Core Glossary
Core Glossary — The Gospel of John
English → Indonesian Term-by-Term Reference
Purpose
This glossary consolidates every load-bearing theological term identified in 07_semantic_analysis.md, across the entire Gospel of John, into a single per-term reference table. It is organized into:
- Part A — Baseline Terms Reused Exactly from the Romans Translation Memory (no renegotiation permitted)
- Part B — New Terms Required for the John Curriculum (proposed for translation memory expansion)
- Part C — Proper Nouns and Low-Risk Descriptive Terms
- Part D — Systemic Cross-Cutting Risk Notes
All risk tiers follow the baseline’s doctrine_risk_registry.json definitions:
- Critical — Mistranslation alters or destroys essential doctrine. Human theologian review required for every occurrence.
- High — Mistranslation creates significant theological confusion or syncretism risk. Human theologian review required.
- Medium — Mistranslation reduces clarity but preserves essential meaning. Native speaker review recommended.
- Low — Mistranslation causes minor misunderstanding or imprecision. Automated review sufficient.
Part A — Baseline Terms Reused Exactly (from Romans translation_memory.json)
These terms appear in John and MUST use the exact recorded Indonesian rendering with no substitution. Doctrine-risk tier and rejected alternatives are unchanged from baseline.
| English Term | Indonesian Rendering | Risk | John Occurrences (representative) | Doctrine(s) in this Curriculum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| God | Allah | High | Throughout | Deity and Pre-existence of Christ |
| Jesus | Yesus | Critical | Throughout | All doctrines |
| Lord | Tuhan | High | 4:1, 11; 6:68; 9:38; 11:27; 13:6-9; 20:28; 21:7 | Unity of the Father and the Son; Deity of Christ |
| Father | Bapa | Critical | Throughout, esp. ch.5, 8, 10, 14-17 | Unity of the Father and the Son |
| Holy Spirit | Roh Kudus | Critical | 1:32-33; 7:39; 14:26; 20:22 | The Holy Spirit as Counselor |
| Son of God | Anak Allah | Critical | 1:34, 49; 3:18; 5:25; 10:36; 11:4, 27; 19:7; 20:31 | Deity and Pre-existence of Christ |
| Incarnation | Firman yang menjadi manusia | Critical | 1:14 (source text) | Deity and Pre-existence of Christ |
| Grace | anugerah | High | 1:14, 16-17 | Christ’s Substitutionary Death (indirectly) |
| Sin | dosa | Medium | 1:29; 8:21, 24, 34, 46; 9:34; 15:22-24; 16:8-9; 19:11 | Judgment and Belief/Unbelief |
| Law (Mosaic) | Hukum Taurat | Medium | 1:17, 45; 7:19, 23, 49-51 | Fulfillment of Prophecy (background) |
| Glory | kemuliaan | High | 1:14; 2:11; 5:41-44; 7:18; 8:50-54; 11:4, 40; 12:41-43; 17:1-24 | Deity and Pre-existence of Christ |
| Israel | Israel | Medium | 1:31, 47, 49; 3:10; 12:13 | Fulfillment of Prophecy (background) |
| Messiah/Christ | Mesias / Kristus | Critical | 1:20, 25, 41; 4:25, 29; 7:26-42; 9:22; 10:24; 11:27; 20:31 | Seven I Am Statements (background); Messianic identity |
| David | Daud | Medium | 7:42 | Fulfillment of Prophecy (background) |
| Prophet | nabi | High | 1:21, 23, 25, 45; 4:19; 6:14; 7:40, 52; 9:17 | Fulfillment of Prophecy (background) |
| Kingdom of God | Kerajaan Allah | Medium | 3:3, 5; 18:36 (as “my kingdom,” ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμή) | New Birth and Regeneration |
| Salvation | keselamatan | Critical | 3:17; 4:22, 42; 12:47 | Eternal Life through Faith; Christ’s Substitutionary Death |
| Resurrection | kebangkitan | High | 2:19-22; 5:29; 6:39-54; 11:24-25; ch.20 (narrated) | Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection |
| Faith (noun) | iman | High | (see Part D note on πιστεύω/percaya below) | Eternal Life through Faith in Christ |
| Election | pemilihan | High | 6:70; 13:18; 15:16, 19 (ἐκλέγομαι, “chose”) | Judgment and Belief/Unbelief (background) |
| Mission | pekabaran Injil | Medium | 20:21 (“as the Father has sent me, so I send you”) | Mission (background to curriculum) |
| Sanctification | pengudusan | Medium/High | 17:17, 19 | The Holy Spirit as Counselor (background) |
| Peace | damai sejahtera | Medium | 14:27; 16:33; 20:19, 21, 26 | The Holy Spirit as Counselor |
| Gentiles | bangsa-bangsa lain | Medium | not explicit as a term in John, but 10:16 (“other sheep… not of this fold”) and 12:20 (Greeks) carry the same theological point | Unity of Jews and Gentiles (background) |
Part B — New Terms Required for the John Curriculum
These terms are new to this curriculum, proposed for entry into an expanded translation memory. Each entry gives: Original Greek, Transliteration, Indonesian Rendering, Doctrine Risk, Rejected Alternatives, and Grounded Risk Rationale.
B.1 — Deity and Pre-existence of Christ
| English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Indonesian Rendering | Risk | Rejected Alternatives | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Word (Logos) | λόγος (logos) | Firman | Critical | ”kata” (mere word/utterance) | Kata is generic and loses the personal, capitalized, divine-title force required by John 1:1’s claim that the Word was God and was with God. Direct collision with tawhid (distinction-yet-unity within the Godhead). |
| I Am (absolute self-designation) | ἐγώ εἰμι (egō eimi) | Aku ada / Akulah (context-dependent) | Critical | A flattened simple present “saya adalah” | Echoes Exodus 3:14 LXX (God’s self-revealed name to Moses). Standard past/present Indonesian Bible tense does not by itself signal this divine-name echo; requires mandatory theologian-reviewed note at every absolute occurrence (8:24, 28, 58; 13:19; 18:5-6, 8). |
| Ascended/Descended (pre-existence) | ἀναβαίνω / καταβαίνω (anabainō / katabainō) | naik ke sorga / turun dari sorga | High | Rendering that implies a temporary visionary journey (cf. Islamic Mi’raj) | Must be read as real pre-existence and movement between heavenly glory and incarnate mission, not a creature’s visionary ascent. |
| Only-begotten / Unique Son | μονογενής (monogenēs) | Anak Tunggal / Anak-Nya yang Tunggal | Critical | A rendering emphasizing physical generation | Same collision as baseline Anak Allah: the Quran explicitly denies Allah has a son. Requires the same theologian-reviewed teaching note every occurrence (1:14, 18; 3:16, 18). |
| Unity of Father and Son | ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν (egō kai ho patēr hen esmen) | Aku dan Bapa adalah satu | Critical | Any softened rendering implying mere agreement/cooperation rather than essential unity | 10:30 is the Gospel’s clearest statement of “Unity of the Father and the Son”; directly collides with tawhid and the charge of shirk; the text itself records this exact charge (v.31-33). Requires theologian review every occurrence, including parallels at 14:9-11 and 17:11, 21-22 (noting the latter’s distinct, non-identical sense of “oneness” applied to believers). |
| My Lord and my God (Thomas’s confession) | ὁ κύριός μου καὶ ὁ θεός μου (ho kyrios mou kai ho theos mou) | Tuhanku dan Allahku | Critical | Any rendering that softens “God” to “a divine one” or a lesser title | 20:28 applies Allah itself, unqualified, to Jesus — the single most doctrinally explosive confession in the Gospel for a tawhid-shaped audience. Must retain full force per baseline Doctrinal Preservation Rule 4. |
| Making yourself God / Blasphemy | βλασφημία (blasphēmia); θεοποιεῖς σεαυτόν | menghujat / menjadikan diri-Mu Allah | High | — | Documents that Jesus’s own contemporaries heard his statements as direct deity claims (10:33) — valuable anchor against readings that soften those claims. |
| Worship (of Jesus) | προσκυνέω (proskyneō) | menyembah | Critical | A rendering implying mere respect/homage rather than religious worship | 9:38; 20:28 (implicit) — direct worship offered to and accepted by Jesus is a strong implicit deity claim. |
B.2 — The New Birth and Regeneration by the Spirit
