Semantic Analysis — Acts (English → Italian)

Curriculum: Acts 1–28 Core passage: Acts 2:1-41 (Pentecost) Doctrines in scope: The Holy Spirit and Pentecost; The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles; Repentance and Baptism; The Church as Community; Apostolic Authority and Miracles; Persecution and Bold Witness; Conversion of Paul; Justification apart from the Law; The Great Commission Fulfilled.

Governing rule: Any term already recorded in the baseline Romans translation_memory.json is reused here exactly with its established Italian rendering and risk tier. Only genuinely new Acts vocabulary receives a new risk assessment. Reused terms are marked [BASELINE] below.

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PART 1 — Core Passage Verse-by-Verse: Acts 2:1-41

Acts 2:1

“When the day of Pentecost arrived…”

Original (translit.)	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
πεντηκοστή (pentēkostē)	“fiftieth [day]“	The Jewish harvest feast (Shavuot) fifty days after Passover; by NT times also commemorating the giving of the Law at Sinai	Pentecost	The Spirit is poured out on the very feast that celebrated the giving of the Law at Sinai — a deliberate typological pairing: the New Covenant’s Spirit-gift fulfills/supersedes the Old Covenant’s Law-gift.	Pentecoste. Risk: High. Pentecoste is a major feast in the Italian Catholic liturgical calendar (a national and civic reference point) and is also the root of “Pentecostale,” Italy’s largest Protestant denominational family (Assemblee di Dio in Italia). Readers may default either to the liturgical-sacramental Catholic frame (Pentecost as Confirmation’s theological anchor) or to a denominational-label frame (assuming the text argues for a specific “Pentecostal” distinctive, e.g. tongues as normative post-conversion experience). Requires framing as a historical, once-for-all salvation-history event, not primarily a liturgical feast or a denominational proof-text.
συνέρχομαι (synerchomai, “were… together”)	to come/gather together	assembling in one place	were together, had gathered	The gathered disciples, not an isolated individual, are the recipients — corporate, not private, reception of the Spirit.	No separate glossary entry; reinforces la chiesa [BASELINE: church] as the community context of the Spirit’s coming. Risk: Low.

Acts 2:2

Original	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
πνοή (pnoē)	breath, blast, wind	breath of life, natural wind, divine breath (cf. Genesis 2:7 LXX)	sound like a mighty wind, rushing wind	Echoes Genesis creation-breath and Ezekiel 37’s breath entering dry bones: the Spirit’s coming is a new-creation, resurrection-life event, not mere weather.	vento/soffio impetuoso. Risk: Medium. Must not read as a meteorological curiosity; gloss should tie to ruach/pneuma wind-breath-Spirit wordplay so the new-creation resonance is not lost.

Acts 2:3

Original	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
γλῶσσαι ὡσεὶ πυρός (glōssai hōsei pyros)	“tongues as of fire”	γλῶσσα = tongue (organ) / language; here a flame-shape resembling a tongue	tongues of fire, flames like tongues	Fire signifies divine presence/theophany (burning bush, Sinai) and purifying judgment; the shape anticipates the speech-miracle of v.4.	lingue di fuoco. Risk: Medium. Distinguish the visual/symbolic “tongue-shaped flame” (v.3) from the linguistic “tongues/languages” of v.4 — same Italian noun lingua covers both senses (as in Greek and English), which is a feature to exploit, not a problem, but reviewers should confirm the wordplay reads naturally in Italian.

