Core Glossary
2 Corinthians — Core Glossary (Hmong Language Package)
Legend — Status column: Inherited = reused verbatim from the Romans baseline TM (assets/translation_memory.json); no alternate rendering permitted. New (2 Cor) = proposed in this analysis, pending formal Phase 2 TM-revision review; MUST be flagged [TRANSLATOR REVIEW NEEDED] if used before that review completes.
Risk tiers follow assets/doctrine_risk_registry.json definitions exactly (Critical / High / Medium / Low).
A. Inherited Terms (reused exactly from the Romans TM baseline)
| # | English Term | Greek / Transliteration | Hmong Rendering | Risk | Doctrine(s) Touched in 2 Cor | Chapters | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | God | θεός / theos | Vajtswv | Low | all | all | No change from baseline. |
| 2 | Lord | κύριος / kyrios | tus Tswv | Low | Sincerity; Power in Weakness | 1,3,5,10,11 | No change. |
| 3 | Jesus Christ | Ἰησοῦς Χριστός / Iēsous Christos | Yexus Khetos | Low | all | all | No change. |
| 4 | Father God | πατήρ / patēr | Leej Txiv | Low | Reconciliation | 1,6,13 | Paired with “Father of mercies,” 1:3. |
| 5 | Holy Spirit | πνεῦμα ἅγιον / pneuma hagion | Vaj Ntsuj Plig | Critical | New Covenant; Power in Weakness | 1,3,5,13 | Mandatory “Vaj” prefix retained at every occurrence, incl. benediction 13:14. |
| 6 | Gospel | εὐαγγέλιον / euangelion | Txoj Moo Zoo | Low | Sincerity; Genuine/False Apostleship | 2,4,8,9,10,11 | No change. |
| 7 | Apostle | ἀπόστολος / apostolos | tus Tub Txib | Medium | Genuine/False Apostleship | 1,11,12 | Root for new “false apostles” compound. |
| 8 | Servant/Slave (of Christ) | δοῦλος / doulos | qhev | High | Sincerity; Suffering in Ministry | 4 | ”we preach… ourselves as your servants,” 4:5. |
| 9 | Deacon/Servant (office) | διάκονος / diakonos | tus pab tu pawg ntseeg | Medium | New Covenant; Suffering in Ministry | 3,6,11 | Extended sense “ministers of a new covenant,” 3:6. |
| 10 | Grace | χάρις / charis | txiaj ntsim | Critical | Reconciliation; Generosity/Grace in Giving | 1,4,6,8,9,12,13 | Never koob hmoov, incl. in giving contexts (ch.8-9). |
| 11 | Faith / Believe | πίστις / pisteuō | kev ntseeg | Medium | Sincerity; New Covenant | 1,4,5,10,13 | Anchor to Christ at each occurrence. |
| 12 | Promise | ἐπαγγελία / epangelia | lus cog tseg | Low | New Covenant | 1,7 | Root for new “covenant” compound (see §B). |
| 13 | Righteousness of God / Righteous | δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ / dikaios | Vajtswv txoj kev ncaj ncees | Critical | Reconciliation (5:21); Generosity (9:9-10) | 5,6,9,11 | Core passage keystone at 5:21. |
| 14 | Reckon / Impute | λογίζομαι / logizomai | suav / suav tias | Critical | Reconciliation | 5 | Extended to negative use (sins not counted, 5:19) — see analysis §Part A. |
| 15 | Sin (act & condition) | ἁμαρτία / hamartia | txhaum / kev txhaum | High | Reconciliation | 5,11 | Christ “made sin,” 5:21 — Critical extension. |
| 16 | Flesh (neutral: descent/body) | σάρξ / sarx | lub cev nqaij tawv | Critical | Power in Weakness; Suffering in Ministry | 4,7,10,12 | Also bears a third, evaluative sense at 5:16, 10:2-3 — see §B. |
| 17 | Flesh (moral: sinful nature) | σάρξ / sarx | kev xav/kev ua raws li lub cev nqaij tawv | Critical | (background) | 1,7,10 | ”fleshly wisdom,” 1:12. |
| 18 | Reconciliation | καταλλαγή / katallagē | kev sib haum xeeb (nrog Vajtswv) | Medium | Reconciliation with God | 5 | Core passage: used 4x in 5:18-20; God-ward anchor mandatory. |
| 19 | Death | θάνατος / thanatos | txoj kev tuag | Low | Reconciliation; New Covenant | 1,3,4,5,7 | ”the letter kills,” 3:6-7. |
| 20 | Sanctification | ἁγιασμός / hagiasmos | kev raug ua kom dawb huv | High | New Covenant (background) | 7 | ”perfecting holiness,” 7:1. |
| 21 | Eternal life / Life | ζωὴ αἰώνιος, ζωή / zōē | txoj sia (nyob mus ib txhis) | Low | Reconciliation; Power in Weakness | 3,4,5 | ”the Spirit gives life,” 3:6; “life in Jesus,” 4:10-11. |
| 22 | Glory | δόξα / doxa | lub yeeb koob | Low | New Covenant | 3,4,8 | Heavily used, Moses vs. new-covenant glory. |
| 23 | Power | δύναμις / dynamis | hwjchim (always Vajtswv hwjchim) | High | Power in Weakness | 4,6,10,12,13 | Keystone term, 12:9 “power is made perfect in weakness.” |
| 24 | Salvation / Save | σωτηρία / sōzō | kev cawm dim (anchored to Yexus Khetos) | High | Reconciliation | 1,2,6,7 | 7:10 “godly grief produces… salvation.” |
| 25 | World | κόσμος / kosmos | lub ntiajteb | Low | Reconciliation with God | 1,5,7 | Core passage 5:19, “reconciling the world.” |
| 26 | Scripture | γραφή / graphē | Vaj Lug Kub | Low | New Covenant | 3,4,8,9 | OT quotations, e.g. 6:2,16-18; 9:9. |
| 27 | Creation | κτίσις / ktisis | tej uas raug tsim los | Low | New Creation in Christ | 5 | Root for new “new creation” compound — see §B. |
| 28 | Conscience | συνείδησις / syneidēsis | tej kev paub zoo paub phem hauv lub siab | Medium | Sincerity/Apostolic Authority | 1,4,5 | Core passage 5:11. |
| 29 | Idol | εἴδωλον / eidōlon | dab mlom | High | New Covenant (holiness) | 6 | 6:16, paired with “temple of the living God” (new term, §B) — major collision hotspot. |
| 30 | Boasting | καύχησις / kauchaomai | kev khav theeb | Low | Sincerity; Genuine/False Apostleship | 1,5,7,8,9,10,11,12 | Both illegitimate and (repurposed) legitimate senses; teach both. |
| 31 | Love | ἀγάπη / agapē | kev hlub | Low | Reconciliation with God | 2,5,8,13 | Core passage 5:14, “the love of Christ controls us.” |
| 32 | Hope | ἐλπίς / elpis | kev cia siab | Low | Suffering and Comfort | 1,3,10 | 1:7, 3:12. |
| 33 | Mercy | ἔλεος / οἰκτιρμός | txoj kev khuv leej | Medium | Suffering and Comfort | 1 | ”Father of mercies,” 1:3 (Gk. noun differs but same category; reuse). |
| 34 | Firstfruits (agricultural imagery family) | ἀπαρχή (root imagery reused for 9:6,10) | thawj phaus qoob loo / cov ua ntej | Low-Medium | Generosity/Grace in Giving | 9 | Sowing/reaping imagery, new compound — see §B. |
| 35 | In Christ (union formula) | ἐν Χριστῷ / en Christō | nyob hauv Khetos | High | New Creation in Christ | 5,13 | Core passage 5:17,21; extended by new “Christ in you” formula, §B. |
| 36 | Witness | μάρτυς / martys | tus timkhawv | Low | Sincerity | 1 | 1:23, “God is my witness.” |
| 37 | Thanksgiving | εὐχαριστία / eucharistō | ua tsaug | Low | Generosity/Grace in Giving | 1,2,4,9 | 9:11-12. |
| 38 | Endurance | ὑπομονή / hypomonē | kev ua siab ntev | Low | Suffering and Comfort in Ministry | 1,6,12 | Affliction catalogues. |
| 39 | Impartiality idiom (face/favoritism) | πρόσωπον-related idiom | tsis saib ntsej muag | Low | Sincerity/Apostolic Authority | 5,10 | Note distinct literal use of πρόσωπον at 5:12 (see §B, “face/appearance”). |
| 40 | Adoption as sons | υἱοθεσία (echoed, 6:18) | raug muab coj los ua me tub (ntawm Vajtswv) | Medium | Reconciliation with God | 6 | ”sons and daughters,” 6:18. |
