Ephesians — Full-Book Semantic Analysis (Hmong Language Package)

0. Method and Continuity with the Romans Baseline

This analysis treats every chapter of Ephesians (1–6) in canonical order. The core passage, Efexus 2:1-10, receives full verse-by-verse treatment as the theological anchor for the curriculum. Every other chapter — including the remainder of chapter 2 — receives a chapter-level study of its load-bearing theological vocabulary using the same seven fields required for the core passage: (1) original Greek word, (2) transliteration, (3) literal meaning, (4) semantic range, (5) English variants/glosses, (6) contextual theological meaning in Ephesians, (7) destination-language (Hmong) rendering and risk assessment.

Wherever a term is already a fixed entry in assets/translation_memory.json (the Romans baseline), this document reuses that exact Hmong string and marks it “Reused — Romans TM.” Wherever Ephesians surfaces a genuinely new term with no prior TM entry, this document proposes a rendering, assigns a provisional risk tier using the baseline’s risk-tier definitions (Critical/High/Medium/Low), and marks it “NEW — proposed, pending TM-revision review,” consistent with 12_ai_translation_requirements.md §2.4 and §9.

No chapter is skipped. Where a chapter introduces no new theological vocabulary beyond terms already treated, that is stated explicitly.

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1. CORE PASSAGE — Efexus 2:1-10 (Verse-by-Verse)

Efexus 2:1

“καὶ ὑμᾶς ὄντας νεκροὺς τοῖς παραπτώμασιν καὶ ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ὑμῶν” “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins”

Term (EN)	Greek	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Hmong Rendering & Risk
dead	νεκρός	nekros	corpse-like, lifeless	physical death; spiritual/moral deadness (metaphor dominant here)	dead, lifeless	Total spiritual incapacity before God prior to grace — not sick or weakened, but dead; foundational to Salvation by Grace doctrine (nothing in the dead can contribute to their own revival).	txoj kev tuag (Reused — Romans TM, “death”), applied metaphorically to spiritual condition. Risk: Medium. Must be taught explicitly as metaphorical (spiritual deadness), not literal death, since Hmong hearers will default to the literal/funeral sense of tuag; requires a teaching note distinguishing this from ancestral-spirit/funeral-ritual associations of death-language.
trespasses	παράπτωμα	paraptōma	a false step, a falling aside	wrongdoing, transgression, moral misstep	trespasses, transgressions, offenses	Distinct nuance from #2 below — a specific act of straying off the path. Paired with “sins” for rhetorical fullness (cf. Rom 5’s Adam-Christ typology, which already uses this word).	kev ua txhaum (Reused — Romans TM, original_sin_adam_christ_typology entry). Risk: Medium. Must be kept lexically distinct from txhaum/kev txhaum (#2) to preserve the two-word emphasis of the verse; not a doctrinal collision, a consistency requirement.
sins	ἁμαρτία	hamartia	missing the mark	wrongdoing; the sin-condition/sin-nature	sin(s)	The objective, God-ward guilt-condition, not a reparable social breach.	txhaum / kev txhaum (Reused — Romans TM). Risk: High (per baseline sin_act_and_condition entry — Hmong custom frames wrongdoing as reparable social/ritual fault; must be taught as inherited, God-ward guilt).

Efexus 2:2

“ἐν αἷς ποτὲ περιεπατήσατε κατὰ τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, κατὰ τὸν ἄρχοντα τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ ἀέρος, τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ νῦν ἐνεργοῦντος ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς τῆς ἀπειθείας” “in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the sons of disobedience”

Term (EN)	Greek	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Hmong Rendering & Risk
walked	περιπατέω	peripateō	to walk about	literal walking; figurative “conduct one’s life”	walked, lived, conducted oneself	The dominant ethical metaphor of Ephesians (recurs 2:2, 2:10, 4:1, 4:17, 5:2, 5:8, 5:15) — life-direction/lifestyle. Core to Walking in Newness of Life doctrine.	taug kev (NEW — proposed). Risk: Low, but flagged for mandatory consistency: this exact phrase must be used at every occurrence across the book to preserve the doctrinal thread of “walk” as a unifying Ephesians metaphor; inconsistent rendering across chapters would obscure the recurring theme for readers.
the course of this world	αἰών τοῦ κόσμου τούτου	aiōn tou kosmou toutou	the age of this world	the present, fallen world-order/spirit of the age	course of this world, ways of this age	The dominant value-system opposed to God, distinct from kosmos as physical creation.	lub sijhawm/txoj kev ntawm lub ntiajteb no (NEW, descriptive). Risk: Low-Medium. Reuses lub ntiajteb (Reused — Romans TM, “world”) as base; comprehension-level only.
the prince of the power of the air	ὁ ἄρχων τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ ἀέρος	ho archōn tēs exousias tou aeros	the ruler of the authority of the air	title for Satan as head of a hierarchy of evil spiritual powers	prince of the power of the air, ruler of the atmospheric domain	Identifies the Devil as commanding a spiritual dominion; anchors the Spiritual Warfare doctrine’s cosmology, later expanded in 6:12.	tus thawj kav huab cua (NEW — proposed, explicitly identified with Ntxwg Nyoog, the established Hmong Christian term for Satan/the Devil). Risk: Critical. Hmong traditional cosmology includes sky/aerial spirits (dab ntuj) believed to govern weather, misfortune, and travel; without explicit, mandatory identification with Ntxwg Nyoog (not a generic sky-spirit), this phrase risks being absorbed into existing animistic sky-spirit categories rather than understood as the singular defeated enemy of Christ. Must never stand alone as “huab cua tus thawj” without the Ntxwg Nyoog anchor.
the spirit now working	τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ νῦν ἐνεργοῦντος	to pneuma tou nyn energountos	the spirit now energizing/operating	an animating influence/power at work — here, an evil spiritual influence, NOT the Holy Spirit and NOT a human soul	the spirit now at work, the prevailing spirit	The Devil’s animating influence over unregenerate humanity.	NEW — proposed, requires [TRANSLATOR REVIEW NEEDED: disambiguation]. Risk: Critical. This referent must NEVER be rendered with the bare noun ntsuj plig (reserved exclusively for the human soul per Romans TM #6) nor with Vaj Ntsuj Plig (reserved exclusively for the Holy Spirit). Recommended provisional strategy: a descriptive periphrasis naming the influence explicitly as belonging to Ntxwg Nyoog, e.g. “lub hwjchim ntawm Ntxwg Nyoog uas tseem ua haujlwm,” never a bare spirit-noun, to avoid a three-way collision across the Godhead, the human soul, and animistic spirit-categories.
sons of disobedience	υἱοὶ τῆς ἀπειθείας	huioi tēs apeitheias	sons characterized by disobedience	a Hebraic idiom for people defined by a quality	sons of disobedience, the disobedient	Describes humanity’s former condition under Satan’s sway, mirrored by “children of wrath” in v.3.	cov neeg uas tsis mloog lus (Vajtswv) (NEW, descriptive). Risk: Low-Medium. Comprehension-level idiom transfer; must anchor the disobedience God-ward, not merely social.