| English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Indonesian Rendering | Risk | Rejected Alternatives | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born again / born from above | γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν (gennēthē anōthen) | dilahirkan kembali (with note on “dari atas”) | Critical | A rendering that resolves the ambiguity in only one direction without a note | The core passage’s central term; John deliberately exploits both “again” and “from above.” Must never be read as a call to repeated ritual purification (wudu, mandi taubat). Requires mandatory teaching note every occurrence (3:3, 7). |
| Born of water and Spirit | γεννηθῇ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος (gennēthē ex hydatos kai pneumatos) | dilahirkan dari air dan Roh | High | A rendering suggesting physical/ritual washing alone | Must be anchored to the Spirit’s cleansing, life-giving new-covenant work (Ezek. 36:25-27), not to Islamic ritual ablution. |
| Wind/Spirit wordplay | πνεῦμα (pneuma) | angin … Roh (two words, note required) | High | A single unified rendering (impossible in Indonesian) | The Greek pun (one word, two senses) is untranslatable; the sovereign-freedom point it makes must be supplied by explicit teaching note (3:8). |
| Living water | ὕδωρ ζῶν (hydōr zōn) | air hidup | High | — | Must be connected across 3:5, 4:10-14, and 7:37-39 (where John explicitly glosses it as the Spirit) as a single consistent motif. |
| Flesh (natural birth/nature) | σάρξ (sarx) | daging | Medium-High | A moralized rendering equating “flesh” with inherent sinfulness | In 3:6 this is a categorical (natural vs. Spirit-born), not primarily moral, distinction; contrast with the affirmatively good σάρξ of the Incarnation (1:14). |
B.3 — Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
| English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Indonesian Rendering | Risk | Rejected Alternatives | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eternal life | ζωὴ αἰώνιος (zōē aiōnios) | hidup yang kekal | Critical | A rendering emphasizing only future/afterlife duration | Must be distinguished from Islam’s al-hayat al-akhirah, entered only after deeds-weighing judgment; in John, eternal life is a present possession by faith now (3:15-16, 36; 5:24; 6:47; 17:3). |
| Life | ζωή (zōē) | hidup | High | — | Foundational term underlying “eternal life” and the I Am statements (1:4; 5:26; 6:35; 11:25; 14:6). |
| Believe (verb) | πιστεύω (pisteuō) | percaya | High | A rendering implying mere intellectual assent | Verb-form counterpart to baseline noun iman; must be anchored to personal trust in Christ specifically (see Part D note below on consistency with iman). |
| Perish | ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi) | binasa | Medium-High | A softened rendering (“be unhappy,” “suffer”) | Must preserve the binary stakes of 3:16 (perish vs. eternal life). |
| Gospel’s stated purpose (believe and have life) | ταῦτα γέγραπται ἵνα πιστεύσητε…ζωὴν ἔχητε | supaya kamu percaya… dan memperoleh hidup | High | — | 20:31, capstone verse tying belief, Christ’s identity, and life together. |
B.4 — God’s Love for the World
| English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Indonesian Rendering | Risk | Rejected Alternatives | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| God’s love | ἀγαπάω (ho theos ēgapēsen) | mengasihi | High | A rendering implying mere sentiment/affection | Must retain deliberate, self-giving divine initiative (3:16); foundational to this named doctrine. |
| World (object of love / object of hostility) | κόσμος (kosmos) | dunia | High | A rendering that implicitly restricts scope to “our community” | Must retain full unqualified universal scope (3:16); note John’s consistent double use (object of God’s love, 3:16; source of hostility toward Christ/believers, 15:18-19) — both senses must be taught together, not read as contradictory. |
| Savior of the world | σωτὴρ τοῦ κόσμου (sōtēr tou kosmou) | Juruselamat dunia | High | — | 4:42; reinforces universal scope beyond Israel, “Unity of Jews and Gentiles” background doctrine. |
B.5 — Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
| English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Indonesian Rendering | Risk | Rejected Alternatives | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Judgment | κρίσις / κρίνω (krisis / krinō) | penghakiman / menghakimi | High | A rendering implying only a single future deeds-weighing event | Must preserve John’s present-tense verdict framework (3:18-19; 5:22-29) as distinct from Islam’s yaum al-qiyamah deeds-weighing at the Last Day. |
| Already condemned / not condemned | κέκριται (kekritai) | sudah dihukum / tidak dihukum | High | A purely future-tense rendering | Preserves the present-tense verdict already in effect based on one’s relation to Christ now (3:18). |
| Light | φῶς (phōs) | terang | Medium-High | — | Major recurring Christological/moral symbol (1:4-9; 3:19-21; 8:12; 9:5); must be read as one consistent motif across the Gospel. |
| Darkness | σκότος / σκοτία (skotos / skotia) | kegelapan | Medium | — | Paired symbolic term with terang. |
| Wrath of God | ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ (orgē tou theou) | murka Allah | High | A rendering implying only impersonal consequence | Must be preserved as personal, relational divine anger at sin/unbelief (3:36), paired with the present-verdict framework of 3:18-19. |
| Testimony/witness | μαρτυρία / μαρτυρέω (martyria / martyreō) | kesaksian / bersaksi | High | A rendering equating this with the Islamic syahadah (creedal confession formula) | Must be anchored to eyewitness testimony of historical/heavenly realities Christ personally beheld and John the Baptist personally observed (1:7-8; 3:11; 5:31-39), not a fixed liturgical confession formula. |
| Convict (the world) | ἐλέγχω / ἐλέγξει (elenchō / elegxei) | menyingkapkan / menginsafkan | High | — | Links the Spirit’s post-Pentecost ministry (16:8) back to the light’s exposing function in the core passage (3:20). |
B.6 — The Seven “I Am” Statements
| English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Indonesian Rendering | Risk | Rejected Alternatives | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I am the bread of life | ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς | Akulah roti hidup | Critical | — | 6:35, 48, 51; first of seven; echoes Exod. 3:14 formula. |
| I am the light of the world | ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου | Akulah terang dunia | Critical | — | 8:12; universal scope (τοῦ κόσμου). |
| I am the door | ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ θύρα | Akulah pintu | Critical | — | 10:7, 9; exclusivity claim parallel to 14:6. |
| I am the good shepherd | ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός | Akulah gembala yang baik | Critical | — | 10:11, 14; appropriates OT divine shepherd title (Ps. 23; Ezek. 34) plus substitutionary-death language. |
| I am the resurrection and the life | ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή | Akulah kebangkitan dan hidup | Critical | — | 11:25; enacted historically in the raising of Lazarus. |
| I am the way, the truth, and the life | ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή | Akulah jalan dan kebenaran dan hidup | Critical | — | 14:6; maximal exclusivity claim (“no one comes to the Father except through me”); also a kebenaran/ἀλήθεια term-collision instance (see Part D). |
| I am the true vine | ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή | Akulah pokok anggur yang benar | Critical | — | 15:1, 5; fulfills OT vine-imagery for Israel (Ps. 80; Isa. 5). |
All seven statements must be tracked as a unified translation-consistency set per baseline “Theological Consistency Rules Across Documents”; a mistranslation or inconsistent rendering of the Ἐγώ εἰμι formula anywhere in this set undermines the doctrine as a whole.
