Doctrine Analysis

Doctrine Analysis: Matthew — Greek Destination Language

This document is the full-book doctrine matrix for Matthew 1–28, extending the baseline Romans/Galatians doctrine analysis for Greek without contradicting it. It is fully consistent with assets/doctrine_risk_registry.json (version 1, generated 2026-07-10): same 35 doctrines, same risk tiers, same review routing. Matthew 5:1-12 (the Beatitudes) is this curriculum’s theological anchor but not its scope; every chapter of Matthew is covered below, including chapters that primarily reinforce doctrines anchored elsewhere.

As throughout this Language Package, risk is overwhelmingly driven by two forces operating within Greek itself, not cross-linguistic loss: (1) Orthodox patristic/liturgical accretion — theosis, sacramental vocabulary (μυστήριο, μετάνοια, αγιασμός), icon veneration (προσκύνηση), name-day sainthood — which a Modern Greek reader accesses without any translation barrier; and (2) secular bleaching — μακάριος as “the late Mr. X,” παρουσία as classroom attendance, κόλαση as traffic-jam hyperbole — which flattens theologically loaded NT vocabulary into the mundane.

Part 1 — Full Doctrine Matrix

#	Doctrine	Risk	Primary Passages (Matthew)	Key Terms	Translation Risk Summary	Review Routing
1	The Kingdom of Heaven	Critical	3:2; 4:17,23; 5:3,10; 6:10,33; 13:11,24,31,33,44-46; 23:13	kingdom of heaven, gospel of the kingdom, mysteries of the kingdom, seek first the kingdom	βασιλεία των ουρανών risks collapsing to a purely future, post-mortem “ουρανός,” losing the present/inaugurated dimension (12:28); must be tied explicitly to baseline βασιλεία του Θεού	Human theologian
2	Jesus as the Promised Messiah and Son of David	Critical	1:1,16-18; 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30; 21:9,15; 22:41-46	Son of David, Christ, Messiah, seed of David, King of the Jews	Υιός Δαβίδ is a dynamic Messianic acclamation risking flattening into a bare genealogical note (σπέρμα Δαβίδ); the two must be kept distinct	Human theologian
3	The Virgin Conception and Incarnation	Critical	1:18-23,25	virgin, Immanuel, conceived by the Holy Spirit, flesh	παρθένος is lexically stable but the doctrine risks absorption into theosis framing (“God became man so man might become god”) over Matthew’s own Isaiah 7:14-fulfillment sign	Human theologian
4	Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy	High	1:22; 2:15,17,23; 4:14; 5:17; 8:17; 12:17,39-40; 13:35; 21:4,42; 27:9	fulfilled, it is written, the Law and the Prophets, sign of Jonah, stone the builders rejected	πληρωθῇ risks interference from the far commoner πληρώνω (“to pay a bill”); offsetting asset: direct Greek-reader access to the LXX text being cited	Human theologian
5	The Deity and Worship of Christ	Critical	2:2,11; 14:33; 16:16; 27:54; 28:9,17	worship, Son of God, truly this was the Son of God	προσκυνέω is also the ordinary verb for icon veneration; must state explicitly that Matthew’s uses toward Jesus intend full λατρεία, not τιμητική προσκύνησις by analogy to icons	Human theologian
6	The Son of Man	Critical	8:20; 9:6; 16:27-28; 24:30; 26:64	Son of Man, coming in his glory, authority to forgive sins	Surface Greek reads as mere humanity (άνθρωπος); invisible without an anchoring note to Daniel 7:13-14’s apocalyptic-authority background	Human theologian
7	The Authority of Jesus’ Teaching	High	5:21-48; 7:28-29; 9:6; 21:23-27; 28:18	authority, but I say to you, taught as one having authority, it is written	εξουσία is stable but the specific point — inherent vs. derived authority — is not automatically conveyed and must be actively drawn out	Human theologian
8	Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees	Critical	5:6,8,10,20,48; 6:1-18; 15:1-20; 22:37-40; 23:13-29	righteousness, righteousness exceeding, perfect, hypocrites, pure in heart, greatest commandment	5:20 risks being read as demanding MORE rule-keeping, the opposite of Jesus’ heart-level point; τέλειος risks trivialization via slang (“τέλειο!”) and conflation with the Orthodox lifelong τελείωσις category	Human theologian
9	Repentance	High	3:2,8,11; 4:17; 11:20-21; 12:41	repent, repentance, kingdom of heaven is at hand	μετάνοια is also the technical name of the Sacrament of Confession, risking narrowing of whole-life reorientation to the formal rite	Human theologian
10	Temptation and Testing	High	4:1-11; 6:13; 26:41	temptation, devil, it is written, lead us not into temptation	πειρασμός must render consistently across the wilderness narrative and the Lord’s Prayer; the devil must remain personal, not an abstraction	Human theologian
11	The Gospel of the Kingdom	High	4:23; 9:35; 24:14; 26:13	gospel of the kingdom, gospel preached to all nations	Compound of two independently high-risk terms; secular “good news” bleaching and afterlife-only kingdom narrowing compound each other	Human theologian
12	Parables and the Mysteries of the Kingdom	Critical	13:1-52	parable, mysteries of the kingdom, sower and seed, leaven, hidden treasure, pearl	Most severe sacramental-collision risk in the curriculum: μυστήριο overwhelmingly means Sacrament or whodunit-mystery; mandatory note every occurrence; ζύμη at 13:33 reverses the negative Galatians valence	Human theologian
13	The Authority to Forgive Sins	Critical	9:1-8	authority to forgive sins, Son of Man, sin	Implicit deity-claim risking flattening into a priestly pronouncement or ordinary interpersonal forgiveness	Human theologian
14	Confession and Denial of Christ	High	7:21-23; 10:32-33; 26:69-75	confess, deny, Lord, Lord	Same verb family (ομολογώ) as Romans 10:9’s Lordship confession; Matthew’s teaching and Peter’s denial belong to the same theological category	Human theologian
15	Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus	Critical	4:19; 8:19-22; 10:34-39; 16:24-26; 7:13-14	disciple, follow me, take up his cross, deny himself, lose life to find it, not peace but a sword, narrow gate	μαθητής is the ordinary word for schoolchild/pupil, risking flattening of total-life apprenticeship; σταυρός must retain concrete, shameful, fatal force, not become a generic hardship metaphor	Human theologian
