Core Glossary
Core Glossary — Philemon (Koine Greek → Modern Greek)
This glossary covers every load-bearing term identified in 07_semantic_analysis.md, spanning the entire book (Philemon 1:1–25). Terms already established in the baseline Romans/Galatians translation_memory.json and bible_term_registry.json are marked (baseline — reuse exactly); their recorded Greek rendering and risk tier must not be altered. New terms introduced by Philemon are marked (new — Philemon) and are proposed here for addition to translation memory, pending theologian review for Critical/High entries per the Language Package’s escalation rules.
| English Gloss | Koine Original | Transliteration | Modern Greek Rendering | Risk Tier | Doctrine | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grace | χάρις | charis | χάρη | Critical | Grace / Grace-Motivated Obedience | (baseline — reuse exactly) | Anchors both opening (v.3) and closing (v.25) benediction, and χαρίζομαι (v.22) — see below. |
| Peace | εἰρήνη | eirēnē | ειρήνη | Medium | Peace with God | (baseline — reuse exactly) | Standard opening greeting formula (v.3). |
| Faith | πίστις | pistis | πίστη | High | Faith | (baseline — reuse exactly) | vv.5–6; note distinct sense at “fellowship of your faith,” not to be confused with saving faith formula in Romans. |
| Fellowship | κοινωνία | koinōnia | κοινωνία | Medium | Christian Fellowship | (baseline — reuse exactly) | v.6 (“κοινωνία τῆς πίστεώς σου”); v.17 κοινωνός is the related noun, treated separately below. |
| Church | ἐκκλησία | ekklēsia | εκκλησία | Medium | Church as God’s People | (baseline — reuse exactly) | v.2, qualified as κατ᾽ οἶκόν ἐκκλησία, “house church” — a valuable teaching contrast to the institutional/building senses the baseline flags. |
| Saints | ἅγιοι | hagioi | άγιοι | Critical/High | Sainthood | (baseline — reuse exactly) | vv.5, 7; corporate sense, mandatory clarifying note per baseline. |
| Thanksgiving | εὐχαριστῶ (vb. of εὐχαριστία) | eucharistō | ευχαριστώ / ευχαριστία | Medium | Thanksgiving | (baseline — reuse exactly) | v.4; personal gratitude in prayer, not the sacramental sense. |
| Lord | κύριος | kyrios | Κύριος | Critical | Lordship of Christ | (baseline — reuse exactly) | vv.3, 5, 16, 20, 25; never read as bare honorific “Mister.” |
| God | θεός | theos | Θεός | Critical | God | (baseline — reuse exactly) | vv.3, 4. |
| Father | πατήρ | patēr | Πατέρας | Critical | Adoption into God’s Family | (baseline — reuse exactly) | v.3, opening benediction formula. |
| Jesus / Christ Jesus | Ἰησοῦς / Χριστός | Iēsous / Christos | Ιησούς / Χριστός | Critical | Deity/Sonship of Christ | (baseline — reuse exactly) | vv.1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 20, 23, 25. |
| Love | ἀγάπη | agapē | αγάπη | Low-Medium | Grace-Motivated Obedience / Brotherhood | (new — Philemon) | Governs the letter’s central rhetorical move (v.9); watch for collapse into everyday romantic/family-affection sense. |
| Appeal / beseech | παρακαλῶ | parakalō | παρακαλώ | High | Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another | (new — Philemon) | vv.9, 10; FORBIDDEN FLATTENING: never let this register as the everyday “please” — it is the letter’s programmatic word, set in deliberate contrast to ἐπιτάσσω (v.8). Flag every occurrence for human theologian review. Distinct from baseline “exhort” (προτρέπω); retain παρακαλώ here since Paul’s own word choice is part of the argument. |
| Command | ἐπιτάσσω | epitassō | επιτάσσω / διατάζω | Low | Intercession and Appeal | (new — Philemon) | v.8; names the authority Paul declines to use — the foil to παρακαλῶ. |
| Boldness / confidence | παρρησία | parrēsia | παρρησία | Low | Intercession and Appeal | (new — Philemon) | v.8; stable, though colloquial use can weaken “authorized confidence” to mere “bluntness.” |
| Prisoner (of Christ) | δέσμιος (Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ) | desmios (Christou Iēsou) | δέσμιος (Χριστού Ιησού) | Medium | Suffering for the Gospel | (new — Philemon) | vv.1, 9, 23; imprisonment as gospel-service badge of honor, not shame — parallels baseline’s Galatians “marks of Jesus” theme. |
| Chains / bonds | δεσμά / δεσμοί | desma / desmoi | δεσμά | Low-Medium | Suffering for the Gospel | (new — Philemon) | vv.10, 13; double meaning asset — chains of captivity vs. bonds of relational affection; note the wordplay. |
| Slave / bondservant | δοῦλος | doulos | δούλος | Critical | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | (new — Philemon) | v.16 (2x); FORBIDDEN MISREADING: never let δουλεία’s modern national-historical resonance (Ottoman-era “δουλεία,” 400 years of national subjugation) substitute for the Greco-Roman personal/legal institution Paul addresses. Mandatory translator’s note at every occurrence; flag for human theologian review. |
| Beloved brother | ἀδελφὸς ἀγαπητός | adelphos agapētos | αδελφός αγαπητός | Medium | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | (new — Philemon) | v.16 (also ἀδελφός alone, vv.1, 7, 20); the social force of a slave-owner calling his slave “brother” needs an explanatory note to retain its original shock value. |