B.7 — The Holy Spirit as Counselor
| English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Indonesian Rendering | Risk | Rejected Alternatives | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paraclete / Counselor / Comforter / Helper / Advocate | Παράκλητος (Paraklētos) | Penghibur | Critical | Penolong, Penasihat (viable secondary glosses, not primary) | SPECIFIC POLEMICAL COLLISION: some Islamic apologetic traditions argue the Paraclete prophecy (14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7) refers to Muhammad, not the Holy Spirit. Every occurrence requires a theologian-reviewed note (a) identifying the Paraclete as the Holy Spirit, already active among believers (John 20:22; Acts 2), not a future human prophet; (b) anchoring the promise’s fulfillment within the apostolic generation (14:3, 12, 28; 16:7). Distinct from, though related to, the baseline’s existing Roh Kudus vs. Ruh al-Qudus (Gabriel) note. |
| Receive the Holy Spirit | λάβετε Πνεῦμα Ἅγιον (labete Pneuma Hagion) | terimalah Roh Kudus | Critical | — | 20:22; enacts the Paraclete promise; echoes Genesis 2:7’s life-giving breath, reinforcing the Spirit’s personal, divine, new-creation character. |
B.8 — Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
| English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Indonesian Rendering | Risk | Rejected Alternatives | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamb of God | Ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ (Amnos tou Theou) | Anak Domba Allah | High | — | 1:29, 36; Passover-lamb typology fulfilled at the cross (cf. 19:36); must be kept lexically distinct from Anak Allah (Son of God). |
| Lifted up (crucified/exalted) | ὑψόω (hypsoō) | ditinggikan | High | A rendering capturing only one of the two senses | Double sense (physically raised on the cross AND thereby exalted in glory) is distinctly Johannine (3:14; 8:28; 12:32-34) and requires a teaching note preserving both senses together. |
| Handed over / betrayed | παραδίδωμι (paradidōmi) | menyerahkan / mengkhianati | High | — | 13:2, 21; must distinguish Judas’s culpable betrayal from the Father’s/Son’s willing “handing over” for redemption. |
| Eat my flesh / drink my blood | σάρκα φαγεῖν / αἷμα πιεῖν | makan daging-Ku / minum darah-Ku | High | A literalized reading (cannibalism) or a reading that treats it as a violation of blood-purity law | 6:53-56; figurative appropriation of Christ’s atoning death, not literal consumption; sensitive given Quran 5:3’s prohibition on consuming blood. |
| Crucify | σταυρόω (stauroō) | menyalibkan | Critical | — | Direct, irreconcilable content-collision with Quran 4:157’s denial of the crucifixion. Every Passion-narrative occurrence requires a theologian-reviewed note affirming the historical crucifixion as foundational, per baseline Doctrinal Preservation Rule 1. |
| It is finished | τετέλεσται (tetelestai) | Sudah genap | Critical | A rendering implying only the end of suffering, without the sense of completed, sufficient atonement | 19:30; declares the atoning work complete, requiring no supplementation by works — sharpest possible contrast with deeds-weighing soteriology; reinforces baseline keselamatan/pembenaran Critical-risk framing. |
| Blood and water | αἷμα καὶ ὕδωρ (haima kai hydōr) | darah dan air | Medium-High | — | 19:34; confirms the physical reality of Christ’s death, countering docetic and, indirectly, crucifixion-denial readings. |
B.9 — Unity of the Father and the Son
(See B.1 above for “I and the Father are one” and “My Lord and my God”; additional term:)
| English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Indonesian Rendering | Risk | Rejected Alternatives | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| That they may be one (believers’ unity) | ἵνα ὦσιν ἕν (hina ōsin hen) | supaya mereka menjadi satu | High | A rendering implying believers become one divine essence with God | 17:11, 21-22; patterned on, but not ontologically identical to, the Father-Son unity of 10:30 — the distinction between these two senses of “oneness” must be preserved in teaching notes. |
| Equal honor to Father and Son | τιμᾶν τὸν υἱὸν καθὼς τιμῶσι τὸν πατέρα (timan ton huion kathōs timōsi ton patera) | menghormati Sang Anak sama seperti menghormati Bapa | Critical | — | 5:23; direct claim to co-equal deity; requires the same theologian-level review as Anak Allah. |
B.10 — Signs, Worship, and Supporting Doctrinal Vocabulary
| English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Indonesian Rendering | Risk | Rejected Alternatives | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sign | σημεῖον (sēmeion) | tanda | Medium | A generic word for “miracle” (mujizat) alone | John’s distinctive term for miracles as revelatory pointers to Christ’s identity (2:11 and throughout “Book of Signs,” ch.1-12), not mere wonder-working. |
| Worship in spirit and truth | προσκυνέω ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ (proskyneō en pneumati kai alētheia) | menyembah dalam roh dan kebenaran | High | A rendering reducible to “sincerity matters more than location” | 4:23-24; relocates authentic worship from geography/ritual correctness to Spirit-enabled, truth-grounded relationship — significant given Indonesian ibadah (ritual worship) emphasis on correct form and place. |
| New commandment | ἐντολὴ καινή (entolē kainē) | perintah baru | Low-Medium | — | 13:34; grounds Christian ethics in Christ’s self-giving love, not law-code compliance. |
| Son of Man | υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου (huios tou anthrōpou) | Anak Manusia | High | A rendering flattened to mean merely “a human being” | Specific messianic self-title (Dan. 7:13-14) carrying exalted divine authority plus true humanity; must remain visibly distinct from Anak Allah. |
Part C — Proper Nouns and Low-Risk Descriptive Terms
| English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Indonesian Rendering | Risk | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicodemus | Νικόδημος (Nikodēmos) | Nikodemus | Low | Standard transliteration. |
| Pharisee | Φαρισαῖος (Pharisaios) | orang Farisi | Low | No Islamic collision. |
| Rabbi | Ῥαββί (Rabbi) | Rabi | Low | Distinct from Islamic honorifics (ustadz, kyai). |
| Moses | Μωϋσῆς (Mōusēs) | Musa | Low | Established Indonesian Bible form. |
| Samaritan (woman) | Σαμαρίτις (Samaritis) | perempuan Samaria | Low | Descriptive ethnic/geographic term. |
| Lazarus | Λάζαρος (Lazaros) | Lazarus | Low | Standard transliteration. |
| Thomas | Θωμᾶς (Thōmas) | Tomas | Low | Standard transliteration. |
| Peter | Πέτρος (Petros) | Petrus | Low | Standard transliteration. |
| Pilate | Πιλᾶτος (Pilatos) | Pilatus | Low | Standard transliteration. |
| King of Israel | βασιλεὺς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ | Raja Israel | Medium | Ties to Davidic covenant background. |
| Bridegroom | νυμφίος (nymphios) | mempelai laki-laki | Low-Medium | Wedding imagery, minimal collision. |
| Harvest | θερισμός (therismos) | panen | Low-Medium | Mission-related metaphor. |
| Grain of wheat | κόκκος τοῦ σίτου (kokkos tou sitou) | sebutir gandum | Low | Illustrative death-producing-life metaphor (12:24). |
| Slave (to sin) | δοῦλος (doulos) | hamba | Medium | Distinguish from positive devotional use (“hamba Allah”); here specifically negative (8:34). |
| Sinner | ἁμαρτωλός (hamartōlos) | orang berdosa | Medium | Builds on baseline dosa. |
| Blind | τυφλός (typhlos) | buta | Low | Descriptive/physical and symbolic (ch. 9). |
| Feed / shepherd (my sheep) | ποίμαινε / βόσκε (poimaine / boske) | gembalakanlah / berilah makan | Medium | Ties back to Good Shepherd I Am statement (ch.10, 21). |
| Temple | ναός (naos) | Bait Allah | Medium-High | Wordplay with Christ’s body (2:19-21) requires a teaching note. |
Part D — Systemic Cross-Cutting Risk Notes
These are not single terms but structural risks spanning multiple chapters, requiring dedicated protocol beyond a single glossary row.
D.1 — The kebenaran Convergence (δικαιοσύνη / ἀλήθεια)
Indonesian kebenaran is used by the baseline for righteousness (δικαιοσύνη, forensic standing, High risk) and is also the natural rendering for truth (ἀλήθεια), which appears far more frequently in John than in Romans (1:14, 17; 3:21; 8:32; 14:6; 15:1; 17:17, and elsewhere — over 25 occurrences of ἀλήθεια as a theological term). This convergence is only latently noted in the baseline and becomes systemic and unavoidable throughout John. Protocol: every occurrence of kebenaran translating ἀλήθεια in a doctrinally load-bearing context must carry a note clarifying “truth/reality/genuineness” is meant, not forensic righteousness. Risk: Critical (John 14:6, an I Am statement) to High (most other occurrences).