16	Peter’s Confession of the Christ	Critical	16:13-20	You are the Christ, the Son of the living God	Theological center of the Gospel’s Christology, combining two already-Critical baseline terms; neither may be diluted in combination	Human theologian
17	The Founding of the Church	Critical	16:18-19	rock, church, keys of the kingdom, bind and loose	Πέτρος/πέτρα wordplay is a transparent native asset, but “rock’s” referent is a center of inter-tradition dispute (papal primacy Orthodoxy rejects); present Matthew’s own point without adjudicating later disputes	Human theologian
18	Church Discipline	High	18:6-9,15-17	if your brother sins against you, two or three witnesses, treat as a Gentile and tax collector, little ones, cause to stumble	Must be framed as restorative, not punitive; reuses baseline έθνη root but doctrinal stakes (covenant exclusion) exceed the baseline rating; needs non-triumphalist framing	Human theologian
19	Binding and Loosing	High	16:19; 18:18	bind, loose, keys of the kingdom	δέω/λύω are ordinary tie/untie verbs; the technical rabbinic sense (authoritative permit/forbid rulings) is invisible without a mandatory gloss	Human theologian
20	The Transfiguration and Christ’s Glory	High	17:1-8	transfiguration, this is my beloved Son, glory	Major liturgical asset (Feast of the Metamorphosis) sharing a root with Romans 12:2’s believer-transformation; Christ’s unique glory-unveiling must be distinguished from believers’ ongoing theosis-adjacent sanctification	Human theologian
21	Eternal Life	Critical	19:16-29; 25:46	eternal life, with man impossible, with God possible	Must not flatten to “a very long life”; should be understood as participatory relational life with God without losing its clear beginning-point received now by faith	Human theologian
22	The Atonement and the Ransom for Many	Critical	20:28; 26:28	ransom, give his life, for many	λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν shares the root of the baseline’s Critical redeem entry; must preserve substitutionary, many-for-one force, not a vague “help”	Human theologian
23	The Greatest Commandment: Love	Medium	22:34-40	love the Lord your God, love your neighbor, agape	Greek’s distinct ἀγάπη/ἔρωτας/φιλία vocabulary is a genuine native asset, but everyday αγαπώ is used broadly, risking dilution without contextual reinforcement	Native speaker review
24	Woes against Religious Hypocrisy	Medium	23:1-36	woe, hypocrites, shutting the kingdom of heaven	υποκρισία/υποκριτής is a stable, zero-gap word; the sustained sevenfold indictment raises doctrinal, not lexical, stakes; flag when co-occurring with the High-risk kingdom phrase (23:13)	Native speaker review
25	The Abomination of Desolation and Signs of the End	Critical	24:3,15,21	abomination of desolation, great tribulation, end of the age	Fixed, historically-anchored apocalyptic technical term (Daniel); must not be paraphrased loosely; careful, non-speculative framing required against date-setting misuse	Human theologian
26	The Parousia (Second Coming) of Christ	Critical	24:3,27,36-44; 25:13	parousia, coming of the Son of Man, no one knows the day or hour, be watchful	Devastating secular-bleaching risk: παρουσία’s dominant Modern Greek sense is classroom attendance-taking; anchor every occurrence via the liturgical phrase “η ένδοξη Δευτέρα Παρουσία”	Human theologian
27	Final Judgment and the End of the Age	Critical	25:1-46	sheep and goats, the least of these my brothers, eternal punishment, eternal life, talents	κόλασις is also colloquial hyperbole for any misery (“κόλαση” of traffic); this trivializing use risks undermining 25:46’s gravity	Human theologian
28	The Great Commission	Critical	28:18-20	make disciples, all nations, baptizing, teaching them to obey, I am with you always	μαθητεύσατε carries the same secular-bleaching risk as μαθητής; must not reduce to “enroll students”; deliberately bookended with the Immanuel promise of 1:23	Human theologian
29	The Trinitarian Baptismal Formula	High	28:19	baptizing in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit	Doctrinally Critical (the Trinity) but unusually low ambiguity, since this formula is used verbatim at every Orthodox baptism — a major liturgical asset; must match established liturgical wording exactly	Human theologian
30	The Institution of the Lord’s Supper	Critical	26:26-29	this is my body, this is my blood of the covenant	Words repeated verbatim at every Divine Liturgy; simultaneously the greatest liturgical asset and the greatest risk of collapsing Matthew’s narrative-historical institution into exclusively sacramental theology; reuses baseline διαθήκη caution, specifically activated in this death-context declaration	Human theologian
31	The Crucifixion and Substitutionary Death of Christ	Critical	27:35,46,51,54	crucify, Eli Eli lema sabachthani, veil of the temple torn, truly this was the Son of God	σταυρώνω must retain full historical/physical concreteness, connecting to ch.16’s cross-bearing teaching; the Aramaic cry must be retained in transliteration exactly as Matthew preserved it, per the baseline’s Αββά precedent	Human theologian
32	The Resurrection of Christ	Critical	12:39-40; 22:23-33; 27:52-53; 28:1-10	he has risen, resurrection, sign of Jonah	Critical but also a doctrinal asset (Ανάσταση is the central Orthodox feast); the raised “holy ones” of 27:52-53 must be taught corporately, not as canonized sainthood	Human theologian
33	Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit	Critical	12:22-32	blasphemy against the Spirit, unforgivable sin	Must be carefully scoped to deliberate, hardened rejection of the Spirit’s testimony, not momentary doubt, to avoid inducing false despair	Human theologian
34	Gentile Inclusion and Mission to the Nations	Medium	8:5-13; 15:21-28; 21:43; 24:14; 28:19	Gentiles, great faith of the Canaanite woman, a nation producing its fruits, all nations	Reuses baseline έθνη entry; Modern Greek “έθνος” carries a modern nationalist connotation absent from Matthew’s ethnic-religious sense	Native speaker review
35	Christ’s Authority over the Sabbath	Medium	12:1-14	Lord of the Sabbath	Reuses the baseline’s Critical Κύριος entry within a specific controversy narrative; the sovereign claim over a Mosaic institution should be drawn out, not merely subsumed under general Lordship	Native speaker review