| 41 | Wrath of God | ὀργὴ θεοῦ / orgē theou | kev npau taws ntawm Vajtswv | High | (background) | — | Not directly thematized in 2 Cor; retained for consistency if invoked. |
| 42 | Obedience of faith (root) | ὑπακοή / hypakoē | kev mloog lus ntawm kev ntseeg | Medium | Genuine/False Apostleship | 10 | ”obedience of Christ,” 10:5 — extended variant. |
B. New Terms Introduced in 2 Corinthians (proposed for TM-revision review)
| # | English Term | Greek / Transliteration | Proposed Hmong Rendering | Risk | Doctrine(s) | Chapters | Rationale / Collision Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | Comfort / consolation | παράκλησις / paraklēsis | kev nplig siab | Medium | Suffering and Comfort in Ministry | 1,7 | Bridges to funeral-consolation custom; must anchor to union with Christ’s own sufferings. |
| 44 | Affliction / suffering | θλῖψις / thlipsis | kev txom nyem nyuaj siab | Medium | Suffering and Comfort in Ministry | 1,4,6,7,8,11,12 | Comprehension-level; fixed pair with #43. |
| 45 | Sincerity | ἁπλότης / εἰλικρίνεια / haplotēs, eilikrineia | lub siab dawb paug tsis ntxeev siab | High | Sincerity and Apostolic Authority | 1,2,8,11 | Must stay lexically distinct from dawb huv (sanctification, ritual-purity collision). |
| 46 | Seal | σφραγίς / sphragis | kaw cim rau | Low-Medium | Suffering and Comfort | 1 | Comprehension gap only. |
| 47 | Guarantee / down payment (of the Spirit) | ἀρραβών / arrabōn | thawj nqi them ua pov thawj | Medium-High | New Covenant; New Creation | 1,5 | Must retain fixed Vaj Ntsuj Plig referent. |
| 48 | Forgiveness (interpersonal) | χαρίζομαι / charizomai | zam txim | Medium | Reconciliation with God | 2 | Modeled on, not separate from, divine grace. |
| 49 | Satan | Σατανᾶς / Satanas | Xatas | High | Genuine/False Apostleship | 2,11,12 | Must never be conflated with generic dab. |
| 50 | Fragrance of Christ | ὀσμή / osmē | tsw qab ntawm Khetos | Medium-High | Sincerity and Apostolic Authority | 2 | Adjacent to sacrificial-offering domain; teach as missional metaphor only. |
| 51 | Peddlers of God’s word | καπηλεύοντες / kapēleuontes | cov muag Vajtswv Txoj Lus yuav nyiaj | High | Genuine/False Apostleship | 2 | Guards against prosperity-gospel drift per baseline §9. |
| 52 | Sufficient / competent | ἱκανός / hikanos | muaj peev xwm txaus | Low | Power in Weakness | 2,3 | ”Who is sufficient?” — answered by God alone. |
| 53 | Covenant (new / old) | διαθήκη / diathēkē | tej lus cog tseg tshiab / qub | High | The New Covenant versus the Old | 3 | Built on baseline promise root; risk of clan-oath-custom conflation. |
| 54 | Letter (written code) | γράμμα / gramma | cov ntawv sau (ntawm Txoj Kevcai) | High | The New Covenant versus the Old | 3 | Must always be contrasted with Vaj Ntsuj Plig in the same clause. |
| 55 | Veil | κάλυμμα / kalymma | daim ntaub npog | Medium | The New Covenant versus the Old | 3,4 | Comprehension-level; brief gloss on first use. |
| 56 | Transformed / glory to glory | μεταμορφούμεθα / metamorphoumetha | raug hloov kom zoo ib yam li (Khetos) | Medium | Power in Weakness (background); New Covenant | 3 | Distinguish from ritual-cleansing readings of sanctification. |
| 57 | Boldness / confidence | παρρησία / parrēsia | kev ncaj qhia tsis ntshai | Low-Medium | Sincerity and Apostolic Authority | 3,7,10 | Comprehension-level. |
| 58 | Image (of God/Christ) | εἰκών / eikōn | tus duab ntawm Vajtswv/Khetos | Medium | New Creation in Christ (background) | 3,4 | Must stay lexically distinct from dab mlom (idol). |
| 59 | Do not lose heart | ἐκκακέω / ekkakeō | tsis poob siab | Low | Suffering and Comfort in Ministry | 4 | Comprehension-level. |
| 60 | Outer / inner man | ἔξω / ἔσω ἄνθρωπος | lub cev sab nraud / tus neeg sab hauv | Low-Medium | Power in Weakness | 4 | Distinct from flesh/Spirit moral contrast. |
| 61 | Tent / earthly dwelling | σκῆνος / skēnos | lub tsev ntaub | Low | New Creation in Christ (background) | 5 | Good cross-cultural bridge. |
| 62 | Judgment seat of Christ | βῆμα / bēma | lub rooj txiav txim ntawm Khetos | Medium | Sincerity and Apostolic Authority | 5 | Legal-idiom bridge via village-court concept. |
| 63 | Fear of the Lord | φόβος τοῦ Κυρίου / phobos tou kyriou | kev ntshai tus Tswv | High | Sincerity and Apostolic Authority | 5 | Core passage 5:11; risk of animistic spirit-fear conflation. |
| 64 | New creation | καινὴ κτίσις / kainē ktisis | tus/tej raug tsim dua ua tus tshiab | Critical | New Creation in Christ | 5 | Doctrinal peak of the book; distinguish from shamanic soul-restoration. |
| 65 | Ministry of reconciliation | διακονία τῆς καταλλαγῆς / diakonia tēs katallagēs | kev ua haujlwm tshaj tawm kev sib haum xeeb (nrog Vajtswv) | Critical | Reconciliation with God | 5 | Core passage 5:18; God-ward qualifier mandatory. |
| 66 | Ambassador | πρεσβεύω / presbeuō | tus sawv cev (ntawm Khetos) | Medium | Genuine/False Apostleship | 5 | Core passage 5:20; delegated, not self-originated, authority. |
| 67 | Made [to be] sin | ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν / hamartian epoiēsen | Vajtswv muab nws suav tias yog tus ris kev txhaum | Critical | Reconciliation with God | 5 | Core passage 5:21; strictly forensic/positional, never a nature-change reading. |
| 68 | Resurrection / raised | ἐγείρω / egeirō | sawv hauv qhov tuag rov qab los | Medium-High | New Creation in Christ | 5 | Distinguish from ancestral-spirit continuation beliefs. |
| 69 | Flesh — evaluative sense (“according to the flesh” = by worldly standards) | κατὰ σάρκα / kata sarka | raws li kev pom ntawm neeg ntiajteb (tsis yog raws li Vajtswv) | Critical | New Creation in Christ; Genuine/False Apostleship | 5,10,11 | Third sense of σάρξ beyond the two fixed in the Romans baseline; deliberately NOT reusing either fixed flesh-phrase. |
| 70 | Unblemished (ministry) | ἀμώμητος / amōmētos | tsis muaj chaw thuam | Low | Sincerity and Apostolic Authority | 6 | Comprehension-level. |
| 71 | Unequally yoked | ἑτεροζυγέω / heterozygeō | koom nkoj ua ke tsis sib xws | Medium | New Covenant (holiness); Genuine/False Apostleship | 6 | Agrarian bridge; illustrative farming note recommended. |
| 72 | Temple of the living God | ναὸς θεοῦ ζῶντος / naos theou zōntos | lub tuam tsev ntawm Vajtswv uas muaj txoj sia nyob | High | New Covenant (holiness) | 6 | Direct collision risk with household spirit-shrine (xwm kab) concept. |
| 73 | Separate / come out | ἀφορίζω / aphorizō | cais tawm | Low | New Covenant (holiness) | 6 | Comprehension-level. |
| 74 | Godly grief vs. worldly grief | λύπη κατὰ θεόν / τοῦ κόσμου | kev nyuaj siab raws li Vajtswv lub siab nyiam / ntawm lub ntiajteb | Medium | Suffering and Comfort in Ministry | 7 | Care needed given elaborate Hmong mourning customs. |