D.2 — The Ἐγώ εἰμι (“I Am”) Set
Spans 6:35; 8:12, 24, 28, 58; 10:7, 9, 11, 14; 11:25; 13:19; 14:6; 15:1, 5; 18:5-6, 8. Must be translated and reviewed as a single consistent set, not independently per occurrence, per baseline “Theological Consistency Rules Across Documents.” The absolute (predicate-less) occurrences (8:24, 28, 58; 13:19; 18:5-6, 8) carry the highest risk, as they most directly echo the divine self-designation of Exodus 3:14 LXX and are least self-evidently marked as such in ordinary Indonesian tense usage.
D.3 — πιστεύω (percaya) / iman Consistency
The baseline’s noun iman (faith, High risk) and John’s pervasive verb πιστεύω (rendered percaya, occurring ~98 times) must be taught as pointing to the same reality — personal, ongoing trust fixed on Christ specifically — even though Indonesian uses etymologically distinct words for the noun and verb forms (unlike Arabic-derived iman/mu’min pairs in Islamic usage, where the noun-verb relationship is transparent). A teaching note at first occurrence (John 1:12, or 3:15-16 in the core passage) should make this connection explicit so learners do not perceive iman and percaya as two separate concepts.
D.4 — κόσμος (dunia) Double Usage
κόσμος is used positively as the object of God’s redeeming love (3:16; 4:42) and negatively as the hostile, unregenerate world-system (15:18-19; 16:33; 17:14-16). Both senses must be retained as dunia without resolving the apparent tension by qualifying either occurrence — John’s theology holds both simultaneously (God loves the world he came to save, even as that world’s rebellious system opposes him). Risk: High in both directions; a teaching note distinguishing the two senses, rather than a different Indonesian word for each, is the required protocol.
D.5 — Water Motif Chain
3:5 (“born of water and Spirit”) → 4:10-14 (“living water”) → 7:37-39 (explicit gloss: “this he said about the Spirit”) → 19:34 (“blood and water”) must be tracked as a single developing motif. The interpretive key John himself supplies at 7:39 should inform the required teaching notes at 3:5 and 4:10-14, preventing an isolated, ritual-purification reading of any single occurrence.
D.6 — Light/Darkness Motif Chain
1:4-9 → 3:19-21 (core passage) → 8:12 (I Am statement) → 9:5 → 12:35-36, 46 must be tracked as a single consistent Christological and moral symbol running through the entire Gospel, not translated as isolated local metaphors in each chapter.
Chapters Reviewed with No New Theological Vocabulary
Per full-book coverage requirements, the following note applies:
- Chapter 12 introduces no theological terms beyond intensified reuse of δοξάζω (glorify, [TM REUSE]), ὑψόω (lifted up, see Ch. 3/John 3:14 above), and one minor illustrative metaphor (κόκκος τοῦ σίτου, grain of wheat, Low risk); it is explicitly reviewed and its terms are documented above under Part B.8 and Part C rather than restated.
- Chapter 16 is substantially a continuation of Chapter 14’s Paraclete teaching (Παράκλητος, Critical risk, documented under Part B.7) plus one additional term (ἐλέγχω, “convict,” documented under Part B.5); it is explicitly reviewed and not silently omitted.
- No chapter in John 1-21 was found to contain zero load-bearing theological vocabulary; every chapter is represented in
07_semantic_analysis.mdPart B and in this glossary, either through new-term entries or explicit cross-references to terms introduced in an earlier chapter.
This glossary is the term-authority companion to 07_semantic_analysis.md. All Part A entries are non-negotiable baseline reuses. All Part B entries are proposed new terms pending inclusion in an expanded translation memory and require the risk-appropriate review routing specified above before Phase 2 translation begins.
Critical Risk Terms
Jesus
Approved rendering: Yesus
Transliteration: Yesus
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: Nabi Isa
Original: Ἰησοῦς
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Never use Nabi Isa or Isa al-Masih (the Islamic prophetic framing that, per mainstream teaching, denies the crucifixion, Quran 4:157). Yesus preserves full confessional identity as the crucified and risen Lord, the Word made flesh, throughout John’s Gospel.
Father
Approved rendering: Bapa
Transliteration: Bapa
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Original: πατήρ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Islamic theology treats parent-child language applied to Allah as approaching blasphemy. In John this term recurs with unmatched density (ch. 5, 8, 10, 14-17) as the ground for the Unity of the Father and the Son doctrine; every occurrence there requires teaching support that this is relational, eternal Fatherhood, not physical procreation.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: Roh Kudus
Transliteration: Roh Kudus
Doctrine: Sanctification
Original: πνεῦμα ἅγιον
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Must not be rendered as Islam’s Ruh al-Qudus, generally identified with the angel Gabriel, a created being. John’s 20:22 breath-giving scene (echoing Genesis 2:7) is a key teaching anchor for the Spirit’s personal, life-giving divine character; see also the distinct, additionally-named Paraclete/Penghibur collision documented under ‘paraclete’ below.
Son Of God
Approved rendering: Anak Allah
Transliteration: Anak Allah
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ
Original: υἱὸς θεοῦ
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. The Quran explicitly and repeatedly denies Allah has a son (Surah Al-Ikhlas). Occurs at structurally decisive points in John (1:34, 49; 3:18; 5:25; 10:36; 11:4, 27; 19:7; 20:31, the Gospel’s own stated purpose verse), requiring theologian-reviewed note every time distinguishing eternal relational Sonship from physical procreation. Must remain visibly distinct from ‘Anak Manusia’ (Son of Man) and ‘Anak Tunggal’ (see new terms below).
Incarnation
Approved rendering: Firman yang menjadi manusia
Transliteration: Firman yang menjadi manusia
Doctrine: Incarnation
Rejected alternatives: inkarnasi
Original: ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. John 1:14 is the direct scriptural source this baseline entry was built from (‘ho logos sarx egeneto’). Islamic tanzih theology holds God’s transcendence makes it inconceivable for him to take on physical or human form; requires the highest tier of theologian review of any single verse in the Gospel.
Messiah
Approved rendering: Mesias
Transliteration: Mesias
Doctrine: Messianic Identity of Jesus
Original: Χριστός / Μεσσίας
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package (also rendered Kristus for Christos where the Greek text uses that form). The Quran’s Isa al-Masih is a great prophet, not the divine incarnate Son who died and rose for sin. John 20:31 fuses Messianic identity inseparably with Sonship of Christ, sharpening this collision at the Gospel’s own capstone verse.
Salvation
Approved rendering: keselamatan
Transliteration: keselamatan
Doctrine: Salvation
Original: σωτηρία / σῴζω
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Every occurrence in John (3:17; 4:22, 42; 12:47) needs explicit framing distinguishing this once-for-all rescue secured through faith in Christ’s finished work from Islamic soteriology’s deeds-and-mercy judgment framework.
Logos
Approved rendering: Firman
Transliteration: Firman
Doctrine: The Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
Rejected alternatives: kata
Original: λόγος
Category: Christology
Must never be rendered generically as ‘kata’ (a mere word/utterance); Firman is the established Indonesian Bible term carrying capitalized, personal, divine weight. John 1:1’s claim ‘the Word was God’ directly collides with tawhid by asserting distinction-yet-unity within the Godhead; requires theologian review at every occurrence in ch.1 and wherever the title recurs.
Ego Eimi Absolute
Approved rendering: Aku ada / Akulah
Transliteration: Aku ada / Akulah
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι (without predicate)
Category: Christology
The absolute, predicate-less ‘I am’ (8:24, 28, 58; 13:19; 18:5-6, 8) echoes God’s covenant self-revelation to Moses (Exodus 3:14 LXX). Standard Indonesian tense morphology does not by itself signal this divine-name echo; mandatory theologian-reviewed note required at every absolute occurrence, anchored to 8:59’s narrative confirmation (attempted stoning) that the original hearers heard a direct deity claim.
I Am Bread Of Life
Approved rendering: Akulah roti hidup
Transliteration: Akulah roti hidup
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς
Category: Christology
First of the seven predicated I Am statements (6:35, 48, 51); must be tracked in a single consistent ‘Akulah…’ formula-set across the whole book per Theological Consistency Rules Across Documents.