Part 2 — Chapter-by-Chapter Coverage, Matthew 1–28

Every chapter of Matthew is accounted for below. Chapters contributing no new doctrine-specific terms beyond those already anchored are explicitly marked “reviewed; reinforces existing doctrine(s)” rather than omitted.

Matthew 1 — Genealogy establishing Davidic and Abrahamic descent; virgin conception; Immanuel. Doctrines: #2 (Messianic Promise/Son of David — via σπέρμα Δαβίδ background), #3 (Virgin Conception and Incarnation, core), #4 (Fulfillment of Prophecy, Isaiah 7:14 citation at 1:22-23).

Matthew 2 — Magi’s worship, King of the Jews title, flight to Egypt, Herod’s slaughter, multiple fulfillment citations. Doctrines: #2, #4, #5 (Deity and Worship of Christ, first occurrence of προσκυνέω toward Jesus).

Matthew 3 — John the Baptist’s preaching, repentance, kingdom of heaven at hand, Jesus’ baptism, the Father’s voice and the Spirit’s descent. Doctrines: #1 (Kingdom of Heaven, first occurrence at 3:2), #9 (Repentance, core), #4 (fulfillment, implicit), #5 (Trinitarian appearance, background to #6/#29).

Matthew 4 — Temptation in the wilderness, calling of the first disciples, beginning of Galilean ministry and the “gospel of the kingdom.” Doctrines: #10 (Temptation and Testing, core), #11 (Gospel of the Kingdom, first occurrence at 4:23), #15 (Discipleship, “follow me” at 4:19), #4 (Isaiah 9:1-2 citation).

Matthew 5 — Beatitudes (core passage 5:1-12); Jesus’ relation to the Law and the Prophets (5:17); the antitheses (“but I say to you”); the call to be perfect. Doctrines: #1 (Kingdom of Heaven, 5:3,10), #7 (Authority of Jesus’ Teaching, core, 5:21-48), #8 (Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees, core, 5:6,8,10,20,48), #4 (5:17-18).