| Flesh (neutral/social sense) | σάρξ | sarx | σάρκα | High | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | (baseline — reuse exactly, contextual note required) | v.16 (“ἐν σαρκὶ καὶ ἐν κυρίῳ”); CONTEXTUAL CAUTION: here σάρξ is neutral/social (the ordinary earthly relationship), not the sin-oriented sense flagged Critical in the baseline’s Galatians analysis — a translator’s note distinguishing the two senses is required. |
| Partner / sharer | κοινωνός | koinōnos | κοινωνός | Medium | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | (new — Philemon) | v.17; related to baseline κοινωνία; request to receive Onesimus “as me” — strongest equality statement in the letter. |
| Receive / welcome | προσλαμβάνομαι (impv. προσλαβοῦ) | proslambanō | δέξου / υποδέξου | Low-Medium | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | (new — Philemon) | v.17; same verb Paul uses of God’s/Christ’s welcome of believers (cf. Romans) — cross-reference note recommended. |
| Wronged | ἀδικέω | adikeō | αδίκησε | Medium | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | (new — Philemon) | v.18; same root family as baseline Critical δικαιοσύνη/δικαίωση — worth cross-referencing. |
| Owes | ὀφείλω | opheilō | οφείλει | Low | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | (new — Philemon) | v.18; stable everyday debt vocabulary. |
| Charge to my account | ἐλλογάω | ellogaō | βάλε το στον λογαριασμό μου | Critical | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | (new — Philemon) | v.18; SAME ROOT FAMILY as baseline Critical “credited”/λογίζομαι (imputed righteousness, Romans 4). Mandatory cross-reference note; flag for human theologian review at every occurrence — this is Philemon’s concrete enactment of substitutionary/imputation logic. |
| I will repay | ἀποτίνω | apotinō | θα το αποπληρώσω / εξοφλήσω | Medium | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | (new — Philemon) | v.19; rare/archaic verb in living Modern Greek — comprehension note, not doctrinal risk. |
| You owe besides | προσοφείλω | prosopheilō | μου χρωστάς κι εσύ | Low | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | (new — Philemon) | v.19; Paul’s larger unpayable debt reminder. |
| Bowels / heart / inward affection | σπλάγχνα | splagchna | σπλάγχνα / σπλάχνα | Medium | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | (new — Philemon) | vv.7, 12, 20 (deliberate repetition — preserve across all three); do not substitute the blander καρδία; still a living, visceral Modern Greek word for one’s own beloved children/family. |
| Refresh / give rest | ἀναπαύω | anapauō | αναπαύω / ανάπαυσε | Low-Medium | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | (new — Philemon) | vv.7, 20; connected structurally to σπλάγχνα — preserve the verbal echo. |
| Useless | ἄχρηστος | achrēstos | άχρηστος | Low | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | (new — Philemon) | v.11; wordplay with Ὀνήσιμος — flag for explanatory note, not doctrinal risk. |
| Useful / profitable | εὔχρηστος | euchrēstos | εύχρηστος | Low | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | (new — Philemon) | v.11; companion term to ἄχρηστος. |
| (Onesimus, proper name) | Ὀνήσιμος | Onēsimos | Ονήσιμος | Low | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | (new — Philemon) | v.10; name meaning “useful” drives the letter’s central wordplay (vv.11, 20) — must be glossed. |
| May I benefit/have joy of you | ὀνίναμαι (ὀναίμην) | onaimēn | είθε να έχω τη χαρά/το κέρδος από εσένα | Low-Medium | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | (new — Philemon) | v.20; closes the Onesimus name-pun; rare verb form, requires a note. |
| Serve / minister | διακονέω | diakoneō | υπηρετώ (generic) | Medium | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | (new — Philemon) | v.13; avoid the ordained-deacon register (διακονία/διάκονος) per baseline’s existing “servant_of_sin” precedent. |
| Voluntary | ἑκούσιον | hekousion | εκούσιο | Low | Grace-Motivated Obedience | (new — Philemon) | v.14; stable formal/legal Modern Greek term. |
| Compulsion / necessity | ἀνάγκη | anankē | ανάγκη | Medium | Grace-Motivated Obedience | (new — Philemon) | v.14; everyday “need” sense can weaken Paul’s sharper “coercion” sense — gloss recommended. |
| Consent / opinion | γνώμη | gnōmē | γνώμη / συναίνεση | Low | Grace-Motivated Obedience | (new — Philemon) | v.14; Paul’s refusal to act without Philemon’s free agreement. |
| Separated | χωρίζω (ἐχωρίσθη) | echōristhē | χωρίστηκε / αποχωρίστηκε | Medium | Providence / Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | (new — Philemon) | v.15; Modern Greek χωρισμός defaults to divorce/permanent rupture — note the temporary, providentially-purposed sense intended here (“πρὸς ὥραν”). |
| Eternal / forever | αἰώνιος | aiōnios | αιώνιος / για πάντα | Medium | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | (new — Philemon) | v.15; relational-permanence sense here, distinct from the technical eschatological “eternal life” sense elsewhere — note the distinction. |
| Obedience | ὑπακοή | hypakoē | υπακοή | High | Grace-Motivated Obedience | (baseline-adjacent — see note) | v.21; shares its headword with baseline Critical “obedience_of_faith” (ὑπακοὴ πίστεως, Romans 1:5/16:26). Mandatory cross-reference note bridging this verse to that doctrine; flag for human theologian review. Must not be read as coercive compliance — Paul explicitly rejected ἀνάγκη at v.14. |