I Am Light Of World
Approved rendering: Akulah terang dunia
Transliteration: Akulah terang dunia
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου
Category: Christology
Second of the seven (8:12); reinforces universal scope (tou kosmou, ‘of the world’); part of the unified I Am set.
I Am Door
Approved rendering: Akulah pintu
Transliteration: Akulah pintu
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ θύρα
Category: Christology
Third of the seven (10:7, 9); exclusivity claim (‘no one enters except through me’) parallels 14:6 and requires the same sensitivity note regarding religious pluralism in Indonesian interfaith discourse.
I Am Good Shepherd
Approved rendering: Akulah gembala yang baik
Transliteration: Akulah gembala yang baik
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός
Category: Christology
Fourth of the seven (10:11, 14); direct appropriation of the OT divine shepherd title (Ps. 23; Ezek. 34), combined with explicit substitutionary-death language (‘lays down his life for the sheep’).
I Am Resurrection And Life
Approved rendering: Akulah kebangkitan dan hidup
Transliteration: Akulah kebangkitan dan hidup
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή
Category: Christology
Fifth of the seven (11:25), uniquely enacted historically within the narrative itself (the raising of Lazarus), not left as an abstract claim.
I Am Way Truth Life
Approved rendering: Akulah jalan dan kebenaran dan hidup
Transliteration: Akulah jalan dan kebenaran dan hidup
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή
Category: Christology
Sixth of the seven (14:6), the single most exclusivity-charged statement in the Gospel (‘no one comes to the Father except through me’); also an occurrence of the kebenaran/aletheia term-collision (see ‘truth’ below) that must not be confused with the forensic-righteousness sense used elsewhere in the Language Package.
I Am True Vine
Approved rendering: Akulah pokok anggur yang benar
Transliteration: Akulah pokok anggur yang benar
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή
Category: Christology
Seventh and final of the seven (15:1, 5); fulfills OT vine-imagery for Israel (Ps. 80; Isa. 5). Completes the unified I Am set; the adjective ‘benar’ shares the same root family as kebenaran/aletheia, reinforcing the term-collision watch-flag.
Monogenes
Approved rendering: Anak Tunggal / Anak-Nya yang Tunggal
Transliteration: Anak Tunggal / Anak-Nya yang Tunggal
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: penekanan pada kelahiran fisik/biologis
Original: μονογενής
Category: Christology
One-of-a-kind, unique Son (1:14, 18; 3:16, 18); emphasizes Christ’s singular, unrepeatable relationship to the Father, not primarily biological generation. Direct collision with the Quran’s explicit denial that Allah has a son. Requires the same theologian-reviewed teaching note as Anak Allah every occurrence.
Unity Father Son
Approved rendering: Aku dan Bapa adalah satu
Transliteration: Aku dan Bapa adalah satu
Doctrine: Unity of the Father and the Son
Rejected alternatives: Aku dan Bapa sehati
Original: ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν
Category: Christology
The Gospel’s clearest statement of essential Father-Son unity (10:30; cf. 14:9-11). Directly and explicitly collides with tawhid and the charge of shirk; the text itself records the Jewish hearers’ immediate charge of blasphemy and attempted stoning (10:31-33) — this charge must not be softened away in translation. Never soften to ‘sehati’ (of one heart/mind, mere agreement).
Thomas Confession
Approved rendering: Tuhanku dan Allahku
Transliteration: Tuhanku dan Allahku
Doctrine: Worship Offered to Christ
Rejected alternatives: Tuhanku dan yang mulia
Original: ὁ κύριός μου καὶ ὁ θεός μου
Category: Christology
Thomas’s climactic confession (20:28), applying both Tuhan and Allah, unqualified, directly and personally to the risen Jesus. Arguably the single most doctrinally explosive verse in the Gospel for an Indonesian audience: it applies Allah itself, unqualified, to Jesus, maximally engaging tawhid and the charge of shirk. Must be rendered with full force, no softening permitted.
Worship Of Jesus
Approved rendering: menyembah
Transliteration: menyembah
Doctrine: Worship Offered to Christ
Rejected alternatives: menghormati sebagai penghormatan biasa
Original: προσκυνέω
Category: Christology
Direct religious worship (proskyneo) offered to, and accepted by, Jesus (9:38; implicit at 20:28). Must not be rendered as mere respect/homage; proskynesis directed at and accepted by Jesus is a strong implicit deity claim requiring the same theologian-level sensitivity as explicit Son of God statements.
Equal Honor Father Son
Approved rendering: menghormati Sang Anak sama seperti menghormati Bapa
Transliteration: menghormati Sang Anak sama seperti menghormati Bapa
Doctrine: Unity of the Father and the Son
Original: τιμᾶν τὸν υἱὸν καθὼς τιμῶσι τὸν πατέρα
Category: Christology
Jesus’s claim that all people should honor the Son just as they honor the Father (5:23), a direct claim to co-equal deity. Directly engages tawhid; requires the same theologian-level review as Anak Allah, since equal honor rendered to a creature alongside God would itself constitute shirk if Jesus were not, in fact, divine.
Born Again
Approved rendering: dilahirkan kembali
Transliteration: dilahirkan kembali
Doctrine: The New Birth and Regeneration by the Spirit
Rejected alternatives: mandi taubat, wudu berulang, kelahiran ulang karma
Original: γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν
Category: Salvation
The core passage’s central term (3:3, 7): John deliberately exploits both ‘again’ and ‘from above’ senses of anothen. Must never be read as a call to repeated ritual purification (wudu, mandi taubat) nor a karmic rebirth cycle. Mandatory teaching note required every occurrence clarifying that the birth in view originates from God/heaven, not merely a repeated natural or ritual event.
Eternal Life
Approved rendering: hidup yang kekal
Transliteration: hidup yang kekal
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Rejected alternatives: hidup di akhirat semata (durasi masa depan saja)
Original: ζωὴ αἰώνιος
Category: Salvation
Not merely unending duration but the quality of resurrection/kingdom life belonging to the age to come, possessed already now by faith (3:15-16, 36; 5:24; 6:47; 17:3). Must be sharply distinguished from Islam’s al-hayat al-akhirah, entered only after a deeds-weighing judgment (mizan) at the Last Day. John 17:3 is the Gospel’s own relational definition and should anchor every Critical-risk occurrence.
It Is Finished
Approved rendering: Sudah genap
Transliteration: Sudah genap
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Original: τετέλεσται
Category: Salvation
Christ’s final word from the cross (19:30, tetelestai), a perfect-tense declaration that his atoning work is completely and finally accomplished. ‘Sudah genap’ preserves prophetic/redemptive fulfillment rather than mere cessation of suffering. OPEN FLAG per 05_translation_landscape.md: mainstream TB/BIS render this ‘Sudah selesai’ (‘it is done/over’); this package retains ‘Sudah genap’ as a reasoned departure pending final theologian confirmation before Phase 2 lock. If theologian review instead adopts ‘Sudah selesai,’ it must carry a mandatory supplementary teaching note supplying the ‘sufficient, no further works needed’ sense before this entry is updated.
Crucify
Approved rendering: menyalibkan
Transliteration: menyalibkan
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Original: σταυρόω
Category: Salvation
The historical, physical crucifixion of Jesus (19:16-18, 23, 41). Direct, irreconcilable content-collision with Quran 4:157’s denial that Jesus was crucified. This is a content-collision risk, not a word-choice risk: every Passion-narrative occurrence requires a theologian-reviewed note affirming the historical crucifixion as foundational and non-negotiable, per Doctrinal Preservation Rule 1.
