Core Glossary
Romans — Core Glossary (Hmong Language Package, Baseline v1.0)
This glossary is the first Hmong Language Package baseline for Romans. Every rendering below is now the fixed translation-memory (TM) entry for all future Hmong curricula referencing these terms. Script: RPA (White Hmong). Register: formal/literary, consistent with existing published Hmong Bible usage.
Risk tiers: Critical (doctrine-inverting collision risk) · High (specific traditional-religion confusion, manageable with qualifiers/teaching) · Medium (comprehension gap or partial mismatch, no direct collision) · Low (stable, safe existing rendering).
| # | English Term | Greek (Transliteration) | Literal / Semantic Notes | Hmong Rendering (Baseline) | Chapters | Risk | Rationale / Collision Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | God | θεός (theos) | supreme deity | Vajtswv | all | Low | Established compound (king+lord); distinct from generic Ntuj (impersonal sky/heaven) and from dab (spirit/idol). |
| 2 | Lord | κύριος (kyrios) | master, sovereign owner | tus Tswv | all | Low | Stable existing usage. |
| 3 | Jesus Christ | Ἰησοῦς Χριστός (Iēsous Christos) | proper name + “anointed one” | Yexus Khetos | all | Low | Standard transliteration baseline. |
| 4 | Father (God) | πατήρ (patēr) | God as Father | Leej Txiv | 1,5,6,8,15 | Low | Honorific, already settled. |
| 5 | Holy Spirit | πνεῦμα ἅγιον / πνεῦμα ἁγιωσύνης | the divine Spirit-Person | Vaj Ntsuj Plig (fixed collocation with “Vaj”) | 1,5,8,9,14,15 | Critical | Collides with animistic multi-soul concept (ntsuj plig = a wandering human soul, ritually “called back” via hu plig). “Vaj” prefix must be retained every occurrence to mark divine referent. |
| 6 | human spirit/soul | πνεῦμα (pneuma, anthropological) | inner self/spirit of a person | ntsuj plig (no “Vaj” prefix) | 1,8 | High | Kept lexically distinct from #5; must never be capitalized/prefixed to avoid confusion with the Holy Spirit. |
| 7 | Son of God | υἱὸς θεοῦ (huios theou) | divine sonship of Christ | Leej Tub ntawm Vajtswv | 1,5,8 | Low | Honorific parallel to Leej Txiv. |
| 8 | Gospel | εὐαγγέλιον (euangelion) | good news, victory announcement | Txoj Moo Zoo | 1,2,10,11,15,16 | Low | Settled Hmong Christian term. |
| 9 | Apostle | ἀπόστολος (apostolos) | authorized sent-one | tus Tub Txib | 1,11,16 | Medium | Secular messenger role as bridge; lacks inherent post-resurrection commissioning sense — needs teaching note. |
| 10 | Servant/Slave (of Christ) | δοῦλος (doulos) | bondservant, slave | qhev | 1,6 | High | Strong residual connotation of literal chattel/debt slavery in Hmong social memory; must be taught as honored, willing bondservice. |
| 11 | Grace | χάρις (charis) | unmerited favor | txiaj ntsim | 1,3,4,5,6,11,16 | Critical | Must NOT be rendered koob hmoov (blessing/luck), which ties grace to fate/fortune earned via ritual correctness — would invert sola gratia. Koob hmoov reserved for ordinary “blessing.” |
| 12 | Peace | εἰρήνη (eirēnē) | tranquility, wholeness | kev thaj yeeb | 1,5,8,14 | Low | Stable, positive term. |
| 13 | Faith / Believe | πίστις / πιστεύω (pistis / pisteuō) | trust, belief, faithfulness | kev ntseeg / ntseeg | all | Medium | Broad verb (belief/trust/obey); must always be anchored to its object (Christ) to avoid generic-belief drift. |
| 14 | Obedience of faith | ὑπακοὴ πίστεως | faith that obeys | kev mloog lus ntawm kev ntseeg | 1,16 | Medium | Dense genitive relation; lexically stable, needs teaching note. |
| 15 | Nations / Gentiles | ἔθνη (ethnē) | non-Jewish peoples | lwm Haiv Neeg | 1,9,10,11,15,16 | Low | Clear contrastive term to cov Yudas. |
| 16 | Jew | Ἰουδαῖος (Ioudaios) | ethnic/covenant Israelite | cov Yudas | 1–11 | Low | Established transliteration. |
| 17 | Greek | Ἕλλην (Hellēn) | Hellenistic Gentile | cov Kilis | 1,2,10 | Low | Established transliteration. |
| 18 | Flesh (neutral: descent/body) | σάρξ (sarx) | physical body/lineage | lub cev nqaij tawv | 1,4,9 | Critical | Must be kept distinct from #19 below; single Hmong word nqaij cannot bear both senses unmarked. |
| 19 | Flesh (moral: sinful nature) | σάρξ (sarx) | fallen human nature opposed to Spirit | kev xav/kev ua raws li lub cev nqaij tawv | 6,7,8,13 | Critical | Distinct periphrasis from #18; collapsing the two senses undermines the flesh/Spirit contrast central to ch.7–8. |
| 20 | Power | δύναμις (dynamis) | might, capability, supernatural power | hwjchim | 1,9,13,15,16 | High | Identical term to a shaman’s (txiv neeb) ritual power; always qualify as “Vajtswv hwjchim” (God’s power). |
