umaasa | Low | Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another | 1:22 | Confident expectation, not uncertain wishing |
| lodging / hospitality | ξενία / xenia | matuluyan | Low | (closing) | 1:22 | |
| ambassador / old man | πρεσβύτης / πρεσβευτής (variant) | matandang lalaki (translator note on ambassador variant) | Low | Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another | 1:9 | Textual-critical choice, not doctrinal collision |
| spirit (human) | πνεῦμα / pneuma | inyong espiritu (lower-case, human sense) | Medium | (closing benediction) | 1:25 | Must be clearly distinguished from Espiritu Santo (Holy Spirit) |
Section C — Proper Names (Established Transliteration Forms)
| English | Filipino | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Philemon | Filemon | Low |
| Onesimus | Onesimo | Low (requires wordplay translator note, see vv.10-11, 20) |
| Apphia | Apia | Low |
| Archippus | Arkipo | Low |
| Epaphras | Epafras | Low |
| Mark | Marcos | Low |
| Aristarchus | Aristarco | Low |
| Demas | Demas | Low |
| Luke | Lucas | Low |
Cross-Reference Note on Related Baseline Terms
Several Philemon terms deliberately echo baseline Romans concepts without being identical to them; Phase 2 translators must preserve the distinction while allowing the doctrinal resonance to be taught:
- ἐλλογάω (ibilang sa akin) echoes but is distinct from baseline
imputed_righteousness(katuwirang ibinilang) — both use crediting/accounting language, one for a financial debt, one for righteousness. - τέκνον/γεννάω (spiritual child/begetting) echoes but is distinct from baseline
adoption(pag-ampon) — Onesimus’s new status is described through begetting metaphor here, not the legal adoption metaphor used in Romans 8. - ὑπακοή (pagsunod) echoes but is distinct from baseline
obedience_of_faith(pagsunod na mula sa pananampalataya) — the Romans compound names a specific doctrinal phrase; Philemon 1:21 uses the plain noun for Philemon’s personal compliance with Paul’s appeal. - χαρίζομαι (ipagkaloob) shares its root with baseline
grace(biyaya) — reinforcing, not replacing, the grace vocabulary already fixed in translation memory.
Critical Risk Terms
Imputed Righteousness
Approved rendering: katuwirang ibinilang
Transliteration: katuwirang ibinilang
Doctrine: Substitutionary Debt-Bearing
Rejected alternatives: katuwirang nakamit sa mga sakramento
Inherited from Romans package (exact match, no deviation). Not itself used in Philemon, but its ‘ibinilang’ (credited/charged) root is deliberately echoed by the new term charge_to_account (ellogaō, v.18, ‘ibilang sa akin’). The two concepts (a financial debt credited to Paul vs. righteousness credited to a believer) must remain doctrinally distinct while the crediting/ledger connection is taught as a resonance.
Intercession
Approved rendering: pamamagitan
Transliteration: pamamagitan
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
CRITICAL. Inherited from Romans package (exact match, no deviation). RESTRICTED USAGE IN THIS BOOK: do not use pamamagitan to translate Paul’s human appeal to Philemon anywhere in the running text of Philemon (use exhort_appeal/namamanhik-nakikiusap instead). Reserve this term strictly for Christ’s/Spirit’s unique, sufficient heavenly intercession per the baseline. If used descriptively in commentary about Paul’s advocacy for Onesimus, it must carry an explicit note distinguishing that one-time, human, horizontal appeal from this word’s Critical-risk doctrinal referent (Christ’s unique mediatorship, not the pamamagitan ng mga santo devotional paradigm).
Saints
Approved rendering: mga banal
Transliteration: mga banal
Doctrine: Sainthood (Called to be Holy)
Original: ἅγιοι
Category: Church
CRITICAL. Inherited from Romans package (exact match, no deviation). Occurs at vv.5, 7 for the ordinary believers Philemon has already refreshed. Retain baseline teaching note at every occurrence: designates every believer set apart in Christ, not an elite canonized class venerated with feast days, images, and novenas.
High Risk Terms
Charge To Account
Approved rendering: ibilang sa akin
Transliteration: ibilang sa akin
Doctrine: Substitutionary Debt-Bearing
Rejected alternatives: babayaran ko lang
Original: ἐλλογάω
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
NEW. Ellogaō, v.18, a technical accounting/ledger term: Paul’s offer to personally absorb Onesimus’s debt. Deliberately parallels the baseline’s ‘ibinilang’ root used for imputed_righteousness. A generic repayment verb without the ledger sense loses the doctrinal echo of credited righteousness, reducing Forgiveness and Reconciliation to a private financial settlement.