| Confidence / trust | πείθω (πεποιθώς) | pepoithōs | πεποίθηση | Low | Grace-Motivated Obedience | (new — Philemon) | v.21; settled trust grounded in Philemon’s grace-formed character, not Paul’s apostolic leverage. |
| Fellow worker | συνεργός | synergos | συνεργός | High | Christian Brotherhood / Church | (new — Philemon) | vv.1, 24; FORBIDDEN AMBIGUITY: Modern Greek συνεργός carries a strong “accomplice/collaborator [with a crime or occupying power]” secondary sense. Mandatory disambiguating note or qualifying phrase (“συνεργός στο έργο του ευαγγελίου”) at every occurrence. |
| Fellow soldier | συστρατιώτης | systratiōtēs | συστρατιώτης | Low-Medium | Christian Brotherhood | (new — Philemon) | v.2; transparent compound, stable. |
| Fellow prisoner | συναιχμάλωτος | synaichmalōtos | συναιχμάλωτος | Low | Suffering for the Gospel | (new — Philemon) | v.23; αιχμάλωτος (POW/captive/hostage) is a fully alive Modern Greek word. |
| Brother / sister | ἀδελφός / ἀδελφή | adelphos / adelphē | αδελφός / αδελφή | Medium | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | (new — Philemon) | vv.1, 2, 7, 16, 20; the letter’s central fictive-kinship term; everyday sibling sense is so strong it can flatten the deliberate social reclassification at v.16 — explanatory note required there specifically. |
| Grant / give graciously | χαρίζομαι | charizomai | θα σας χαριστώ | Medium | Grace / Forgiveness and Reconciliation | (new — Philemon) | v.22; same root as baseline Critical χάρις; also the NT’s primary “forgive” word-family elsewhere (Col 2:13, Eph 4:32) — worth flagging since Philemon’s own forgiveness scene (vv.18-19) otherwise avoids this word-family entirely. |
| Guest room / hospitality | ξενία | xenia | ξενία / κατάλυμα | Low | (supporting; no primary doctrine) | (new — Philemon) | v.22; harmless modern hotel-brand association noted for translator awareness only. |
| Child (spiritual) | τέκνον | teknon | τέκνο | Low | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | (new — Philemon) | v.10; standard, stable; spiritual (not biological) fatherhood metaphor. |
| I have begotten (spiritual fatherhood) | γεννάω (ἐγέννησα) | egennēsa | γέννησα | Low-Medium | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | (new — Philemon) | v.10; parallels the already-established Galatians 4:19 birth-imagery precedent in this Language Package. |
| Sent back | ἀναπέμπω | anapempō | έστειλα πίσω | Low | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | (new — Philemon) | v.12. |
| Retain / keep | κατέχω | katechō | κατέχω / κρατώ | Low | Intercession and Appeal | (new — Philemon) | v.13. |
| Chains of the gospel | δεσμοὶ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου | desmoi tou euangeliou | τα δεσμά του ευαγγελίου | Low-Medium | Suffering for the Gospel | (new — Philemon; reuses baseline ευαγγέλιο) | v.13; reuses baseline High-risk “gospel” (ευαγγέλιο) exactly within this compound phrase. |
| Grace (closing benediction) | χάρις…μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματος | charis…meta tou pneumatos | η χάρη…μετά του πνεύματος σας | Critical | Grace | (baseline — reuse exactly) | v.25; standard Pauline epistolary closing, matches Galatians 6:18 precedent already in this Language Package. |
Cross-Reference Notes for Phase 2
- δοῦλος (Critical) and συνεργός (High) are the two Philemon-specific terms with no direct precedent risk profile in the baseline Romans/Galatians package — both require new escalation rules to be added to the Phase 2 AI translation requirements (Step 12 equivalent for this curriculum), analogous to the baseline’s existing FORBIDDEN SUBSTITUTION list.
- ἐλλόγα (“charge to my account,” Critical) must always carry a cross-reference note to the baseline’s Critical “credited”/λογίζομαι entry — this is the strongest direct textual link between Philemon and the Romans/Galatians justification doctrine already documented in this Language Package.
- ὑπακοή (High) must always carry a cross-reference note to the baseline’s Critical “obedience_of_faith” (ὑπακοὴ πίστεως) entry.
- σάρξ in this book (v.16) requires a contextual exception note: unlike its usual Critical-risk sin-oriented sense flagged in the baseline Galatians analysis, here it carries a neutral, social sense. Both senses must be documented so Phase 2 does not mechanically over-apply the Galatians warning to this verse.
- σπλάγχνα recurs three times (vv.7, 12, 20) and this repetition is structurally deliberate; Phase 2 segment processing must preserve the same Greek rendering at all three occurrences rather than treating them as independently retranslatable instances.
- No occurrence of the ἀφίημι/ἄφεσις (“forgive/forgiveness”) word group appears anywhere in Philemon. Curriculum materials addressing the doctrine “Forgiveness and Reconciliation” must draw on the ἀδικέω/ὀφείλω/ἐλλόγα/ἀποτίνω debt-and-accounting vocabulary (vv.18-19) and the χαρίζομαι benediction (v.22) rather than expecting to find the more familiar forgiveness vocabulary used elsewhere in the NT.