Matthew 6 — Lord’s Prayer (including “thy kingdom come” and “lead us not into temptation”), almsgiving, fasting, treasures in heaven, seek first the kingdom. Doctrines: #8 (continued, 6:1-18), #1 (6:10,33), #10 (6:13, Lord’s Prayer form of πειρασμός).

Matthew 7 — Narrow gate, false prophets, house on the rock, the crowd’s astonishment at Jesus’ authority. Doctrines: #7 (climactic statement, 7:28-29), #15 (narrow gate, 7:13-14), #14 (7:21-23, “Lord, Lord” — false confession).

Matthew 8 — Healing narratives, the centurion’s faith, homelessness of the Son of Man, cost-of-following sayings, calming the storm. Doctrines: #6 (Son of Man, 8:20), #15 (8:19-22), #34 (Gentile Inclusion, centurion, 8:5-13).

Matthew 9 — Healing of the paralytic and the authority to forgive sins; calling of Matthew; new wine/cloth sayings; harvest is plentiful. Doctrines: #13 (core, 9:1-8), #6 (9:6), #7 (9:6, authority reinforced).

Matthew 10 — Commissioning of the Twelve, instructions for mission, persecution predicted, confession and denial, “not peace but a sword,” losing life to find it. Doctrines: #28 (foreshadowing of the Great Commission), #14 (core, 10:32-33), #15 (core, 10:34-39), #34 (10:5-6,18, in tension with the initial Israel-only sending — reviewed for careful sequencing against ch. 28).

Matthew 11 — John the Baptist’s disciples ask if Jesus is “the one who is to come”; woes on unrepentant towns; “my yoke is easy.” Doctrines: #2 (Messianic Promise, 11:3), #9 (11:20-21), #15 (11:28-30, rest for disciples).

Matthew 12 — Sabbath controversies and Lordship over the Sabbath; the sign of Jonah; blasphemy against the Holy Spirit; the kingdom of God already present (12:28). Doctrines: #35 (core), #4 (sign of Jonah, 12:39-40, tied to #32), #33 (core), #1 (12:28, present-kingdom evidence).

Matthew 13 — The parables discourse: sower, weeds, mustard seed, leaven, hidden treasure, pearl, net; the “mysteries of the kingdom” statement (13:11). Doctrines: #12 (core, entire chapter).

Matthew 14 — Feeding of the five thousand; walking on water; the disciples’ worship of Jesus (14:33). Doctrines: #5 (14:33), #6 (implicit, Son of Man feeding the crowd as messianic sign).

Matthew 15 — Controversy over tradition versus the Law regarding ritual washing; the Canaanite woman’s great faith. Doctrines: #8 (heart- versus ritual-purity contrast, 15:1-20), #34 (15:21-28).

Matthew 16 — Peter’s confession, the founding of the church, the keys and binding/loosing, the first passion prediction, taking up the cross. Doctrines: #16 (core), #17 (core), #19 (core), #15 (16:24-26), #2 (16:13-16, “Christ” confession).

Matthew 17 — The Transfiguration; the Father’s declaration; the second passion prediction. Doctrines: #20 (core), #5 (glory manifestation), #6 (17:12, Son of Man must suffer).

Matthew 18 — The parable of the lost sheep, church discipline procedure, the unforgiving servant, seventy-times-seven forgiveness. Doctrines: #18 (core), #19 (18:18, reinforced).

Matthew 19 — Teaching on marriage and divorce; the rich young ruler and eternal life; “with man impossible, with God possible.” Doctrines: #21 (core), #8 (implicit, righteousness and the commandments).

Matthew 20 — Parable of the workers in the vineyard (grace, not merit); the sons of Zebedee’s request; the ransom saying (20:28). Doctrines: #22 (core, 20:28), #8 (grace-versus-merit resonance, native speaker cross-check recommended against baseline χάρη).

Matthew 21 — Triumphal entry (Hosanna, Son of David); cursing the fig tree; cleansing the temple; the parable of the tenants and the rejected stone; the nation bearing fruit. Doctrines: #2 (core, 21:9,15), #4 (21:4,42, direct Psalm 118 citation), #1 (21:43, kingdom given to a fruit-bearing people).

Matthew 22 — The parable of the wedding feast; questions on taxes, resurrection, and the greatest commandment; the Son of David/Lord question. Doctrines: #32 (22:23-33, resurrection debate — background to #32’s full treatment at ch. 28), #23 (core), #2 (22:41-46).

Matthew 23 — The seven woes against the scribes and Pharisees; shutting the kingdom of heaven; call to humility. Doctrines: #24 (core), #1 (23:13, shutting the kingdom).

Matthew 24 — The Olivet Discourse: signs of the end, the abomination of desolation, great tribulation, the coming of the Son of Man, no one knows the day or hour. Doctrines: #25 (core), #26 (core), #6 (24:30, Son of Man coming).

Matthew 25 — Parables of the ten virgins, the talents, and the sheep and the goats; final judgment and eternal punishment/eternal life. Doctrines: #27 (core), #21 (25:46, eternal life paired with eternal punishment), #26 (25:13, watchfulness).