Christ
Approved rendering: Kristo
Transliteration: Kristo
Doctrine: Christology
Original: Χριστός
Category: Christology
Newly formalized as a standalone entry for this curriculum; the baseline Romans package fixed only ‘messiah’ (Mesiyas, the OT-fulfillment title sense) and did not carry a separate ‘christ’ key. Rendered ‘Kristo’ per the AI transliteration standard, distinct from Mesiyas, and typically paired as ‘Kristo Jesus.’ Occurs vv.1, 3, 6, 8, 9, 20, 23, 25.
Exhort Appeal
Approved rendering: namamanhik / nakikiusap
Transliteration: namamanhik / nakikiusap
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Rejected alternatives: pasiglahin
Inherited from Romans package’s ‘exhort’ entry, which distinguishes makiusap (entreaty) from pasiglahin (building-up encouragement). Philemon activates the entreaty sense exclusively at vv.9-10 and is ELEVATED to High risk in this book because the letter’s entire rhetorical strategy — grace-motivated persuasion instead of command — depends on this word carrying real entreaty force, not a softened command.
Father
Approved rendering: Ama
Transliteration: Ama
Doctrine: Greeting Formula
Original: πατήρ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package (exact match, no deviation). Greeting formula, v.3. Keep distinct from the priestly title Padre and from ancestor-veneration address.
God
Approved rendering: Diyos
Transliteration: Diyos
Doctrine: Greeting Formula
Rejected alternatives: Bathala
Original: θεός
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package (exact match, no deviation). Greeting formula, v.3. Never Bathala, the pre-colonial Tagalog supreme-being concept.
Grace
Approved rendering: biyaya
Transliteration: biyaya
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Rejected alternatives: utang na loob
Original: χάρις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package (exact match, no deviation). Bookends the letter (vv.3, 25) and underlies the verb charizomai (v.22, ipagkaloob). Never frame as utang na loob; Philemon’s entire persuasive strategy depends on his response being freely given, not owed reciprocity for Paul’s ministry investment.
Grant Graciously
Approved rendering: ipagkaloob
Transliteration: ipagkaloob
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Rejected alternatives: ibalik
Original: χαρίζομαι
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
NEW. Charizomai, v.22, describing Paul’s own anticipated release as itself an act of grace. Shares its root directly with charis/biyaya. Must not be rendered with a flat, merit-neutral verb like ‘ibalik’ that severs the grace-root connection to the letter’s opening (v.3) and closing (v.25) grace-greetings.
Heart
Approved rendering: puso
Transliteration: puso
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Rejected alternatives: aking kaibigan, mahal ko
Original: σπλάγχνα
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
NEW. Splagchna (literally inward parts/entrails; idiomatically the seat of deep affection). Recurs at the letter’s three emotional and doctrinal high points: v.7 (Philemon’s refreshing of the saints), v.12 (Onesimus is Paul’s own splagchna), v.20 (Paul’s request for refreshment). A flat or merely polite rendering strips the visceral, embodied affection that makes the appeal for cross-status brotherhood persuasive rather than merely dutiful. Render consistently across all three occurrences.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: Espiritu Santo
Transliteration: Espiritu Santo
Doctrine: Closing Benediction and the Human Spirit
Rejected alternatives: anito, kaluluwa
Inherited from Romans package (exact match, no deviation). Not directly named in Philemon’s own text, but the fixed rendering must be held constant as a fence against confusion with the new ‘human_spirit’ entry (v.25, ‘your spirit’), which names Philemon’s own inner person, not this divine Person.
Jesus
Approved rendering: Jesus
Transliteration: Jesus
Doctrine: Christology
Original: Ἰησοῦς
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package (exact match, no deviation). Occurs at vv.1, 3, 9, 25; standard Filipino Protestant Bible spelling.
Lord
Approved rendering: Panginoon
Transliteration: Panginoon
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package (exact match, no deviation). Occurs at vv.3, 16, 20. In v.16, Onesimus’s new identity ‘in the Lord’ anchors the entire social transformation in Christ’s supreme authority over both master and slave; must not be diluted by devotional attention shared with Mary and the saints.