| 75 | Repentance | μετάνοια / metanoia | kev hloov siab lees txim | Medium-High | Suffering and Comfort in Ministry (background) | 7 | Must stay distinct from baseline renewal_of_the_mind (different Greek word/referent). |
| 76 | Zeal | σπουδή / spoudē | kev kub siab lug | Low | Suffering and Comfort in Ministry | 7 | Comprehension-level. |
| 77 | Fellowship / partnership | κοινωνία / koinōnia | kev koom tes hauv kev pab | Medium | Generosity and Grace in Giving | 8,13 | Distinguish from the baseline’s specifically-rejected δοῦλος-softening usage. |
| 78 | Equality | ἰσότης / isotēs | kev sib npaug | Low | Generosity and Grace in Giving | 8 | Comprehension-level. |
| 79 | Eagerness / readiness | προθυμία / prothymia | kev txaus siab | Low | Generosity and Grace in Giving | 8 | Comprehension-level. |
| 80 | Cheerful giver | ἱλαρὸς δότης / hilaros dotēs | tus pub uas zoo siab pub | Low | Generosity and Grace in Giving | 9 | No collision. |
| 81 | Sowing and reaping | σπείρω / θερίζω | cog qoob loo / hlais qoob loo | Low | Generosity and Grace in Giving | 9 | Strong agrarian bridge. |
| 82 | Weapons of warfare | ὅπλα / hopla | cuab yeej ua rog | Medium | Power in Weakness | 10 | Must pair with Vajtswv hwjchim qualifier. |
| 83 | Strongholds | ὀχύρωμα / ochyrōma | chaw ruaj khov | Low-Medium | Power in Weakness | 10 | Comprehension-level. |
| 84 | Commend / compare themselves | συγκρίνω / synkrinō | sib piv tus kheej | Low | Genuine/False Apostleship | 10 | Marks illegitimate self-promotion. |
| 85 | False apostles | ψευδαπόστολοι / pseudapostoloi | cov tub txib dag | High | Genuine/False Apostleship | 11 | Built on baseline apostle + dag qualifier. |
| 86 | Angel of light | ἄγγελος φωτός / angelos phōtos | tim tswv ntuj/tub txib uas zoo li muaj kaj (tiam sis yog Xatas) | High | Genuine/False Apostleship | 11 | Risk of assimilation into generic trickster-spirit folklore. |
| 87 | Super-apostles | οἱ ὑπερλίαν ἀπόστολοι / hoi hyperlian apostoloi | cov tub txib uas xav tias lawv zoo dua ntais | Medium | Genuine/False Apostleship | 11,12 | Preserve Paul’s irony in teaching notes. |
| 88 | Thorn in the flesh | σκόλοψ τῇ σαρκί / skolops tē sarki | pos txhawv nyob hauv nqaij | Medium | Power in Weakness | 12 | Ordinary bodily-affliction sense of nqaij. |
| 89 | Messenger of Satan | ἄγγελος Σατανᾶ / angelos Satana | tus tub txib ntawm Xatas | High | Power in Weakness | 12 | Reuses Xatas (#49); never conflate with generic dab. |
| 90 | Weakness | ἀσθένεια / astheneia | kev tsis muaj zog / kev qaug zog | High | Power in Weakness | 11,12,13 | Runs against Hmong honor-culture strength norms; central doctrinal paradox. |
| 91 | Third heaven / paradise | τρίτος οὐρανός / paράδεισος | thib peb lub ntuj / lub Vaj Paladaiso | Low-Medium | Power in Weakness (background) | 12 | Distinguish from generic ancestral-afterlife concept. |
| 92 | Examine / test yourselves | δοκιμάζω, πειράζω | kuaj xyuas / sim saib | Low-Medium | Sincerity and Apostolic Authority | 13 | Comprehension-level. |
| 93 | Christ in you | Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν / Christos en hymin | Khetos nyob hauv koj | Medium-High | New Creation in Christ | 13 | Reciprocal counterpart to baseline nyob hauv Khetos; clarify direction. |
| 94 | Holy kiss | φίλημα ἅγιον / philēma hagion | kev sib nyiam ntawm cov kwvtij nkauj muam ntawm Vajtswv (raws li kev cai qub) | Low-Medium | (closing greeting convention) | 13 | Cultural-equivalence note recommended; not a standard Hmong greeting form. |
C. Doctrine-to-Term Cross-Reference (Summary)
| Doctrine | Primary Terms (§A/§B #) | Overall Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Reconciliation with God | 13,14,15,18,25,31,40,48,65,67 | Critical |
| New Creation in Christ | 27,35,58,61,64,68,69,93 | Critical |
| Suffering and Comfort in Ministry | 32,33,38,43,44,59,74,75,76 | High |
| The New Covenant versus the Old | 9,12,20,22,26,29,53,54,55,56,71,72,73 | Critical |
| Sincerity and Apostolic Authority | 28,36,39,45,46,50,57,62,63,84,92 | High |
| Generosity and Grace in Giving | 10,34,37,77,78,79,80,81 | Critical (via grace, #10) |
| Power in Weakness | 16,17,23,52,60,66(root imagery),82,83,88,89,90,91 | High/Critical |
| Genuine versus False Apostleship | 7,8,42,49,51,66,69,84,85,86,87,89 | High |
Every chapter of 2 Corinthians (1–13) is accounted for above, either through new load-bearing terms (§B) or through inherited-term reuse (§A); no chapter has been silently omitted from full-book coverage.
Critical Risk Terms
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: Vaj Ntsuj Plig
Transliteration: pneuma hagion / pneuma hagiōsynēs
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
Rejected alternatives: bare ntsuj plig (no Vaj prefix) — rejected, denotes an animistic wandering human soul
Inherited from Romans package. Mandatory ‘Vaj’ prefix retained at every occurrence with no exception, including as the fixed referent of the new ‘guarantee/down payment’ term (1:22, 5:5), the letter/Spirit contrast (3:6), and the closing Trinitarian benediction (13:14).
Grace
Approved rendering: txiaj ntsim
Transliteration: charis
Doctrine: Generosity and Grace in Giving
Rejected alternatives: koob hmoov (fortune/blessing tied to fate and ritual correctness) — PERMANENTLY FORBIDDEN for this sense
Inherited from Romans package. Extended to the giving context (ch. 8-9), where the temptation to substitute ‘koob hmoov’ is structurally highest of anywhere in this Language Package, since material generosity is precisely koob hmoov’s native domain; the permanent prohibition applies with undiminished, even heightened, force.
Righteousness Of God Righteous
Approved rendering: Vajtswv txoj kev ncaj ncees / tus ncaj ncees
Transliteration: dikaiosynē theou / dikaios
Doctrine: Reconciliation with God
Rejected alternatives: bare ‘kev ncaj ncees’ without the reckoning qualifier — rejected, reads as self-achieved moralism
Inherited from Romans package. Carries the full weight of the core passage’s climactic double-imputation clause (5:21) and is re-invoked at 9:9-10 as the ‘fruit’ of generous giving — must be taught there strictly as fruit/evidence of grace, never as merit earning justification.
Reckon Impute
Approved rendering: suav / suav tias
Transliteration: logizomai
Doctrine: Reconciliation with God
Inherited from Romans package. This book extends the Romans-baseline positive sense (righteousness credited TO the believer) to its necessary negative mirror at 5:19 (sin NOT credited against the world) and then to Christ Himself reckoned sin-bearer at 5:21 (‘made_to_be_sin’); all three occurrences must be taught as one single forensic-accounting logic operating in both directions, never as unrelated ideas, and never with a transformation-of-nature reading.