Matthew 26 — The Last Supper and its institution; Gethsemane; betrayal; arrest; Peter’s initial denial begins. Doctrines: #30 (core), #10 (26:41, temptation in Gethsemane), #14 (26:69-75 begins here narratively), #6 (26:64, Son of Man seated at the right hand).

Matthew 27 — The crucifixion, the cry of dereliction, the torn veil, the centurion’s confession, the guarding of the tomb. Doctrines: #31 (core), #5 (27:54, centurion’s confession), #32 (27:52-53, raised holy ones).

Matthew 28 — The resurrection appearances and the Great Commission, including the Trinitarian baptismal formula and the Immanuel inclusio (“I am with you always”). Doctrines: #32 (core), #28 (core), #29 (core), #3 (28:20, Immanuel echo).

Part 3 — Cross-References

See assets/doctrine_risk_registry.json for the machine-readable version of this matrix, including full greek_risk_notes and review_routing fields, used by Phase 2 Step 17 to route segments automatically.
See analysis/08_core_glossary.md for the term-level glossary underlying this doctrine matrix.
See analysis/04_comparative_theology.md for how each doctrine is received across Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, and secular frameworks, with particular attention to the Greek Orthodox tradition dominant in the destination culture.
This document extends, and does not contradict, the baseline Romans/Galatians doctrine_risk_registry.json and 12_ai_translation_requirements.md.

Critical Risk Doctrines

The Kingdom of Heaven

Greek name: η βασιλεία των ουρανών
Key terms: kingdom of heaven, gospel of the kingdom, mysteries of the kingdom, seek first the kingdom
Review routing: Human theologian

CRITICAL: Matthew’s preferred phrase (~32 occurrences) risks collapsing into a purely future, post-mortem destination because Modern Greek ‘ο ουρανός’ is popularly identified almost exclusively with the afterlife. This is the mirror-image error of the baseline’s βασιλεία του Θεού entry (which risks a political misreading); here the risk is the opposite direction — loss of the kingdom’s present, inaugurated dimension (e.g. 12:28). Every occurrence should carry a note affirming identity with the baseline’s βασιλεία του Θεού.

Jesus as the Promised Messiah and Son of David

Greek name: ο Μεσσίας και Υιός Δαβίδ
Key terms: Son of David, Christ, Messiah, seed of David, King of the Jews
Review routing: Human theologian

CRITICAL: ‘Υιός Δαβίδ’ is a dynamic Messianic acclamation title repeated by suppliants and crowds, distinct from the merely genealogical baseline term ‘σπέρμα Δαβίδ.’ Risk of flattening a confession of faith into a bare pedigree note; the two phrases must be actively distinguished even though both concern Davidic descent.

The Virgin Conception and Incarnation

Greek name: η εκ παρθένου σύλληψη και η ενανθρώπηση
Key terms: virgin, Immanuel, conceived by the Holy Spirit, flesh
Review routing: Human theologian

CRITICAL: παρθένος is lexically stable, but the doctrine itself (a unique, miraculous, once-for-all divine-human origin) risks being absorbed into the patristic formula ‘God became man so that man might become god,’ foregrounding theosis over Matthew’s own emphasis on a specific historical sign fulfilling Isaiah 7:14 LXX — directly readable by a Greek reader alongside Matthew’s own citation.

The Deity and Worship of Christ

Greek name: η θεότητα και η προσκύνηση του Χριστού
Key terms: worship, Son of God, truly this was the Son of God
Review routing: Human theologian

CRITICAL: προσκυνέω is also the ordinary verb for icon veneration in Orthodox devotional practice (προσκύνηση εικόνων). Orthodox theology’s own distinction between λατρεία (worship due to God alone) and τιμητική προσκύνησις (honorific veneration) is a helpful native resource, but the curriculum must state explicitly, case by case, that Matthew’s uses toward Jesus intend the fullest λατρεία-level worship, not analogy to icon veneration.

The Son of Man

Greek name: ο Υιός του ανθρώπου
Key terms: Son of Man, coming in his glory, authority to forgive sins
Review routing: Human theologian

CRITICAL: the surface Greek (‘υιός του ανθρώπου’) reads as a statement about mere humanity, since άνθρωπος is the entirely ordinary word for ‘man/human.’ Without an anchoring note to the Daniel 7:13-14 apocalyptic-authority background at each major theological turn, the title’s full weight (implicit divine authority combined with humility) is invisible to a Modern Greek reader.

Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees

Greek name: η δικαιοσύνη που υπερβαίνει τη δικαιοσύνη των Φαρισαίων
Key terms: righteousness, righteousness exceeding, perfect, hypocrites, pure in heart, the greatest commandment: love
Review routing: Human theologian

CRITICAL: the baseline’s Critical δικαιοσύνη flag (civic/legal ‘Ministry of Justice’ default sense) is compounded here by 5:20’s demand, which risks being read as demanding MORE meticulous rule-keeping — the exact opposite of Jesus’ qualitatively different, heart-level righteousness. τέλειος (5:48) risks trivialization via modern slang (‘τέλειο!’ = awesome) and conflation with the Orthodox lifelong-process category τελείωσις.