| 21 | Salvation / Save | σωτηρία / σῴζω (sōtēria / sōzō) | rescue, deliverance | kev cawm dim / cawm | 1,5,8,9,10,11,13 | High | Dim (“escape”) parallels shamanic soul-rescue from spirit-affliction (ua neeb); must always be anchored to Christ as sole agent. |
| 22 | Righteousness of God / Righteous | δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ / δίκαιος | God’s forensic-moral uprightness/status granted | Vajtswv txoj kev ncaj ncees / tus ncaj ncees | 1,3,4,5,9,10 | Critical | Hmong ncaj ncees is normally an achieved personal quality; must be paired with #23 (reckoned righteousness) to preserve forensic, imputed sense. |
| 23 | Justify / Reckon as righteous | δικαιόω / λογίζομαι (dikaioō / logizomai) | declare/count righteous | ua kom ncaj ncees / raug suav tias ncaj ncees | 3,4,5,8 | Critical | Fixed phrase for imputation; kept lexically distinct from moral-transformation language (sanctification, #33) to avoid confusing justification with infused righteousness. |
| 24 | Sin (act & condition) | ἁμαρτία (hamartia) | wrongdoing, sin-nature/power | txhaum / kev txhaum | 1–8,14 | High | Hmong custom frames wrongdoing as reparable social/ritual fault; Romans requires teaching it as inherited, God-ward guilt (original sin, universal guilt doctrine). |
| 25 | Law (Mosaic/Divine) | νόμος (nomos) | Torah, God’s commanded law | Txoj Kevcai (ntawm Vajtswv / Mauxes) | 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,13 | Critical | Shares root with kev cai dab qhuas (“religion,” lit. spirit-worship customs) and ancestral ritual customs; must always be qualified to avoid collapsing biblical Law into generic ancestral custom-keeping. |
| 26 | Circumcision | περιτομή (peritomē) | covenant cutting-rite | kev txiav (raws li Txoj Kevcai Mauxes) | 2,4 | Medium | No native practice; comprehension gap, not collision — needs explanatory gloss. |
| 27 | Conscience | συνείδησις (syneidēsis) | inner moral awareness | tej kev paub zoo paub phem hauv lub siab | 2,9,13,14 | Medium | Workable siab (liver/heart)-based idiom; register/comprehension gap only. |
| 28 | Propitiation / Atoning Sacrifice | ἱλαστήριον (hilastērion) | mercy seat / means of atonement | qhov theej txhoj kev txhaum | 3 | Critical | Direct collision with shamanic sacrificial appeasement of spirits (offering animals to remove misfortune); must be taught as once-for-all, sufficient, unrepeatable. |
| 29 | Redemption | ἀπολύτρωσις (apolytrōsis) | buying back from bondage | kev txhiv | 3,8 | Medium | Bridges to Hmong debt-redemption custom; needs anchoring to Christ as price-payer. |
| 30 | Reckon / Impute | λογίζομαι (logizomai) | credit, count as | suav / suav tias | 4 | Critical | See #23; the accounting-metaphor verb underlying imputed righteousness. |
| 31 | Promise | ἐπαγγελία (epangelia) | covenant pledge | lus cog tseg | 4,9,15 | Low | Stable. |
| 32 | Original Sin / Adam-Christ | Ἀδάμ (Adam) typology, παράπτωμα (paraptōma) | inherited guilt from one man | Adas / kev ua txhaum (ntawm Adas) | 5 | High | See #24; inherited-guilt doctrine is culturally unfamiliar (Hmong guilt is typically individual/social, not federally inherited) — teaching note required. |
| 33 | Reconciliation | καταλλαγή (katallagē) | restoration to peace/favor | kev sib haum xeeb (nrog Vajtswv) | 5 | Medium | Generic interpersonal-reconciliation term; must be explicitly God-ward. |
| 34 | Baptism | βαπτίζω/βάπτισμα (baptizō/baptisma) | ritual water immersion | kev cai raus dej | 6 | High | Shares kevcai root with traditional ritual washing/purification from spirit-contamination; must be taught as identification with Christ’s death/resurrection, not repeatable purification. |
| 35 | Sanctification | ἁγιασμός (hagiasmos) | being made holy | kev raug ua kom dawb huv | 6 | High | Dawb huv also = ritual purity from spirit-contamination in folk practice; must be taught as ongoing Spirit-wrought moral transformation. |
| 36 | Eternal life | ζωὴ αἰώνιος (zōē aiōnios) | unending life with God | txoj sia nyob mus ib txhis | 5,6,8 | Low | Stable. |
| 37 | Indwelling sin | ἁμαρτία ἐνοικοῦσα | sin residing within | kev txhaum nyob hauv (kuv) | 7 | Medium | Must not merge with spirit-possession (dab) language used elsewhere. |
| 38 | No condemnation | κατάκριμα (katakrima) | judicial sentence of guilt | kev raug txiav txim rau kev puas tsuaj | 8 | Low-Medium | Legal-idiom bridge via village-court judgment concept. |