Efexus 2:3

“ἐν οἷς καὶ ἡμεῖς πάντες ἀνεστράφημεν ποτὲ ἐν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις τῆς σαρκὸς ἡμῶν, ποιοῦντες τὰ θελήματα τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ τῶν διανοιῶν, καὶ ἤμεθα τέκνα φύσει ὀργῆς ὡς καὶ οἱ λοιποί” “among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind”

Term (EN)	Greek	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Hmong Rendering & Risk
passions/desires	ἐπιθυμία	epithymia	a strong longing	neutral desire; sinful lust/craving (dominant sense here)	passions, desires, lusts, cravings	The felt appetite driving sinful conduct, located “of the flesh.”	kev ntshaw (ntawm lub cev nqaij tawv) (NEW — proposed). Risk: Medium. Must be paired with the flesh-moral qualifier (below) to avoid reading as neutral, innocent desire.
flesh (moral)	σάρξ	sarx	flesh/meat	fallen human nature opposed to the Spirit	flesh, sinful nature, body	Same moral sense flagged Critical in Romans 6-8, 13.	kev xav/kev ua raws li lub cev nqaij tawv (Reused — Romans TM, flesh_moral_sinful_nature). Risk: Critical, unchanged from baseline. Must remain lexically distinct from the neutral sense.
mind	διάνοια	dianoia	the faculty of thought	mind, understanding, thought-life	mind, understanding, thoughts	Paired with flesh to show sin affects both body and thought.	lub siab/kev xav (NEW, descriptive). Risk: Low.
by nature	φύσει	physei	by birth/origin	inherent condition, not acquired	by nature, naturally, inherently	Ties to Original Sin doctrine (cf. Romans 5) — the wrath-condition is inborn, not merely behavioral.	raws li peb tus cwj pwm/keeb kwm (NEW, descriptive). Risk: Medium. Comprehension gap; requires teaching note connecting to inherited (not chosen) guilt-condition, echoing the Romans 5 Adam-typology teaching note.
children of wrath	τέκνα ὀργῆς	tekna orgēs	children characterized by wrath	a Hebraic idiom, objects deserving/under wrath	children of wrath, objects of wrath	Universal condition prior to grace; ties directly to wrath_of_god.	cov me nyuam ntawm kev npau taws ntawm Vajtswv (uses Reused — Romans TM wrath_of_god as base). Risk: High, inherited from baseline wrath_of_god entry — must be taught as righteous judicial standing, not capricious ancestral/spirit anger.

Efexus 2:4

“ὁ δὲ θεὸς πλούσιος ὢν ἐν ἐλέει, διὰ τὴν πολλὴν ἀγάπην αὐτοῦ ἣν ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς” “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us”

Term (EN)	Greek	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Hmong Rendering & Risk
rich	πλούσιος	plousios	wealthy	abundant, plentiful (figurative here)	rich, abounding	Emphasizes the superabundance of God’s compassion contrasted with humanity’s deadness.	npluanuj (NEW, minor descriptive). Risk: Low.
mercy	ἔλεος	eleos	compassion for the miserable	pity, compassion toward suffering/guilty ones	mercy, compassion	Distinct from grace — compassion toward the wretched condition just described (vv.1-3), not merely unmerited favor.	txoj kev khuv leej (Reused — Romans TM, mercy). Risk: Medium, per baseline — keep lexically distinct from txiaj ntsim/grace.
love	ἀγάπη	agapē	selfless love	divine, self-giving love	love	God’s motive for the salvific act about to be described.	kev hlub (Reused — Romans TM, love). Risk: Low.

Efexus 2:5

“καὶ ὄντας ἡμᾶς νεκροὺς τοῖς παραπτώμασιν συνεζωοποίησεν τῷ Χριστῷ — χάριτί ἐστε σεσωσμένοι” “even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved”

Term (EN)	Greek	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Hmong Rendering & Risk
made alive together with	συζωοποιέω	synzōopoieō	to co-quicken, make alive together with	resurrection-life granted jointly with Christ’s own resurrection	made us alive together, quickened together with	The central verb of the passage — a monergistic act of God reversing spiritual death; the theological pivot of the whole curriculum’s core passage. Anchors Union with Christ and Salvation by Grace doctrines simultaneously.	NEW — proposed: “ua rau muaj txoj sia nrog Khetos.” Risk: Critical. Hmong traditional religion has an established ritual practice, hu plig (“calling back the soul/life-force”), performed by a shaman to revive a sick or dying person by summoning a wandering soul back into the body. This verb’s semantic domain (being made alive, restored to life) sits directly adjacent to that ritual concept. Mandatory catechetical note: God’s making-alive in Ephesians 2:5 is a once-for-all, Spirit-wrought spiritual resurrection accomplished by grace through union with Christ’s own resurrection — not a repeatable shamanic soul-recall technique performed by ritual specialists. Must always co-occur with nyob hauv Khetos / Yexus Khetos anchor and never be used as a stand-alone verb.
grace	χάρις	charis	favor, gift	unmerited divine favor	grace	Repeated as the summary verdict on vv.1-5 (“by grace you have been saved”), anticipating v.8.	txiaj ntsim (Reused — Romans TM, grace). Risk: Critical, unchanged — never koob hmoov.
saved	σῴζω	sōzō	to rescue, deliver	rescue from sin, wrath, death	saved	Anchored explicitly to grace and (via v.8) to faith in Christ.	cawm / kev cawm dim (Reused — Romans TM, salvation_save). Risk: High, unchanged — must always be anchored to Yexus Khetos as sole agent/means, per baseline.

Efexus 2:6

“καὶ συνήγειρεν καὶ συνεκάθισεν ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ” “and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”

Term (EN)	Greek	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Hmong Rendering & Risk
raised up with	συνεγείρω	synegeirō	to co-raise, raise together with	resurrection jointly with Christ	raised us up with him	Continues the “with Christ” chain of compound verbs; positional/spiritual, already-accomplished.	NEW — proposed: “raug sawv nrog Khetos rov qab los.” Risk: High. Must be taught as a present spiritual reality grounded in Christ’s historical resurrection, not a future-only hope nor a repeatable ritual experience.
seated with	συγκαθίζω	synkathizō	to co-seat, seat together with	sharing Christ’s position of authority/rest	seated with him	Emphasizes the believer’s present share in Christ’s exalted status — a strong statement of Union with Christ and, implicitly, Election (cf. 1:20-21’s throne imagery).	NEW — proposed: “raug kom zaum nrog Khetos.” Risk: Medium-High. Requires teaching note: this is positional/spiritual, not a claim of present physical exaltation, and must be read alongside the “already/not yet” framework of the letter.
heavenly places	ἐπουράνιος	epouranios	upon/in the heavens	the spiritual/heavenly realm where Christ reigns and spiritual powers operate (cf. 1:3, 1:20, 3:10, 6:12)	heavenly places, heavenly realms	Locates believers’ new status in the same realm where Christ is enthroned above all rule and authority (1:21) and where spiritual warfare occurs (6:12).	NEW — proposed: “thaj chaw saum ntuj ceeb tsheej.” Risk: Medium. Comprehension-level; must be distinguished from ordinary “ntuj” (sky) to avoid confusion with animistic sky-spirit domains — recommend consistent use of “ceeb tsheej” (heavenly glory-realm) qualifier throughout.
in Christ Jesus	ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ	en Christō Iēsou	in Christ Jesus	the participatory union formula	in Christ Jesus	The governing formula for the entire passage’s logic.	nyob hauv Khetos (Reused — Romans TM, in_christ_union_formula). Risk: High, unchanged.

Efexus 2:7

“ἵνα ἐνδείξηται ἐν τοῖς αἰῶσιν τοῖς ἐπερχομένοις τὸ ὑπερβάλλον πλοῦτος τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ ἐν χρηστότητι ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ” “so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus”

Term (EN)	Greek	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Hmong Rendering & Risk
surpassing riches	ὑπερβάλλον πλοῦτος	hyperballon ploutos	exceeding/overflowing wealth	superabundance (figurative wealth)	immeasurable/surpassing riches	God’s purpose in salvation extends beyond the present into eternity as an ongoing display.	txoj kev npluanuj tshaj plaws (ntawm txiaj ntsim) (NEW, descriptive, built on Reused grace term). Risk: Low.
kindness	χρηστότης	chrēstotēs	goodness, benevolence	kindness, goodness	kindness	Manner in which God’s grace is expressed.	kev tsim txiaj / kev zoo siab (NEW, minor). Risk: Low.