Paraclete
Approved rendering: Penghibur
Transliteration: Penghibur
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Rejected alternatives: nubuat tentang Muhammad, tenaga aktif Allah
Original: Παράκλητος
Category: God
SPECIFIC POLEMICAL COLLISION: some Indonesian Islamic apologetic traditions argue the Paraclete prophecy (14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7) refers to Muhammad, not the Holy Spirit — a more targeted, named argument than the general Roh Kudus/Ruh al-Qudus collision. Every occurrence requires a theologian-reviewed note (a) identifying the Paraclete as the Holy Spirit already active among believers (John 20:22; Acts 2), not a future human prophet, and (b) anchoring fulfillment within the apostolic generation (14:3, 12, 28; 16:7). ‘Penolong’ and ‘Penasihat’ are viable secondary teaching glosses, not primary renderings. Never adopt the Jehovah’s Witness ‘tenaga aktif Allah’ (‘God’s active force’) framing, which denies the Spirit’s personhood.
Receive Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: terimalah Roh Kudus
Transliteration: terimalah Roh Kudus
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Rejected alternatives: Ruh al-Qudus/Jibril
Original: λάβετε Πνεῦμα Ἅγιον
Category: God
The risen Christ’s anticipatory enactment of the Paraclete promise, breathing on the disciples (20:22), echoing Genesis 2:7’s life-giving breath. Reinforces that the Spirit given here is personal and divine, not Islam’s Ruh al-Qudus/Gabriel.
Truth
Approved rendering: kebenaran
Transliteration: kebenaran
Doctrine: Truth and God’s Self-Revelation in Christ
Original: ἀλήθεια
Category: Christology
TERM-COLLISION FLAG: Indonesian kebenaran is the baseline’s exact word for righteousness (dikaiosyne, forensic standing, which barely appears in John), while aletheia (truth/reality/God’s self-revelation in Christ) is a major, distinct Johannine term occurring over 25 times (1:14, 17; 3:21; 8:32; 14:6; 15:1; 17:17). Every occurrence must be flagged and, where load-bearing (especially 14:6, an I Am statement), accompanied by a note clarifying ‘truth/reality’ is meant, not forensic righteousness. This is a standing systemic fence, not a one-time footnote.
High Risk Terms
God
Approved rendering: Allah
Transliteration: Allah
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Original: θεός
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Allah has been the established Indonesian Christian term since the earliest Malay-language Bible translations of the 17th century; the risk lies in surrounding vocabulary (rasul, nabi, syafaat, Anak Allah), not the term itself. In John, this term reaches its highest tension at 20:28, where Thomas applies it directly and unqualified to Jesus, the single most doctrinally explosive verse in the book for a tawhid-shaped audience.
Lord
Approved rendering: Tuhan
Transliteration: Tuhan
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Tuhan is broad, generic vocabulary across Indonesian religious usage; in John (4:11; 6:68; 9:38; 11:27; 20:28; 21:7) context must establish exclusive, supreme divine Lordship, climaxing in Thomas’s confession (20:28).
Grace
Approved rendering: anugerah
Transliteration: anugerah
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: rahmat, pahala
Original: χάρις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. John 1:14, 16-17 sets grace-and-truth (through Christ) explicitly against the Law given through Moses; must not be rendered as pahala (merit) or rahmat (general mercy), preserving the same contrast the baseline documents for Romans.
Glory
Approved rendering: kemuliaan
Transliteration: kemuliaan
Doctrine: Deity and Pre-existence of Christ
Original: δόξα
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package, RISK ELEVATED from Medium to High for this curriculum. Recurs as a structural motif across John (1:14; 2:11; 5:41-44; 7:18; 8:50-54; 11:4, 40; 12:41-43; ch.17) with far greater doctrinal density than in Romans; ties directly to Deity of Christ, since the glory the Son shares is explicitly the Father’s own pre-creation glory (17:5, 24).
Prophet
Approved rendering: nabi
Transliteration: nabi
Doctrine: Inspiration of Scripture
Original: προφήτης
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Nabi is shared vocabulary with Islam’s closed prophetic line ending in Muhammad. John repeatedly narrates characters mistaking Jesus for merely ‘a prophet’ (6:14; 9:17) at the exact moments the Gospel’s own claim is categorically greater (Son of God, the Word); this narrative irony must be preserved and taught, not silently smoothed over.
Resurrection
Approved rendering: kebangkitan
Transliteration: kebangkitan
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Original: ἀνάστασις
Category: Eschatology
Inherited from Romans package. Islam affirms only a future general resurrection at judgment; John’s distinct claim is that Christ’s own specific, historical resurrection (denied by Quran 4:157’s crucifixion denial) is both accomplished fact (ch. 20, narrated historically) and present life-giving power (11:24-25, enacted in Lazarus).
Faith
Approved rendering: iman
Transliteration: iman
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Original: πίστις
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Must be taught as pointing to the same reality as the pervasive Johannine verb ‘percaya’ (~98 occurrences), since Indonesian uses etymologically distinct noun/verb forms, unlike Arabic-derived iman/mu’min pairs in Islamic usage. See new term ‘believe’ below.
Election
Approved rendering: pemilihan
Transliteration: pemilihan
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Rejected alternatives: takdir
Original: ἐκλέγομαι
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Never use takdir (impersonal fate/decree); John frames this as a personal relationship of choosing by Christ himself (6:70; 13:18; 15:16, 19).
Son Of Man
Approved rendering: Anak Manusia
Transliteration: Anak Manusia
Doctrine: Christ as the Son of Man
Rejected alternatives: bani Adam, manusia biasa
Original: υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου
Category: Christology
A specific messianic self-title (Daniel 7:13-14) carrying exalted divine authority plus true humanity (1:51; 3:13-14; 5:27; 6:27, 53, 62; 9:35; 12:23, 34; 13:31). Must not be flattened to mean merely ‘a human being’ nor confused with the Quranic bani Adam (‘children of Adam’). Must remain visibly distinct from Anak Allah so learners do not conflate the two titles.
Ascend Descend
Approved rendering: naik ke sorga / turun dari sorga
Transliteration: naik ke sorga / turun dari sorga
Doctrine: The Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
Rejected alternatives: kenaikan sesaat seperti Mi’raj
Original: ἀναβαίνω / καταβαίνω
Category: Christology
Christ’s movement between heavenly origin and earthly mission (3:13; 6:38, 62), claiming real pre-existence. Must be read as real pre-existence and heavenly-earthly movement, not a creature’s temporary visionary journey like Islam’s account of Muhammad’s Mi’raj (night-ascent), a fundamentally different category of event.
Blasphemy Claim
Approved rendering: menghujat
Transliteration: menghujat
Doctrine: Unity of the Father and the Son
Original: βλασφημία / θεοποιεῖς σεαυτόν
Category: Christology
The Jewish leaders’ charge against Jesus for ‘making yourself God’ (10:33), confirming his contemporaries understood his claims as claims to full deity. Valuable teaching anchor against readings that soften Jesus’s self-claims as merely honorific.
Lamb Of God
Approved rendering: Anak Domba Allah
Transliteration: Anak Domba Allah
Doctrine: Lamb of God and Atonement
Original: Ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ
Category: Salvation
John the Baptist’s declaration (1:29, 36), anticipating Christ’s substitutionary, sacrificial death, fulfilled at 19:36’s Passover-lamb typology. Must be kept lexically distinct from Anak Allah (Son of God) via the head noun ‘domba’; still requires a translator note anchoring this to Passover/OT sacrificial typology.
Lifted Up
Approved rendering: ditinggikan
Transliteration: ditinggikan
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Original: ὑψόω
Category: Salvation
John’s deliberate double sense: physically lifted up on the cross AND thereby exalted in glory (3:14; 8:28; 12:32-34). Requires a teaching note preserving both senses together, a distinctly Johannine emphasis lost if rendered with only a single flat sense.
Authority
Approved rendering: kuasa
Transliteration: kuasa
Doctrine: The Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
Original: ἐξουσία
Category: Christology
Delegated divine authority Christ possesses to give life, to judge, and to lay down and take up his own life (1:12; 5:27; 10:18; 17:2; 19:10-11). Must convey authority given by God and possessed intrinsically by the Son, not merely political or social power; 19:10-11 explicitly contrasts human delegated authority with authority given ‘from above.‘
Born Of Water And Spirit
Approved rendering: dilahirkan dari air dan Roh
Transliteration: dilahirkan dari air dan Roh
Doctrine: The New Birth and Regeneration by the Spirit
Rejected alternatives: wudu, mandi wajib
Original: γεννηθῇ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος
Category: Salvation
The necessary condition for entering God’s kingdom, pairing water and Spirit as together constituting the new birth (3:5). Must be anchored to the Spirit’s cleansing, life-giving new-covenant work (Ezek. 36:25-27), not to Islamic ritual ablution or ritual bathing, which are works of external religious purification.