| 39 | Adoption as sons | υἱοθεσία (huiothesia) | legal sonship granted | raug muab coj los ua me tub (ntawm Vajtswv) | 8 | Medium | Positive bridge via Hmong clan-adoption custom; risk is under-teaching uniqueness of divine sonship, not collision. |
| 40 | Abba, Father | Ἀββά ὁ πατήρ | intimate address to God | Abba, Leej Txiv | 8 | Low-Medium | Aramaic loanword retained + Hmong gloss; first-use footnote required. |
| 41 | Heir | κληρονόμος (klēronomos) | inheritor | tus qub txeeg qub teg | 8 | Low | Strong positive resonance with Hmong lineage-inheritance custom. |
| 42 | Glory | δόξα (doxa) | splendor, honor-weight | lub yeeb koob | 8,9,11,15,16 | Low | Stable. |
| 43 | Election / Choose | ἐκλογή / ἐκλέγομαι (eklogē / eklegomai) | sovereign divine choosing | kev xaiv (Vajtswv xaiv raws li nws lub siab nyiam) | 8,9,11 | Critical | Collides with impersonal fate/fortune (hmoov) in Hmong worldview; must always use volitional phrasing, never hmoov vocabulary, to preserve personal, relational sovereignty. |
| 44 | Foreknow / Predestine | προγινώσκω / προορίζω (proginōskō / proorizō) | know/determine beforehand | twb paub ua ntej / twm chaw ua ntej | 8,9 | High | Same fate-collision risk as #43; teach alongside election entry. |
| 45 | Vessel (of mercy/wrath) | σκεῦος (skeuos) | container, instrument | lub yias | 9 | Medium | Metaphor transfers reasonably; needs context anchoring. |
| 46 | Remnant | ὑπόλειμμα/λεῖμμα | surviving faithful portion | cov seem | 9,11 | Low | Stable. |
| 47 | Hardening | πώρωσις (pōrōsis) | spiritual callousness | lub siab tawv | 11 | Medium | Idiom-based, comprehension-level risk. |
| 48 | Mystery | μυστήριον (mystērion) | previously hidden divine plan | zaj lus zais cia | 11,16 | Low-Medium | Comprehension gap only. |
| 49 | Grafted / Olive Tree | ἐλαία / ἐγκεντρίζω | agricultural inclusion metaphor | tsob ntoo txiv aliv / txuas rau | 11 | Medium | Unfamiliar flora; needs illustrative note. |
| 50 | All Israel will be saved | πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ σωθήσεται | future national salvation of Israel | tag nrho cov Yixalayees yuav dim | 11 | High | Inherits kev cawm dim risk (#21) plus eschatological weight for the Future-of-Israel doctrine; needs careful anchoring to God’s irrevocable calling (11:29). |
| 51 | Living Sacrifice | θυσία ζῶσα (thysia zōsa) | self-offering in worship | khoom fij uas muaj txoj sia nyob | 12 | High | Reuses sacrificial fij domain (cf. #28) in an ethical, non-atoning sense; must be distinguished from both shamanic appeasement and Christ’s atonement. |
| 52 | Renewal of the mind | ἀνακαίνωσις τοῦ νοός | transformed thinking | hloov siab tshiab | 12 | Low-Medium | Established Hmong Christian conversion idiom. |
| 53 | Body of Christ | σῶμα Χριστοῦ (sōma Christou) | corporate church unity | lub cev ntawm Khetos | 12 | Low | Stable metaphor. |
| 54 | Governing Authority | ἐξουσία (exousia) | civil/political power | cov muaj hwjchim kav teb chaws | 13 | High | Reuses hwjchim (#20) collision; must mark as delegated civil authority, distinct from supernatural/shamanic power. |
| 55 | Kingdom of God | βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ | God’s reign/realm | lub Nceeg Vaj ntawm Vajtswv | 14 | Low | Stable existing term. |
| 56 | Stumbling block | πρόσκομμα/σκάνδαλον | cause of offense/fall | qhov/pob zeb ua rau dawm ceg | 9,14 | Low-Medium | Concrete imagery transfers well. |
| 57 | Priestly Minister | λειτουργός (leitourgos) | cultic/priestly servant | tus ua haujlwm pab Vajtswv | 15 | Medium | Muted priestly nuance; deliberately avoids shaman (txiv neeb) vocabulary. |
| 58 | Deacon/Servant (Phoebe) | διάκονος (diakonos) | church office of service | tus pab tu pawg ntseeg | 16 | Medium | Kept distinct from qhev (#10) to separate office-of-service from total-ownership metaphor. |
| 59 | Divisions/Factions | αἱρέσεις/διχοστασίαι | church-splitting strife | kev sib cais ua pab ua pawg | 16 | Low | Stable. |
| 60 | Scripture | γραφή (graphē) | sacred writing | Vaj Lug Kub | 1,3,4,9,10,15,16 | Low | Settled compound term already used in Hmong Bible tradition. |
Governing note for all future phases: Entries marked Critical (#5,11,18,19,22,23,25,28,30,43,49? — see High for #49 actually Medium; Critical set = 5,11,18,19,22,23,25,28,30,43) define the non-negotiable doctrinal firewall of this Language Package. Any future Hmong curriculum (Romans or otherwise) must reuse these exact renderings and collision notes; introducing alternate glosses for these terms without a formal TM-revision review is prohibited.