Critical Risk Terms
Grace
Approved rendering: χάρη
Transliteration: chári
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: χάρη με την καθημερινή έννοια της γοητείας ή ομορφιάς, χάρη ως νομική/προεδρική χάρη (απονομή χάριτος)
Original: χάρις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package (Critical). Anchors both the opening (1:3) and closing (1:25) epistolary benediction, matching the Galatians 6:18 closing-benediction precedent already fixed in this Language Package. Philemon additionally uses the cognate verb χαρίζομαι (1:22) — see the new ‘charizomai’ entry below — which must be cross-referenced back to this entry, not treated as an unrelated word.
Saints
Approved rendering: άγιοι
Transliteration: ágioi
Doctrine: Sainthood
Rejected alternatives: Άγιοι αποκλειστικά ως αγιοποιημένα, τιμώμενα πρόσωπα με ονομαστική εορτή
Original: ἅγιοι
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package (Critical). Occurs twice in Philemon (1:5, 1:7), both in the ordinary corporate sense — all believers who have benefited from Philemon’s hospitality/generosity. Mandatory clarifying note required at both occurrences per baseline: not restricted to canonized, name-day saints.
Lord
Approved rendering: Κύριος
Transliteration: Kýrios
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: Κύριος με την καθημερινή έννοια της ευγενικής προσφώνησης ‘κύριε’ (αντίστοιχο του ‘Mr.’)
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package (Critical). Philemon has an unusually dense concentration of occurrences for a 25-verse letter (1:3, 1:5, 1:16, 1:20, 1:25), including relationally warm uses at 1:16 and 1:20 that must not be allowed to soften into a bare honorific address to Paul’s addressee.
God
Approved rendering: Θεός
Transliteration: Theós
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Original: θεός
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package (Critical). Invoked in the opening benediction and thanksgiving (1:3-4).
Father
Approved rendering: Πατέρας
Transliteration: Patéras
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Original: πατήρ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package (Critical). Standard opening-benediction formula at 1:3, matching the identical construction already fixed for Romans and Galatians.
Jesus
Approved rendering: Ιησούς
Transliteration: Iisoús
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Original: Ἰησοῦς
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package (Critical). Appears throughout Philemon (1:1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 20, 23, 25).
Flesh
Approved rendering: σάρκα
Transliteration: sarx
Doctrine: Sin
Rejected alternatives: σάρκα αποκλειστικά με τη φιλοσοφική δυϊστική έννοια σώματος εναντίον ψυχής
Original: σάρξ
Category: Christian Brotherhood
Inherited from Romans package (Critical, sin-oriented sense per the Galatians analysis). MANDATORY CONTEXTUAL EXCEPTION for Philemon 1:16 (‘ἐν σαρκὶ καὶ ἐν κυρίῳ’): here σάρξ carries a neutral, social sense — the ordinary, everyday, physical/social plane of relationship — not the sin-oriented, Spirit-opposed sense flagged Critical for Galatians. Phase 2 tooling must not mechanically apply the Galatians ‘flesh vs. Spirit’ warning to this verse; a distinct explanatory note (‘the ordinary, everyday plane of relationship — family, work, social status’) is required instead. Risk for this specific occurrence is tracked as High in the Philemon-specific bible_term_registry.json; the underlying Greek rendering and baseline doctrine tag are retained unchanged here for translation-memory consistency.
Slave
Approved rendering: δούλος
Transliteration: doúlos
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Rejected alternatives: σκλάβος (πιο συνηθισμένη καθημερινή λέξη, αλλά συνδέεται ακόμη πιο άμεσα με την εθνική-ιστορική «δουλεία» της Τουρκοκρατίας μέσω της ετυμολογικής της ρίζας), υπηρέτης (ευφημιστική μαλάκωση που διαγράφει την κοινωνική αντίθεση δούλου/αδελφού στην οποία βασίζεται το επιχείρημα του Παύλου)
Original: δοῦλος
Category: Slavery
CRITICAL and unique to this book: Modern Greek δουλεία carries a live national-historical meaning (the ‘400 years of δουλεία’ under Ottoman rule, foundational to modern Greek national memory), risking substitution of that colonial/national-occupation frame for the first-century Greco-Roman personal-legal household-slavery institution Paul actually addresses (Philemon 1:16, twice). δούλος itself is rarer in everyday speech than σκλάβος, signaling elevated/biblical register — an asset — but the noun family’s connotation must be actively anchored to household slavery, never national subjugation, via a mandatory translator’s note at every occurrence. Flag for human theologian review on every occurrence.
Charge To Account
Approved rendering: βάλε το στον λογαριασμό μου
Transliteration: ellogáō
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Rejected alternatives: εξαγοράζω με τη σύγχρονη έννοια της δωροδοκίας ή της εταιρικής εξαγοράς (κατάλληλο μόνο για το ξεχωριστό ρήμα ‘εξαγοράζω’ της Galatians, όχι εδώ)
Original: ἐλλογάω (ἐλλόγα)
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
CRITICAL: Philemon 1:18 (ἐλλόγα). Same root family (λόγος/λογίζομαι) as the baseline’s Critical ‘credited’/‘imputed_righteousness’ entries (Romans 4; Galatians 3:6, quoting Genesis 15:6 LXX). The risk is inverse to the usual bleaching pattern: the commercial/bookkeeping register may seem too mundane and practical for a reader to recognize this as a live personal enactment of substitutionary/imputation theology. Mandatory cross-reference note to λογίζομαι/Romans 4 required; flag for human theologian review at every occurrence.
High Risk Terms
Faith
Approved rendering: πίστη
Transliteration: písti
Doctrine: Faith
Rejected alternatives: πίστη με τη γενική έννοια της αφοσίωσης σε οποιαδήποτε ιδέα ή πρόσωπο
Original: πίστις
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package (High). At Philemon 1:6, πίστις is paired with κοινωνία in an active, outward-facing sense (‘the fellowship/partnership of your faith’) — faith expressed concretely in generosity and partnership — distinct from, but not contradicting, the baseline’s saving-faith formula from Romans.