Flesh Neutral Descent Body
Approved rendering: lub cev nqaij tawv
Transliteration: sarx (neutral)
Doctrine: Power in Weakness
Rejected alternatives: bare nqaij used unmarked for both senses — rejected, collapses neutral and moral senses of flesh
Inherited from Romans package. Used for the mortal body: ‘jars of clay’ background (4:7), body given over to death (4:11), and the ordinary bodily-affliction sense underlying ‘thorn in the flesh’ (12:7). Now one of THREE fenced senses of σάρξ in this Language Package (see also flesh_moral_sinful_nature and flesh_evaluative_worldly_standard); must never share an unmarked bare token with either.
Flesh Moral Sinful Nature
Approved rendering: kev xav/kev ua raws li lub cev nqaij tawv
Transliteration: sarx (moral)
Doctrine: Power in Weakness
Rejected alternatives: bare nqaij tawv reused unmarked from neutral sense — rejected, undermines the flesh/Spirit contrast
Inherited from Romans package. Used for ‘fleshly wisdom’ (1:12) and warfare ‘according to the flesh’ (10:3-4, background sense). Kept distinct from flesh_neutral_descent_body and the new flesh_evaluative_worldly_standard entry.
New Creation
Approved rendering: tus/tej raug tsim dua ua tus tshiab
Transliteration: kainē ktisis
Doctrine: New Creation in Christ
Rejected alternatives: framing built on ‘restoration to a prior state’ (echoing ua neeb kho, shamanic soul-restoration) — rejected, inverts the eschatological direction of the doctrine
New (2 Cor). The doctrinal peak of the core passage (5:17). Built on the baseline ‘creation’ root plus the qualifier ‘tshiab’ (new). Must be explicitly distinguished from Hmong shamanic soul-restoration ritual (ua neeb kho), which restores a soul to its PRIOR healthy state — the opposite trajectory from Paul’s claim that ‘the old has passed away’ and something entirely new, unprecedented, has begun. Mandatory contrast clause: ‘tsis yog kho dua qub, tiam sis yog ib qho tshiab tag nrho.‘
Ministry Of Reconciliation
Approved rendering: kev ua haujlwm tshaj tawm kev sib haum xeeb (nrog Vajtswv)
Transliteration: diakonia tēs katallagēs
Doctrine: Reconciliation with God
New (2 Cor). The apostolic vocation of announcing (not merely experiencing) God’s reconciling work (5:18); doubly load-bearing for Reconciliation with God and Sincerity and Apostolic Authority. Must always retain the God-ward reconciliation qualifier; treat as an atomic unit, never abbreviated, on the same enforcement tier as ‘Vajtswv hwjchim’ and ‘Txoj Kevcai (ntawm Vajtswv/Mauxes).’
Made To Be Sin
Approved rendering: Vajtswv muab nws suav tias yog tus ris kev txhaum
Transliteration: hamartian epoiēsen
Doctrine: Reconciliation with God
Rejected alternatives: any ‘became sinful’ / nature-transformation verb (e.g. hloov ua, ua rau…zoo li) — PERMANENTLY FORBIDDEN, would imply Christ’s own nature became corrupted, a heretical inversion
New (2 Cor). The single highest-risk clause in the entire book (5:21). Built directly on the baseline imputation phrase, mirroring ‘raug suav tias ncaj ncees’ (justification) exactly in reverse. Must preserve strictly forensic/positional language; must always be taught side-by-side with its mirror clause ‘we become the righteousness of God.‘
Flesh Evaluative Worldly Standard
Approved rendering: raws li kev pom ntawm neeg ntiajteb (tsis yog raws li Vajtswv)
Transliteration: kata sarka (evaluative)
Doctrine: New Creation in Christ
Rejected alternatives: reusing flesh_neutral_descent_body — rejected, would collapse this evaluative sense into the neutral-descent sense, reusing flesh_moral_sinful_nature — rejected, would collapse this evaluative sense into the moral-corruption sense
New (2 Cor). [TRANSLATOR REVIEW NEEDED: confirm formal TM-revision status before large-scale Phase 2 generation.] A THIRD sense of σάρξ beyond the two fixed in the Romans baseline: ‘by worldly/external/human standards of judgment’ (5:16; also 1:17, 10:2-3, 11:18). Deliberately a distinct periphrasis from both other flesh entries; directly precedes and grounds the ‘new_creation’ declaration at 5:17 — a fence failure here corrupts the logical hinge of the entire core passage.
High Risk Terms
Servant Slave Doulos
Approved rendering: qhev
Transliteration: doulos
Doctrine: Sincerity and Apostolic Authority
Rejected alternatives: koom tes (co-worker/partner) — rejected softening, erases total-surrender force
Inherited from Romans package. Used at 4:5 (‘we preach… ourselves as your servants’); catechetical note distinguishing honored voluntary bondservice from involuntary slavery still required. Must never be softened to ‘koom tes,’ even though ‘koom tes’-family vocabulary is legitimately used elsewhere in this book for the distinct term ‘fellowship_partnership’ (koinōnia) — the two uses must be kept clearly distinguished in teaching.
Sin Act And Condition
Approved rendering: txhaum / kev txhaum
Transliteration: hamartia
Doctrine: Reconciliation with God
Inherited from Romans package. Climactic object of the double-imputation at 5:21 (‘he made him to be sin’); risk compounded here because 5:21 requires teaching that the sinless Christ was ‘made sin’ in a strictly positional/forensic sense, not that His nature became corrupted.
Sanctification
Approved rendering: kev raug ua kom dawb huv
Transliteration: hagiasmos
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
Rejected alternatives: treating dawb huv as a repeatable ritual-cleansing state — rejected
Inherited from Romans package. Used at 7:1 (‘perfecting holiness’). Must be kept lexically distinct from the new ‘sincerity’ term (which shares the ‘dawb’ morpheme but is fenced with the mandatory ‘tsis ntxeev siab’ qualifier specifically to avoid bleeding into this ritual-purity-collision term).
Power
Approved rendering: hwjchim
Transliteration: dynamis
Doctrine: Power in Weakness
Rejected alternatives: bare, unqualified hwjchim — FORBIDDEN, identical to a shaman’s (txiv neeb) ritual power
Inherited from Romans package. Always qualified ‘Vajtswv hwjchim.’ In this book the qualifier is doubly essential at 12:9-10, since the paradox (‘power made perfect in weakness’) could otherwise be misheard as merely ‘a weaker version of shamanic power’ rather than a deliberate theological inversion. Also required in the ‘weapons of warfare’ compound (10:4, ‘muaj Vajtswv hwjchim’).
Salvation Save
Approved rendering: kev cawm dim / cawm
Transliteration: sōtēria / sōzō
Doctrine: Suffering and Comfort in Ministry
Rejected alternatives: unanchored ‘dim’ (escape) parallel to shamanic ua neeb soul-rescue — rejected without explicit Christ-anchoring
Inherited from Romans package. Used at 6:2 (‘day of salvation’) and as the fruit of godly grief (7:10); always anchor explicitly to Yexus Khetos.
Idol
Approved rendering: dab mlom
Transliteration: eidōlon
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
Rejected alternatives: generic ‘statue’ softening — rejected, must not soften the term
Inherited from Romans package. Directly paired with the new ‘temple of the living God’ term at 6:16, forming this book’s most severe doctrinal-collision hotspot; must be taught jointly with that entry.
In Christ Union Formula
Approved rendering: nyob hauv Khetos
Transliteration: en Christō
Doctrine: New Creation in Christ
Rejected alternatives: bare spatial ‘hauv’ with no fixed co-text — rejected, carries only literal physical-location sense
Inherited from Romans package. Governs the core passage’s climax (5:17, ‘if anyone is in Christ, new creation’; 5:21 ‘nyob hauv nws’); must retain the mandatory co-text anchoring to union with Christ’s death/resurrection. Extended in this book by the new reciprocal formula ‘Christ in you’ (13:5), which must be taught as the same union viewed from the opposite direction, not a separate doctrine.