Living Water
Approved rendering: air hidup
Transliteration: air hidup
Doctrine: Living Water and the Indwelling Spirit
Original: ὕδωρ ζῶν / ποταμοὶ ὕδατος ζῶντος
Category: Salvation
Christ’s offer of permanently satisfying water, prefiguring the Spirit’s indwelling gift, explicitly glossed by John himself as the Spirit (4:10-14; 7:37-39). Must be taught as a single motif chain from 3:5 through 4:10-14 to 7:39’s explicit gloss, preventing an isolated ritual-purification reading of any single occurrence.
Flesh
Approved rendering: daging
Transliteration: daging
Doctrine: The Flesh/Spirit Distinction
Rejected alternatives: tubuh yang berdosa secara inheren
Original: σάρξ
Category: Salvation
That which is merely natural/human, as opposed to Spirit-originated; a categorical, not primarily moral, distinction in 3:6, contrasted with the affirmatively good sarx of the Incarnation (1:14). Must not be read moralistically as if ‘flesh’ equals inherently sinful body, an idea with resonance in ascetic strands of Indonesian religious culture.
Life
Approved rendering: hidup
Transliteration: hidup
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Original: ζωή
Category: Salvation
The divine, spiritual life the Word/Christ possesses intrinsically in himself and gives to believers (1:4; 5:26; 6:35; 11:25; 14:6). Foundational term underlying eternal life and the I Am statements; must be read as an attribute Christ possesses in himself, not merely bestowed from an external source.
Believe
Approved rendering: percaya
Transliteration: percaya
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Rejected alternatives: sekadar pengakuan intelektual
Original: πιστεύω
Category: Faith
Continuous, personal trust directed at Christ himself, occurring nearly 98 times across the Gospel. Must be anchored to personal trust in Christ specifically, not softened into mere intellectual assent; teach as pointing to the same reality as the noun iman despite the etymologically distinct Indonesian noun/verb forms.
Perish
Approved rendering: binasa
Transliteration: binasa
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Rejected alternatives: menderita, tidak berbahagia
Original: ἀπόλλυμι
Category: Salvation
Ruin, ultimate loss of relationship with God, the negative alternative to eternal life (3:16). Must preserve the binary stakes of 3:16 (perish vs. eternal life); must not be softened.
Handed Over
Approved rendering: menyerahkan / mengkhianati
Transliteration: menyerahkan / mengkhianati
Doctrine: Betrayal and Divine Sovereignty
Original: παραδίδωμι
Category: Salvation
Delivering up to authorities/death, describing both Judas’s betrayal and the Father’s/Son’s willing handing over for redemption (13:2, 21). Must distinguish Judas’s culpable betrayal from the willing, sovereign ‘handing over’ of the Son.
Eat Flesh Drink Blood
Approved rendering: makan daging-Ku / minum darah-Ku
Transliteration: makan daging-Ku / minum darah-Ku
Doctrine: Lamb of God and Atonement
Rejected alternatives: pemahaman literal/kanibalisme
Original: σάρκα φαγεῖν / αἷμα πιεῖν
Category: Salvation
Provocative, deliberately shocking language pointing forward to the cross (6:53-56). Must be taught as figurative appropriation of Christ’s substitutionary death, not literal cannibalism, and sensitively given Quran 5:3’s explicit prohibition on consuming blood.
Blood And Water
Approved rendering: darah dan air
Transliteration: darah dan air
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
Original: αἷμα καὶ ὕδωρ
Category: Salvation
The physical fluids that flowed from the crucified body of Christ (19:34), confirming the physical reality and completeness of his death against docetic readings and, indirectly, providing apologetic detail relevant to Islam’s denial of the crucifixion.
Wind Spirit Wordplay
Approved rendering: angin … Roh
Transliteration: angin … Roh
Doctrine: The New Birth and Regeneration by the Spirit
Original: πνεῦμα (τὸ πνεῦμα πνεῖ)
Category: God
The Greek pun (one word, pneuma, for both ‘wind’ and ‘Spirit’) is untranslatable in Indonesian, as in most English versions (3:8). The sovereign-freedom point it makes must be supplied by explicit teaching note rather than left implicit in translation; this is a structural/lexical gap, not a term-choice problem.
Gods Love
Approved rendering: mengasihi
Transliteration: mengasihi
Doctrine: God’s Love for the World
Rejected alternatives: rahmat
Original: ἀγαπάω
Category: Salvation
Selfless, deliberate, willed divine love, the ground and initiator of salvation directed toward the whole world (3:16). Must retain the sense of deliberate, self-giving divine initiative, not mere sentiment, and must never be substituted with rahmat (general mercy).
World
Approved rendering: dunia
Transliteration: dunia
Doctrine: God’s Love for the World
Rejected alternatives: komunitas kami (penyempitan lingkup)
Original: κόσμος
Category: Salvation
Humanity in general, the object of God’s redeeming love (3:16; 4:42) but also, in its unregenerate rebellion, hostile toward Christ (15:18-19). Must retain full, unqualified universal scope; must not be softened into ‘our community,’ given Indonesia’s social organization around registered religious-community (agama) identity. John’s consistent double use must be taught together, not treated as contradictory.
Savior Of The World
Approved rendering: Juruselamat dunia
Transliteration: Juruselamat dunia
Doctrine: Universal Scope of Salvation
Original: σωτὴρ τοῦ κόσμου
Category: Salvation
The Samaritans’ confession that universalizes salvation beyond Israel (4:42), anticipating the Gentile mission. Reinforces Unity of Jews and Gentiles and Universal Scope of Salvation; must retain unrestricted universal scope.
Judgment
Approved rendering: penghakiman / menghakimi
Transliteration: penghakiman / menghakimi
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Rejected alternatives: penghakiman masa depan semata
Original: κρίσις / κρίνω
Category: Judgment
The verdict consisting in humanity’s response to the light (Christ) that has entered the world; also explicit judgment authority given to the Son (3:19; 5:22-29; 9:39; 12:47-48). Must preserve John’s present-tense verdict framework as distinct from Islam’s yaum al-qiyamah deeds-weighing framework deferred entirely to the Last Day.
Condemned Not Condemned
Approved rendering: sudah dihukum / tidak dihukum
Transliteration: sudah dihukum / tidak dihukum
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Original: κέκριται
Category: Judgment
A present-tense verdict already in effect based on one’s relationship to Christ now, not merely a future pronouncement (3:18). Must be preserved as a current status, not softened into a purely future prospect; the doctrinal heart of Judgment and Belief/Unbelief.
Light
Approved rendering: terang
Transliteration: terang
Doctrine: Light and Darkness
Original: φῶς
Category: Judgment
A major recurring symbol for Christ himself and for revealed truth/moral goodness (1:4-9; 3:19-21; 8:12; 9:5; 12:35-36, 46). Must be read as one consistent Christological and moral symbol running through the entire Gospel, not translated as an isolated local metaphor in each chapter. Care needed that this is not read through a separate Sufi-influenced ‘Nur Muhammad’ devotional lens present in some Indonesian folk-religious strands.
Wrath Of God
Approved rendering: murka Allah
Transliteration: murka Allah
Doctrine: The Wrath of God
Rejected alternatives: konsekuensi impersonal
Original: ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Judgment
God’s righteous judicial anger against sin, an abiding, personal state resting on unbelief (3:36). Must be preserved as personal, relational divine anger, not softened into impersonal ‘consequence’ or ‘misfortune,’ held in the same present-tense-verdict tension as krisis.
