Doctrine Analysis
Doctrine Analysis — Acts 1–28
Full-Book Doctrine Matrix for Indonesian
This document executes PRD Phase 1 Step 4 (doctrine identification and mapping) and Step 5 (risk-tier assignment) for the Acts curriculum, extending the baseline Romans doctrine analysis. All doctrine names, risk tiers, and review routing in this matrix are identical to doctrine_risk_registry.json (Acts version, generated 2026-07-03) — this document is the narrative/chapter-by-chapter justification underlying that registry’s tier assignments, not a competing source of truth. Where the registry assigns a single tier to a doctrine spanning many chapters, this matrix shows where in the book that risk concretely surfaces, so no chapter’s contribution is silently dropped from Phase 1 coverage.
Core passage Acts 2:1–41 is the theological anchor of the curriculum and receives expanded treatment below, but per the full-book coverage mandate, every chapter 1–28 is analyzed.
Part A — Core Passage Deep Dive: Acts 2:1–41
| Doctrine | Supporting Verses | Risk | Translation Risk | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Holy Spirit and Pentecost | 2:1-4, 2:17-18, 2:33, 2:38 | Critical | The Spirit’s descent must be rendered as the personal, indwelling third Person of the Trinity, not a generic “power” or the Islamic Ruh al-Qudus (identified with the angel Gabriel). “Other tongues” (2:4) are real human languages (confirmed by the nations-list in 2:6-11), not to be conflated with, nor used to adjudicate, the contemporary Indonesian charismatic practice of bahasa roh. | Human theologian |
| Inspiration and Fulfillment of Prophecy | 2:16-21, 2:25-31, 2:34-35 | Medium | Peter’s citation of Joel and the Psalms must be anchored to the OT redemptive-historical prophetic line culminating in Christ, not read through the Islamic closed-prophetic-succession lens (khatam an-nabiyyin). | Native speaker review |
| Davidic Covenant and Messianic Promise | 2:25-31, 2:34-36 | High | ”God’s holy one” and “seed of David” language must retain the specific covenantal-messianic claim; note the distinction from the Quranic Isa al-Masih, a prophet rather than the enthroned, divine, risen Son. | Human theologian |
| Crucifixion of Christ | 2:23, 2:36 | Critical | ”You crucified” (2:23,36) is stated as plain historical fact to the very crowd implicated in it, within weeks of the event. Must never be softened, hedged, or reframed as apparent — direct contradiction of Quran 4:157. | Human theologian |
| Resurrection of Christ | 2:24, 2:31-32 | High | Christ’s own specific, historical, vindicating resurrection, “loosed from the pangs of death” — distinct from a generic future judgment-day resurrection Islam affirms in principle but does not attach to Jesus’s own history. | Human theologian |
| Deity and Sonship of Christ / Lordship of Christ | 2:33, 2:36 | Critical / High | ”God has made him both Lord and Christ” is the book’s climactic christological confession, paralleling Romans 10:9. “Tuhan” must carry exclusive, supreme divine lordship, not generic religious-lord usage. | Human theologian |
| Divine Providence and God’s Sovereign Plan | 2:23 | High | ”Delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God” must be rendered as a personal purpose that still holds the human agents morally responsible — never takdir (impersonal fatalistic decree). | Human theologian |
| Repentance and Baptism | 2:38, 2:41 | Critical | ”Repent and be baptized… in the name of Jesus Christ” is the book’s paradigmatic conversion command. No Islamic sacramental equivalent exists (wudhu/ghusl are ritual purification, not conversion-rites); anchor to union with Christ’s death/resurrection. Baptismal-formula language rendered plainly, flagged rather than resolved toward a Trinitarian-vs-”Jesus’-name-only” formula debate. | Human theologian |
| Sin and Forgiveness | 2:38 | High | Forgiveness tied explicitly to the crucified-risen Christ just proclaimed, not Islamic maghfirah (mercy-plus-deeds forgiveness at judgment). | Human theologian |
| Universal Scope of the Gospel | 2:21, 2:39 | High | ”Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord” and “all who are far off” must retain unqualified universality, resisting a reading bounded by religious-community (agama) identity. | Human theologian |
| Gospel to Jews and Gentiles | 2:9-11 | High | The nations-list foreshadows the Gentile mission; “bangsa-bangsa lain” language groundwork begins here even though “Gentiles” is not yet named directly. | Human theologian |