Gospel
Approved rendering: ευαγγέλιο
Transliteration: evangélio
Doctrine: Gospel
Original: εὐαγγέλιον
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package (High). In Philemon it names the reason for Paul’s imprisonment (‘δεσμοὶ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου,’ 1:13 — see new entry ‘chains_of_the_gospel’ below); ensure the phrase reads as ‘my imprisonment undergone for the gospel’s sake,’ not ‘the gospel’s own imprisonment.‘
Obedience Of Faith
Approved rendering: υπακοή πίστεως
Transliteration: ypakoí písteos
Doctrine: Obedience of Faith
Rejected alternatives: υπακοή στους θεσμούς της Εκκλησίας ανεξάρτητα από την πίστη
Inherited from Romans package (High). Philemon 1:21 uses the bare noun ὑπακοή without the πίστεως qualifier (see new entry ‘obedience’ below); a mandatory cross-reference note bridging Philemon 1:21 to this Romans 1:5/16:26 doctrine is required so the letter’s expected ‘obedience’ is read as grace-produced, not bare command-compliance.
Appeal Beseech
Approved rendering: παρακαλώ
Transliteration: parakaló
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Rejected alternatives: παρακαλώ με την καθημερινή έννοια του ευγενικού μορίου ‘παρακαλώ/ορίστε’ (πολιτισμική ευγένεια), προτρέπω (η ξεχωριστή λέξη-‘exhort’ της baseline γλωσσικής δεξαμενής — δεν πρέπει να αντικαταστήσει τη δική του λέξη του Παύλου, καθώς η επιλογή της λέξης είναι μέρος του επιχειρήματος)
Original: παρακαλῶ
Category: Intercession
FORBIDDEN FLATTENING: the letter’s programmatic verb (Philemon 1:9-10), deliberately set against ἐπιτάσσω (1:8, ‘command’). Modern Greek παρακαλώ is the single most frequently used word in ordinary daily Greek speech (‘please’/‘you’re welcome’/phone greeting); unless deliberately weighted by formal register and explanatory framing, Paul’s rhetorical staging — an apostle with authority choosing instead to plead — collapses into a throwaway politeness marker. Flag every occurrence for human theologian review.
Obedience
Approved rendering: υπακοή
Transliteration: ypakoí
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Original: ὑπακοή
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Philemon 1:21 (ὑπακοή). Shares its headword with the baseline’s Critical ‘obedience_of_faith’ entry (see inherited entry above), but appears here as the bare noun. Risk of two opposite errors: (1) reading it as bare command-compliance disconnected from the letter’s grace-not-command framing, reintroducing the ἀνάγκη dynamic Paul explicitly renounced at 1:14; or (2) missing the connection to the Romans doctrine altogether. Mandatory cross-reference note bridging this verse to ὑπακοὴ πίστεως required; flag for human theologian review.
Fellow Worker
Approved rendering: συνεργός
Transliteration: synergós
Doctrine: Hospitality and Gospel Partnership
Rejected alternatives: συνέργεια/συνεργάτης χωρίς επεξηγηματική φράση (κινδυνεύει να ακουστεί ως ‘συνεργασία με τον κατακτητή/εγκληματική συνενοχή’)
Original: συνεργός
Category: Church
CRITICAL RISK CLASS (High): Philemon 1:1, 1:24. Distinctive risk not found elsewhere in the baseline package: Modern Greek συνεργός carries a strong secondary sense of ‘accomplice/collaborator [with a crime or occupying power]’ (e.g., WWII-era ‘συνεργάτες’ of the occupier carry strong negative national connotation). An unglossed positive theological use risks immediate, jarring negative resonance. Mandatory disambiguating phrase (‘συνεργός στο έργο του ευαγγελίου’) or translator’s note required at every occurrence.
Medium Risk Terms
Peace
Approved rendering: ειρήνη
Transliteration: eiríni
Doctrine: Peace with God
Rejected alternatives: ειρήνη με την ησυχαστική έννοια της εσωτερικής ή νοερής ησυχίας (μυστικιστική παράδοση)
Original: εἰρήνη
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package (Medium). Standard opening-greeting usage at Philemon 1:3; no additional book-specific risk beyond the baseline’s Hesychast-mysticism caution.
Fellowship
Approved rendering: κοινωνία
Transliteration: koinonía
Doctrine: Christian Fellowship
Rejected alternatives: κοινωνία αποκλειστικά ως λήψη της Θείας Κοινωνίας (Ευχαριστίας), κοινωνία με τη σύγχρονη έννοια της κοινωνίας/κοινωνικού συνόλου
Original: κοινωνία
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package (Medium). Philemon 1:6 (‘κοινωνία τῆς πίστεώς σου’); the related noun κοινωνός at 1:17 (see new entry ‘partner’ below) is the letter’s strongest equality statement and must not default to a purely commercial-partnership reading.
Church
Approved rendering: εκκλησία
Transliteration: ekklisía
Doctrine: Church as God’s People
Rejected alternatives: Εκκλησία αποκλειστικά ως ο θεσμός/η ιεραρχική Ορθόδοξη Εκκλησία, ή αποκλειστικά το κτίριο
Original: ἐκκλησία
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package (Medium). Philemon 1:2 specifies ‘κατ᾽ οἶκόν σου ἐκκλησία’ (house church) — see new entry ‘house_church’ below — a valuable teaching contrast to Modern Greek’s dominant institutional-national-Church or physical-building senses.