Obedience Of Faith
Approved rendering: pagsunod na mula sa pananampalataya
Transliteration: pagsunod na mula sa pananampalataya
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Inherited from Romans package (exact match, no deviation). This compound Romans doctrinal phrase (Rom 1:5, 16:26) is NOT the term used in Philemon 1:21. Retained here only to fence the distinction from the new ‘obedience’ entry (pagsunod, hypakoē), which names Philemon’s plain, personal, appeal-responsive compliance. Do not substitute one rendering for the other.
Slave
Approved rendering: alipin
Transliteration: alipin
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Rejected alternatives: katulong, utusan
Original: δοῦλος
Category: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
NEW. v.16, the status Paul says Onesimus is no longer merely occupying. HIGH RISK grounded in Philippine history and present conditions: pre-colonial alipin caste structures, Spanish-era encomienda bondage, and live present-day concern over exploitative domestic labor (kasambahay abuse) and human trafficking. Never soften to katulong or utusan, which flatten the property-ownership severity of ancient chattel slavery. Teaching must clarify the gospel transforms the relationship’s inner disposition (v.16) without this text itself commanding outright manumission, and without appearing to excuse modern exploitative labor conditions.
Voluntary
Approved rendering: kusang-loob
Transliteration: kusang-loob
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Original: ἑκούσιος
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
NEW. Hekousios, v.14, the positive pole of the choice Paul insists on for Philemon’s response. Directly reinforces the baseline’s warning against utang na loob; Philemon’s compliance must read as freely given, not a socially expected debt-repayment to Paul. This is the doctrinal hinge of Grace-Motivated Obedience in this letter.
Medium Risk Terms
Adoption
Approved rendering: pag-ampon
Transliteration: pag-ampon
Doctrine: Spiritual Fatherhood and New Birth
Inherited from Romans package (exact match, no deviation). Not used in Philemon, but fixed here to fence the distinction from the new spiritual_child/beget entries (v.10): Onesimus’s new status is described through a begetting metaphor, not the legal-adoption metaphor of Romans 8. Do not conflate the two images.
Beget
Approved rendering: ipinanganak
Transliteration: ipinanganak
Doctrine: Spiritual Fatherhood and New Birth
Original: γεννάω
Category: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
NEW. Gennaō, v.10, ‘whom I fathered/begot while in chains.’ Literal rendering could confuse readers into a biological reading; context markers (‘sa pananampalataya,’ ‘sa Panginoon’) are required.
Brother
Approved rendering: kapatid
Transliteration: kapatid
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Original: ἀδελφός
Category: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
NEW. Occurs vv.1, 7, 16, 20; the identity that directly displaces alipin as Onesimus’s new primary status at v.16. Standard, gender-neutral Filipino kinship term already familiar from church usage, but also common as casual everyday address (vendors, strangers); qualify with ‘kay Kristo’ / ‘sa Panginoon’ at the doctrinally load-bearing occurrence (v.16) so the status-reversal claim is not diluted into mere polite address.
Church
Approved rendering: iglesia
Transliteration: iglesia
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Rejected alternatives: simbahan
Original: ἐκκλησία
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package (exact match, no deviation). In v.2, specifically the congregation meeting in Philemon’s house; the house-church setting makes the whole congregation an implicit witness to Philemon’s response, adding social weight to the appeal. Must not be explained as referring to the physical building.
Command
Approved rendering: mag-utos
Transliteration: mag-utos
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Original: ἐπιτάσσω
Category: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
NEW. Epitassō, v.8, the apostolic authority Paul explicitly declines to use. Must be rendered forcefully enough that his refusal in v.9 reads as a genuine, costly choice, not merely rhetorical softening.
Compulsion
Approved rendering: pamimilit
Transliteration: pamimilit
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Original: ἀνάγκη
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
NEW. Anankē, v.14, the negative pole Paul explicitly rejects. Names the very thing grace-motivated obedience is not — action performed under pressure rather than from the heart. Must be kept as a tightly linked antithetical pair with ‘voluntary’ (kusang-loob).
Confident
Approved rendering: may tiwala
Transliteration: may tiwala
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Original: πείθω
Category: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
NEW. Peithō, v.21 (perfect participle). Paul’s closing posture is confident trust, not anxious demand — consistent with the appeal-not-command strategy of vv.8-9.
Faith
Approved rendering: pananampalataya
Transliteration: pananampalataya
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Original: πίστις
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package (exact match, no deviation). Named in v.5 alongside love as characterizing Philemon; object of faith (Christ) must remain recoverable from context.