Efexus 2:8

“τῇ γὰρ χάριτί ἐστε σεσωσμένοι διὰ πίστεως· καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν, θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον” “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God”

Term (EN)	Greek	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Hmong Rendering & Risk
grace	χάρις	charis	—	—	grace	The ground of salvation, restated as the passage’s thesis.	txiaj ntsim (Reused — Romans TM). Risk: Critical, unchanged.
faith	πίστις	pistis	trust	belief, trust, reliance	faith	The instrumental means through which grace-salvation is received (not its source).	kev ntseeg (Reused — Romans TM, faith_believe). Risk: Medium, unchanged — must be anchored to Christ per baseline.
gift	δῶρον	dōron	a gift, present	a freely given present	gift	Underscores that salvation itself (not merely grace or faith abstractly) is God’s giving, not human achievement — the verse’s rhetorical climax.	khoom plig (NEW, simple gift-noun, distinct from ib yam khoom plig ntawm Vaj Ntsuj Plig/spiritual_gift, Reused — Romans TM, which denotes a specific Spirit-given ministry capacity, not salvation itself). Risk: Medium. Must be kept distinct from spiritual_gift to avoid conflating “salvation as gift” with “ministry gifts” (ch.4); both are real but doctrinally distinct claims.

Efexus 2:9

“οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων, ἵνα μή τις καυχήσηται” “not a result of works, so that no one may boast”

Term (EN)	Greek	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Hmong Rendering & Risk
works	ἔργα	erga	deeds, labors	human effort/deeds, whether moral or ritual, offered as a ground of merit	works, deeds, human effort	Explicitly excluded as the ground of salvation — the verse’s negative counterpart to v.8’s “gift.” Central to Salvation by Grace doctrine.	NEW — proposed: “tej haujlwm/kev ua ntawm tus kheej.” Risk: High. Must be kept sharply distinct in teaching from v.10’s “good works” (erga agatha) — this verse excludes works as ground/means of salvation, v.10 affirms works as fruit/purpose of salvation. Collapsing the distinction reintroduces works-righteousness at the precise verse designed to exclude it (parallel to the baseline’s Romans 4:5 warning).
boast	καυχάομαι	kauchaomai	to boast, glory in	self-congratulation, pride in achievement	boast	The self-congratulation grace-alone salvation forecloses.	kev khav theeb (Reused — Romans TM, boasting). Risk: Low, unchanged.

Efexus 2:10

“αὐτοῦ γάρ ἐσμεν ποίημα, κτισθέντες ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἐπὶ ἔργοις ἀγαθοῖς, οἷς προητοίμασεν ὁ θεὸς ἵνα ἐν αὐτοῖς περιπατήσωμεν” “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them”

Term (EN)	Greek	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Contextual Theological Meaning	Hmong Rendering & Risk
workmanship	ποίημα	poiēma	a thing made, a work of craftsmanship	a masterwork, product of skilled making	workmanship, handiwork, masterpiece	Believers are God’s own artistic/creative product, not self-made — reinforces grace-alone logic while opening into purposeful good works.	NEW — proposed: “yam Vajtswv tsim los” / “Vajtswv tej haujlwm tsim.” Risk: Medium. Comprehension-level; builds on Reused Romans TM creation (tej uas raug tsim los) but specifically emphasizes the crafted, purposeful, personal nature of the making — recommend distinguishing register from the generic creation term with a possessive “Vajtswv tej…tsim” construction.
created	κτίζω	ktizō	to create, make	divine creative act; here, new-creation re-making in Christ	created, made	Echoes Genesis creation language applied to spiritual new-creation — ties to Walking in Newness of Life doctrine.	Draws on Reused — Romans TM creation root (tsim). Risk: Low-Medium.
good works	ἔργα ἀγαθά	erga agatha	good deeds	morally good, Spirit-produced deeds/actions	good works	The intended fruit, never the ground, of salvation — see v.9 note above; the resolution of the works-tension in the passage.	NEW — proposed: “tej haujlwm zoo.” Risk: High (paired with v.9’s tej haujlwm) — mandatory teaching note distinguishing this from v.9’s excluded “works,” to prevent the whole passage’s carefully balanced grace/works logic from collapsing in either direction (antinomianism or works-righteousness).
prepared beforehand	προετοιμάζω	proetoimazō	to prepare in advance	God’s prior sovereign planning	prepared beforehand	Ties good works back to God’s eternal purpose, echoing 1:4-5’s predestination language.	Draws on Reused — Romans TM foreknow_predestine root. Risk: High, unchanged.
walk	περιπατέω	peripateō	—	—	walk, live	The purpose-clause conclusion: salvation issues in a new manner of life. Bookends the passage (cf. v.2’s “walked” in death).	taug kev (NEW, consistent with v.2 usage above). Risk: Low, flagged for consistency across the book.

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2. Chapter-by-Chapter Coverage of the Whole Book