Thanksgiving
Approved rendering: ευχαριστία
Transliteration: efcharistía
Doctrine: Thanksgiving
Rejected alternatives: Θεία Ευχαριστία αποκλειστικά (η Ευχαριστία ως Μυστήριο)
Original: εὐχαριστῶ / εὐχαριστία
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package (Medium). The verb form εὐχαριστῶ at Philemon 1:4 is Paul’s personal, ongoing practice of grateful prayer for Philemon specifically, not a general theological statement, and must not default to the sacramental Θεία Ευχαριστία association any more than the noun form should.
Servant Of Sin
Approved rendering: υπηρέτης της αμαρτίας
Transliteration: hamartias diakonos
Doctrine: Sin
Inherited from Romans package (Medium) as a methodological precedent, not a directly reused phrase: this entry established that Modern Greek διάκονος/διακονία is almost exclusively the ordained deacon’s office, so generic agent-service senses require the plainer υπηρετώ. Philemon 1:13’s διακονῇ (‘serve/minister,’ see new entry ‘serve_minister’ below) follows this exact precedent to avoid an ordained-office misreading of Onesimus’s hoped-for service.
Love
Approved rendering: αγάπη
Transliteration: agápi
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Rejected alternatives: αγάπη αποκλειστικά με τη σύγχρονη ρομαντική/οικογενειακή έννοια της συναισθηματικής στοργής
Original: ἀγάπη
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
New term for this curriculum (no standalone baseline entry). Governs the letter’s entire rhetorical strategy: Philemon 1:9 states ἀγάπη as the basis of Paul’s appeal, chosen deliberately over ἐπιτάσσω (‘command’). Modern Greek αγάπη is also the ordinary word for romantic and familial affection; ensure the willed, covenantal, costly sense (not mere sentiment) is clear from surrounding teaching prose, since the base term itself cannot be altered without breaking cross-curriculum consistency.
Prisoner Of Christ
Approved rendering: δέσμιος Χριστού Ιησού
Transliteration: désmios Christoú Iisoú
Doctrine: Suffering for the Gospel
Original: δέσμιος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ
Category: Suffering for the Gospel
Philemon 1:1, 1:9, 1:23. Paul’s chosen self-identification (not ‘apostle’) here; the honor-in-suffering logic (a prisoner OF Christ, not merely FOR a crime) requires an explanatory note so it is not read as incidental biography — parallels the baseline’s Galatians ‘marks of Jesus’ theme.
Chains Bonds
Approved rendering: δεσμά
Transliteration: desmá
Doctrine: Suffering for the Gospel
Original: δεσμά / δεσμοί
Category: Suffering for the Gospel
Philemon 1:10, 1:13. Modern Greek δεσμά retains ‘chains/bonds’ but has also broadened into a warm relational metaphor (‘δεσμοί αγάπης’); this double meaning is a deliberate wordplay asset Paul exploits, moving from Onesimus as bound slave to Onesimus as one bound in brotherly affection — note for curriculum use, not merely treat as risk.
Beloved Brother
Approved rendering: αδελφός αγαπητός
Transliteration: adelfós agapitós
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Original: ἀδελφός (ἀγαπητός)
Category: Christian Brotherhood
Philemon 1:16 (also ἀδελφός alone at 1:1, 1:7, 1:20). ἀδελφός is a stable, zero-gap NT word in continuous Greek church usage, but its everyday sibling/low-intensity ecclesial-address sense is so dominant that a master formally calling his slave ‘brother’ risks losing its original social shock value. An explanatory note restoring the social force is required specifically at 1:16, where the doctrine converges with the Critical ‘slave’ entry above in the same verse.
Partner
Approved rendering: κοινωνός
Transliteration: koinonós
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Rejected alternatives: συνέταιρος (εμπορικός εταίρος — υποβαθμίζει τη θεολογική ισοτιμία σε επιχειρηματική σχέση)
Original: κοινωνός
Category: Christian Brotherhood
Philemon 1:17; Paul’s request that Philemon receive Onesimus ‘as me’ — the strongest equality statement in the letter. Retain κοινωνός rather than substituting a purely commercial-partnership word, to connect naturally to the established κοινωνία glossary entry.
Receive Welcome
Approved rendering: δέξου / υποδέξου
Transliteration: déxou / ypodéxou
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Philemon 1:17 (προσλαβοῦ). Same verb Paul uses elsewhere for God’s/Christ’s welcome of believers (Romans 14:1, 3; 15:7); cross-reference note recommended so learners see the intentional echo.
Wronged
Approved rendering: αδίκησε
Transliteration: adíkise
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Original: ἀδικέω (ἠδίκησεν)
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Philemon 1:18 (ἠδίκησεν). Shares its root directly with δικαιοσύνη/δικαίωση, both baseline Critical terms; a translator’s note connecting ἀδικέω here to that root family strengthens the letter’s link to Romans’ forensic vocabulary.
I Will Repay
Approved rendering: θα το αποπληρώσω / εξοφλήσω
Transliteration: apotínō
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Original: ἀποτίνω (ἀποτίσω)
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Philemon 1:19 (ἀποτίσω). The classical verb ἀποτίνω is rare/archaic in living Modern Greek; a comprehension gloss noting its formal, legally binding nature (a guarantor’s pledge) is useful, though there is no doctrinal confusion risk, only register.