| The Church as Community | 2:41-42 | Medium | ”Added” (ditambahkan) frames church growth as a divine act; “breaking of bread,” “fellowship,” and “prayers” begin the community-of-goods theme developed in 2:44-47. | Native speaker review |
Part B — Full-Book Doctrine Matrix (Chapter by Chapter)
| Ch./Section | Key Passages | Doctrine(s) | Risk | Translation Risk Note | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acts 1 | 1:2,25-26; 1:3,6; 1:5,8; 1:8 | Apostolic Authority and Miracles (apostolic succession, Judas replacement); Kingdom of God references; The Holy Spirit and Pentecost (promise); The Great Commission Fulfilled (1:8 structural thesis verse) | Critical/Medium | 1:8 (“to the end of the earth”) is the book’s literary and missiological outline verse, bookended by 28:31; must be rendered with the same care given to a thesis statement. “Rasul” (apostolic office/replacement, 1:25-26) requires the closed-Islamic-prophetic-line distinguishing note at every occurrence. | Human theologian (apostleship, Spirit promise); Native speaker (Great Commission framing) |
| Acts 2:1-13 | 2:1-4, 2:6-11 | The Holy Spirit and Pentecost; Gospel to Jews and Gentiles (nations list) | Critical/High | See Part A. Tongues of fire (2:3) risk over-literalizing as the Spirit’s essential form; note as visual sign only. | Human theologian |
| Acts 2:14-41 | 2:14-41 | See Part A (full doctrine set) | Critical (dominant) | Core passage; theological anchor of curriculum. | Human theologian |
| Acts 3 | 3:1-10, 3:13-14,26, 3:15,26, 3:18,24-25, 3:19 | Apostolic Authority and Miracles (healing of lame man); Servant and Righteous One Christology; Resurrection of Christ; Inspiration and Fulfillment of Prophecy; Repentance and Baptism (3:19) | High/Critical | ”Mujizat” (miracle) needs the note distinguishing gospel-authenticating sign from the Islamic mu’jizat pattern tied to prophetic (esp. Muhammadan) authentication. “His Servant Jesus… the Holy and Righteous One” must affirm full deity alongside full humanity. | Human theologian |
| Acts 4:1-31 | 4:1-31, 4:12, 4:27-28, 4:29-31, 4:33 | Persecution and Bold Witness; Exclusivity of Salvation (4:12); Divine Providence; Servant and Righteous One Christology (4:27,30); Grace (4:33); Resurrection (4:2,10,33) | Critical/High | 4:12 (“no other name… no other name under heaven”) is the single most exclusivist salvation-claim statement in Acts; must retain unqualified exclusivity while proclamation framing around it stays witness-oriented, never inducement-oriented, per Indonesia’s legal/social sensitivity on conversion targeting. | Human theologian |
| Acts 5:1-11 | 5:1-11 | The Church as Community (voluntary sharing contrasted with coerced compliance); Sin and Forgiveness (implicit — lying to the Spirit) | Medium/High | Ananias and Sapphira’s judgment must not be read as retroactively making 2:44-45’s sharing mandatory-communistic; the sin punished is deceit before the Spirit, not withholding property per se. | Native speaker review (community); Human theologian (deceiving the Holy Spirit as a personal divine Person) |
| Acts 5:12-42 | 5:12-16, 5:17-42, 5:19, 5:31 | Apostolic Authority and Miracles; Persecution and Bold Witness; Angelic Ministry (5:19); Sin and Forgiveness (5:31) | High | Angel of the Lord releasing the apostles (5:19) requires the note distinguishing NT angelic ministry from Islamic Jibril/revelation angelology. | Human theologian |
| Acts 6 | 6:1-6, 6:5,7, 6:8-15 | The Church as Community (table-service/proto-deacon office); Faith; Persecution and Bold Witness (Stephen accused) | Medium/High | ”Pelayanan/diaken” should not be over-formalized into the later fixed diaconal office beyond what the text states. | Native speaker review (office); Human theologian (persecution build-up) |
| Acts 7 | 7:37,42,48,52; 7:8; 7:41; 7:56; 7:58-59 | Inspiration and Fulfillment of Prophecy; Covenant; Engagement with Idolatry and Religious Pluralism (golden calf, 7:41); Deity and Sonship of Christ (Son of Man, 7:56); Persecution and Bold Witness (martyrdom) | Critical/High/Medium | Stephen’s dying vision of “Anak Manusia” (7:56) draws on Daniel 7’s exalted divine-human title and must not be flattened to “merely a human being.” The stoning (7:58-59) must use neutral descriptive “dilempari batu,” never “dirajam” (the specific Islamic legal-penal rajam term), since this is mob violence against an innocent witness, not judicial punishment. | Human theologian |