Acts 2:4

Original	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
ἐπλήσθησαν πνεύματος ἁγίου (eplēsthēsan pneumatos hagiou)	“were filled with Holy Spirit”	to be filled/saturated; here total, empowering saturation, not partial possession	filled with the Holy Spirit	Distinct from indwelling at conversion; this is empowerment for bold, Spirit-directed proclamation — the pattern repeated at Acts 4:8, 4:31, 13:9.	essere ripieno/ripieni di Spirito Santo. Risk: High. Italian Catholic Charismatic Renewal (“Rinnovamento nello Spirito Santo”) and Pentecostal (“Assemblee di Dio”) communities both use very similar language (“essere battezzati/riempiti di Spirito”) for a distinct, often post-conversion “Spirit baptism” experience with denomination-specific theology attached. Must be anchored to the Acts narrative event itself, not imported into a generalized “second blessing” doctrine without flagging the live debate to reviewers.
ἑτέραις γλώσσαις (heterais glōssais)	“other/different tongues”	ἕτερος = other (of a different kind); γλῶσσα = language/tongue	other tongues, other languages	Real, known human languages (confirmed by v.6, 8, 11: “each one heard them speaking in his own language”) — this is xenoglossy (intelligible languages), not private ecstatic speech.	altre lingue. Risk: Critical. Central flashpoint: Pentecostal/Charismatic Italian tradition often reads “parlare in lingue” through 1 Corinthians 12–14’s private-prayer-language lens; Acts 2 must be clearly anchored as known, understood human languages given for public proclamation, not glossolalia in the 1 Corinthians sense. Reviewer note required distinguishing the two NT tongues-phenomena.

Acts 2:5

Original	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
εὐλαβεῖς (eulabeis)	devout, reverent, careful (in religious observance)	pious, God-fearing (of a Jew observant of Torah)	devout, godly	Marks faithful diaspora Jews gathered for the feast — the initial, Jewish-only audience of the Spirit’s first public sign, important for the Jew-then-Gentile pattern that structures all of Acts.	devoto/pio. Risk: Low-Medium. Distinguish from the separate term “temente Dio” (God-fearer, used later of Gentile sympathizers such as Cornelius, Acts 10:2) — do not conflate the two categories; εὐλαβής here describes devout Jews, not Gentile sympathizers.
ἐθνῶν (“nation,” here “under heaven”)	nation, people group	ethnic/national group	nation	The universal geographic scope (“every nation under heaven”) foreshadows the gospel’s eventual reach to all ἔθνη (Gentiles) — a deliberate narrative seed for the book’s Jew-Gentile theme.	Not a separate glossary entry here; connects forward to pagani [BASELINE: gentiles]. Risk: Medium, per baseline note on “pagani” carrying a mildly pejorative “uncivilized” connotation.

Acts 2:6-11

(the nations list; narrative amplification of v.5’s theme)

Original	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
συνεχύθη (synechythē)	was thrown into confusion, was bewildered	perplexity, disorientation	were bewildered, confused	Marks the crowd’s astonishment as a genuine reaction to a real miracle, not mass hysteria or drunkenness (anticipating v.13’s mocking counter-claim).	furono turbati/sconcertati. Risk: Low.
ἰδίᾳ διαλέκτῳ (idia dialektō)	“in his own dialect/language”	native tongue, mother tongue, regional speech	own language, native tongue	Confirms the miracle is intelligible, known human languages heard natively — decisively rules out unintelligible ecstatic speech as the referent here.	nella propria lingua/nel proprio dialetto. Risk: Medium. Reinforces the Critical note at v.4: this is the textual proof that Acts 2’s “tongues” = real known languages.
θαυμάζω / ἐξίσταντο (thaumazō / existanto)	to marvel; to be amazed, beside oneself	astonishment, wonder	were amazed, astounded	Appropriate awe-response to a divine sign.	stupirsi/essere fuori di sé per la meraviglia. Risk: Low.

Acts 2:12

Original	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
διηπόρουν (diēporoun)	were greatly perplexed, at a loss	genuine bafflement (distinct from mockery)	were perplexed, at a loss	Two responses to the same sign are now set up: sincere perplexity (v.12) vs. dismissive mockery (v.13) — a pattern that recurs throughout Acts whenever the gospel is preached.	erano perplessi. Risk: Low.

Acts 2:13

Original	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
γλεῦκος (gleukos)	sweet new wine	unfermented or young wine	new wine	The mocking, naturalistic explanation (“they are drunk”) that Peter’s sermon will directly refute — establishes the pattern of hostile misreading of Spirit-empowered witness that recurs (cf. persecution doctrine).	vino dolce/mosto. Risk: Low.