Parables and the Mysteries of the Kingdom

Greek name: οι παραβολές και τα μυστήρια της βασιλείας
Key terms: parable, mysteries of the kingdom, sower and seed, leaven, hidden treasure, pearl
Review routing: Human theologian

CRITICAL: the single most severe sacramental-collision risk in the whole curriculum. Modern Greek μυστήριο overwhelmingly means either a Sacrament (τα Ιερά Μυστήρια) or a whodunit-style ‘mystery,’ entirely displacing 13:11’s actual sense — previously hidden, now-revealed truths of God’s kingdom program. Mandatory explanatory note every occurrence. Note also the valence reversal of ζύμη (13:33 positive vs. the baseline’s negative Galatians sense) requiring explicit flagging.

The Authority to Forgive Sins

Greek name: η εξουσία να συγχωρεί αμαρτίες
Key terms: authority to forgive sins, Son of Man, sin
Review routing: Human theologian

CRITICAL: an implicit deity-claim (only God forgives sins, per the scribes’ own objection); risks being flattened into a merely priestly pronouncement or an ordinary act of interpersonal forgiveness rather than a claim to divine prerogative exercised by the Son of Man on earth.

Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus

Greek name: η μαθητεία και το κόστος της ακολούθησης του Ιησού
Key terms: disciple, follow me, take up his cross, deny himself, lose life to find it, not peace but a sword, narrow gate
Review routing: Human theologian

CRITICAL: μαθητής is Modern Greek’s ordinary, unmarked word for a schoolchild/pupil, risking flattening of total-life apprenticeship into classroom enrollment throughout the whole doctrine. Compounded by σταυρός (16:24), which must retain the concrete, shameful, fatal connotation of a first-century cross rather than becoming a generic metaphor for hardship.

Peter’s Confession of the Christ

Greek name: η ομολογία του Πέτρου
Key terms: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God
Review routing: Human theologian

CRITICAL: the theological center of the Gospel’s Christology, combining the baseline’s Χριστός and Υιός του Θεού exactly as recorded; both underlying terms retain their own Critical flags and must not be diluted in this combined confession.

The Founding of the Church

Greek name: η θεμελίωση της εκκλησίας
Key terms: rock, church, keys of the kingdom, bind and loose
Review routing: Human theologian

CRITICAL: the Πέτρος/πέτρα wordplay is transparent and native to Greek — a genuine asset — but the referent of ‘rock’ has been a center of major inter-tradition dispute (papal primacy claims Orthodoxy rejects). The curriculum must present Matthew’s own point (Christ’s authority to build his church on apostolic confession) without adjudicating later ecclesiological disputes; δένω/λύω additionally carry an invisible-without-a-note rabbinic technical sense of authoritative permit/forbid rulings.

Eternal Life

Greek name: η αιώνιος ζωή
Key terms: eternal life, with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible
Review routing: Human theologian

CRITICAL: ζωή αιώνιος must not be flattened to ‘a very long life’; given Orthodox theosis vocabulary, it should be understood as participatory, relational life with God without collapsing the concept’s clear beginning-point (received now by faith, 19:29) into an exclusively future, gradually-attained state.

The Atonement and the Ransom for Many

Greek name: η λύτρωση και το λύτρον αντί πολλών
Key terms: ransom, give his life, for many
Review routing: Human theologian

CRITICAL: λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν is Matthew’s clearest single atonement statement; shares the root of the baseline’s Critical-rated redeem entry (λυτρώνω/απολύτρωση), and must preserve the substitutionary, many-for-one sacrificial sense rather than a vague ‘help’ or ‘service’ rendering.

The Abomination of Desolation and Signs of the End

Greek name: το βδέλυγμα της ερημώσεως και τα σημεία της συντέλειας
Key terms: abomination of desolation, great tribulation, end of the age
Review routing: Human theologian

CRITICAL: a fixed, historically-anchored apocalyptic technical term (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11); must not be paraphrased loosely, and its referent(s) require careful, non-speculative framing given the potential for date-setting or sensationalist misuse in popular teaching.