| Acts 8:1-25 | 8:1,5,9,14,25; 8:9-24; 8:17-19 | Gospel to Jews and Gentiles (Samaritan “bridge” mission); Spiritual Conflict and the Occult (Simon Magus); Apostolic Authority and Miracles (laying on of hands) | High | Simon’s attempt to purchase Spirit-impartation (8:17-19) requires a note distinguishing genuine Spirit-given impartation through prayer from purchasable magical technique — directly relevant to Indonesian dukun/pawang transactional-power practices. | Human theologian |
| Acts 8:26-40 | 8:26; 8:27,34,36,38-39; 8:36-38 | Angelic Ministry; Repentance and Baptism (Ethiopian eunuch) | High/Critical | ”Sida-sida” (eunuch) is an established low-risk term marking the gospel’s reach to the socially excluded; the baptism itself carries full Critical-tier weight per the doctrine’s general note. | Human theologian |
| Acts 9:1-31 | 9:1-19; 9:15; 9:18; 9:20; 9:31 | Conversion of Paul; Deity and Sonship of Christ (9:20); Repentance and Baptism; Christian Identity and the Church as God’s People (9:31) | Critical | Paul’s conversion becomes the curriculum’s paradigm case; “the Way” (9:2) risks syncretistic reading against Indonesia’s plural “spiritual path” vocabulary unless anchored to the crucified-risen Lord specifically. | Human theologian |
| Acts 9:32-43 | 9:32,41; 9:40 | Christian Identity (saints, 9:32,41); Resurrection of Christ (Tabitha contrast, 9:40) | Medium/High | Tabitha’s restoration (9:40) must be distinguished from Christ’s own resurrection category — a temporary return to mortal life, not the eschatological firstfruits event. | Native speaker review (saints); Human theologian (resurrection distinction) |
| Acts 10 | 10:1-48; 10:34-35; 10:36; 10:40-41; 10:43; 10:44-47; 10:47-48 | Gospel to Jews and Gentiles (Cornelius); Universal Scope of the Gospel; Lordship of Christ; Resurrection of Christ; Sin and Forgiveness; Holy Spirit and Pentecost (Gentile Pentecost); Repentance and Baptism; Angelic Ministry (10:3) | Critical/High | ”Unclean/common” (10:14-15,28) must never be rendered with “haram” — this would import an Islamic halal/haram legal category into a text whose entire point is the dismantling of the Jew/Gentile boundary marker. “Allah tidak memandang bulu” (10:34) must retain full unqualified impartiality. | Human theologian |
| Acts 11 | 11:1-18; 11:15-17; 11:23; 11:26 | Gospel to Jews and Gentiles; Holy Spirit and Pentecost; Grace; Christian Identity (“Christian” first named, 11:26); Great Commission Fulfilled (11:17, “unhindered” root echo) | Critical/High/Medium | ”Orang Kristen” (11:26) already functions as a registered agama category in Indonesia; must be distinguished from mere administrative religious-community membership. | Human theologian (Gentile Pentecost, grace); Native speaker (Christian identity) |
| Acts 12 | 12:1-19; 12:7,23; 12:1-19 | Persecution and Bold Witness; Angelic Ministry | High | The angel who strikes Herod dead (12:23) versus the angel who frees Peter (12:7-11) both need the created-being, ministering-spirit framing distinguished from Islamic Jibril/revelation angelology. | Human theologian |
| Acts 13 | 13:1-3; 13:6-11; 13:8; 13:22-23,32-37; 13:30,33-34,37; 13:38-39 | Mission to the Nations (commissioning); Spiritual Conflict and the Occult (Elymas); Faith; Davidic Covenant and Messianic Promise; Resurrection of Christ; Justification apart from the Law (13:38-39) | Critical | 13:38-39 is the direct narrative anchor of a named curriculum doctrine with no equivalent concept in Islamic soteriology’s deeds-and-mercy judgment framework; requires the same mandatory theologian review the registry assigns to its dedicated doctrine entry. | Human theologian |
| Acts 14 | 14:3; 14:9,22,27; 14:11-18; 14:19; 14:23; 14:26 | Apostolic Authority and Miracles; Faith; Engagement with Idolatry and Religious Pluralism (Lystra); Persecution and Bold Witness (stoning); Church Leadership and Polity (elders appointed); Grace | High | Lystran crowd’s attempt to worship Paul and Barnabas as gods (14:11-15) offers a direct engagement model for Indonesia’s animist backgrounds. The stoning (14:19) again requires “dilempari batu,” never “dirajam.” | Human theologian |
| Acts 15 | 15:1-11; 15:1,5,24; 15:9; 15:10; 15:11,40; 15:20,29; 15:36 | Justification apart from the Law (Jerusalem Council); Universal Scope of the Gospel; Grace; Mission to the Nations | Critical | The circumcision controversy (15:1,5,24) must be anchored to this specific salvation-condition question and distinguished from ordinary Indonesian-Islamic khitan, a recommended but non-salvific cultural practice, to avoid readers assuming equivalent stakes. 15:11 (“saved through grace, just as they are”) fuses Grace and Salvation doctrines applied to Jew/Gentile equality. | Human theologian |