Critical Risk Terms
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: Vaj Ntsuj Plig
Transliteration: pneuma hagion / pneuma hagiōsynēs
Doctrine: Sanctification and Life in the Spirit
Rejected alternatives: bare ntsuj plig (no Vaj prefix) — rejected, denotes an animistic wandering human soul
Fixed collocation; ‘Vaj’ prefix mandatory at every occurrence to mark the divine Person and distinguish from the multi-soul animistic concept (hu plig). Inherited from Romans package.
Grace
Approved rendering: txiaj ntsim
Transliteration: charis
Doctrine: Grace and Salvation by Faith Alone
Rejected alternatives: koob hmoov (fortune/blessing tied to fate and ritual correctness) — PERMANENTLY FORBIDDEN for this sense; would invert sola gratia (3:24, 4:4-5, 11:6)
koob hmoov reserved exclusively for ordinary material ‘blessing’ contexts, never for salvific grace. Inherited from Romans package.
Flesh Neutral Descent Body
Approved rendering: lub cev nqaij tawv
Transliteration: sarx (neutral)
Doctrine: Original Sin and Universal Guilt
Rejected alternatives: bare nqaij used unmarked for both senses — rejected, collapses neutral and moral senses of flesh
Must be kept lexically distinct from ‘flesh_moral_sinful_nature’; used for physical body/lineage (1:3, 4:1, 9:3). Inherited from Romans package.
Flesh Moral Sinful Nature
Approved rendering: kev xav/kev ua raws li lub cev nqaij tawv
Transliteration: sarx (moral)
Doctrine: Sanctification and Life in the Spirit
Rejected alternatives: bare nqaij tawv reused unmarked from neutral sense — rejected, undermines the flesh/Spirit contrast in ch.7-8
Distinct periphrasis, dominant in ch.6-8, 13. Inherited from Romans package.
Righteousness Of God Righteous
Approved rendering: Vajtswv txoj kev ncaj ncees / tus ncaj ncees
Transliteration: dikaiosynē theou / dikaios
Doctrine: Justification by Faith
Rejected alternatives: bare ‘kev ncaj ncees’ without the reckoning qualifier — rejected, reads as self-achieved moralism
Must always be paired with ‘justify_reckon_as_righteous’ entry to preserve the forensic, imputed sense. Inherited from Romans package.
Justify Reckon As Righteous
Approved rendering: ua kom ncaj ncees / raug suav tias ncaj ncees
Transliteration: dikaioō / logizomai
Doctrine: Justification by Faith
Rejected alternatives: ‘ua zoo’ (do good) framing — rejected, reintroduces works-righteousness at 4:5
Fixed accounting-metaphor phrase for imputation; kept distinct from sanctification/moral-transformation language. Inherited from Romans package.
Law Mosaic Divine
Approved rendering: Txoj Kevcai (ntawm Vajtswv / Mauxes)
Transliteration: nomos
Doctrine: The Law and Its Purpose
Rejected alternatives: bare ‘Txoj Kevcai’ without qualifier — rejected, collapses into kev cai dab qhuas (ancestral spirit-worship customs), imported loanword for ‘law’ — rejected, would be doctrinally inert and evade the needed contrast-teaching
Qualifier ‘(ntawm Vajtswv / Mauxes)’ mandatory at every occurrence without exception. Inherited from Romans package.
Propitiation Atoning Sacrifice
Approved rendering: qhov theej txhoj kev txhaum
Transliteration: hilastērion
Doctrine: Grace and Salvation by Faith Alone
Rejected alternatives: transliterated loanword — rejected, would be opaque and prevent needed contrast-teaching against shamanic appeasement, bare ‘qhov theej’ without a ‘once for all, sufficient’ qualifying clause — rejected, reads as one appeasement among many
Must be taught as once-for-all, sufficient, unrepeatable, distinguished from shamanic sacrificial appeasement. Inherited from Romans package.
Reckon Impute
Approved rendering: suav / suav tias
Transliteration: logizomai
Doctrine: Justification by Faith
Forensic-accounting verb underlying imputed righteousness; kept distinct from infused-transformation language. Inherited from Romans package.
Election Choose
Approved rendering: kev xaiv (Vajtswv xaiv raws li nws lub siab nyiam)
Transliteration: eklogē / eklegomai
Doctrine: Election and the Sovereignty of God
Rejected alternatives: hmoov (impersonal fate/fortune) vocabulary — PERMANENTLY FORBIDDEN, collapses personal divine choice into fatalism and erases human moral responsibility (9:19-23)
Volitional verb-phrase mandatory, never a bare noun that could be mistaken for hmoov. Inherited from Romans package.
High Risk Terms
Human Spirit Soul
Approved rendering: ntsuj plig
Transliteration: pneuma (anthropological)
Doctrine: Sanctification and Life in the Spirit
Rejected alternatives: Vaj Ntsuj Plig — forbidden for this referent, reserved exclusively for the Holy Spirit
Never capitalized/prefixed with ‘Vaj’; must remain lexically distinct from the Holy Spirit entry. Inherited from Romans package.
Servant Slave Doulos
Approved rendering: qhev
Transliteration: doulos
Doctrine: General / Ecclesial Office
Rejected alternatives: koom tes (co-worker/partner) — rejected softening found in some pulpit paraphrases, erases total-surrender force
Strong residual connotation of literal chattel/debt slavery in Hmong social memory; must be paired with a catechetical note distinguishing voluntary, honored bondservice from involuntary slavery. Inherited from Romans package.