Chapter 1 — Blessing, Election, and the Plan of God in Christ

Term (EN)	Greek	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Theological Meaning	Hmong Rendering & Risk
blessed/blessing	εὐλογητός / εὐλογία	eulogētos / eulogia	well-spoken-of / a speaking-well-of	praise directed to God; a benefit/favor bestowed by God	blessed; blessing	The letter’s opening doxology: God is praised as the source of “every spiritual blessing” — the comprehensive package of salvation benefits enumerated through v.14. Central to Salvation by Grace and Election doctrines.	NEW — proposed, [TRANSLATOR REVIEW NEEDED: fate-collision risk]. Provisional: “txoj koob hmoov ntawm Vajtswv (hauv Khetos).” Risk: Critical. The natural Hmong lexeme for “blessing,” koob hmoov, is the same term the Romans baseline permanently forbids for charis/grace because it denotes fortune/favor tied to fate and ritual correctness toward ancestors/spirits. Ephesians 1:3’s “spiritual blessing” is not the baseline’s permitted “ordinary material blessing” sense — it is the whole soteriological package (adoption, redemption, election) and therefore sits far closer to the forbidden collision zone than ordinary blessing-talk. Mandatory qualifier “ntawm Vajtswv (hauv Khetos)” must never be dropped; requires formal theologian review before any TM-lock, per governing baseline §9’s escalation rule for ambiguity about fate-collision.
chose/election	ἐκλέγομαι	eklegomai	to pick out, select	God’s sovereign choosing	chose, elected	”He chose us in him before the foundation of the world” (1:4) — the letter’s clearest election statement.	kev xaiv (Vajtswv xaiv raws li nws lub siab nyiam) (Reused — Romans TM, election_choose). Risk: Critical, unchanged — never hmoov-family vocabulary.
predestined	προορίζω	proorizō	to mark out a boundary beforehand	God’s determining beforehand	predestined, foreordained	1:5, 1:11 — predestination “to adoption as sons,” paired with election.	twb paub ua ntej lawm / twm chaw ua ntej lawm (Reused — Romans TM, foreknow_predestine). Risk: High, unchanged.
adoption as sons	υἱοθεσία	huiothesia	placement as a son	legal sonship	adoption	1:5 — the goal of predestination; direct verbal link to Romans TM entry of the same Greek word.	raug muab coj los ua me tub (ntawm Vajtswv) (Reused — Romans TM, adoption_as_sons). Risk: Medium, unchanged.
grace	χάρις	charis	—	—	grace	1:6-7 — “the riches of his grace… lavished on us”; grounds redemption and forgiveness.	txiaj ntsim (Reused — Romans TM). Risk: Critical, unchanged.
redemption	ἀπολύτρωσις	apolytrōsis	buying-back	ransom from bondage	redemption	1:7, 1:14 — “redemption through his blood.”	kev txhiv (Reused — Romans TM, redemption). Risk: Medium, unchanged.
forgiveness	ἄφεσις	aphesis	a sending away, release	pardon, remission	forgiveness	1:7 — “the forgiveness of our trespasses,” parallel to redemption. NEW term not in Romans TM.	NEW — proposed: “kev zam txim.” Risk: Medium. Comprehension-level; zam (to excuse/release a debt or fault) is an existing Hmong social/legal concept (releasing a debtor or an offender from obligation) and transfers cleanly; must be anchored God-ward (“Vajtswv zam txim rau peb”) to avoid a merely interpersonal reading.
mystery	μυστήριον	mystērion	that which is hidden, then disclosed to the initiated	a previously hidden divine plan now revealed	mystery	1:9 — “the mystery of his will.” Central to The Mystery of Christ Revealed doctrine (expanded ch.3).	zaj lus zais cia (Reused — Romans TM, mystery). Risk: Low-Medium, unchanged.
stewardship/plan	οἰκονομία	oikonomia	household-management	administration, plan, arrangement	plan, stewardship, dispensation, administration	1:10 — God’s “plan for the fullness of time”; recurs 3:2, 3:9 as Paul’s “stewardship of grace.”	NEW — proposed: “Vajtswv txoj kev npaj/kev tu.” Risk: Medium. Comprehension gap only (abstract administrative concept); no traditional-religion collision identified.
inheritance	κληρονομία	klēronomia	that which is inherited	an allotted possession/legacy	inheritance, heritage	1:11, 1:14, 1:18 — believers “obtained an inheritance”; the Spirit is the “guarantee of our inheritance.” Builds on the existing heir (klēronomos) entry.	NEW — proposed: “qub txeeg qub teg.” Risk: Low, strong positive bridge via Hmong clan-lineage inheritance custom, consistent with the heir entry’s baseline rationale.
sealed	σφραγίζω	sphragizō	to stamp/mark with a seal	mark of ownership, authentication, security	sealed	1:13 — “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit”; recurs 4:30.	NEW — proposed: “raug ntxig cim (los ntawm Vaj Ntsuj Plig).” Risk: High. Must retain the mandatory Vaj prefix on every occurrence. Additional risk: Hmong folk-protective practice includes wearing marked amulets/strings for spiritual protection from malevolent spirits; the “seal” metaphor must be explicitly taught as the Holy Spirit’s personal, once-for-all mark of covenant ownership and security, not a protective talisman-mark against spirits.
guarantee/down payment	ἀρραβών	arrabōn	a pledge, earnest-money	a partial payment guaranteeing the full amount to come	guarantee, deposit, down payment, pledge	1:14 — the Spirit as the “guarantee of our inheritance.”	NEW — proposed: “thawj nqi them ua ntej” (first installment). Risk: Low-Medium. Good economic-legal bridge, similar in kind to the redemption entry’s debt-culture bridge; comprehension-level only.
fullness	πλήρωμα	plērōma	that which fills, completeness	totality, completeness, full measure	fullness	1:23 — the church as “his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” Recurs 3:19, 4:13 — central to The Church as the Body of Christ doctrine.	NEW — proposed: “qhov puv npo (ntawm Khetos).” Risk: Medium. Abstract theological concept; comprehension gap, no collision identified, but requires consistent qualifying phrase at every occurrence given its doctrinal weight.
head	κεφαλή	kephalē	the physical head	source, authority, preeminence (figurative)	head	1:22 — Christ as “head over all things” for the church; foundational for both Body-of-Christ and Household Codes doctrines (recurs 4:15, 5:23).	NEW — proposed: “taub hau” (literal head, used metaphorically as in existing Hmong idiom for family/clan headship, e.g. tus taub hau tsev neeg). Risk: Medium-High. Positive cultural bridge via existing clan/household headship concepts, but requires mandatory pairing (ch.5) with the self-sacrificial love qualifier to prevent a bare-authority/domineering misreading.
church	ἐκκλησία	ekklēsia	assembly, called-out gathering	the local or universal body of believers	church	1:22 — introduced as the object of Christ’s headship; the most frequent noun in the letter’s second half.	pawg ntseeg (NEW, formalized — already implicit in the Romans TM deacon_servant entry’s “tus pab tu pawg ntseeg”). Risk: Low, stable existing Hmong Christian term.
power (positive, of God/Christ)	δύναμις	dynamis	might, capability	supernatural power; resurrection power (1:19-20)	power	1:19-21 — God’s power that raised Christ and seated him above every rule and authority.	hwjchim (Reused — Romans TM, power), mandatory qualifier Vajtswv hwjchim. Risk: High, unchanged.
rule, authority, power, dominion (heavenly ranks)	ἀρχή, ἐξουσία, δύναμις, κυριότης	archē, exousia, dynamis, kyriotēs	beginning/rule; authority; power; lordship	a fourfold enumeration of angelic/spiritual rank-orders, here shown subordinate to Christ	rule and authority and power and dominion	1:21 — Christ exalted “far above” every such rank; sets up the Spiritual Warfare cosmology of 6:12 by first establishing Christ’s supremacy over it.	NEW — proposed: “txhua tus thawj kav, txhua tug muaj hwjchim, txhua yam muaj zog, thiab txhua tug uas kav.” Risk: High. Must be taught together with 6:12 as two sides of one doctrine: these are real spiritual rank-powers (not merely human institutions), decisively subordinated to Christ — sets the stage for, and must not be resolved without reference to, the ch.6 armor teaching.

Chapter 2 — Reconciliation and the One New Humanity (Efexus 2:11-22; vv.1-10 treated above)