Splagchna
Approved rendering: σπλάγχνα / σπλάχνα
Transliteration: splágchna
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Rejected alternatives: καρδία (η ασθενέστερη, λιγότερο σπλαχνική απόδοση ‘καρδιά’, η οποία σβήνει την εσκεμμένη τριπλή επανάληψη)
Original: σπλάγχνα
Category: Christian Brotherhood
Philemon 1:7, 1:12, 1:20 — deliberate repetition; must be rendered identically at all three occurrences. σπλάχνα is still a living, visceral Modern Greek word for one’s own beloved children/family (‘τα σπλάχνα μου’), closely tracking Paul’s sense; do not substitute the blander καρδία for stylistic smoothness.
Serve Minister
Approved rendering: υπηρετώ
Transliteration: diakonéō
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Rejected alternatives: διακονώ/διακονία (κατ’ αποκλειστικότητα η καθιερωμένη εκκλησιαστική τάξη του διακόνου)
Original: διακονέω (διακονῇ)
Category: Slavery
Philemon 1:13 (διακονῇ). Modern Greek διακονία/διάκονος is strongly associated with the ordained diaconate; prefer the generic register (υπηρετώ), per the baseline’s ‘servant_of_sin’ precedent, unless a note clarifies the general-service sense — otherwise the rendering risks suggesting Onesimus held or was being groomed for church office.
Compulsion Necessity
Approved rendering: ανάγκη
Transliteration: anánki
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Original: ἀνάγκη
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Philemon 1:14 (ἀνάγκη). Modern Greek ἀνάγκη is the ordinary word for practical ‘need,’ softer than Paul’s sharper coercion/compulsion sense; a gloss (‘όχι με το ζόρι/υπό πίεση’) strengthens clarity without displacing the base term.
Separated
Approved rendering: χωρίστηκε / αποχωρίστηκε
Transliteration: echōrísthi
Doctrine: Providence
Original: χωρίζω (ἐχωρίσθη)
Category: Providence
Philemon 1:15 (ἐχωρίσθη). Modern Greek χωρίζω/χωρισμός is dominated by the divorce/permanent-separation sense; a translator’s note must clarify this separation was temporary (‘πρὸς ὥραν’) and providentially purposed, not a permanent or hostile rupture.
Eternal Forever
Approved rendering: αιώνιος / για πάντα
Transliteration: aiónios
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Original: αἰώνιον
Category: Christian Brotherhood
Philemon 1:15 (αἰώνιον). Because αἰώνιος is heavily loaded elsewhere in the NT with eschatological weight (eternal life), a reader may import that full doctrinal sense here, where the primary meaning is the permanence of restored fellowship; a note distinguishing the two senses is advisable.
Charizomai
Approved rendering: θα σας χαριστώ
Transliteration: charízomai
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: χαρίζομαι αποκλειστικά με τη σύγχρονη καθημερινή έννοια του ‘δωρίζω/χαρίζω ένα αντικείμενο’ (χωρίς θεολογική ηχώ)
Original: χαρίζομαι
Category: Salvation
Philemon 1:22. Directly related to the baseline’s Critical χάρις entry; Modern Greek χαρίζομαι today most commonly means simply ‘to give as a gift/donate.’ This root elsewhere in the NT is the primary word for ‘forgive/graciously cancel a debt’ (Colossians 2:13; Ephesians 4:32) — a fact easy to miss since Philemon’s own forgiveness scene (1:18-19) uses unrelated accounting vocabulary instead. A brief cross-reference note connecting this verb to both χάρις and the letter’s forgiveness doctrine is recommended.
Chains Of The Gospel
Approved rendering: τα δεσμά του ευαγγελίου
Transliteration: desmoí toú evangelíou
Doctrine: Suffering for the Gospel
Original: δεσμοὶ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου
Category: Suffering for the Gospel
Philemon 1:13. Reuses the baseline’s High-risk ‘gospel’ (ευαγγέλιο) exactly within this compound phrase; reinforces v.9’s δέσμιος Χριστοῦ — imprisonment is gospel service, not disgrace.
House Church
Approved rendering: η εκκλησία που συναθροίζεται στο σπίτι σου
Transliteration: kat’ oíkon ekklisía
Doctrine: Church as God’s People
Philemon 1:2 (κατ᾽ οἶκόν σου ἐκκλησία). Qualifies the baseline’s ‘church’ entry with the earliest, domestic, pre-institutional form of ἐκκλησία — a valuable teaching opportunity to show the NT’s own, much more modest, domestic sense of the word, distinct from both the institutional-national-Church and physical-building defaults a Modern Greek reader brings.
Low Risk Terms
Command
Approved rendering: επιτάσσω / διατάζω
Transliteration: epitássō / diatázō
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Original: ἐπιτάσσω
Category: Intercession
Philemon 1:8; names the apostolic authority Paul explicitly declines to exercise — the foil to παρακαλῶ. Stable, standard Modern Greek command vocabulary.
Boldness Confidence
Approved rendering: παρρησία
Transliteration: parrisía
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Original: παρρησία
Category: Intercession
Philemon 1:8; zero lexical gap, stable in Modern Greek. Minor note: colloquial usage can weaken ‘authorized confidence’ to mere bluntness; context should anchor the authorized-apostolic sense.
Owes
Approved rendering: οφείλει
Transliteration: ofíli
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Original: ὀφείλω (ὀφείλει)
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Philemon 1:18 (ὀφείλει). Fully stable, everyday Modern Greek debt vocabulary; frames the wrong explicitly as a debt.