The Parousia (Second Coming) of Christ

Greek name: η ένδοξη Δευτέρα Παρουσία του Χριστού
Key terms: parousia, coming of the Son of Man, no one knows the day or the hour, be watchful
Review routing: Human theologian

CRITICAL: a devastating secular-bleaching risk unique to Greek among most languages in this pipeline — a Modern Greek reader’s overwhelmingly dominant, first association with παρουσία is ordinary classroom attendance-taking (‘θα κάνω παρουσία’), not the cosmic Second Coming. Every occurrence must be actively anchored, preferably via the Church’s own established liturgical phrase ‘η ένδοξη Δευτέρα Παρουσία.‘

Final Judgment and the End of the Age

Greek name: η τελική κρίση και η αιώνια κόλαση
Key terms: sheep and goats, the least of these my brothers, eternal punishment, eternal life, talents
Review routing: Human theologian

CRITICAL: κόλασις is the common Modern Greek word for ‘hell,’ but is also used colloquially and hyperbolically for any miserable situation (‘κόλαση’ of bad traffic); this trivializing everyday use risks undermining the gravity of final judgment at 25:46’s climactic, symmetrical pairing with eternal life. Must be anchored to its full eschatological weight every occurrence.

The Great Commission

Greek name: η Μεγάλη Αποστολή
Key terms: make disciples, all nations, baptizing, teaching them to obey, I am with you always
Review routing: Human theologian

CRITICAL: μαθητεύσατε carries the same secular-bleaching risk as its noun μαθητής (schoolchild/pupil); ‘make disciples’ must not be reduced to ‘enroll students’ or ‘teach a course,’ but conveys total-life, apprenticeship-shaped formation among all nations (έθνη) — the whole Gospel’s missional climax, deliberately bookended with the Immanuel promise of 1:23.

The Institution of the Lord’s Supper

Greek name: η καθίδρυση του Μυστικού Δείπνου
Key terms: this is my body, this is my blood of the covenant
Review routing: Human theologian

CRITICAL: these words are repeated verbatim at every celebration of the Divine Liturgy, making this simultaneously the greatest liturgical asset and the greatest risk of collapsing Matthew’s own narrative-historical institution account into exclusively sacramental theology. Must preserve both dimensions; also reuses the baseline διαθήκη caution against the ‘last will and testament’ secular reading, specifically activated here since this is literally a death-context declaration.

The Crucifixion and Substitutionary Death of Christ

Greek name: η σταύρωση και ο αντιλυτρωτικός θάνατος του Χριστού
Key terms: crucify, Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani, the veil of the temple was torn, truly this was the Son of God
Review routing: Human theologian

CRITICAL: σταυρώνω must retain full historical/physical concreteness, connecting directly to the ch.16 cross-bearing discipleship teaching; the Aramaic cry of dereliction (27:46) must be retained in transliteration exactly as Matthew himself preserved it untranslated, per the baseline’s Αββά precedent, paired with a translation gloss.

The Resurrection of Christ

Greek name: η ανάσταση του Χριστού
Key terms: he has risen, resurrection, sign of Jonah
Review routing: Human theologian

CRITICAL, but also a doctrinal asset per the baseline: ανάσταση is the central feast of Greek Orthodox liturgical life. The task remains precision, not persuasion — 27:52-53’s raised ‘holy ones’ must be taught corporately, not read as canonized sainthood.

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

Greek name: η βλασφημία κατά του Αγίου Πνεύματος
Key terms: blasphemy against the Spirit, unforgivable sin
Review routing: Human theologian

CRITICAL: must be carefully scoped to deliberate, hardened rejection of the Spirit’s testimony to Christ, not momentary doubt or an isolated sinful thought, to avoid inducing false despair in pastorally sensitive readers.

High Risk Doctrines

Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy

Greek name: η εκπλήρωση της προφητείας
Key terms: fulfilled, it is written, the Law and the Prophets, sign of Jonah, the stone the builders rejected
Review routing: Human theologian

HIGH: Matthew’s repeated fulfillment-citation formula uses πληρωθῇ (from πληρόω), whose near-cognate πληρώνω (‘to pay a bill’) is far more frequent in everyday Modern Greek, risking interference in every occurrence of the formula. A genuine Greek-reader asset offsets this: direct access to the Septuagint’s own wording alongside Matthew’s citations (e.g. Psalm 118:22 at 21:42).

The Authority of Jesus’ Teaching

Greek name: η εξουσία της διδασκαλίας του Ιησού
Key terms: authority, but I say to you, he taught them as one having authority, it is written
Review routing: Human theologian

HIGH: εξουσία is a stable, common Modern Greek word (governmental ‘οι αρχές’), but the specific doctrinal point — that Jesus’ authority is inherent and unmediated, unlike the scribes’ derived, citation-based authority — is not automatically conveyed by the word itself and must be actively drawn out in every occurrence.

Repentance

Greek name: η μετάνοια
Key terms: repent, repentance, kingdom of heaven is at hand
Review routing: Human theologian

HIGH: μετάνοια is also the technical name of the Orthodox Sacrament of Repentance and Confession (Ιερά Εξομολόγησις), risking a narrowing of John’s and Jesus’ summons to ongoing, whole-life reorientation into the specific, formal sacramental rite performed before a priest.

Temptation and Testing

Greek name: ο πειρασμός
Key terms: temptation, devil, it is written, lead us not into temptation
Review routing: Human theologian

HIGH: πειρασμός must be rendered consistently across the wilderness narrative and the Lord’s Prayer, since the same word underlies both; the devil (διάβολος/Σατανάς) must remain a personal being rather than an abstract principle of evil.