Term (EN)	Greek	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Theological Meaning	Hmong Rendering & Risk
circumcision / uncircumcision	περιτομή / ἀκροβυστία	peritomē / akrobystia	the cutting / the foreskin-state	covenant marker; ethnic-religious identity marker	circumcision, “the uncircumcision”	2:11 — the old Jew/Gentile identity marker now transcended in Christ.	kev txiav (raws li Txoj Kevcai Mauxes) (Reused — Romans TM, circumcision). Risk: Medium, unchanged.
covenants of promise	διαθῆκαι τῆς ἐπαγγελίας	diathēkai tēs epangelias	agreements of the promise	formal covenant relationships; here, Israel’s covenants	covenants of promise	2:12 — Gentiles once excluded from these; foundational to Unity of Jews and Gentiles doctrine.	NEW — proposed: “tej lus cog tseg (raws li tej kev cog lus/khaub tsev cog lus).” Risk: Medium. Builds on Reused — Romans TM promise (lus cog tseg) but must be distinguished as the formal covenant-framework, not merely a single pledge; comprehension gap, no direct collision, but requires disambiguating note from bare “promise.”
blood (of Christ)	αἷμα	haima	blood	Christ’s sacrificial death as the means of access/peace	blood	2:13 — “by the blood of Christ” Gentiles are brought near.	NEW — proposed: “cov ntshav ntawm Khetos.” Risk: Medium. Standard Christian usage; ties to the propitiation/atonement domain (Reused — Romans TM propitiation_atoning_sacrifice); no new collision, reinforces existing Critical entry.
dividing wall	φραγμός / μεσότοιχον	phragmos / mesotoichon	fence / partition-wall	a barrier separating two parties	dividing wall, barrier, partition	2:14 — the hostility/Law-based barrier between Jew and Gentile, now broken down in Christ. Core image for Unity doctrine.	NEW — proposed: “sab ntsa/phaj kem cais.” Risk: Low-Medium. Concrete architectural/agricultural imagery (fences between fields/homes are familiar); good cross-cultural bridge, comprehension-level only.
one new man / new humanity	εἷς καινὸς ἄνθρωπος	heis kainos anthrōpos	one new person	a genuinely new corporate humanity, not a mere alliance of two old groups	one new man, one new humanity, new people	2:15 — the doctrinal heart of Unity of Jews and Gentiles: Christ does not merely reconcile two groups but creates a third, unprecedented reality.	NEW — proposed: “ib haiv neeg tshiab.” Risk: High. Doctrinally load-bearing; must be taught as an ontological new creation (not social cooperation or assimilation of one group into the other) — mandatory teaching note distinguishing this from ordinary clan-alliance or intermarriage language, which would flatten the doctrine into mere social peace-making.
reconciliation	ἀποκαταλλάσσω	apokatallassō	to reconcile fully	restoration to right relationship, both God-ward and (new in Ephesians) horizontally between former enemies	reconcile	2:16 — reconciliation is now double-directional: to God AND between Jew and Gentile in one body. Extends the Romans TM entry’s God-ward-only note.	kev sib haum xeeb (nrog Vajtswv) (Reused — Romans TM, reconciliation), extended usage. Risk: Medium, unchanged base risk, but flagged with a doctrinal extension note: Ephesians requires the term to carry BOTH the vertical (God-ward) and horizontal (Jew-Gentile) senses simultaneously in 2:16, which the Romans-only baseline note did not anticipate; teaching must make explicit that horizontal unity flows from, and never substitutes for, vertical reconciliation.
cross	σταυρός	stauros	an execution stake	the means of Christ’s death; metonym for the atonement	cross	2:16 — “through the cross,” the means by which hostility is killed.	NEW — proposed: “tus ntoo khaub lig” (established Hmong Christian term for the cross). Risk: Low, stable existing usage.
access	προσαγωγή	prosagōgē	a bringing-near, introduction	granted approach into God’s presence	access	2:18 — “through him we… have access in one Spirit to the Father.”	NEW — proposed: “kev nkag mus ze (rau Leej Txiv).” Risk: Low-Medium. Comprehension-level; positive concept, no collision.
fellow citizens	συμπολῖται	sympolitai	co-citizens	shared civic membership	fellow citizens	2:19 — Gentiles are “fellow citizens with the saints.”	NEW — proposed: “cov neeg npoj tebchaws ib yam.” Risk: Low, civic metaphor, comprehension-level only.
household/members of God’s household	οἰκεῖοι τοῦ θεοῦ	oikeioi tou theou	members of the house	family-belonging status	members of the household of God	2:19 — the family/clan metaphor for church membership.	NEW — proposed: “tsev neeg ntawm Vajtswv.” Risk: Low-Medium, strong positive bridge via Hmong clan/household belonging, similar to the adoption_as_sons and heir entries’ rationale.
apostles and prophets (foundation)	ἀπόστολοι καὶ προφῆται	apostoloi kai prophētai	sent-ones and speakers-forth	the foundational teaching authority of the early church	apostles and prophets	2:20 — the church “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets.”	apostle: tus Tub Txib (Reused — Romans TM). prophet: NEW — proposed: “tus cev Vajtswv lus.” Risk (prophet): High. Must be sharply distinguished from the shamanic diviner/spirit-medium (txiv neeb), who also claims to “speak for” or channel spirits; mandatory catechetical note that the Christian prophet speaks by the Holy Spirit’s inspiration in continuity with Scripture, not by trance-mediumship with ancestral/nature spirits.
cornerstone	ἀκρογωνιαῖος	akrogōniaios	the topmost corner-stone	the foundation-defining stone of a building	cornerstone	2:20 — Christ as the cornerstone of the church-building.	NEW — proposed: “pob zeb ncej taum.” Risk: Low-Medium. Must be kept visually/lexically distinguishable from the Romans TM stumbling_block entry (pob zeb ua rau dawm ceg), which shares the “pob zeb” (stone) root but carries the opposite (negative) sense — flag as a consistency requirement, not a collision.
holy temple	ναὸς ἅγιος	naos hagios	a holy sanctuary	the dwelling-place of deity	holy temple	2:21 — the church growing into “a holy temple in the Lord,” God’s dwelling by the Spirit (2:22).	NEW — proposed: “lub tuam tsev dawb huv.” Risk: High. Hmong households traditionally maintain an ancestral spirit-shrine/altar (qhov txos, thaj/tshwj chim) within the home; “tuam tsev” (temple) vocabulary risks being heard as describing a comparable shrine-structure. Mandatory teaching note: this is a metaphorical description of the corporate church as God’s Spirit-indwelt dwelling, not a physical shrine or ritual site, and must never be presented as replacing one shrine-object with another.

Chapter 3 — The Mystery of Christ and Paul’s Ministry

Term (EN)	Greek	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Theological Meaning	Hmong Rendering & Risk
mystery	μυστήριον	mystērion	—	—	mystery	3:3-9 — now explicitly defined: Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members, fellow partakers “in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (3:6). The doctrinal core of The Mystery of Christ Revealed.	zaj lus zais cia (Reused — Romans TM). Risk: Low-Medium, unchanged, but now bears the full doctrinal weight of a named curriculum doctrine — teaching must connect it explicitly to Unity of Jews/Gentiles (ch.2).
stewardship of grace	οἰκονομία τῆς χάριτος	oikonomia tēs charitos	the household-management of grace	Paul’s divinely assigned ministry commission	stewardship/administration of grace	3:2 — reuses ch.1’s oikonomia term, now applied to Paul’s apostolic office.	Combines NEW oikonomia rendering with Reused — Romans TM grace. Risk: Medium, unchanged from ch.1 entry.
revelation	ἀποκάλυψις	apokalypsis	an uncovering, unveiling	disclosure of previously hidden truth	revelation	3:3, 3:5 — the mystery was made known “by revelation.”	NEW — proposed: “kev qhia tshwm sim” / “kev nthuav qhia.” Risk: Low. Comprehension-level, pairs naturally with mystery.
fellow heirs	συγκληρονόμοι	sygklēronomoi	co-inheritors	shared inheritance status	fellow heirs	3:6 — Gentiles are fellow heirs with Israel. Builds on heir.	NEW — proposed: “koom ua cov qub txeeg qub teg ua ke.” Risk: Low, positive extension of the existing heir entry’s cultural bridge.
fellow members of the body	σύσσωμα	syssōma	co-bodied, of the same body	shared incorporation into one body	of the same body, fellow members	3:6 — Gentiles are fellow members of the one body. Builds on body_of_christ.	NEW — proposed: “koom ua ib lub cev ua ke (ntawm Khetos).” Risk: Low-Medium, extends Reused — Romans TM body_of_christ.
fellow partakers	συμμέτοχα	symmetocha	co-sharers	joint participation in the promise	fellow partakers/sharers	3:6 — Gentiles jointly share the promise.	NEW — proposed: “koom tau txais lus cog tseg ua ke.” Risk: Low, extends promise.
unsearchable riches of Christ	ἀνεξιχνίαστος πλοῦτος τοῦ Χριστοῦ	anexichniastos ploutos tou Christou	untraceable wealth	inexhaustible, incomprehensible abundance	unsearchable/boundless riches	3:8 — the content of Paul’s Gentile-directed preaching commission.	NEW — proposed: “txoj kev npluanuj ntawm Khetos uas tshawb tsis txeeg.” Risk: Low, descriptive superlative, no collision.
boldness/access	παρρησία / προσαγωγή	parrēsia / prosagōgē	freedom of speech / a bringing-near	confidence to approach; access	boldness and access, confidence	3:12 — believers have boldness and access to God through faith in Christ.	NEW — proposed: “kev txaus siab thiab kev nkag mus ze (rau Vajtswv).” Risk: Low-Medium, combines with ch.2’s access entry.
fullness of God	πλήρωμα τοῦ θεοῦ	plērōma tou theou	the completeness of God	the full measure of God’s presence/character indwelling believers	fullness of God	3:19 — the climax of Paul’s prayer: “filled with all the fullness of God.”	Reuses NEW plērōma rendering from ch.1. Risk: Medium, unchanged.
power	δύναμις	dynamis	—	—	power	3:16, 3:20 — “strengthened with power through his Spirit”; “according to the power at work within us.”	hwjchim, mandatory Vajtswv hwjchim (Reused — Romans TM). Risk: High, unchanged.
glory	δόξα	doxa	—	—	glory	3:13, 3:21 — Paul’s sufferings are “your glory”; doxology “to him be glory in the church.”	lub yeeb koob (Reused — Romans TM, glory). Risk: Low, unchanged.