| Acts 16 | 16:9-10; 16:15,33; 16:16-18; 16:22-24; 16:31; 16:37-38 | Mission to the Nations (Macedonian call); Repentance and Baptism (household); Spiritual Conflict and the Occult (divination spirit); Persecution and Bold Witness; Lordship of Christ (16:31); Legal and Civic Engagement (citizenship) | Critical/High/Low | ”Household salvation” language (16:31,34) must not bypass the personal faith required of each household member. The Philippian divination spirit (16:16-18) requires the note distinguishing demonically empowered divination from genuine Spirit-given prophecy. | Human theologian (baptism, occult, lordship); Automated review (citizenship) |
| Acts 17 | 17:16-31; 17:23; 17:30; 17:31-32 | Engagement with Idolatry and Religious Pluralism (Athens); Repentance and Baptism (17:30); Resurrection of Christ (17:31-32) | Medium/Critical/High | ”Unknown God” (17:23) is an apologetic bridge-term that must be immediately anchored to the God now revealed in the risen Christ, never left as an open deity-slot compatible with any tradition — a live risk given Indonesia’s syncretistic religious landscape. | Native speaker review (idolatry engagement); Human theologian (repentance, resurrection) |
| Acts 18 | 18:8; 18:18; 18:25; 18:27 | The Church as Community; Repentance and Baptism (John’s baptism contrast, 18:25); Grace | Critical/Medium | John’s baptism (18:25) is preparatory and repentance-only, fulfilled and superseded by Christian baptism into Jesus’s name with the Spirit; the distinction must be preserved, not collapsed. | Human theologian |
| Acts 19 | 19:1-6; 19:3-5; 19:11-19; 19:19 | The Holy Spirit and Pentecost (Ephesian disciples); Repentance and Baptism; Spiritual Conflict and the Occult (sons of Sceva, magic scrolls burned); Apostolic Authority and Miracles | Critical/High | The Ephesian believers’ prior incomplete baptism (19:1-6) reinforces the same John’s-baptism-vs-Christian-baptism distinction from ch.18. Magic-scroll burning (19:19) contrasts the Spirit’s freely given power with transactional occult power. | Human theologian |
| Acts 20 | 20:7,11; 20:17,28; 20:24; 20:27; 20:1-2 | The Church as Community (breaking of bread); Church Leadership and Polity (elders/overseers charged to shepherd); Mission to the Nations; Divine Providence (20:27) | Medium/High | ”Elder/overseer” (20:17,28, used of the same office) carries denominational-polity sensitivity among Indonesia’s mixed Presbyterian/episcopal traditions; render plainly, do not resolve the polity question in translation. | Native speaker review (community, polity); Human theologian (providence) |
| Acts 21 | 21:9-10; 21:20,21,24,28; 21:23-24,26 | Inspiration and Fulfillment of Prophecy (Agabus); Justification apart from the Law (circumcision/law-observance tension continues); Legal and Civic Engagement (Nazirite vow) | Medium/Critical/Low | Paul’s Nazirite-vow participation (21:23-24,26) must be read as cultural accommodation, not a re-imposition of law-as-salvation-condition, consistent with the Acts 15 resolution. | Native speaker review (prophecy, vow); Human theologian (law/circumcision tension) |
| Acts 22 | 22:3-21; 22:4; 22:16; 22:25-28 | Conversion of Paul (retelling); Repentance and Baptism; Legal and Civic Engagement (Roman citizenship) | Critical/Low | ”The Way” (22:4) again requires the anchoring note against Indonesia’s plural spiritual-path vocabulary. | Human theologian (conversion, baptism); Automated review (citizenship) |
| Acts 23 | 23:1-10; 23:6,8; 23:11 | Legal and Civic Engagement (Sanhedrin trial); Resurrection of Christ (Sadducee/Pharisee dispute, general-resurrection backdrop); Divine Providence (Lord’s assurance to Paul, 23:11) | Low/High | ”Mahkamah Agama” (Sanhedrin) must be distinguished from any modern Islamic or civil religious court sharing a generic institutional name. | Automated review (legal); Human theologian (resurrection framing) |
| Acts 24 | 24:14,22; 24:15,21; 24:24,25 | Conversion of Paul-adjacent (“the Way” continued); Resurrection of Christ; Faith; Legal and Civic Engagement | High/Low | ”Kebenaran” (righteousness, 24:25) must retain the forensic/relational sense established in the baseline, not collapse into mere factual “truth” before Felix. | Human theologian (faith, resurrection); Automated review (legal) |