Wrath Of God
Approved rendering: kev npau taws ntawm Vajtswv
Transliteration: orgē theou
Doctrine: Reconciliation with God
Rejected alternatives: unqualified ‘npau taws’ associated only with capricious spirit/ancestor anger — rejected without explicit contrast teaching
Inherited from Romans package. Not independently thematized in 2 Corinthians but presupposed by the judgment seat (5:10) and reconciliation (5:18-20) material; retained for consistency, and structurally paired with the new ‘fear of the Lord’ entry, which requires the identical contrast-teaching strategy (reverent accountability, never placatory appeasement).
Sincerity
Approved rendering: lub siab dawb paug tsis ntxeev siab
Transliteration: haplotēs / eilikrineia
Doctrine: Sincerity and Apostolic Authority
New (2 Cor). Shares the morpheme ‘dawb’ (pure/white) with the baseline High-risk sanctification term (‘kev raug ua kom dawb huv’), which is already flagged as colliding with folk ritual-purity concepts. The qualifier ‘tsis ntxeev siab’ (does not double-deal/betray) is structurally mandatory at every occurrence (1:12, 2:17, 8:8, 11:3) to keep this an integrity-of-motive claim, never a ritual-cleanliness claim.
Satan
Approved rendering: Xatas
Transliteration: Satanas
Doctrine: Genuine versus False Apostleship
Rejected alternatives: generic dab (spirit/ghost) — PERMANENTLY FORBIDDEN, would reduce the singular personal chief adversary to merely one more spirit among many
New (2 Cor). Transliteration following existing Hmong Christian usage. Hmong cosmology recognizes many classes of malevolent dab but no single personal chief-adversary figure; operates through ‘schemes’ (2:11), disguises as ‘angel of light’ (11:14), and sends a ‘messenger’ to torment Paul (12:7) — all three occurrences must be cross-referenced in teaching as the same singular figure.
Peddlers Of Gods Word
Approved rendering: cov muag Vajtswv Txoj Lus yuav nyiaj
Transliteration: kapēleuontes
Doctrine: Genuine versus False Apostleship
Rejected alternatives: any euphemistic softening implying merely ‘entrepreneurial’ ministry — rejected, must preserve Paul’s condemnatory force
New (2 Cor). Retailing/hawking the word of God for personal profit (2:17); directly relevant to the standing prosperity-gospel-drift prohibition (baseline requirements §9) and must never be softened.
Covenant New Old
Approved rendering: tej lus cog tseg tshiab (new) / tej lus cog tseg qub (old)
Transliteration: diathēkē
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
Rejected alternatives: transliterated loanword — rejected, would sever the promise-covenant continuity Paul draws on and be doctrinally inert
New (2 Cor). Built deliberately on the baseline ‘promise’ root (‘lus cog tseg’) for continuity, but Hmong customary oath-swearing/blood-pledge ritual (bilateral, negotiated, spirit-witnessed, voidable by breach) is a sharply different, structural gap from God’s unilaterally-established, gracious, unbreakable covenant order. Requires explicit teaching at first occurrence (3:6) denying the bilateral-bargain frame.
Letter Written Code
Approved rendering: cov ntawv sau (ntawm Txoj Kevcai)
Transliteration: gramma
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
New (2 Cor). ‘The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life’ (3:6-7) — the verse establishing the entire New-Covenant-versus-Old doctrine. Must always co-occur in the same clause with ‘Vaj Ntsuj Plig’ (holy_spirit) AND retain the baseline’s mandatory qualifier ‘Txoj Kevcai (ntawm Vajtswv / Mauxes)’ whenever ‘the letter’ refers to the written Mosaic Law — a double-qualifier requirement unique to this term.
Fear Of The Lord
Approved rendering: kev ntshai tus Tswv
Transliteration: phobos tou kyriou
Doctrine: Sincerity and Apostolic Authority
Rejected alternatives: treating ‘ntshai’ as placatory dread requiring ritual appeasement — rejected
New (2 Cor). Core passage opening term (5:11). ‘Ntshai’ is the identical verb used for fear of dab (malevolent spirits/ghosts) in Hmong folk religion, where the correct response is placatory ritual action. Requires the same contrast-teaching strategy already fixed in the baseline for ‘kev npau taws ntawm Vajtswv’ (wrath of God): reverent accountability before a righteous Judge, never placatory dread of a capricious, appeasable spirit. Must be taught at the very opening of any core-passage lesson.
Temple Of The Living God
Approved rendering: lub tuam tsev ntawm Vajtswv uas muaj txoj sia nyob
Transliteration: naos theou zōntos
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
Rejected alternatives: framing the church as one dwelling-place among others for a spirit — rejected, must be exclusive
New (2 Cor). Direct, high-severity collision: traditional Hmong households maintain a spirit-shrine/altar (xwm kab), a fixed household location understood as the dwelling-place of household/ancestral spirits. Describing believers/the church as the dwelling place of the one living God risks assimilation into this ‘a spirit resides at this designated location’ framework unless explicitly taught as unique, exclusive, and REPLACING (not adding to) any other spiritual resident — same replacement-not-addition strategy already used for ‘pehawm’ (worship) in the baseline. Must always be taught jointly with ‘dab mlom’ (idol) at 6:16.
False Apostles
Approved rendering: cov tub txib dag
Transliteration: pseudapostoloi
Doctrine: Genuine versus False Apostleship
Rejected alternatives: dropping or softening the ‘dag’ qualifier — PERMANENTLY FORBIDDEN, would collapse ‘false apostles’ into simply ‘apostles,’ erasing the doctrine
New (2 Cor). Counterfeit apostles disguising themselves as apostles of Christ (11:13). Built directly on the baseline ‘apostle’ term plus ‘dag’ (deceiving/false); the ENTIRE doctrinal weight of the genuine/false distinction rests on this one adjectival qualifier, which must be treated as structurally mandatory, on the same enforcement tier as ‘Vajtswv hwjchim’ / ‘Txoj Kevcai.‘
Angel Of Light
Approved rendering: tim tswv ntuj/tub txib uas zoo li muaj kaj (tiam sis yog Xatas)
Transliteration: angelos phōtos
Doctrine: Genuine versus False Apostleship
Rejected alternatives: presenting the disguise-motif as generic ‘tricky spirit’ folklore without anchoring to Xatas specifically — rejected, dilutes Paul’s specific claim
New (2 Cor). Satan’s disguise as a benevolent messenger of light, matching his servants’ disguise as apostles of righteousness (11:14-15). Genuine bridge to Hmong folk narratives of deceptive spirit-disguise, but risks over-assimilation into generic trickster-spirit folklore unless explicitly identified, at every occurrence, as this specific figure’s (Xatas’s) counterfeit strategy against the true gospel.
Messenger Of Satan
Approved rendering: tus tub txib ntawm Xatas
Transliteration: angelos Satana
Doctrine: Power in Weakness
Rejected alternatives: generic dab — FORBIDDEN, same collision-avoidance requirement as ‘satan’
New (2 Cor). The agent of Paul’s thorn in the flesh, sent to torment him (12:7); reuses the ‘satan’ entry (Xatas).
Weakness
Approved rendering: kev tsis muaj zog / kev qaug zog
Transliteration: astheneia
Doctrine: Power in Weakness
Rejected alternatives: framing weakness as shameful failure/resignation — rejected, inverts Paul’s deliberate counter-cultural claim
New (2 Cor). Frailty/lack of strength in which Christ’s power is made perfect (11:30; 12:5,9-10; 13:4,9). Distinct risk-type from traditional-religion collision: Hmong honor-culture strongly values visible strength, capability, and avoidance of public shame/loss of face (poob ntsej muag). Requires the most vigorous explicit contrast-teaching in the entire doctrine, parallel in intensity to the shamanic-power contrast for ‘power,’ but addressing a competing honor-culture value system rather than a competing religious system — both risk types must be addressed as distinct in the same lesson. Always paired with the mandatory ‘Vajtswv hwjchim’ qualifier at 12:9-10.