Wrath Of God
Approved rendering: kev npau taws ntawm Vajtswv
Transliteration: orgē theou
Doctrine: Original Sin and Universal Guilt
Rejected alternatives: unqualified ‘npau taws’ associated only with capricious spirit/ancestor anger — rejected without explicit contrast teaching
Paul’s wrath is righteous/judicial, not appeasable by ritual, unlike traditional spirit-anger. Inherited from Romans package.
Idol
Approved rendering: dab mlom
Transliteration: eidōlon
Doctrine: Original Sin and Universal Guilt
Rejected alternatives: generic ‘statue’ softening — rejected, must not soften the term since Paul condemns exactly this category
Actual Hmong term for spirit-images venerated in traditional religion; doctrinally correct as-is. Inherited from Romans package.
Sin Act And Condition
Approved rendering: txhaum / kev txhaum
Transliteration: hamartia
Doctrine: Original Sin and Universal Guilt
Hmong custom frames wrongdoing as reparable social/ritual fault; must be taught as objective, inherited, God-ward guilt-condition. Inherited from Romans package.
Original Sin Adam Christ Typology
Approved rendering: Adas / kev ua txhaum (ntawm Adas)
Transliteration: Adam; paraptōma
Doctrine: Original Sin and Universal Guilt
Rejected alternatives: ‘sin entered’ rendered with nkag (the verb for spirit/dab possession) — rejected, suggests demonic infestation rather than federal guilt transmission
Federal/inherited guilt is culturally unfamiliar; requires dedicated teaching note. Inherited from Romans package.
Baptism
Approved rendering: kev cai raus dej
Transliteration: baptizō / baptisma
Doctrine: Union with Christ
Rejected alternatives: transliterated loanword (‘npativ’ style) — rejected, would sidestep rather than resolve the kevcai collision and cut the term off from existing Hmong Christian usage, baptism-as-testimony-only catechesis omitting ‘into His death’ language — rejected, loses union-with-Christ doctrine
Shares kevcai root with ritual purification from spirit-contamination; must be taught as once-for-all identification with Christ’s death/resurrection. Inherited from Romans package.
Sanctification
Approved rendering: kev raug ua kom dawb huv
Transliteration: hagiasmos
Doctrine: Sanctification and Life in the Spirit
Rejected alternatives: treating dawb huv as a repeatable ritual-cleansing state — rejected
Dawb huv also = ritual purity from spirit-contamination in folk practice; must be taught as progressive, Spirit-wrought moral transformation. Inherited from Romans package.
Foreknow Predestine
Approved rendering: twb paub ua ntej lawm / twm chaw ua ntej lawm
Transliteration: proginōskō / proorizō
Doctrine: Election and the Sovereignty of God
Rejected alternatives: hmoov (fate) vocabulary — rejected, same collision risk as election_choose
Must be taught alongside the Election entry with explicit contrast to impersonal hmoov. Inherited from Romans package.
All Israel Will Be Saved
Approved rendering: tag nrho cov Yixalayees yuav dim
Transliteration: pas Israēl sōthēsetai
Doctrine: The Future of Israel
Rejected alternatives: flattening to generic clan/lineage-continuity language — rejected, loses the covenant-salvation claim, leaving unanchored to 11:29 irrevocable calling — rejected, risks supersessionist misreading
Inherits kev cawm dim shamanic-escape collision plus eschatological weight; anchor to God’s irrevocable covenant faithfulness (11:29). Inherited from Romans package.
Power
Approved rendering: hwjchim
Transliteration: dynamis
Doctrine: The Gospel as the Power of God for Salvation
Rejected alternatives: bare, unqualified hwjchim — FORBIDDEN, identical to a shaman’s (txiv neeb) ritual power
Always qualify as ‘Vajtswv hwjchim’ (God’s power). Inherited from Romans package.
Salvation Save
Approved rendering: kev cawm dim / cawm
Transliteration: sōtēria / sōzō
Doctrine: The Gospel as the Power of God for Salvation
Rejected alternatives: unanchored ‘dim’ (escape) parallel to shamanic ua neeb soul-rescue — rejected without explicit Christ-anchoring
Always anchor explicitly to Yexus Khetos as sole agent/means. Inherited from Romans package.
Living Sacrifice
Approved rendering: khoom fij uas muaj txoj sia nyob
Transliteration: thysia zōsa
Doctrine: Christian Living and Unity in the Church
Rejected alternatives: unqualified ‘fij’ identical to offering language for ancestors/spirits (fij dab, fij xwm kab) — rejected without explicit ethical-devotion framing
Must be distinguished from both shamanic appeasement and Christ’s unrepeatable atonement. Inherited from Romans package.
Governing Authority
Approved rendering: cov muaj hwjchim kav teb chaws
Transliteration: exousia
Doctrine: Christian Living and Unity in the Church
Rejected alternatives: unmarked hwjchim framing rulers’ authority as shamanic spiritual power — rejected
Must be clearly marked as delegated, God-ordained civil authority, distinct from supernatural/shamanic power. Inherited from Romans package.