| Acts 25 | 25:11-12,21 | Legal and Civic Engagement (appeal to Caesar) | Low | Legal-procedural narrative with minimal doctrinal risk. | Automated review |
| Acts 26 | 26:5,9-11; 26:8,23; 26:9-18; 26:13-14; 26:16; 26:18; 26:20; 26:22,27; 26:28 | Conversion of Paul; Resurrection of Christ; Spiritual Conflict and the Occult (Satan/Iblis, 26:18); Inspiration and Fulfillment of Prophecy; Christian Identity (“Christian,” 26:28) | Critical/High | 26:18 (“turn from the power of Satan to God”) requires the note distinguishing the biblical Satan from the narratively distinct Quranic Iblis (a jinn who refused to bow to Adam), since Paul’s testimony here is the curriculum’s paradigm conversion account. | Human theologian |
| Acts 27 | 27:23-25,44; 27:23; 27:35 | Divine Providence and God’s Sovereign Plan (shipwreck); Angelic Ministry (27:23); Thanksgiving and Fellowship (27:35) | High/Low | God’s sustaining care through the storm must be rendered as personal, purposive providence — never takdir — even as the narrative includes real danger and human agency (sailors, soldiers, Paul’s counsel). | Human theologian (providence, angel); Automated review (thanksgiving) |
| Acts 28 | 28:3-6; 28:15; 28:23,28,30-31 | Engagement with Idolatry and Religious Pluralism (Malta, snake-bite superstition, minor); Thanksgiving and Fellowship; The Great Commission Fulfilled (climactic close); Kingdom of God preaching | Medium/Low | 28:31 (“unhindered,” dengan tidak ada yang menghalangi-halangi / dengan leluasa) is the deliberate literary bookend to 1:8 and echoes 11:17’s “who was I to hinder God?” — this structural connection must be preserved for teaching, not merely translated word-for-word without the cross-reference flag. | Native speaker review |
Part C — Risk Summary (Consistency Check Against Registry)
| Risk Tier | Count | Review Routing |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | 7 | Human theologian — every occurrence |
| High | 14 | Human theologian |
| Medium | 7 | Native speaker review |
| Low | 2 | Automated review |
| Total doctrines | 30 | Matches doctrine_risk_registry.json risk_summary exactly |
No chapter of Acts 1–28 is without doctrinal content requiring at least native-speaker-level review; every chapter is represented in Part B. Chapters with comparatively lower theological density (e.g., Acts 25) are explicitly noted as reviewed with Low-risk, automated-review-only content (Roman legal procedure), rather than omitted from the matrix.
This document must be loaded alongside doctrine_risk_registry.json, bible_term_registry.json, and translation_memory.json before Phase 2 segment translation begins. See 08_core_glossary.md for the corresponding term-level requirements.
Critical Risk Doctrines
The Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Indonesian name: Roh Kudus dan Hari Pentakosta
Key terms: Holy Spirit, filled with the Holy Spirit, baptized with the Holy Spirit, gift of the Holy Spirit, tongues, Pentecost
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: Roh Kudus is the established Indonesian Bible term, but Islamic theology has its own ‘Ruh al-Qudus,’ generally identified with the angel Gabriel, a created being delivering revelation to Muhammad, not a divine Trinitarian Person. Every Pentecost-related occurrence needs a note distinguishing the personal, indwelling divine Spirit from this Islamic figure, and the ‘other tongues’ sign (2:4) requires a further note distinguishing intelligible human languages from the contemporary Indonesian charismatic practice of ‘bahasa roh.‘
Repentance and Baptism
Indonesian name: Pertobatan dan Baptisan
Key terms: repent, baptize, forgiveness of sins, in the name of Jesus Christ
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: ‘Bertobat’ collides with the Islamic doctrine of tawbah, a repeatable turning from sin sought through Allah’s mercy within a deeds-and-mercy framework, and Indonesian Islam has no baptism-equivalent conversion rite (wudhu/ghusl are ritual purification only). Every occurrence needs a note anchoring repentance and baptism to a decisive, Christ-directed turning that results in union with his death and resurrection and the gift of the Spirit, not an independent moral resolution or ritual cleansing. The baptismal-formula language (‘in the name of Jesus Christ,’ 2:38; 19:5) must be rendered plainly, flagged for theologian review rather than resolving Trinitarian-vs-‘Jesus name only’ debates live in some Indonesian Pentecostal streams.