Medium Risk Terms
Apostle
Approved rendering: tus Tub Txib
Transliteration: apostolos
Doctrine: Genuine versus False Apostleship
Inherited from Romans package. Root for the new compounds ‘false apostles’ (cov tub txib dag) and ‘super-apostles’ (cov tub txib uas xav tias lawv zoo dua ntais).
Deacon Servant
Approved rendering: tus pab tu pawg ntseeg
Transliteration: diakonos
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
Rejected alternatives: qhev — rejected, would confuse a recognized office of service with the total-ownership bondservant metaphor
Inherited from Romans package. Extended sense: ‘ministers of a new covenant’ (3:6) and ‘servants of God’ amid affliction (6:4); kept lexically distinct from ‘qhev.‘
Faith Believe
Approved rendering: kev ntseeg / ntseeg
Transliteration: pistis / pisteuō
Doctrine: Sincerity and Apostolic Authority
Inherited from Romans package. Extended at 5:7 (‘walk by faith, not by sight’); must always be anchored explicitly to Christ.
Reconciliation
Approved rendering: kev sib haum xeeb (nrog Vajtswv)
Transliteration: katallagē
Doctrine: Reconciliation with God
Rejected alternatives: bare ‘kev sib haum xeeb’ with no God-ward anchor — rejected, defaults to merely horizontal/interpersonal reconciliation
Inherited from Romans package. Used four times in six verses (5:18-20), the single densest concentration of this term in the New Testament; the mandatory God-ward anchor ‘nrog Vajtswv’ is non-negotiable at every one of these four occurrences, with no elision even for stylistic brevity.
Conscience
Approved rendering: tej kev paub zoo paub phem hauv lub siab
Transliteration: syneidēsis
Doctrine: Sincerity and Apostolic Authority
Inherited from Romans package. Core passage 5:11 (‘made plain to your conscience’); also 1:12, 4:2.
Mercy
Approved rendering: txoj kev khuv leej
Transliteration: eleos / oiktirmos
Doctrine: Suffering and Comfort in Ministry
Rejected alternatives: txiaj ntsim (grace) used interchangeably for mercy — rejected
Inherited from Romans package. Used at 1:3, ‘Father of mercies’ (πατὴρ τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν) — the Greek noun differs from Romans’ ἔλεος but is the same doctrinal category; reuse the fixed rendering, kept lexically distinct from grace.
Adoption As Sons
Approved rendering: raug muab coj los ua me tub (ntawm Vajtswv)
Transliteration: huiothesia
Doctrine: Reconciliation with God
Inherited from Romans package. Echoed at 6:18 with explicit extension to daughters (‘sons and daughters’); ordinary Hmong ‘me tub’ is male-coded, so an inclusive gloss (‘me tub thiab me ntxhais’) is required at this occurrence so the female inclusion is not silently lost.
Obedience Of Faith
Approved rendering: kev mloog lus ntawm kev ntseeg
Transliteration: hypakoē pisteōs
Doctrine: Genuine versus False Apostleship
Inherited from Romans package. Extended object at 10:5 (‘obedience of Christ’ specifically, rather than the general ‘obedience of faith’); note the narrower referent at first occurrence.
Comfort Consolation
Approved rendering: kev nplig siab
Transliteration: paraklēsis / parakaleō
Doctrine: Suffering and Comfort in Ministry
New (2 Cor). Bridges to existing Hmong funeral/mourning consolation customs (visiting and comforting the bereaved) — a genuinely positive cultural anchor — but MUST be taught as flowing specifically from union with Christ’s own sufferings (1:5), never as generic condolence. Recurs heavily in ch.1 (~10x) and 7:4-13. Shares its root with the evangelistic ‘appeal’ verb at 5:20 (parakaleō); note this shared word-family for both pastoral comfort and gospel entreaty.
Affliction Suffering
Approved rendering: kev txom nyem nyuaj siab
Transliteration: thlipsis
Doctrine: Suffering and Comfort in Ministry
New (2 Cor). Comprehension-level compound; forms a fixed pair with ‘comfort_consolation’ throughout the book (1,4,6,7,8,11,12) and must be rendered consistently.
Forgiveness Interpersonal
Approved rendering: zam txim
Transliteration: charizomai
Doctrine: Reconciliation with God
New (2 Cor). Good bridge to Hmong clan-reconciliation/apology custom (a genuinely positive cultural anchor); Paul’s instruction to forgive the repentant offender (2:7,10). Must be taught as flowing from, and modeled on, God’s own gracious forgiveness (its χάρις root, cognate with ‘grace’/txiaj ntsim), never as an independent social custom.
Veil
Approved rendering: daim ntaub npog
Transliteration: kalymma / kalyptō
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
New (2 Cor). Moses’ literal face-covering and the figurative veil over unbelieving minds, removed only in Christ (3:13-16; 4:3-4). Comprehension-level image; incidental (non-collision) association with Hmong funeral/mourning face-covering practices warrants a brief explanatory gloss on first use.
Transformed Glory To Glory
Approved rendering: raug hloov kom zoo ib yam li (Khetos, ntau ntxiv mus ntau ntxiv)
Transliteration: metamorphoumetha
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
New (2 Cor). Progressive Spirit-wrought Christlikeness, pictured as mirror-reflection transformation (3:18). Must be taught alongside, but kept lexically separate from, ‘sanctification’ — this is mirror-reflection imagery, not ritual-cleansing imagery.
Image Of God Christ
Approved rendering: tus duab ntawm Vajtswv/Khetos
Transliteration: eikōn
Doctrine: New Creation in Christ
New (2 Cor). Christ as ‘the image of God’ (4:4), background for believers’ transformation into that image (3:18). Must be kept lexically distinct from ‘dab mlom’ (idol) — a different word-family (‘tus duab,’ a likeness/picture, vs. ‘dab mlom,’ a spirit-image) — flagged for care since both concern ‘images.‘
Judgment Seat Of Christ
Approved rendering: lub rooj txiav txim ntawm Khetos
Transliteration: bēma tou Christou
Doctrine: Sincerity and Apostolic Authority
Rejected alternatives: transliterated loanword — rejected, would be doctrinally inert with no comprehension gain
New (2 Cor). The tribunal before which all believers will be evaluated (5:10), grounding Paul’s sincerity. Legal-idiom bridge via the village-court concept, similar to the baseline’s ‘no condemnation’ entry; comprehension-level, no collision.
Ambassador
Approved rendering: tus sawv cev (ntawm Khetos)
Transliteration: presbeuō
Doctrine: Genuine versus False Apostleship
New (2 Cor). Authorized diplomatic representation with delegated authority (5:20); bridges reasonably to the existing Hmong clan-representative/spokesperson role already used as a partial bridge for ‘apostle.’ Must be kept sharply distinct from ‘peddlers_of_gods_word’ (2:17) to avoid any prosperity-gospel-adjacent reading; teach jointly with ‘tus Tub Txib’ as complementary images of delegated, not self-originated, authority.
Unequally Yoked
Approved rendering: koom nkoj ua ke tsis sib xws
Transliteration: heterozygeō
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
New (2 Cor). Agricultural metaphor for forbidden partnership between believers and unbelievers (6:14). Good cross-cultural agrarian bridge (Hmong highland farming); recommend an illustrative farming-context note on first use, parallel to the Romans-baseline olive-tree-grafting strategy.
Godly Grief Vs Worldly Grief
Approved rendering: kev nyuaj siab raws li Vajtswv lub siab nyiam / kev nyuaj siab ntawm lub ntiajteb
Transliteration: lypē kata theon / tou kosmou
Doctrine: Suffering and Comfort in Ministry
Rejected alternatives: defining the contrast by ritual-mourning-correctness categories — rejected, must be a theological, not ritual, distinction
New (2 Cor). Grief that produces repentance leading to salvation, contrasted with grief that produces death (7:9-10). Hmong funeral/mourning practice is elaborate and highly ritualized; ordinary grief vocabulary risks being read through ritual-correctness categories rather than the intended theological distinction. Explicit definitional gloss required.