Gospel
Approved rendering: Mabuting Balita
Transliteration: mabuting balita
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Original: εὐαγγέλιον
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package (exact match, no deviation). In Philemon 1:13 the gospel is the ground on which Onesimus’s transformed service to Paul is offered; must not be diluted into generic good news detached from Christ’s saving work.
Human Spirit
Approved rendering: inyong espiritu
Transliteration: inyong espiritu
Doctrine: Closing Benediction and the Human Spirit
Original: πνεῦμα
Category: God
NEW. Pneuma, v.25 — Philemon’s own human spirit, not the Holy Spirit. Must be clearly distinguished from the fixed baseline holy_spirit entry (Espiritu Santo); render lower-case with contextual markers to prevent conflation of the two very different referents.
Love
Approved rendering: pag-ibig
Transliteration: pag-ibig
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Rejected alternatives: pagmamahal
Original: ἀγάπη
Category: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
NEW. Agapē, vv.5, 7, 9 — the ground of both Philemon’s character and Paul’s appeal itself. Not a standalone baseline entry (Romans addresses grace and faith directly but not agapē); use consistently across all occurrences, do not vary with pagmamahal.
Obedience
Approved rendering: pagsunod
Transliteration: pagsunod
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Original: ὑπακοή
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
NEW. Hypakoē, v.21, Philemon’s expected personal response to Paul’s appeal. Distinct from the baseline compound obedience_of_faith (pagsunod na mula sa pananampalataya). Same grace-not-compulsion logic (cf. v.14’s anankē) applies and should be taught alongside it; must not be read as a debt owed to Paul (cf. v.19’s prosopheilō).
Owe Besides
Approved rendering: may karagdagang utang
Transliteration: may karagdagang utang
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Original: προσοφείλω
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
NEW. Prosopheilō, v.19, a pointed reminder that Philemon’s entire Christian life is owed to Paul’s ministry. Care needed: this is relational leverage in service of the appeal, not a claim that grace itself (biyaya) must be repaid — do not let this collapse into utang na loob framing.
Owe
Approved rendering: may utang
Transliteration: may utang
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Original: ὀφείλω
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
NEW. Opheilō, vv.18-19, a concrete, quantifiable debt named alongside the relational wrong. Paul treats both registers with equal seriousness; do not collapse into one vague term.
Partner
Approved rendering: kabahagi
Transliteration: kabahagi
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Original: κοινωνός
Category: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
NEW. Koinōnos, v.17, the basis on which Paul asks Philemon to receive Onesimus as he would receive Paul himself. Related to, but distinct from, the baseline fellowship (pagsasamahan) entry; must remain visibly connected to that root so the relational logic of the appeal is not lost.
Peace
Approved rendering: kapayapaan
Transliteration: kapayapaan
Doctrine: Greeting Formula
Original: εἰρήνη
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package (exact match, no deviation). Standard Pauline greeting formula, v.3.
Prisoner
Approved rendering: bilanggo
Transliteration: bilanggo
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Original: δέσμιος
Category: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
NEW. Desmios, Paul’s self-identification at vv.1, 9, 23. Must consistently read ‘bilanggo ni Kristo Jesus’ — never bare ‘bilanggo’ — to preserve the theological reframing of imprisonment as belonging to Christ, not Rome, an act of self-humbling that strengthens the appeal.
Refresh
Approved rendering: pahingahin
Transliteration: pahingahin
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Original: ἀναπαύω
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
NEW. Anapauō, vv.7, 20 — Philemon’s ministry to the saints and Paul’s own request for the same relief. Relational/emotional refreshment, not physical rest alone; a flat literal rendering risks sounding merely physical.
Separated
Approved rendering: humiwalay
Transliteration: humiwalay
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Original: χωρίζω
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
NEW. Chōrizō, v.15, a diplomatic passive for what was likely Onesimus’s flight. Must be read alongside the direct wrongdoing language of vv.18-19; the euphemism must not, on its own, imply no real wrong occurred.
Spiritual Child
Approved rendering: anak
Transliteration: anak
Doctrine: Spiritual Fatherhood and New Birth
Original: τέκνον
Category: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
NEW. Teknon, v.10, Onesimus as Paul’s spiritual child through conversion. Must be clearly marked as spiritual, not biological, fatherhood; conceptually adjacent to but distinct from the baseline adoption doctrine (pag-ampon), which uses a legal-adoption rather than begetting metaphor.