Conversion of Paul
Indonesian name: Pertobatan Paulus
Key terms: the Way, light from heaven, chosen instrument, turn from the power of Satan to God
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: ‘The Way’ (Jalan Tuhan) risks syncretistic reading in Indonesia’s plural ‘spiritual path’ vocabulary (Javanese kejawen paths, Islam’s As-Sirat al-Mustaqim) unless anchored specifically to the way of salvation through the crucified-and-risen Lord. The conversion’s climax (26:18, ‘turn from the power of Satan to God’) also requires a note distinguishing the biblical Satan from the Islamic Iblis (a jinn narrative, not a full equivalent), since Paul’s own testimony becomes the paradigm this curriculum’s doctrine of conversion teaches.
Justification apart from the Law
Indonesian name: Pembenaran Lepas dari Hukum Taurat
Key terms: justified, circumcision, yoke of the Law, saved through grace just as they are
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: This is the direct narrative anchor of a named curriculum doctrine with no equivalent concept in Islamic soteriology, where good deeds (including ritual religious observance) are weighed together with divine mercy at judgment. The circumcision controversy (15:1,5,24) must be anchored to this specific salvation-condition question and distinguished from ordinary Indonesian-Islamic khitan, a recommended but non-salvific cultural practice there, to avoid readers assuming an equivalent stakes level.
Deity and Sonship of Christ
Indonesian name: Keilahian dan Kedudukan Kristus sebagai Anak Allah
Key terms: Son of God, Son of Man
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: Extends the baseline’s most theologically explosive doctrine. ‘Anak Allah’ (9:20) directly contradicts the Quran’s explicit denial that Allah has a son. Stephen’s dying vision of ‘Anak Manusia’ (7:56, Daniel 7’s exalted divine-human title) is equally at risk of being misread as a demotion to ‘merely human’ if the Daniel 7 background is not taught; both require theologian-reviewed notes at every occurrence.
Crucifixion of Christ
Indonesian name: Penyaliban Kristus
Key terms: crucified, crucifixion, nailed to the cross
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: Direct contradiction of Quran 4:157, which denies Jesus was killed or crucified (‘it was made to appear so to them’). Every occurrence in Acts’s sermons must be translated as unambiguous historical fact, asserted plainly before Jerusalem crowds within weeks of the event, never softened, hedged, or reframed as apparent rather than actual.
Exclusivity of Salvation
Indonesian name: Kekhususan Keselamatan di dalam Kristus
Key terms: no other name, salvation in no one else
Review routing: Human theologian
CRITICAL: The single most exclusivist salvation-claim statement in Acts, stated before the same council that will later try Paul; must retain unqualified exclusivity even though Indonesia’s legal and social sensitivity around evangelism (targeting registered religious-community members) requires witness-oriented, not inducement-oriented, proclamation framing around it.
High Risk Doctrines
The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles
Indonesian name: Injil bagi Orang Yahudi dan Bangsa-Bangsa Lain
Key terms: Gentiles, unclean or common, God shows no partiality, proselyte, God-fearer
Review routing: Human theologian
The Cornelius narrative’s declaration that food (and people) once ‘unclean’ are now clean must never be rendered with ‘haram,’ the specific Islamic halal/haram legal category, which would import a religious-law framework into a text whose entire point is the abolition of the Jewish/Gentile boundary marker. ‘Bangsa-bangsa lain’ (never orang kafir) must be retained throughout.
Apostolic Authority and Miracles
Indonesian name: Otoritas Rasuli dan Mujizat
Key terms: apostle, signs and wonders, laying on of hands, boldness
Review routing: Human theologian
‘Mujizat’ is the entrenched Indonesian Bible term for miracles but collides with the Islamic doctrine of mu’jizat, a prophet-authenticating miracle especially associated with Muhammad; every occurrence must anchor the term to God’s authentication of the resurrection gospel through the apostles rather than a generic prophetic-authentication pattern. Simon’s attempt to purchase the power behind laying on of hands (8:17-19) requires a note distinguishing Spirit-given impartation from purchasable magical technique.
Persecution and Bold Witness
Indonesian name: Penganiayaan dan Kesaksian yang Berani
Key terms: witness, boldness, stoning, Sanhedrin, great fear
Review routing: Human theologian
The mob stoning of Stephen (7:58-59) and the attempted stoning of Paul (14:19) must never be rendered with ‘dirajam,’ the specific Indonesian term for stoning as a formal Islamic legal punishment (rajam, a hudud penalty historically tied to adultery); this would wrongly import a legal-penal frame onto mob violence against an innocent witness. Use the neutral descriptive ‘dilempari (dengan) batu’ instead.