Chapter 4 — One Body, Gifts for Ministry, and the New Self

Term (EN)	Greek	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Theological Meaning	Hmong Rendering & Risk
calling	κλῆσις	klēsis	a summons	vocation; God’s summons to salvation and its resulting way of life	calling, vocation	4:1 — “walk worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” Ties Election vocabulary to ethical exhortation.	NEW — proposed: “kev raug hu (los ntawm Vajtswv).” Risk: Medium-High. Same fate-collision family as election_choose; must retain a volitional, personal framing (“Vajtswv hu koj”) and never be rendered with hmoov-family vocabulary, consistent with the Romans TM’s permanent prohibition.
unity of the Spirit	ἑνότης τοῦ πνεύματος	henotēs tou pneumatos	oneness of the Spirit	the God-given, Spirit-wrought unity believers are to maintain	unity of the Spirit	4:3 — “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit.” Core term for The Church as the Body of Christ doctrine.	NEW — proposed: “kev sib koom ua ib los ntawm Vaj Ntsuj Plig.” Risk: Medium. Mandatory retention of the Vaj prefix; comprehension-level otherwise.
one body, one Spirit, one hope, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father	ἓν σῶμα… ἓν πνεῦμα… μία ἐλπίς… μία πίστις… ἓν βάπτισμα… εἷς θεὸς καὶ πατήρ	hen sōma, hen pneuma, mia elpis, mia pistis, hen baptisma, heis theos kai patēr	—	—	the sevenfold unity formula	4:4-6 — the doctrinal backbone for Church unity, entirely composed of terms already fixed in the Romans baseline.	All Reused — Romans TM: body_of_christ, holy_spirit, hope, faith_believe, baptism, god, father_god. Risk: cumulative High, since this single formula concentrates six baseline-flagged terms (three Critical/High) in one verse-cluster — requires the same qualifier discipline as the Romans 1:16-17 “highest-density risk clause” precedent.
gifts (to the church)	δόματα / δωρεά	domata / dōrea	things given / a giving	Christ’s post-ascension gifts of ministry offices to the church	gifts	4:7-11 — distinct from spiritual_gift (individual Spirit-endowments); here specifically the offices Christ gives to equip the church. Core to Gifts for Building Up the Church doctrine.	NEW — proposed: “khoom plig (ntawm Khetos rau pawg ntseeg).” Risk: Medium. Must be distinguished from the Romans TM spiritual_gift entry (individual charismata) and from the simple gift (v.2:8 dōron) — three related but distinct “gift” concepts across the corpus requiring careful disambiguation in teaching.
apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors/shepherds, teachers	ἀπόστολοι, προφῆται, εὐαγγελισταί, ποιμένες, διδάσκαλοι	apostoloi, prophētai, euangelistai, poimenes, didaskaloi	sent-ones, speakers-forth, good-news-announcers, shepherds, teachers	the fivefold ministry-office list	apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers	4:11 — offices given “to equip the saints.”	apostle: tus Tub Txib (Reused). prophet: tus cev Vajtswv lus (NEW, per ch.2 entry, Risk High). evangelist: NEW — proposed: “tus qhia Txoj Moo Zoo,” built on Reused gospel, Risk Low. pastor/shepherd: NEW — proposed: “tus yug yaj,” Risk Low-Medium (pastoral/shepherding imagery is a familiar, positive metaphor). teacher: NEW — proposed: “xibhwb / tus qhia,” Risk Low.
equipping	καταρτισμός	katartismos	preparation, outfitting	training/preparing for a task	equipping	4:12 — the purpose of the fivefold offices: “for the equipping of the saints.”	NEW — proposed: “kev npaj kom txhij.” Risk: Low-Medium, comprehension-level.
building up	οἰκοδομή	oikodomē	construction, edifice	growth/strengthening of the church, individually and corporately	building up, edification	4:12, 4:16 — the goal of ministry gifts and mutual body-function.	NEW — proposed: “kev tsim kho (pawg ntseeg) kom loj hlob.” Risk: Low-Medium, comprehension-level.
mature manhood	ἀνὴρ τέλειος	anēr teleios	a complete/full-grown man	maturity, completeness, the goal of corporate growth	mature manhood, maturity	4:13 — the church’s growth-target, “to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”	NEW — proposed: “tus neeg loj hlob tiav (raws li Khetos).” Risk: Low-Medium, growth metaphor transfers well.
old self / new self	ὁ παλαιὸς ἄνθρωπος / ὁ καινὸς ἄνθρωπος	ho palaios anthrōpos / ho kainos anthrōpos	the old man / the new man	the pre-conversion identity to be discarded / the Christ-formed identity to be put on	old self, old man / new self, new man	4:22-24 — “put off… put on”; the ethical core of Walking in Newness of Life doctrine. Note: kainos anthrōpos here denotes individual renewal, distinct from 2:15’s corporate “one new man” (same Greek phrase, different referent — individual vs. corporate).	NEW — proposed: “tus qub” (old self) / “tus tshiab” (new self); verb-phrase “muab tus qub hle, hnav tus tshiab” (take off the old, put on the new). Risk: Medium-High. The clothing metaphor bridges well to Hmong practices of ceremonial dress-changing, but requires a mandatory teaching note distinguishing this as a definitive, once-for-all identity-change accomplished by grace, not a repeatable ritual costume-change comparable to shamanic ceremonial garment rites; also must be kept distinct from 2:15’s corporate “ib haiv neeg tshiab” so learners do not conflate individual renewal with the corporate new-humanity doctrine.
renewed in the spirit of the mind	ἀνανεοῦσθαι τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ νοὸς	ananeousthai tō pneumati tou noos	to be renewed in the spirit of the mind	ongoing inward mental/spiritual transformation	renewed in mind	4:23 — the internal complement to the old-self/new-self exchange. Closely related to, but not identical in Greek wording to, the Romans renewal_of_the_mind (anakainōsis tou noos).	hloov siab tshiab (Reused — Romans TM, renewal_of_the_mind). Risk: Low-Medium, unchanged, with a note that the underlying Greek phrase differs slightly (ananeousthai vs. anakainōsis) though the doctrinal content and appropriate Hmong rendering are the same.
grieve the Spirit	λυπεῖτε τὸ πνεῦμα	lypeite to pneuma	do not cause sorrow to the spirit	to offend/sadden the Holy Spirit by sin	grieve the Spirit	4:30 — a strong relational warning; assumes the Spirit’s personal presence.	NEW — proposed: “ua rau Vaj Ntsuj Plig nyuaj siab.” Risk: Medium, mandatory retention of Vaj prefix per the structural rule governing every Holy Spirit reference.
hardening	πώρωσις	pōrōsis	callousness	spiritual insensitivity	hardness/hardening of heart	4:18 — “the hardness of their heart,” describing Gentile unbelief.	lub siab tawv (Reused — Romans TM, hardening). Risk: Medium, unchanged.