You Owe Besides
Approved rendering: μου χρωστάς κι εσύ
Transliteration: prosopheílō
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Original: προσοφείλω (προσοφείλεις)
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Philemon 1:19 (προσοφείλεις). Paul’s gentle reminder that Philemon himself owes his own conversion to Paul — briefly reversing the ledger immediately before asking for a comparatively small favor.
Refresh Give Rest
Approved rendering: αναπαύω / ανάπαυσε
Transliteration: anapávō
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Original: ἀναπαύω (ἀνάπαυσον)
Category: Christian Brotherhood
Philemon 1:7, 1:20 (ἀναπαύω/ἀνάπαυσον). Connected structurally to σπλάγχνα; preserve the verbal echo across both occurrences.
Useless
Approved rendering: άχρηστος
Transliteration: áchristos
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Original: ἄχρηστος
Category: Slavery
Philemon 1:11. Fully alive, stable Modern Greek word. The name-pun with Ὀνήσιμος should be flagged in an explanatory note for teaching purposes, not treated as a doctrinal risk.
Useful
Approved rendering: εύχρηστος
Transliteration: éfchristos
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Original: εὔχρηστος
Category: Slavery
Philemon 1:11. Companion term to ἄχρηστος; the gospel’s transforming effect stated in the most concrete terms possible.
Onesimus
Approved rendering: Ονήσιμος
Transliteration: Onísimos
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Original: Ὀνήσιμος
Category: Slavery
Philemon 1:10. Proper name meaning ‘useful, profitable,’ driving the letter’s central wordplay (1:10-11, 1:20). Stable transliterated proper name; the underlying etymological pun must be explained in a translator’s note since it is not self-evident to a Modern Greek reader without comment.
May I Benefit
Approved rendering: είθε να έχω τη χαρά/το κέρδος από εσένα
Transliteration: onaímin
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Original: ὀνίναμαι (ὀναίμην)
Category: Slavery
Philemon 1:20 (ὀναίμην). Rare optative form; closes the Ὀνήσιμος name-pun. Flag the name-pun connection in a translator’s note for curriculum use.
Voluntary
Approved rendering: εκούσιο
Transliteration: ekoúsion
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Original: ἑκούσιον
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Philemon 1:14 (ἑκούσιον). The positive term in the ἀνάγκη/ἑκούσιον contrast; stable, still used in formal/legal Modern Greek (‘εκούσια ομολογία’).
Consent Opinion
Approved rendering: γνώμη / συναίνεση
Transliteration: gnómi
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Original: γνώμη
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Philemon 1:14 (γνώμη). Paul’s refusal to act without Philemon’s free agreement; stable, no significant secular drift affecting the theological point.
Confidence Trust
Approved rendering: πεποίθηση
Transliteration: pepoíthisi
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Original: πείθω (πεποιθώς)
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Philemon 1:21 (πεποιθώς). Paul’s confidence rests on Philemon’s grace-formed character, not apostolic leverage; stable term, no significant doctrinal risk.
Xenia
Approved rendering: ξενία / κατάλυμα
Transliteration: xenía
Doctrine: Hospitality and Gospel Partnership
Original: ξενία
Category: Hospitality
Philemon 1:22. Paul’s light closing request in anticipation of his release. Worth a light cultural note that ‘Ξενία’ is also a well-known 20th-century Greek state hotel-chain brand name — a harmless curiosity, not a doctrinal risk.
Teknon
Approved rendering: τέκνο
Transliteration: téknon
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Original: τέκνον
Category: Slavery
Philemon 1:10. Paul’s designation of Onesimus as his spiritual child; standard, stable Modern Greek word (also formal/legal register, e.g. birth certificates). Spiritual, not biological, fatherhood sense should be clear from context.
Gennao
Approved rendering: γέννησα
Transliteration: egénnisa
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Original: γεννάω (ἐγέννησα)
Category: Slavery
Philemon 1:10 (ἐγέννησα). Paul’s claim of spiritual paternity over Onesimus through his conversion, parallel to the Galatians 4:19 birth-imagery precedent already fixed in this Language Package.
Anapempo
Approved rendering: έστειλα πίσω
Transliteration: anépempsa
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Original: ἀναπέμπω
Category: Slavery
Philemon 1:12 (ἀναπέμπω). Paul’s voluntary return of Onesimus to Philemon; stable term with no significant secular drift.
Katecho
Approved rendering: κατέχω / κρατώ
Transliteration: katéchō
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Original: κατέχω
Category: Intercession
Philemon 1:13 (κατέχω). Paul’s admitted desire to retain Onesimus’s help, heightening the cost of his decision to send him back.
Fellow Soldier
Approved rendering: συστρατιώτης
Transliteration: systratiótis
Doctrine: Hospitality and Gospel Partnership
Original: συστρατιώτης
Category: Church
Philemon 1:2. Honors Archippus with military-metaphor language for shared spiritual struggle; transparent compound, intelligible in Modern Greek without significant drift. Mandatory military conscription in Greece may strengthen rather than weaken the metaphor’s resonance.
Fellow Prisoner
Approved rendering: συναιχμάλωτος
Transliteration: synaichmálōtos
Doctrine: Suffering for the Gospel
Original: συναιχμάλωτος
Category: Suffering for the Gospel
Philemon 1:23. Honors Epaphras as sharing Paul’s imprisonment for the gospel; αιχμάλωτος (POW/hostage) is a fully alive Modern Greek word, transparent compound with no significant secular drift.
Referenced passages