The Gospel of the Kingdom

Greek name: το ευαγγέλιο της βασιλείας
Key terms: gospel of the kingdom, gospel preached to all nations
Review routing: Human theologian

HIGH: a compound of two independently high-risk terms (baseline ευαγγέλιο, High, and Matthew-specific βασιλεία των ουρανών, High); both risk profiles — secular ‘good news’ bleaching and afterlife-only kingdom narrowing — apply simultaneously and compound each other.

Confession and Denial of Christ

Greek name: η ομολογία και η άρνηση του Χριστού
Key terms: confess, deny, Lord, Lord
Review routing: Human theologian

HIGH: ὁμολογέω is the same verb family behind Romans 10:9’s confession of Jesus as Lord (baseline High-risk doctrine); Matthew’s confession/denial teaching (10:32-33) and Peter’s tragic denial (26:69-75) belong to the same theological category and must be taught as such.

Church Discipline

Greek name: η εκκλησιαστική πειθαρχία
Key terms: if your brother sins against you, two or three witnesses, treat as a Gentile and a tax collector, little ones, cause to stumble
Review routing: Human theologian

HIGH: the procedure (private confrontation, then witnesses, then the church, then exclusion) must be framed as restorative rather than punitive; ‘treat as a Gentile and a tax collector’ reuses the baseline’s έθνη root, but the doctrinal stakes (covenant exclusion) exceed the baseline’s own gentiles rating and require careful, non-triumphalist framing given this audience’s own minority experience within a historically Orthodox-majority culture.

Binding and Loosing

Greek name: το δένειν και λύειν
Key terms: bind, loose, keys of the kingdom
Review routing: Human theologian

HIGH: δέω/λύω are ordinary Modern Greek tie/untie verbs; the technical rabbinic sense (authoritative rulings on what is permitted/forbidden, later also forgiveness/discipline) is entirely invisible without a mandatory gloss.

The Transfiguration and Christ’s Glory

Greek name: η μεταμόρφωση του Χριστού
Key terms: transfiguration, this is my beloved Son, glory
Review routing: Human theologian

HIGH: a major liturgical asset (the Feast of the Metamorphosis, August 6; Mount Tabor pilgrimage), but μεταμόρφωσις shares its root with Romans 12:2’s ‘μεταμορφούσθε’ (believers’ theosis-adjacent ongoing transformation); must distinguish Christ’s unique, once-for-all glory-unveiling from believers’ ongoing, participatory sanctification.

The Trinitarian Baptismal Formula

Greek name: ο τριαδικός τύπος του βαπτίσματος
Key terms: baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
Review routing: Human theologian

HIGH: doctrinally Critical (the Trinity itself) but unusually low ambiguity risk, since this exact formula is used verbatim at every Orthodox baptism — a major liturgical asset. Ensure exact consistency with established liturgical wording rather than a fresh translation.

Medium Risk Doctrines

The Greatest Commandment: Love

Greek name: η μεγαλύτερη εντολή: η αγάπη
Key terms: love the Lord your God, love your neighbor, agape
Review routing: Native speaker review

MEDIUM: Greek’s distinct ἀγάπη/ἔρωτας/φιλία vocabulary is a genuine native asset that most languages in this pipeline lack, but everyday αγαπώ is used broadly for any strong liking, risking dilution of the commandment’s total, self-giving weight without contextual reinforcement.

Woes against Religious Hypocrisy

Greek name: τα ουαί κατά της υποκρισίας
Key terms: woe, hypocrites, shutting the kingdom of heaven
Review routing: Native speaker review

MEDIUM: υποκρισία/υποκριτής is a zero-gap, stable Modern Greek word (baseline Low), but the sustained sevenfold indictment raises the doctrinal (not lexical) stakes; ‘κλείετε την βασιλείαν των ουρανών’ (23:13) reuses the High-risk kingdom phrase and should be flagged when it co-occurs.

Gentile Inclusion and Mission to the Nations

Greek name: η ένταξη των εθνικών και η αποστολή στα έθνη
Key terms: Gentiles, great faith of the Canaanite woman, a nation producing its fruits, all nations
Review routing: Native speaker review

MEDIUM: reuses the baseline’s έθνη entry; Modern Greek ‘έθνος’ carries a modern nationalist connotation (Greek national identity) absent from Matthew’s ethnic-religious sense, requiring a contextual note distinguishing the two.

Christ’s Authority over the Sabbath

Greek name: η εξουσία του Χριστού επί του Σαββάτου
Key terms: Lord of the Sabbath
Review routing: Native speaker review

MEDIUM: reuses the baseline’s Critical Κύριος entry within a specific controversy narrative; the sovereign claim over a Mosaic institution should be drawn out alongside, not merely subsumed under, the general Lordship doctrine.

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