Worship Serve Cultic
Approved rendering: pehawm / pab teev
Transliteration: latreuō
Doctrine: Christian Living and Unity in the Church
Rejected alternatives: bare, unanchored pehawm — FORBIDDEN, identical verb used for pehawm dab (ancestor/spirit veneration)
Object of pehawm must always be stated (‘pehawm Vajtswv’); explicit replacement-not-addition teaching required for converts. Inherited from Romans package.
In Christ Union Formula
Approved rendering: nyob hauv Khetos
Transliteration: en Christō
Doctrine: Union with Christ
Rejected alternatives: bare spatial ‘hauv’ with no fixed co-text — rejected, carries only literal physical-location sense and misses the participatory, mystical-union sense
NEW ENTRY — this phrase had no dedicated registry ID in the original glossary/registry despite being doctrinally load-bearing for Union with Christ across Romans 6, 7, 8, 12, 14, 16 (esp. 6:11, 6:23, 8:1, 8:39, 12:5). Surfaced and formally added per analysis/06_linguistic_gap_analysis.md §5 recommendation. Must always be distinguished from mere physical ‘nyob hauv’ (being inside a place) by consistent co-text referencing union with Christ’s death/resurrection.
Medium Risk Terms
Apostle
Approved rendering: tus Tub Txib
Transliteration: apostolos
Doctrine: General / Ecclesial Office
Bridges to secular clan-messenger role; lacks inherent post-resurrection commissioning sense — requires teaching note. Inherited from Romans package.
Deacon Servant
Approved rendering: tus pab tu pawg ntseeg
Transliteration: diakonos
Doctrine: Christian Living and Unity in the Church
Rejected alternatives: qhev — rejected, would confuse a recognized office of service with the total-ownership bondservant metaphor, generic ‘tus pab’ with no office-marking — rejected, under-recognizes Phoebe’s formal role
Kept lexically distinct from ‘qhev’. Inherited from Romans package.
Priestly Minister
Approved rendering: tus ua haujlwm pab Vajtswv
Transliteration: leitourgos
Doctrine: Christian Living and Unity in the Church
Rejected alternatives: txiv neeb (shaman) vocabulary — forbidden, would conflate Christian ministry with shamanism
Cultic-priestly nuance deliberately muted since no exact Hmong priestly-office term exists outside the shamanic role. Inherited from Romans package.
Faith Believe
Approved rendering: kev ntseeg / ntseeg
Transliteration: pistis / pisteuō
Doctrine: Justification by Faith
Broad verb covering belief/trust/obedience; must always be anchored explicitly to its object (Christ) to avoid generic-belief drift. Inherited from Romans package.
Obedience Of Faith
Approved rendering: kev mloog lus ntawm kev ntseeg
Transliteration: hypakoē pisteōs
Doctrine: Grace and Salvation by Faith Alone
Dense genitive relation; lexically stable compound, needs teaching note. Inherited from Romans package.
Circumcision
Approved rendering: kev txiav (raws li Txoj Kevcai Mauxes)
Transliteration: peritomē
Doctrine: The Law and Its Purpose
No native Hmong practice; comprehension gap requiring explanatory gloss, not a collision. Inherited from Romans package.
Conscience
Approved rendering: tej kev paub zoo paub phem hauv lub siab
Transliteration: syneidēsis
Doctrine: The Law and Its Purpose
Workable idiom anchored in the siab (liver/heart) as seat of moral awareness. Inherited from Romans package.
Redemption
Approved rendering: kev txhiv
Transliteration: apolytrōsis
Doctrine: Grace and Salvation by Faith Alone
Good economic-legal bridge via Hmong debt-redemption custom; needs anchoring to Christ as price-payer. Inherited from Romans package.
Ungodly
Approved rendering: tus tsis hwm Vajtswv
Transliteration: asebēs
Doctrine: Grace and Salvation by Faith Alone
Rejected alternatives: softened ‘irreligious’ — rejected, mutes the doctrinal shock of 4:5
The shock that God justifies the undeserving is central to grace-alone doctrine. Inherited from Romans package.
Reconciliation
Approved rendering: kev sib haum xeeb (nrog Vajtswv)
Transliteration: katallagē
Doctrine: Original Sin and Universal Guilt
Rejected alternatives: bare ‘kev sib haum xeeb’ with no God-ward anchor — rejected, defaults to merely horizontal/interpersonal reconciliation
Must be explicitly directed God-ward. Inherited from Romans package.
Indwelling Sin
Approved rendering: kev txhaum nyob hauv (kuv)
Transliteration: hamartia enoikousa
Doctrine: The Law and Its Purpose
Rejected alternatives: pairing with dab (spirit) vocabulary elsewhere — rejected, would sound like traditional spirit-possession language
Good personification; must not merge metaphorically with possession language used elsewhere. Inherited from Romans package.
No Condemnation
Approved rendering: kev raug txiav txim rau kev puas tsuaj
Transliteration: katakrima
Doctrine: Union with Christ
Legal-idiom bridge via village-court judgment concept. Inherited from Romans package.
Adoption As Sons
Approved rendering: raug muab coj los ua me tub (ntawm Vajtswv)
Transliteration: huiothesia
Doctrine: Union with Christ
Strong positive bridge via Hmong clan-adoption custom; risk is under-teaching uniqueness of divine sonship, not collision. Inherited from Romans package.
Vessel Of Mercy Wrath
Approved rendering: lub yias uas tau txais txiaj ntsim / kev npau taws
Transliteration: skeuos
Doctrine: Election and the Sovereignty of God
Metaphor transfers reasonably; needs contextual anchoring. Inherited from Romans package.