Fellowship Partnership
Approved rendering: kev koom tes hauv kev pab
Transliteration: koinōnia
Doctrine: Generosity and Grace in Giving
New (2 Cor). Genuine shared partnership in ministry/giving (8:4) and the closing benediction’s ‘fellowship of the Spirit’ (13:14). Must be distinguished from the baseline’s PERMANENT REJECTION of ‘koom tes’ as a softening euphemism for δοῦλος (servant_slave_doulos); here κοινωνία is a legitimately positive, different Greek word. Explicit teaching note required distinguishing the rejected use from this legitimate one.
Weapons Of Warfare
Approved rendering: cuab yeej ua rog (muaj Vajtswv hwjchim)
Transliteration: hopla
Doctrine: Power in Weakness
New (2 Cor). Arms/tools of spiritual warfare ‘not of the flesh’ but divinely powerful (10:4). Must be paired with the baseline power qualifier ‘muaj Vajtswv hwjchim,’ reusing the mandatory qualifier structure exactly as established for ‘power.‘
Super Apostles
Approved rendering: cov tub txib uas xav tias lawv zoo dua ntais
Transliteration: hoi hyperlian apostoloi
Doctrine: Genuine versus False Apostleship
Rejected alternatives: a flattened, neutral title with no ironic marking — rejected, loses Paul’s sarcasm
New (2 Cor). Paul’s ironic title for the self-promoting rival ministers the Corinthians esteemed (11:5, 12:11); the irony must be preserved in teaching notes, not flattened into a neutral title.
Thorn In The Flesh
Approved rendering: pos txhawv nyob hauv nqaij
Transliteration: skolops tē sarki
Doctrine: Power in Weakness
New (2 Cor). A persistent affliction given to keep Paul from exalting himself (12:7); built on the neutral-flesh sense of nqaij (ordinary bodily-affliction image, low risk in itself), paired in the same verse with the higher-risk ‘messenger_of_satan’ term — the two halves of 12:7 must be taught together so the low-risk half does not cause the higher-risk half to be under-taught.
Low Risk Terms
God
Approved rendering: Vajtswv
Transliteration: theos
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Rejected alternatives: Ntuj (impersonal sky/heaven) — rejected, lacks personal deity sense, dab (spirit) — rejected, denotes false/lesser spirit
Inherited from Romans package. No change; used throughout 2 Corinthians.
Lord
Approved rendering: tus Tswv
Transliteration: kyrios
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Inherited from Romans package. Underlies the new compound ‘kev ntshai tus Tswv’ (fear of the Lord, 5:11).
Jesus Christ
Approved rendering: Yexus Khetos
Transliteration: Iēsous Christos
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Inherited from Romans package. No change.
Father God
Approved rendering: Leej Txiv
Transliteration: patēr
Doctrine: Reconciliation with God
Inherited from Romans package. Paired with ‘Father of mercies’ (1:3) and the adoption echo ‘sons and daughters’ (6:18).
Gospel
Approved rendering: Txoj Moo Zoo
Transliteration: euangelion
Doctrine: Sincerity and Apostolic Authority
Inherited from Romans package. No change.
Promise
Approved rendering: lus cog tseg
Transliteration: epangelia
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
Inherited from Romans package. Root for the new ‘covenant (new/old)’ compound (διαθήκη).
Death
Approved rendering: txoj kev tuag
Transliteration: thanatos
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
Inherited from Romans package. Used at 3:6-7 (‘the letter kills’), 4:12, and 5:14-15’s substitutionary ‘one for all’ logic.
Eternal Life
Approved rendering: txoj sia nyob mus ib txhis
Transliteration: zōē aiōnios
Doctrine: New Creation in Christ
Inherited from Romans package. Used in abbreviated form (‘the Spirit gives life,’ 3:6; ‘the life of Jesus… in our body,’ 4:10-11); distinction between ordinary biological life and this reoriented-existence sense should be taught.
Glory
Approved rendering: lub yeeb koob
Transliteration: doxa
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
Inherited from Romans package. Heavily used in ch. 3-4 (Moses’ fading glory vs. the new covenant’s surpassing glory) and in the ‘momentary affliction / eternal weight of glory’ contrast (4:17).
World
Approved rendering: lub ntiajteb
Transliteration: kosmos
Doctrine: Reconciliation with God
Inherited from Romans package. Core passage 5:19, object of God’s reconciling work.
Scripture
Approved rendering: Vaj Lug Kub
Transliteration: graphē
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Inherited from Romans package. OT quotations at 6:2, 6:16-18, 9:9.
Creation
Approved rendering: tej uas raug tsim los
Transliteration: ktisis
Doctrine: New Creation in Christ
Inherited from Romans package. Root morpheme underlying the new ‘new creation’ compound (καινὴ κτίσις, 5:17).
Boasting
Approved rendering: kev khav theeb
Transliteration: kauchēsis / kauchaomai
Doctrine: Sincerity and Apostolic Authority
Inherited from Romans package. This book’s dual usage (illegitimate self-commendation, ch.10-11, vs. legitimate repurposed grounds for confidence, 5:12, and ‘boasting in the Lord,’ 10:17) must be flagged for teaching so the term is not read as always condemned.
Love
Approved rendering: kev hlub
Transliteration: agapē
Doctrine: Reconciliation with God
Inherited from Romans package. Core passage 5:14 (‘the love of Christ controls us’); also 2:4, 8:7-8, 13:11,14.
Hope
Approved rendering: kev cia siab
Transliteration: elpis
Doctrine: Suffering and Comfort in Ministry
Inherited from Romans package. Used at 1:7, 3:12; the baseline’s teaching caution against reading it as mere wishing remains in force.
Witness
Approved rendering: tus timkhawv
Transliteration: martys
Doctrine: Sincerity and Apostolic Authority
Inherited from Romans package. ‘God is my witness’ (1:23).
Thanksgiving
Approved rendering: ua tsaug
Transliteration: eucharistō
Doctrine: Generosity and Grace in Giving
Inherited from Romans package. The response the collection for the saints produces toward God (9:11-12).
Endurance
Approved rendering: kev ua siab ntev
Transliteration: hypomonē
Doctrine: Suffering and Comfort in Ministry
Inherited from Romans package. Part of the affliction-catalogue vocabulary (6:4, 12:12 background).
Impartiality Of God
Approved rendering: tsis saib ntsej muag
Transliteration: aprosōpolēmpsia
Doctrine: Sincerity and Apostolic Authority
Inherited from Romans package. Must be kept contextually distinct from the LITERAL, non-idiomatic use of ‘ntsej muag’ (face/outward appearance) at 5:12, where πρόσωπον means simply ‘external appearance,’ not the impartiality idiom.
Sufficient Competent
Approved rendering: muaj peev xwm txaus
Transliteration: hikanos / hikanotēs
Doctrine: Power in Weakness
New (2 Cor). ‘Who is sufficient for these things?’ (2:16), answered: only God, through the Spirit (3:5-6); comprehension-level, ties doctrinally to sufficiency being relocated in God, not the minister.
Do Not Lose Heart
Approved rendering: tsis poob siab
Transliteration: ekkakeō
Doctrine: Suffering and Comfort in Ministry
New (2 Cor). To not become weary/faint-hearted in ministry (4:1,16); comprehension-level.
Tent Earthly Dwelling
Approved rendering: lub tsev ntaub
Transliteration: skēnos
Doctrine: New Creation in Christ
New (2 Cor). The mortal body pictured as a temporary tent, contrasted with the eternal ‘building from God’ (5:1,4); good cross-cultural bridge, comprehension-level only.
Unblemished Ministry
Approved rendering: tsis muaj chaw thuam
Transliteration: amōmētos
Doctrine: Sincerity and Apostolic Authority
New (2 Cor). Blameless, without fault, in the conduct of ministry (6:3); comprehension-level.
Separate Come Out
Approved rendering: cais tawm
Transliteration: aphorizō
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
New (2 Cor). To mark off, come out from among unbelievers/idolatry (6:17); comprehension-level.