Chapter 5 — Walking in Love and Light; Christ-Centered Household Relationships

Term (EN)	Greek	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Theological Meaning	Hmong Rendering & Risk
imitators of God	μιμηταὶ τοῦ θεοῦ	mimētai tou theou	imitators of God	conforming one’s conduct to God’s character	imitators of God	5:1 — the ethical foundation for ch.5’s exhortations.	NEW — proposed: “cov ua raws li Vajtswv tus yam ntxwv.” Risk: Low, descriptive, no collision.
fragrant offering and sacrifice	προσφορὰ καὶ θυσία… εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας	prosphora kai thysia… eis osmēn euōdias	an offering and sacrifice… for a fragrant aroma	Christ’s self-giving death described in sacrificial-cultic terms	offering and sacrifice, fragrant offering	5:2 — describes CHRIST’s atoning self-gift (distinct from the believer’s own “living sacrifice” of Romans 12).	NEW — proposed: “khoom fij uas muaj tsw qab ncho (ntawm Khetos).” Risk: Critical. Reuses the fij sacrificial-offering domain flagged Critical/High in the Romans baseline for both the atonement (propitiation_atoning_sacrifice) and ethical devotion (living_sacrifice). This occurrence must be taught as reinforcing Christ’s unique, sufficient, once-for-all atoning self-offering — NOT a third, separate sacrificial category, and never assimilated into shamanic appeasement-offering patterns (fij dab).
idolater	εἰδωλολάτρης	eidōlolatrēs	idol-worshiper	one who serves/venerates images of false gods; here, figuratively, the covetous person	idolater	5:5 — “the covetous person… is an idolater.”	Builds on Reused — Romans TM idol (dab mlom). Risk: High, unchanged base risk; new context (covetousness as idolatry) requires a teaching note that idolatry is redefined to include misplaced devotion/desire, not only literal image-worship.
children of light	τέκνα φωτός	tekna phōtos	children characterized by light	those who belong to and reflect God’s truth/holiness	children of light	5:8 — “now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light.” Core to Walking in Newness of Life doctrine.	NEW — proposed: “cov me nyuam ntawm qhov kaj.” Risk: Low-Medium. Light/darkness dualism transfers reasonably well cross-culturally; low collision risk with traditional religion identified, though should be monitored for any local light-spirit veneration practices.
fruit of light	καρπὸς τοῦ φωτός	karpos tou phōtos	fruit of the light	the moral/relational produce of walking in light-conduct	fruit of light	5:9 — “the fruit of light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.”	NEW — proposed: “txiv ntawm qhov kaj.” Risk: Low-Medium, agricultural fruit-metaphor is accessible in an agrarian Hmong context (cf. baseline firstfruits rationale).
be filled with the Spirit	πληροῦσθε ἐν πνεύματι	plērousthe en pneumati	be being filled in/by the spirit	ongoing, repeated Spirit-empowerment and yielded control	be filled with the Spirit	5:18 — contrasted with drunkenness; the positive counterpart to grieve the Spirit (4:30).	NEW — proposed: “kom puv npo ntawm Vaj Ntsuj Plig.” Risk: Critical. Direct collision risk with Hmong shamanic trance-possession phenomena (txiv neeb entering an altered state as a spirit “enters” or “fills” the practitioner during ritual). Mandatory catechetical note: Spirit-filling in Ephesians is an ongoing, character-transforming yieldedness to the Holy Spirit’s moral influence (producing worship, thanksgiving, mutual submission, 5:19-21), not a trance-state or possession phenomenon, and must never be taught or depicted using trance/possession imagery. Mandatory Vaj prefix retained.
submit	ὑποτάσσω	hypotassō	to arrange under, subordinate oneself	voluntary ordering of oneself under another’s authority	submit, be subject to	5:21 (mutual), 5:22, 5:24 (wives to husbands) — the operative verb for the Household Codes doctrine.	NEW — proposed: “txo hwjchim rau / nyob hauv kev tswj (ntawm…).” Risk: High. Doctrinally and culturally sensitive: must be taught beginning from 5:21’s mutual-submission frame before its specific application to wives, and always paired with 5:25’s parallel, equally binding command that husbands sacrificially love as Christ loved the church — never presented as one-directional female subordination detached from Christ’s self-giving model. Given both doctrinal sensitivity and the patriarchal clan-structure of traditional Hmong households, this term requires mandatory human theologian review, not native-speaker review alone, before any curriculum deployment.
head (husband/Christ)	κεφαλή	kephalē	—	—	head	5:23 — “the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church.” Reapplies ch.1’s kephalē entry to marriage.	Reuses NEW kephalē rendering (“taub hau”) from ch.1. Risk: Medium-High, unchanged base risk, now compounded with the submit entry’s sensitivity — both must be taught as a single, inseparable Christ-centered unit (headship-as-self-sacrifice, submission-as-mutual-respect), per 5:25-33.
this mystery is profound	τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο μέγα ἐστίν	to mystērion touto mega estin	this mystery is great	marriage as a living picture of Christ and the church	this is a profound mystery	5:32 — reapplies mystērion to the marriage relationship itself.	Reuses zaj lus zais cia (Reused — Romans TM, mystery). Risk: Low-Medium, unchanged, with a note that this occurrence carries a distinctly typological (Christ-and-church) content requiring its own teaching unit.
one flesh	μία σάρξ	mia sarx	one flesh	marital union, quoting Genesis 2:24	one flesh	5:31 — grounds the Christ-church typology in creational marital union.	lub cev nqaij tawv (Reused — Romans TM, flesh_neutral_descent_body), applied idiomatically. Risk: Critical, unchanged base entry — must retain the neutral sense here (bodily/relational union), never drifting into the moral/sinful-nature sense used elsewhere in the corpus.
walk	περιπατέω	peripateō	—	—	walk	5:2, 5:8, 5:15 — “walk in love,” “walk as children of light,” “look carefully how you walk.” Continues the book-wide ethical metaphor.	taug kev (NEW, consistency with 2:2, 2:10, 4:1). Risk: Low, flagged for consistency.