Hardening
Approved rendering: lub siab tawv
Transliteration: pōrōsis
Doctrine: The Future of Israel
Idiom-based (‘hardened liver/heart’); comprehension-level risk only. Inherited from Romans package.
Grafted Olive Tree
Approved rendering: tsob ntoo txiv aliv / txuas rau
Transliteration: elaia / enkentrizō
Doctrine: The Future of Israel
Olives botanically unfamiliar in Hmong highland Southeast Asian context; needs illustrative note (e.g. local fruit-tree grafting analogy). Inherited from Romans package.
Will Of God
Approved rendering: Vajtswv lub siab nyiam
Transliteration: thelēma theou
Doctrine: Election and the Sovereignty of God
Good idiomatic anchor (volition/affection located in the siab, ‘liver’), but risks being heard as mere preference rather than sovereign purpose. Inherited from Romans package.
Spiritual Gift
Approved rendering: ib yam khoom plig ntawm Vaj Ntsuj Plig
Transliteration: charisma pneumatikon
Doctrine: Sanctification and Life in the Spirit
Comprehension-level compound; relies on the established ‘Vaj Ntsuj Plig’ baseline. Inherited from Romans package.
Mercy
Approved rendering: txoj kev khuv leej
Transliteration: eleos
Doctrine: Election and the Sovereignty of God
Rejected alternatives: txiaj ntsim (grace) used interchangeably for mercy — rejected, mercy (compassion toward the miserable) and grace (unmerited favor toward the guilty) are theologically distinct emphases in Rom 9 and 11 and should not be flattened into one term
NEW ENTRY — surfaced in full-book coverage review of chapters 9, 11, 12, 15 (9:15-18,23; 11:30-32; 12:1,8; 15:9). Kept lexically distinct from txiaj ntsim/grace per the note above; low collision risk with traditional religion but Medium risk of doctrinal blending with grace if not kept distinct.
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
Established compound (king+lord). Inherited from Romans package.
Lord
Approved rendering: tus Tswv
Transliteration: kyrios
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Stable existing usage; applied to God and Christ. Inherited from Romans package.
Jesus Christ
Approved rendering: Yexus Khetos
Transliteration: Iēsous Christos
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Standard transliteration baseline. Inherited from Romans package.
Father God
Approved rendering: Leej Txiv
Transliteration: patēr
Doctrine: Union with Christ
Honorific already settled; pairs with ‘Leej Tub’ for the Son. Inherited from Romans package.
Son Of God
Approved rendering: Leej Tub ntawm Vajtswv
Transliteration: huios theou
Doctrine: Union with Christ
Rejected alternatives: diminished-sonship renderings found in sectarian materials — rejected, must preserve full deity
Honorific parallel to Leej Txiv. Inherited from Romans package.
Gospel
Approved rendering: Txoj Moo Zoo
Transliteration: euangelion
Doctrine: The Gospel as the Power of God for Salvation
Settled Hmong Christian term (‘good news’). Inherited from Romans package.
Divisions Factions
Approved rendering: kev sib cais ua pab ua pawg
Transliteration: haireseis / dichostasiai
Doctrine: Christian Living and Unity in the Church
Stable descriptive phrase. Inherited from Romans package.
Peace
Approved rendering: kev thaj yeeb
Transliteration: eirēnē
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Stable, positive term. Inherited from Romans package.
Promise
Approved rendering: lus cog tseg
Transliteration: epangelia
Doctrine: Election and the Sovereignty of God
Stable existing phrase for a solemn covenant pledge. Inherited from Romans package.
Nations Gentiles
Approved rendering: lwm Haiv Neeg
Transliteration: ethnē
Doctrine: The Future of Israel
Clear contrastive term to ‘cov Yudas’. Inherited from Romans package.
Jew
Approved rendering: cov Yudas
Transliteration: Ioudaios
Doctrine: The Future of Israel
Established transliteration. Inherited from Romans package.
Greek
Approved rendering: cov Kilis
Transliteration: Hellēn
Doctrine: The Future of Israel
Established transliteration. Inherited from Romans package.
Merism Greeks Barbarians Wise Unwise
Approved rendering: cov Kilis thiab cov neeg txawv teb chaws, cov txawj ntse thiab cov ruam
Transliteration: Hellēsin te kai barbarois, sophois te kai anoētois
Doctrine: The Gospel as the Power of God for Salvation
‘Barbarian’ rendered as ‘foreign/uncultured peoples’ — minor cultural adaptation, no doctrinal collision. Inherited from Romans package.
Impartiality Of God
Approved rendering: tsis saib ntsej muag
Transliteration: aprosōpolēmpsia
Doctrine: The Law and Its Purpose
Strong existing Hmong idiom (‘does not show face/favoritism’). Inherited from Romans package.
Truth
Approved rendering: qhov tseeb
Transliteration: alētheia
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Stable term. Inherited from Romans package.
Unrighteousness
Approved rendering: kev tsis ncaj ncees
Transliteration: adikia
Doctrine: Original Sin and Universal Guilt
Mirrors the ncaj ncees baseline. Inherited from Romans package.