Acts 2:14

Original	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
ἀποφθέγγομαι (apophthengomai, “addressed them”)	to declare, speak out solemnly, pronounce	authoritative, oracular utterance	addressed, declared	Marks Peter’s speech as authoritative proclamation, not casual explanation — the beginning of apostolic public preaching.	Not a separate glossary term; reinforces apostolo [BASELINE: apostle] authority. Risk: Low.

Acts 2:15

Original	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
ὥρα τρίτη (hōra tritē, “third hour”)	9 a.m. by Jewish reckoning	time-of-day marker	third hour, nine in the morning	Refutes the drunkenness charge on plain factual grounds (too early in the day) before Peter moves to theological argument — reasoned, not merely asserted, witness.	le nove del mattino / l’ora terza. Risk: Low.

Acts 2:16-21 (Joel 2:28-32 citation)

Original	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
ἐν ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις (en tais eschatais hēmerais)	“in the last days”	the final eschatological era inaugurated by Messiah, not necessarily the immediate end of history	in the last days, in the latter days	Pentecost is presented as the beginning of the eschatological age promised by the prophets — the church age is itself “the last days.”	negli ultimi giorni. Risk: Medium. Popular Italian usage (including some fringe apocalyptic movements) can hear “ultimi giorni” as imminent-end-of-world sensationalism; the text’s sense is an inaugurated era beginning at Pentecost, continuing through the church age.
ἐκχεῶ (ekcheō, “I will pour out”)	to pour out, pour forth abundantly	lavish, unrestrained outpouring (liquid metaphor)	pour out, pour forth	God’s Spirit given generously and universally (“on all flesh”), not rationed to a religious elite — grounds the doctrine of the Holy Spirit and Pentecost.	effonderò. Risk: Medium. “Effusione dello Spirito” is itself established Catholic Charismatic Renewal technical vocabulary for a later, post-baptismal experience; ensure the Acts 2 citation is read as the founding historical event Joel/Peter describe, not automatically equated with a Renewal-movement “effusione” experience today.
πᾶσα σάρξ (pasa sarx, “all flesh”)	all flesh, every human being	universal scope, without ethnic/status/gender restriction	all flesh, all people	Directly anticipates the book’s Jew-Gentile, male-female, slave-free universality of gospel reach.	ogni persona/ogni carne. Risk: Medium. Ties to the Universal Scope of the Gospel doctrine [BASELINE doctrine risk category]; must not be narrowed to “every Jew” or “every man.”
προφητεύσουσιν (prophēteusousin)	they will prophesy	Spirit-given proclamation of God’s word, not necessarily prediction of the future	will prophesy	Sign that the Spirit-given prophetic gift, formerly rare and reserved (few OT prophets), is now poured out on “sons and daughters,” “young and old,” “male and female slaves” — radical democratization of Spirit-gifting.	profetizzeranno. Reuses profezia/profeta [BASELINE]. Risk: Low-Medium.
σημεῖα…τέρατα (sēmeia…terata, “signs…wonders”)	signs, wonders	attesting miracles that point beyond themselves to God’s action	signs and wonders	Sets up the recurring “signs and wonders” formula for apostolic ministry throughout Acts (doctrine: Apostolic Authority and Miracles).	segni e prodigi. Risk: Medium. New standing phrase for this curriculum; see glossary.
κύριος (kyrios, “the Lord” — quoting Joel’s YHWH)	Lord, master, sovereign	here rendering the divine name YHWH in the LXX Joel citation	the Lord	Peter will pivot (v.36) to apply this very title to Jesus — an intentional, climactic identification of the risen Jesus with the LORD of Joel’s prophecy.	Signore [BASELINE: lord]. Risk: High — same risk profile as baseline (everyday “Mr./sir” collision), heightened here because the rhetorical force of vv.16-36 depends on the reader tracking “Signore” (Joel’s YHWH) → “Signore” (v.36, Jesus) as the same exalted title.
σωθήσεται (sōthēsetai, “shall be saved”)	will be saved, delivered	rescue, deliverance (here: eschatological/spiritual deliverance)	will be saved	Sets the salvation-scope thesis for the whole sermon and answers the crowd’s question in v.37.	sarà salvato — reuses salvezza [BASELINE: salvation]. Risk: Medium per baseline.