Chapter 6 — Household Relationships, and the Armor of God

Term (EN)	Greek	Transliteration	Literal Meaning	Semantic Range	English Variants	Theological Meaning	Hmong Rendering & Risk
obey (children, parents)	ὑπακούετε	hypakouete	listen under, obey	filial obedience	obey	6:1 — “children, obey your parents in the Lord.”	NEW — proposed: “mloog niam txiv lus.” Risk: Low. Strong, positive existing cultural value (filial obedience is central to Hmong family ethics); good bridge, though must retain the qualifier “hauv tus Tswv” (in the Lord) to anchor the obedience’s ultimate ground in Christ rather than mere custom.
honor father and mother	τίμα τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα	tima ton patera kai tēn mētēra	honor the father and the mother	the fifth commandment, quoted directly	honor your father and mother	6:2-3 — grounds the obedience command in the Decalogue.	NEW — proposed: “hwm niam thiab txiv.” Risk: Low, positive, strong existing cultural resonance.
slaves/servants; masters	δοῦλοι; κύριοι	douloi; kyrioi	slaves; lords/masters	bondservants in a household economy; their human masters	slaves, bondservants; masters	6:5-9 — household-code instructions for slaves and masters, “as to the Lord.”	Slave: qhev (Reused — Romans TM, servant_slave_doulos), Risk High, unchanged. Master (human, kyrios in the household sense): NEW — proposed sub-entry, distinct from the divine title: “tus tswv (ntawm cov qhev).” Risk: Medium. Must be clearly distinguished in every instance from tus Tswv (capital-sense, Reused — Romans TM lord, reserved for God/Christ); mandatory disambiguating note that the human household-master’s authority is itself accountable “to the Lord” (6:9), preventing any confusion between the two referents.
armor of God	πανοπλία τοῦ θεοῦ	panoplia tou theou	full armor/equipment of God	complete defensive/offensive spiritual equipment	armor of God, full armor	6:11, 6:13 — the controlling metaphor for the Spiritual Warfare and Armor of God doctrine.	NEW — proposed: “cuab yeej ntaus rog ntawm Vajtswv.” Risk: High. Martial metaphor requires a mandatory teaching note: this is defensive/protective spiritual equipment given by God for standing firm through truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation, and the Word — not literal weaponry, and not comparable to a shaman’s ritual implements used in spirit-combat (ua neeb ntaus dab).
devil	διάβολος	diabolos	slanderer, accuser	Satan, the personal adversary	devil, Satan	6:11 — “the schemes of the devil.”	Ntxwg Nyoog (NEW, formalizing the established Hmong Christian term for Satan/the Devil, consistent with the ch.2:2 note above). Risk: Medium. Must be kept distinct from the generic term dab (spirit, used in the Romans baseline for false/lesser spirits and idols), since diabolos names one specific, personal, defeated enemy, not the broader category of spirits.
rulers, authorities, cosmic powers, spiritual forces of evil	ἀρχαί, ἐξουσίαι, κοσμοκράτορες τοῦ σκότους τούτου, πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας	archai, exousiai, kosmokratores tou skotous toutou, pneumatika tēs ponērias	rulers, authorities, world-rulers of this darkness, spiritual [things] of evil	a fourfold description of organized, personal, evil spiritual powers arrayed against believers	rulers, authorities, cosmic powers, spiritual forces of evil	6:12 — “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against…” The defining verse of the Spiritual Warfare doctrine; directly answers/echoes the positive rank-list of 1:21.	NEW — proposed: “cov thawj kav thiab cov muaj hwjchim uas nyob hauv qhov tsaus ntuj, thiab tej hwjchim phem sab ntsuj plig.” Risk: Critical. This is the single highest collision-risk term in Ephesians. Hmong traditional cosmology possesses an elaborate, culturally vivid hierarchy of malevolent spiritual beings (household, nature, and ancestral dab) believed to cause illness, misfortune, and to require ritual combat/negotiation by a shaman (txiv neeb). Paul’s teaching here is, structurally, a genuine point of cultural resonance (Hmong hearers readily believe in real spiritual conflict) — but this is precisely the danger: without explicit contrast-teaching, hearers may assimilate “spiritual warfare” into existing shamanic combat-ritual categories (chanting, sacrifice, trance-negotiation) rather than understanding Paul’s actual instruction: standing firm through truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation, the Word, and prayer (6:14-18) — a posture of resistance grounded in Christ’s finished victory, not ritual technique. Must also be kept distinct from the Romans TM governing_authority entry (cov muaj hwjchim kav teb chaws), which denotes legitimate civil government — different referents entirely, and confusing the two would either demonize civil government or trivialize spiritual warfare. Mandatory human theologian review before any publication touching this term.
belt of truth	ζώνη τῆς ἀληθείας	zōnē tēs alētheias	belt of truth	first piece of the armor	belt of truth	6:14	qhov tseeb (Reused — Romans TM, truth) + descriptive “npuas siv” (belt). Risk: Low, unchanged base term.
breastplate of righteousness	θώραξ τῆς δικαιοσύνης	thōrax tēs dikaiosynēs	breastplate of righteousness	second piece of armor	breastplate of righteousness	6:14	Vajtswv txoj kev ncaj ncees (Reused — Romans TM, righteousness_of_god_righteous). Risk: Critical, unchanged.
shoes of the gospel of peace	ὑποδησάμενοι… τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς εἰρήνης	hypodēsamenoi… to euangelion tēs eirēnēs	having shod… the gospel of peace	third piece of armor	readiness given by the gospel of peace	6:15	Txoj Moo Zoo + kev thaj yeeb (both Reused — Romans TM). Risk: Low, unchanged.
shield of faith	θυρεὸς τῆς πίστεως	thyreos tēs pisteōs	shield of faith	fourth piece of armor	shield of faith	6:16	kev ntseeg (Reused — Romans TM, faith_believe). Risk: Medium, unchanged.
helmet of salvation	περικεφαλαία τοῦ σωτηρίου	perikephalaia tou sōtēriou	helmet of salvation	fifth piece of armor	helmet of salvation	6:17	kev cawm dim (Reused — Romans TM, salvation_save). Risk: High, unchanged — must remain anchored to Yexus Khetos.
sword of the Spirit, the word of God	μάχαιρα τοῦ πνεύματος, ῥῆμα θεοῦ	machaira tou pneumatos, rhēma theou	sword of the Spirit, an utterance/word of God	offensive weapon; God’s spoken word	sword of the Spirit, word of God	6:17	Spirit: Vaj Ntsuj Plig (Reused — Romans TM). Word of God (rhēma): NEW — proposed: “Vajtswv Txoj Lus (uas hais tawm).” Risk: Medium. Requires a disambiguating note against Vaj Lug Kub (Reused — Romans TM, scripture, graphē, the written Scriptures): rhēma here emphasizes the living, spoken, applied word wielded in the moment of spiritual conflict, distinct from (but continuous with) the written Scriptures.
ambassador	πρεσβεύω	presbeuō	to act as an elder/envoy	authorized representative	ambassador	6:20 — Paul as “an ambassador in chains” for the gospel.	NEW — proposed: “tus sawv cev.” Risk: Low, comprehension-level only.
prayer in the Spirit	προσευχόμενοι ἐν πνεύματι	proseuchomenoi en pneumati	praying in the spirit	Spirit-empowered/Spirit-directed prayer	praying in the Spirit	6:18 — accompanies the armor as the sustaining posture of spiritual warfare.	Builds on Reused — Romans TM holy_spirit. Risk: Medium, mandatory Vaj prefix retained; must not be confused with ecstatic/trance prayer-practice in shamanic ritual, consistent with the 5:18 “filled with the Spirit” caution above.

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3. Full-Book Coverage Confirmation

All six chapters of Ephesians have been reviewed for load-bearing theological vocabulary:

• Chapter 1 — reviewed; introduces blessing, election/predestination, adoption, redemption, forgiveness, mystery, stewardship, inheritance, sealing, guarantee, fullness, headship, church, and the heavenly rank-powers vocabulary.
• Chapter 2 — reviewed; core passage (2:1-10) given full verse-by-verse treatment above; remainder (2:11-22) introduces covenant, blood, dividing wall, one new humanity, reconciliation’s horizontal extension, cross, access, fellow-citizenship, household of God, apostles/prophets as foundation, cornerstone, and holy temple.
• Chapter 3 — reviewed; introduces revelation, fellow-heirship/fellow-body/fellow-partaking compounds, unsearchable riches, boldness, and extends mystery, stewardship, fullness, power, and glory.
• Chapter 4 — reviewed; introduces calling, unity of the Spirit, the sevenfold unity formula, ministry-gift offices, equipping, building up, mature manhood, old self/new self, grieving the Spirit; reuses hardening and renewal-of-mind.
• Chapter 5 — reviewed; introduces imitators of God, Christ’s fragrant offering, children/fruit of light, Spirit-filling, submission, reapplies headship and mystery to marriage, reuses one-flesh and idol vocabulary.
• Chapter 6 — reviewed; introduces household-code obedience/honor/master vocabulary, the armor of God, the devil (Ntxwg Nyoog), the cosmic-powers-of-evil vocabulary, ambassador, and the word-of-God (rhēma) term; reuses truth, righteousness, gospel, peace, faith, salvation, and Holy Spirit within the armor metaphor.

No chapter was found to introduce zero new theological vocabulary; every chapter is doctrinally load-bearing in Ephesians, consistent with the letter’s dense theological character.