Wronged
Approved rendering: nagkasala (may ginawang masama)
Transliteration: nagkasala
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Original: ἀδικέω
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
NEW. Adikeō, v.18, the real offense (likely theft and/or flight) Paul does not deny occurred. Must not be softened into a vague misunderstanding; Forgiveness and Reconciliation here rests on honest acknowledgment of genuine wrong.
Low Risk Terms
Apphia
Approved rendering: Apia
Transliteration: Apia
Doctrine: Proper Name
Established Filipino Protestant Bible transliteration form, v.2.
Archippus
Approved rendering: Arkipo
Transliteration: Arkipo
Doctrine: Proper Name
Established Filipino Protestant Bible transliteration form, v.2.
Aristarchus
Approved rendering: Aristarco
Transliteration: Aristarco
Doctrine: Proper Name
Established Filipino Protestant Bible transliteration form, v.24.
Beloved
Approved rendering: minamahal
Transliteration: minamahal
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Original: ἀγαπητός
Category: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
NEW. Agapētos, vv.1, 16 — intensifies adelphos; personally cherished, not merely a formal category.
Boldness
Approved rendering: lakas-loob
Transliteration: lakas-loob
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Original: παρρησία
Category: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
NEW. Parrēsia, v.8 — sets up the contrastive function that makes v.9’s refusal to command notable.
Bonds
Approved rendering: mga tanikala
Transliteration: mga tanikala
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Original: δεσμός
Category: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
NEW. Desmos, vv.10, 13 — Onesimus’s conversion occurring ‘in my chains,’ underscoring the gospel’s transforming power even inside literal captivity.
Comfort
Approved rendering: kaaliwan
Transliteration: kaaliwan
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Original: παράκλησις
Category: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
NEW. Paraklēsis, v.7 (noun form of parakaleō) — the encouragement Paul has already received from Philemon’s love, prior to needing to appeal to that love in vv.9-10.
Consent
Approved rendering: pahintulot
Transliteration: pahintulot
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Original: γνώμη
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
NEW. Gnōmē, v.14 — Paul’s refusal to act unilaterally, respecting Philemon’s own agency.
Demas
Approved rendering: Demas
Transliteration: Demas
Doctrine: Proper Name
Established Filipino Protestant Bible transliteration form, v.24.
Elder Or Ambassador
Approved rendering: matandang lalaki
Transliteration: matandang lalaki
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Original: πρεσβύτης (variant πρεσβευτής)
Category: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
NEW. Presbytēs (majority reading) / presbeutēs (well-attested variant, ‘ambassador’), v.9. A textual-critical choice, not a doctrinal collision; render ‘matandang lalaki’ per the majority reading with a translator note on the ambassador variant.
Epaphras
Approved rendering: Epafras
Transliteration: Epafras
Doctrine: Proper Name
Established Filipino Protestant Bible transliteration form, v.23.
Eternal Relational
Approved rendering: magpakailanman
Transliteration: magpakailanman
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Rejected alternatives: walang hanggan
Original: αἰώνιος
Category: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
NEW. Aiōnios, v.15 — the permanence in view is the restored relationship, directed toward permanence ‘in the Lord’ (v.16). Contextual, relational sense; reserve ‘walang hanggan’ for the technical eternal-life sense elsewhere in the Language Package.
Fellow Prisoner
Approved rendering: kapwa bihag
Transliteration: kapwa bihag
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Original: συναιχμάλωτος
Category: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
NEW. Synaichmalōtos, v.23, describing Epaphras — reinforces the letter’s repeated shared-bondage-in-Christ motif (cf. desmios, vv.1, 9).
Fellow Soldier
Approved rendering: kapwa kawal
Transliteration: kapwa kawal
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Original: συστρατιώτης
Category: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
NEW. Systratiōtēs, v.2, describing Archippus — military solidarity language applied to gospel labor.
Fellow Worker
Approved rendering: kapwa manggagawa
Transliteration: kapwa manggagawa
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Original: συνεργός
Category: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
NEW. Synergos, vv.1, 24 — identifies Philemon and others as gospel co-laborers, not subordinates.
Fellowship
Approved rendering: pagsasamahan
Transliteration: pagsasamahan
Doctrine: Christian Fellowship and Gospel Partnership
Original: κοινωνία
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package (exact match, no deviation). Named in v.6 as the sphere of Philemon’s active generosity. Root shared with the new term koinōnos/kabahagi (v.17); the connection should be teachable.
Fitting
Approved rendering: nararapat
Transliteration: nararapat
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Original: ἀνῆκον
Category: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
NEW. Anēkon, v.8 — left generically stated, later sharpened into a concrete request.