Creation
Approved rendering: tej uas raug tsim los
Transliteration: ktisis
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Descriptive phrase; no competing referent. Inherited from Romans package.
Boasting
Approved rendering: kev khav theeb
Transliteration: kauchēsis
Doctrine: Justification by Faith
Stable existing term. Inherited from Romans package.
Death
Approved rendering: txoj kev tuag
Transliteration: thanatos
Doctrine: Original Sin and Universal Guilt
Stable term. Inherited from Romans package.
Eternal Life
Approved rendering: txoj sia nyob mus ib txhis
Transliteration: zōē aiōnios
Doctrine: Union with Christ
Stable term. Inherited from Romans package.
Heir
Approved rendering: tus qub txeeg qub teg
Transliteration: klēronomos
Doctrine: Union with Christ
Strong positive resonance with Hmong lineage-inheritance custom. Inherited from Romans package.
Glory
Approved rendering: lub yeeb koob
Transliteration: doxa
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Stable existing term. Inherited from Romans package.
Remnant
Approved rendering: cov seem
Transliteration: hypoleimma / leimma
Doctrine: The Future of Israel
Stable term. Inherited from Romans package.
Body Of Christ
Approved rendering: lub cev ntawm Khetos
Transliteration: sōma Christou
Doctrine: Christian Living and Unity in the Church
Stable metaphor; members rendered ‘cov tswv cuab’. Inherited from Romans package.
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: lub Nceeg Vaj ntawm Vajtswv
Transliteration: basileia tou theou
Doctrine: Christian Living and Unity in the Church
Stable existing Hmong Christian term. Inherited from Romans package.
Endurance
Approved rendering: kev ua siab ntev
Transliteration: hypomonē
Doctrine: Sanctification and Life in the Spirit
Stable idiom (‘long-liver/heart’). Inherited from Romans package.
Witness
Approved rendering: tus timkhawv
Transliteration: martys
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Stable existing legal/testimonial term. Inherited from Romans package.
Thanksgiving
Approved rendering: ua tsaug
Transliteration: eucharistō
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Stable everyday and liturgical term. Inherited from Romans package.
World
Approved rendering: lub ntiajteb
Transliteration: kosmos
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Stable term. Inherited from Romans package.
Debtor
Approved rendering: tus tshuav nqi
Transliteration: opheiletēs
Doctrine: The Gospel as the Power of God for Salvation
Concrete debt-idiom transfers cleanly. Inherited from Romans package.
Ashamed
Approved rendering: txaj muag
Transliteration: epaischynomai
Doctrine: The Gospel as the Power of God for Salvation
Stable everyday term for shame/embarrassment. Inherited from Romans package.
Scripture
Approved rendering: Vaj Lug Kub
Transliteration: graphē
Doctrine: General / Cross-cutting
Settled compound term (‘royal/sacred writing’) already used in existing Hmong Bible tradition. Inherited from Romans package.
Love
Approved rendering: kev hlub
Transliteration: agapē
Doctrine: Christian Living and Unity in the Church
NEW ENTRY — surfaced in full-book coverage review of chapters 5, 8, 12, 13 (5:5, 5:8, 8:35-39, 12:9-10, 13:8-10, love as fulfillment of the Law). Stable, existing warm-affection Hmong term; no competing traditional-religion referent identified.
Hope
Approved rendering: kev cia siab
Transliteration: elpis
Doctrine: Sanctification and Life in the Spirit
NEW ENTRY — surfaced in full-book coverage review of chapters 4, 5, 8, 12, 15 (4:18, 5:2-5, 8:24-25, 12:12, 15:4,13). Stable idiom (‘to place/rest the liver-heart upon’); no collision with traditional religion identified, though should be distinguished in teaching from mere optimism, since Paul’s hope is grounded in God’s promise, not wish.
Low-Medium Risk Terms
Abba Father
Approved rendering: Abba, Leej Txiv
Transliteration: Abba ho patēr
Doctrine: Union with Christ
Rejected alternatives: dropping ‘Abba’ entirely as untranslatable — rejected, flattens filial intimacy Paul deliberately preserves
Aramaic loanword retained plus Hmong gloss; first-use footnote required. Inherited from Romans package.
Mystery
Approved rendering: zaj lus zais cia
Transliteration: mystērion
Doctrine: The Future of Israel
Comprehension gap only, no collision. Inherited from Romans package.
Renewal Of The Mind
Approved rendering: hloov siab tshiab
Transliteration: anakainōsis tou noos
Doctrine: Sanctification and Life in the Spirit
Established Hmong Christian idiom for conversion/transformation. Inherited from Romans package.
Stumbling Block
Approved rendering: qhov/pob zeb ua rau dawm ceg
Transliteration: proskomma / skandalon / lithos proskommatos
Doctrine: Election and the Sovereignty of God
Concrete imagery transfers well cross-culturally. Inherited from Romans package.
Firstfruits
Approved rendering: thawj phaus qoob loo / cov ua ntej
Transliteration: aparchē
Doctrine: The Future of Israel
NEW ENTRY — surfaced in full-book coverage review of chapters 8, 11, 16 (8:23 firstfruits of the Spirit; 11:16 firstfruits of the dough; 16:5 Epaenetus as firstfruits). Agricultural harvest-offering imagery is culturally accessible to an agrarian Hmong context (rice harvest); comprehension-level risk only, no collision with traditional religion.