Testimony
Approved rendering: kesaksian / bersaksi
Transliteration: kesaksian / bersaksi
Doctrine: Testimony and Witness to Christ
Rejected alternatives: syahadah
Original: μαρτυρία / μαρτυρέω
Category: Faith
Eyewitness testimony to heavenly/historical realities personally witnessed, structuring John the Baptist’s role (1:7-8, 19-34) and Jesus’s own legal-style defense (3:11; 5:31-39). Must be distinguished from the Islamic syahadah, a fixed liturgical creedal confession formula, since John’s testimony is personal eyewitness testimony, not a formulaic act.
Convict
Approved rendering: menyingkapkan / menginsafkan
Transliteration: menyingkapkan / menginsafkan
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Original: ἐλέγχω / ἐλέγξει
Category: Judgment
The Spirit’s post-Pentecost ministry of exposing the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment (16:8), continuing the light’s exposing function from 3:19-20. Must preserve the structural link back to the core passage’s light/darkness, judgment themes.
Worship In Spirit And Truth
Approved rendering: menyembah dalam roh dan kebenaran
Transliteration: menyembah dalam roh dan kebenaran
Doctrine: Worship in Spirit and Truth
Rejected alternatives: ibadah ritual semata / lokasi yang benar semata
Original: προσκυνέω ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ
Category: Church
True worship, no longer tied to a specific holy site, but inward, Spirit-enabled, and truth-grounded (4:23-24). Significant given Indonesian ibadah’s emphasis on correct ritual form, place, and posture; must not be reduced to ‘sincerity matters more than location.‘
Temple
Approved rendering: Bait Allah
Transliteration: Bait Allah
Doctrine: The Temple as Christ’s Body
Original: ναός
Category: Christology
The inner sanctuary of the Jerusalem temple, identified by Jesus with his own body as the true locus of God’s presence, veiling a resurrection prophecy (2:19-21). The wordplay must be preserved with a translator note, since it foreshadows the Resurrection doctrine and Christ’s superseding of the temple system.
Believers Unity
Approved rendering: supaya mereka menjadi satu
Transliteration: supaya mereka menjadi satu
Doctrine: Believers’ Unity in Christ
Rejected alternatives: kesatuan esensi ilahi yang sama dengan Bapa dan Anak
Original: ἵνα ὦσιν ἕν
Category: Church
The unity of believers, patterned on and grounded in, but not ontologically identical to, the Father-Son unity of 10:30 (17:11, 21-22). Must not be conflated with 10:30’s stronger ontological claim; believers do not become one divine essence with God, and this distinction must be preserved in teaching notes.
Medium Risk Terms
Sin
Approved rendering: dosa
Transliteration: dosa
Doctrine: Universal Human Accountability
Original: ἁμαρτία
Category: Sin
Inherited from Romans package. Shared vocabulary across Indonesian Muslim and Christian usage; in John must be anchored to relational offense against a personal God, especially at 9:34 and 16:8-9’s Spirit-conviction context, rather than a purely legal infraction.
Law
Approved rendering: Hukum Taurat
Transliteration: Hukum Taurat
Doctrine: Fulfillment of the Law
Rejected alternatives: syariat
Original: νόμος
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Never use syariat. John 1:17, 45; 7:19-23, 49-51 tie this term to Moses and to Sabbath-keeping controversies that structure several sign narratives; read as fulfillment, not lawless abrogation.
Israel
Approved rendering: Israel
Transliteration: Israel
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Prophecy
Original: Ἰσραήλ
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Established proper name; in John, the community Nicodemus is called ‘the teacher of’ (3:10) and Nathanael confesses Jesus as ‘King of’ (1:49). Retain unambiguous theological usage distinct from contemporary political sensitivity.
David
Approved rendering: Daud
Transliteration: Daud
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Prophecy
Original: Δαυίδ
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Established Indonesian Bible proper-name form; invoked in the crowd’s debate over Jesus’s Galilean origin and Davidic lineage (7:42).
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: Kerajaan Allah
Transliteration: Kerajaan Allah
Doctrine: New Birth and Regeneration
Original: βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Kingdom
Inherited from Romans package. Entry into God’s kingdom is conditioned entirely on the new birth (3:3, 5); Jesus’s own kingdom is explicitly ‘not of this world’ (18:36) — a point elevated to High-context sensitivity in Indonesia’s religion-and-political-power discourse. Distinguish from an earthly political kerajaan.
Mission
Approved rendering: pekabaran Injil
Transliteration: pekabaran Injil
Doctrine: Mission and Sending
Rejected alternatives: misi
Original: ἀποστέλλω / πέμπω
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Prefer pekabaran Injil over misi (colonial-era connotation); 20:21’s ‘as the Father has sent me, so I send you’ ties this term directly to the doctrine of the Father-Son sending relationship.
Sanctification
Approved rendering: pengudusan
Transliteration: pengudusan
Doctrine: Sanctification
Original: ἁγιάζω / ἁγιασμός
Category: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package. Tied in John to Christ’s own self-consecration for the cross (17:17, 19); distinguish from ritual purification.
Peace
Approved rendering: damai sejahtera
Transliteration: damai sejahtera
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Original: εἰρήνη
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Distinct from psychological calm or the greeting-word ‘salam’; in John this is peace given by the risen Christ himself (14:27; 16:33; 20:19, 21, 26).
Gentiles
Approved rendering: bangsa-bangsa lain
Transliteration: bangsa-bangsa lain
Doctrine: Universal Scope of Salvation
Rejected alternatives: orang kafir
Original: ἔθνη / Ἕλληνες
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Never use orang kafir. John does not use this term as frequently as Romans but carries the same theological point through ‘other sheep not of this fold’ (10:16) and the Greeks who seek Jesus (12:20).
Darkness
Approved rendering: kegelapan
Transliteration: kegelapan
Doctrine: Light and Darkness
Rejected alternatives: ketidaktahuan semata
Original: σκότος / σκοτία
Category: Judgment
Moral/spiritual alienation from God and willful rejection of revealed truth, not mere ignorance (1:5; 3:19). Parallel symbolic term to terang, carrying the same weight throughout the Gospel.
Sign
Approved rendering: tanda
Transliteration: tanda
Doctrine: Sign Theology
Rejected alternatives: mujizat (generik)
Original: σημεῖον
Category: Christology
A miraculous act functioning as a pointer to a deeper spiritual reality, structuring the first half of John’s Gospel (2:11; 4:54; 6:14; 9:16; 20:30-31). Must be distinguished from the generic word for ‘miracle’ so readers track John’s distinctive sign-theology: signs reveal Christ’s identity, not mere wonder-working.
New Commandment
Approved rendering: perintah baru
Transliteration: perintah baru
Doctrine: The New Commandment of Love
Original: ἐντολὴ καινή
Category: Church
Christ’s command to love one another as he has loved his disciples (13:34-35; 15:12-17), grounding Christian ethics in his own self-giving love, not law-code compliance.
Shepherd The Sheep
Approved rendering: gembalakanlah domba-domba-Ku
Transliteration: gembalakanlah domba-domba-Ku
Doctrine: The Good Shepherd and Pastoral Ministry
Original: ποίμαινε / βόσκε
Category: Church
Christ’s commission to Peter to continue his own shepherding ministry (21:15-17; cf. 10:11-16). Ties directly back to the Good Shepherd I Am statement, reinforcing that all subsequent church ministry is derivative of, and accountable to, Christ’s own shepherding.
Slave To Sin
Approved rendering: hamba dosa
Transliteration: hamba dosa
Doctrine: Sin
Rejected alternatives: hamba Allah (sense positif yang berbeda)
Original: δοῦλος (τῆς ἁμαρτίας)
Category: Sin
Bondage to sin from which only the Son can grant true, lasting freedom (8:34-36). Distinguish from the positive devotional sense of hamba Allah (servant of God) used elsewhere in Indonesian usage; here explicitly negative.
Low Risk Terms
Moses
Approved rendering: Musa
Transliteration: Musa
Doctrine: Fulfillment of the Law
Original: Μωϋσῆς
Category: Covenant
The lawgiver through whom the Law came, and the one who lifted up the bronze serpent, typologically fulfilled in Christ’s own lifting up (1:17, 45; 3:14; 5:45-46; 7:19-23). Established Indonesian Bible proper-name form; low risk in itself, but anchors the High-risk bronze-serpent typology at 3:14.
Referenced passages