Full Knowledge
Approved rendering: kaalaman
Transliteration: kaalaman
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Original: ἐπίγνωσις
Category: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
NEW. Epignōsis, v.6 — the goal of active faith-sharing, deepened recognition of every good thing believers have in Christ.
Good
Approved rendering: mabuti
Transliteration: mabuti
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Original: ἀγαθός
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
NEW. Agathos, vv.6, 14 — the good act Paul hopes will arise as genuinely good, not coerced.
Hope
Approved rendering: umaasa
Transliteration: umaasa
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Rejected alternatives: bahala na
Original: ἐλπίζω
Category: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
NEW. Elpizō, v.22 — Paul’s confident expectation of a future visit; grounded confidence, never uncertain wishing or fatalistic bahala na.
Joy
Approved rendering: kagalakan
Transliteration: kagalakan
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Original: χαρά
Category: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
NEW. Chara, v.7 — Paul’s emotional posture toward Philemon, ahead of making his request.
Lodging
Approved rendering: matuluyan
Transliteration: matuluyan
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Original: ξενία
Category: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
NEW. Xenia, v.22 — adds accountability to the appeal; Paul expects to see the outcome in person.
Luke
Approved rendering: Lucas
Transliteration: Lucas
Doctrine: Proper Name
Established Filipino Protestant Bible transliteration form, v.24.
Mark
Approved rendering: Marcos
Transliteration: Marcos
Doctrine: Proper Name
Established Filipino Protestant Bible transliteration form, v.24.
Onesimus
Approved rendering: Onesimo
Transliteration: Onesimo
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
NEW. Proper name (Onēsimos, meaning ‘useful/profitable’ in Greek); standard transliterated Filipino Protestant Bible form. The name carries no inherent meaning once transliterated, so the wordplay of vv.10-11 (achrēstos/euchrēstos) and v.20 (oninamai) requires a mandatory translator note at each occurrence.
Philemon
Approved rendering: Filemon
Transliteration: Filemon
Doctrine: Proper Name
Established Filipino Protestant Bible transliteration form.
Prayer
Approved rendering: panalangin
Transliteration: panalangin
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Original: προσευχή
Category: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
NEW. Proseuchē, vv.4, 22 — Paul’s ongoing intercessory prayer for Philemon and hope for his own release through prayer.
Repay
Approved rendering: babayaran ko
Transliteration: babayaran ko
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Original: ἀποτίνω
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
NEW. Apotinō, v.19 — Paul’s handwritten personal guarantee, moving intercession from words into a binding commitment.
Retain
Approved rendering: panatilihin
Transliteration: panatilihin
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Original: κατέχω
Category: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
NEW. Katechō, v.13 — what Paul admits he wanted to do with Onesimus but chooses not to, modeling self-denial in service of Philemon’s free choice.
Sent Back
Approved rendering: ipinadala kong pabalik
Transliteration: ipinadala kong pabalik
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Original: ἀναπέμπω
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
NEW. Anapempō, v.12 — Paul’s voluntary return of Onesimus, an act of enacted restitution, not concealment.
Serve
Approved rendering: paglingkuran
Transliteration: paglingkuran
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Original: διακονέω
Category: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
NEW. Diakoneō, v.13 — Onesimus’s envisioned transformed usefulness expressed as gospel service, not mere household labor.
Thanksgiving
Approved rendering: pasasalamat
Transliteration: pasasalamat
Doctrine: Thanksgiving and Prayer for Others
Original: εὐχαριστία / εὐχαριστῶ
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package (exact match, no deviation). Standard opening thanksgiving, v.4.
Useful
Approved rendering: lubhang kapaki-pakinabang
Transliteration: lubhang kapaki-pakinabang
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Original: εὔχρηστος
Category: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
NEW. Euchrēstos, v.11 — Onesimus’s transformation described in the very terms his name means; pair with the achrēstos translator note.
Useless
Approved rendering: walang kabuluhan
Transliteration: walang kabuluhan
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Original: ἄχρηστος
Category: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
NEW. Achrēstos, v.11, wordplay on Onesimus’s name. Requires a translator note pairing with euchrēstos, since transliterated ‘Onesimo’ carries no inherent meaning in Filipino.
Welcome
Approved rendering: tanggapin
Transliteration: tanggapin
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Original: προσλαμβάνω
Category: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
NEW. Proslambanō, v.17 — the concrete action Paul requests, full welcome, not distant tolerance.
Referenced passages