Resurrection of Christ
Indonesian name: Kebangkitan Kristus
Key terms: raised, resurrection, from the dead
Review routing: Human theologian
Islam affirms a general resurrection at judgment day but, consistent with denying the crucifixion, does not affirm Christ’s own historical, bodily resurrection as an already-accomplished, vindicating event. Must also be distinguished from Tabitha’s temporary restoration to mortal life (9:40), which is not the same category of resurrection.
Lordship of Christ
Indonesian name: Ketuhanan Kristus
Key terms: Lord, Lord Jesus, made him Lord and Christ
Review routing: Human theologian
Acts 2:36’s declaration that God made the crucified Jesus ‘both Lord and Christ’ is the book’s climactic christological confession, paralleling Romans 10:9’s salvation-defining statement and requiring the same cross-document consistency. ‘Tuhan’ is broad, generic vocabulary across Indonesian religious usage; context must establish exclusive, supreme divine Lordship.
Grace
Indonesian name: Anugerah
Key terms: grace, saved through grace, just as they are
Review routing: Human theologian
Acts 15:11 makes explicit what Romans develops at length: Jewish and Gentile believers are saved identically, through grace, not law-observance. Must be distinguished from rahmat (Allah’s general mercy) and pahala (merit earned through deeds and weighed at judgment).
Faith
Indonesian name: Iman
Key terms: faith, believe
Review routing: Human theologian
Iman shares its name with the Islamic six pillars of faith; every occurrence in Acts must anchor iman to personal trust in the crucified-and-risen Christ specifically proclaimed in the surrounding sermon, not generic religious assent.
Universal Scope of the Gospel
Indonesian name: Ruang Lingkup Injil yang Universal
Key terms: everyone who calls, no distinction, God shows no partiality
Review routing: Human theologian
Must retain unqualified universality in a society organized significantly around religious-community (agama) identity categories; ‘Allah tidak memandang bulu’ (10:34) must not be softened to imply distinctions based on ethnic or religious-community status.
Spiritual Conflict and the Occult
Indonesian name: Pergumulan Rohani dan Ilmu Gaib
Key terms: sorcery, magic, spirit of divination, Satan
Review routing: Human theologian
Simon Magus, Elymas, and the Philippian divination spirit narratives are highly relevant to the Indonesian context, where dukun and pawang folk-magical practitioners remain culturally present within nominally Muslim and Christian communities. Every occurrence must contrast the Spirit’s freely-given, relational power with occult power, which is manipulative, transactional, and demonic in origin; ‘Iblis’ requires a note distinguishing the biblical Satan from the narratively distinct Quranic Iblis (a jinn who refused to bow to Adam).
Angelic Ministry
Indonesian name: Pelayanan Malaikat
Key terms: angel of the Lord
Review routing: Human theologian
Islam has a robust and doctrinally central angelology, including the angel Jibril/Gabriel as revelation-bearer to Muhammad; every occurrence of ‘malaikat Tuhan’ must be anchored to the NT’s more limited role for angels as created, ministering spirits serving God’s redemptive mission, not conflated with Islamic angelic revelation doctrine or with the Ruh al-Qudus/Gabriel identification already flagged for the Holy Spirit.
Divine Providence and God’s Sovereign Plan
Indonesian name: Pemeliharaan Allah dan Rencana-Nya yang Berkuasa
Key terms: determined plan and foreknowledge of God, all things work together
Review routing: Human theologian
God’s sovereign plan concerning the cross (2:23) must never be rendered with takdir (impersonal Islamic divine decree/fate, qadar); this is a personal purpose that still holds the human agents who crucified Jesus morally accountable, unlike a fatalistic reading of qadar that can excuse moral responsibility.
Davidic Covenant and Messianic Promise
Indonesian name: Perjanjian Daud dan Janji Mesianik
Key terms: Christ, Messiah, seed of David
Review routing: Human theologian
The Quran also names Jesus ‘Al-Masih’ but as a great prophet, not the divine incarnate Son who died and rose to fulfill God’s oath to David; every occurrence needs a note distinguishing the biblical Messiah, seated at God’s right hand, from the Quranic Isa al-Masih.
Servant and Righteous One Christology
Indonesian name: Kristologi Hamba dan Yang Benar
Key terms: his Servant Jesus, the Holy and Righteous One
Review routing: Human theologian
Applies Isaiah’s Suffering Servant title to Jesus; must be taught alongside, not instead of, his full deity, since affirming only Jesus’s humble humanity while omitting his exalted deity would align with, rather than contest, the Islamic affirmation of Jesus’s prophethood without deity.