Zeal
Approved rendering: kev kub siab lug
Transliteration: spoudē
Doctrine: Suffering and Comfort in Ministry
New (2 Cor). Earnestness/diligence produced by godly grief (7:11-12); comprehension-level.
Equality
Approved rendering: kev sib npaug
Transliteration: isotēs
Doctrine: Generosity and Grace in Giving
New (2 Cor). Fairness/equality as the goal of the collection for the Jerusalem saints (8:13-14); comprehension-level.
Eagerness Readiness
Approved rendering: kev txaus siab
Transliteration: prothymia
Doctrine: Generosity and Grace in Giving
New (2 Cor). Readiness of mind to give generously (8:11-12,19); comprehension-level.
Cheerful Giver
Approved rendering: tus pub uas zoo siab pub
Transliteration: hilaros dotēs
Doctrine: Generosity and Grace in Giving
New (2 Cor). One who gives joyfully, not under compulsion (9:7); no collision.
Sowing And Reaping
Approved rendering: cog qoob loo / hlais qoob loo
Transliteration: speirō / therizō
Doctrine: Generosity and Grace in Giving
New (2 Cor). Agricultural metaphor for generosity and its harvest (9:6,10); excellent cultural bridge for an agrarian Hmong audience, comparable to the baseline’s firstfruits/rice-harvest imagery.
Commend Compare Selves
Approved rendering: sib piv tus kheej / qhuas peb tus kheej
Transliteration: synkrinō / synistanō
Doctrine: Genuine versus False Apostleship
New (2 Cor). Self-comparison/self-commendation as a mark of illegitimate ministry (5:12; 10:12,18), contrasted with the Lord’s own commendation. Must be distinguished in teaching from the legitimate commendation custom addressed in 3:1, since Paul rejects self-commendation, not all commendation.
Low-Medium Risk Terms
Firstfruits
Approved rendering: thawj phaus qoob loo / cov ua ntej
Transliteration: aparchē
Doctrine: Generosity and Grace in Giving
Inherited from Romans package. Root imagery reused as the basis for the new ‘sowing and reaping’ compound (9:6,10).
Seal
Approved rendering: kaw cim rau
Transliteration: sphragis / sphragizō
Doctrine: Suffering and Comfort in Ministry
New (2 Cor). God’s ownership-mark placed on believers via the Spirit (1:22). Comprehension gap only; official seals/stamps are a familiar modern-documentation concept, not a traditional-religion collision.
Boldness Confidence
Approved rendering: kev ncaj qhia tsis ntshai
Transliteration: parrēsia / pepoithēsis
Doctrine: Sincerity and Apostolic Authority
New (2 Cor). Freedom of speech, openness in ministry (3:4,12; 7:4); comprehension-level.
Outer Inner Man
Approved rendering: lub cev sab nraud (outer) / tus neeg sab hauv (inner)
Transliteration: ho exō / ho esō anthrōpos
Doctrine: Power in Weakness
New (2 Cor). The outer, decaying body contrasted with the inner self renewed day by day (4:16); must be distinguished from the flesh/Spirit moral contrast — this is a body/inner-self decay-vs-renewal contrast, not a moral-corruption contrast.
Strongholds
Approved rendering: chaw ruaj khov
Transliteration: ochyrōma
Doctrine: Power in Weakness
New (2 Cor). Fortified arguments/thoughts torn down by divine power (10:4-5); comprehension-level.
Third Heaven Paradise
Approved rendering: thib peb lub ntuj / lub Vaj Paladaiso
Transliteration: tritos ouranos / paradeisos
Doctrine: Power in Weakness
Rejected alternatives: pure paraphrase collapsing into generic ancestral-afterlife imagery — rejected, must remain a specific, unique visionary event
New (2 Cor). The unique visionary experience Paul describes, ‘caught up’ to the third heaven/paradise (12:2-4). ‘Paladaiso’ transliterated with the native gloss/classifier ‘Vaj’ (garden), consistent with the baseline’s ‘Abba, Leej Txiv’ pattern (loanword retained plus native gloss). Must be taught as distinct from any generic Hmong ancestral-afterlife realm concept.
Examine Test Yourselves
Approved rendering: kuaj xyuas / sim saib
Transliteration: dokimazō / peirazō
Doctrine: Sincerity and Apostolic Authority
New (2 Cor). Self-examination as a test of genuine faith (13:5); comprehension-level.
Holy Kiss
Approved rendering: kev sib nyiam ntawm cov kwvtij nkauj muam ntawm Vajtswv (raws li kev cai qub)
Transliteration: philēma hagion
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Rejected alternatives: a literal instruction to kiss — rejected, ceremonial kissing is not a standard Hmong greeting custom
New (2 Cor). The customary greeting of mutual affection among believers (13:12); recommend a cultural-equivalence teaching note substituting the culturally standard warm formal greeting between believers rather than a literal-kiss instruction. Comprehension-gap only, no traditional-religion collision.
Medium-High Risk Terms
Guarantee Downpayment Spirit
Approved rendering: thawj nqi them ua pov thawj (ntawm Vaj Ntsuj Plig)
Transliteration: arrabōn
Doctrine: The New Covenant versus the Old
New (2 Cor). Good economic bridge paralleling the baseline’s debt-culture anchor for ‘redemption.’ MUST always retain the fixed ‘Vaj Ntsuj Plig’ collocation as its referent at every occurrence (1:22, 5:5) — never abbreviated to a bare financial-instrument phrase, since dropping the ‘Vaj’ prefix would risk confusing the divine down-payment with an animistic wandering-soul reference.
Fragrance Of Christ
Approved rendering: tsw qab ntawm Khetos
Transliteration: osmē
Doctrine: Sincerity and Apostolic Authority
Rejected alternatives: merging with ‘fij’ sacrificial-offering vocabulary — rejected, would suggest a literal or ritual offering
New (2 Cor). The pleasing or repugnant ‘smell’ of gospel proclamation depending on the hearer’s response (2:14-16). Adjacent to the sacrificial-offering domain already flagged High risk in the baseline, since pleasant fragrance/incense is also associated with offerings to ancestors/spirits; must be taught explicitly as describing the effect of gospel proclamation on hearers, never a literal or ritual offering.
Resurrection Raised
Approved rendering: sawv hauv qhov tuag rov qab los
Transliteration: egeirō
Doctrine: New Creation in Christ
New (2 Cor). Christ’s bodily resurrection as the ground of the believer’s reoriented life (5:15). Hmong ancestral belief holds that a deceased person’s soul(s) continue in ongoing, non-bodily existence (ancestral spirits, hu plig soul-calling) but does NOT include bodily return to embodied life — a comprehension gap, not a direct collision, requiring explicit teaching that Christ’s resurrection is a unique, historical, bodily event.
Repentance
Approved rendering: kev hloov siab lees txim
Transliteration: metanoia
Doctrine: Suffering and Comfort in Ministry
Rejected alternatives: bare ‘hloov siab’ alone — rejected, can mean merely changing one’s mind/opinion in secular usage
New (2 Cor). A decisive turning from sin toward God, produced by godly grief (7:9-10). Must be kept distinct from the baseline’s ‘renewal_of_the_mind’ (hloov siab tshiab — a different Greek word/referent describing post-conversion ongoing transformation, not the initial turning from sin). The ‘lees txim’ (confess/acknowledge fault) qualifier is structurally mandatory. [TRANSLATOR REVIEW NEEDED: confirm no confusion with ‘hloov siab tshiab’ within the same lesson unit.]
Christ In You
Approved rendering: Khetos nyob hauv koj
Transliteration: Christos en hymin
Doctrine: New Creation in Christ
Rejected alternatives: treating as a separate or lesser doctrine from ‘nyob hauv Khetos’ — rejected, must be taught as the same union viewed from the opposite direction
New (2 Cor). The reciprocal, indwelling half of the union-with-Christ reality (13:5) — Christ dwelling in the believer, rather than the believer positioned in Christ. Mandatory paired teaching note at first occurrence explicitly cross-referencing ‘in_christ_union_formula’ and naming the direction-reversal; must never be allowed to drift toward a private mystical indwelling separable from corporate union with Christ.