Sin and Forgiveness
Indonesian name: Dosa dan Pengampunan
Key terms: sin, forgiveness of sins
Review routing: Human theologian
Forgiveness in Acts is repeatedly and explicitly tied to Christ’s death and resurrection just proclaimed in the surrounding sermon; must be distinguished from Islamic maghfirah, forgiveness granted through Allah’s mercy in response to repentance and sufficient good deeds weighed at judgment.
Medium Risk Doctrines
The Church as Community
Indonesian name: Jemaat sebagai Persekutuan
Key terms: fellowship, breaking of bread, all things in common, elder, overseer, added
Review routing: Native speaker review
The voluntary economic sharing of 2:44-45 and 4:32-35 should not be over-read as a permanent enforced-communism mandate (contrast the voluntary framing preserved even in Ananias and Sapphira’s judgment, ch.5). Elder/overseer polity language (20:17,28) carries denominational sensitivity in Indonesia’s mixed Presbyterian/episcopal church traditions and should be rendered plainly rather than resolved toward one polity view.
The Great Commission Fulfilled
Indonesian name: Amanat Agung yang Digenapi
Key terms: to the end of the earth, unhindered, preaching the kingdom of God
Review routing: Native speaker review
The literary bookend from Acts 1:8 (‘to the end of the earth’) to 28:31 (‘unhindered’) should be preserved as a deliberate structural echo in teaching materials; risk is primarily one of losing this literary connection in translation rather than doctrinal collision.
Inspiration and Fulfillment of Prophecy
Indonesian name: Pengilhaman dan Penggenapan Nubuat
Key terms: prophet, prophecy, as it is written
Review routing: Native speaker review
OT prophetic fulfillment (Joel at Pentecost, Psalms in Peter’s and Paul’s sermons) must be anchored to the OT redemptive-historical prophetic line, not read through the lens of the Islamic doctrine of a closed prophetic succession culminating in Muhammad.
Christian Identity and the Church as God’s People
Indonesian name: Identitas Kristen dan Jemaat sebagai Umat Allah
Key terms: Christian, church, saints
Review routing: Native speaker review
‘Orang Kristen’ already functions as an officially recognized religious-community (agama) category in Indonesia; teaching should distinguish the NT’s living, Spirit-filled identity in Christ from mere registered religious-community membership.
Church Leadership and Polity
Indonesian name: Kepemimpinan dan Tata Gereja
Key terms: elder, overseer, shepherd the church
Review routing: Native speaker review
‘Elder’ and ‘overseer’ are used interchangeably in Acts 20 but carry longstanding denominational-polity significance (episcopal vs. presbyterian/congregational government) among Indonesian church traditions; render plainly from the text rather than resolving the polity question in translation.
Engagement with Idolatry and Religious Pluralism
Indonesian name: Perjumpaan dengan Penyembahan Berhala dan Pluralisme Agama
Key terms: idols, the gods, unknown god
Review routing: Native speaker review
Paul’s confrontation with Lystran and Athenian polytheism offers a model for engaging Indonesia’s animist and syncretistic religious backgrounds; the ‘Unknown God’ bridge-term (17:23) must be immediately anchored to the God now revealed in the risen Christ, not left as an open deity-slot compatible with any tradition.
Mission to the Nations
Indonesian name: Pekabaran Injil kepada Segala Bangsa
Key terms: sent, set apart, pekabaran Injil
Review routing: Native speaker review
Use pekabaran Injil rather than misi throughout the missionary-journey narratives, consistent with the baseline’s caution about misi’s colonial-era Dutch missionary-society connotation in Indonesian historical memory.
Low Risk Doctrines
Thanksgiving and Fellowship
Indonesian name: Ucapan Syukur dan Persekutuan
Key terms: fellowship, thanksgiving, breaking of bread
Review routing: Automated review
Standard terms shared broadly across Indonesian religious usage; minimal doctrinal risk beyond the context-dependent judgment already flagged for breaking of bread’s possible sacramental resonance.
Legal and Civic Engagement
Indonesian name: Keterlibatan dalam Hukum dan Kewarganegaraan
Key terms: Roman citizenship, appeal to Caesar, Sanhedrin trials
Review routing: Automated review
Legal-procedural narrative material with minimal doctrinal risk; ‘Mahkamah Agama’ (Sanhedrin) should be flagged only to avoid confusion with a modern Islamic or civil religious court of the same generic name.
Referenced passages