Acts 2:22

Original	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
δυνάμεσι καὶ τέρασι καὶ σημείοις (dynamesi kai terasi kai sēmeiois)	“mighty works and wonders and signs”	δύναμις = power/capability; τέρας = wonder; σημεῖον = sign	miracles, wonders, and signs; mighty works	God’s own attestation of Jesus through observable, public, historically verifiable acts — grounding apologetic force, not merely subjective religious feeling.	opere potenti, prodigi e segni, drawing on potenza di Dio [BASELINE: power_of_god]. Risk: Medium.
Ναζωραῖος (Nazōraios, “of Nazareth”)	Nazarene, from Nazareth	geographic/sectarian identifier; later becomes a name for the Christian movement itself (“the sect of the Nazarenes,” Acts 24:5)	of Nazareth, the Nazarene	Grounds the universal, exalted claims of the sermon in a genuinely, verifiably human, historically locatable figure — the Incarnation and humanity of Christ made concrete.	di Nazaret / il Nazareno. Risk: Low, reinforces incarnazione/umanità di Cristo [BASELINE].

Acts 2:23

Original	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
πρόγνωσις (prognōsis, “foreknowledge”)	foreknowledge, knowing beforehand	God’s sovereign, purposive foreknowing (not mere foresight/prediction)	foreknowledge, predetermined plan	The cross was not an accident or a defeat but the outworking of God’s sovereign plan — ties directly to the Providence doctrine already flagged as High/Medium risk in the baseline package (Manzoni’s “la Provvidenza” resonance).	prescienza (di Dio). Risk: Medium, connects to provvidenza [BASELINE: providence]. Must not read as bare foreknowledge divorced from purposive sovereign plan.
ἔκδοτον (ekdoton, “delivered up”)	given over, handed over, betrayed	handing over to authorities/execution	delivered up, betrayed, handed over	Simultaneously affirms human culpability (“you crucified”) and divine sovereign purpose — holds both truths without contradiction, foundational to atonement doctrine.	consegnato. Risk: Medium.
ἀνόμων (anomōn, “lawless men”)	those without law, lawless	Gentile Roman authorities (from a Jewish vantage, outside Torah)	lawless men, godless men	Distinguishes the executing Roman authority from the “Legge” of Israel — see legge [BASELINE: law].	uomini senza legge. Risk: Low.

Acts 2:24

Original	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
ἀνέστησεν (anestēsen, “raised him up”)	raised up, made to stand again	resurrection (bodily, historical)	raised, resurrected	The central kerygmatic claim of apostolic preaching throughout Acts: God, not merely Jesus himself, is the acting subject of the resurrection.	Reuses risurrezione [BASELINE: resurrection]. Risk: Medium per baseline.
ὠδίνας τοῦ θανάτου (ōdinas tou thanatou, “pangs/birth-pains of death”)	birth pains, agonies (of death)	death pictured as labor pains that give way to new life	pangs of death, pains of death	Death is pictured as a temporary, labor-like agony that gives way to resurrection life, not a final, inescapable state — reinforces the once-for-all, historical nature of the resurrection against any cyclical rebirth reading.	doglie della morte. Risk: Low-Medium.

Acts 2:25-28 (Psalm 16 citation)

Original	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
ᾅδης (Hadēs)	Hades, the realm/abode of the dead	the intermediate state of the dead (not “hell” in the later sense of final punishment)	Hades, the grave, the realm of the dead	The Psalm’s promise that God’s Holy One would not be “abandoned” to the realm of the dead is fulfilled bodily and historically in Jesus’s resurrection.	Ades / il regno dei morti. Risk: High. Must NOT be rendered “inferno” (hell), which in Italian Catholic and popular usage denotes the place of final, eternal punishment for the damned — an entirely different biblical category from Hades/Sheol’s neutral “realm of the dead.” Conflating the two would unintentionally import a Holy Saturday “descent into hell” theology reading not required by the text.
ὅσιος (hosios, “holy one”)	holy, pious, consecrated (distinct root from ἅγιος)	devout faithfulness, covenant loyalty; in Messianic reading, applied to Christ	Holy One, your Holy One	A distinct Greek word from ἅγιος (hagios) but with no distinct Italian equivalent — both default to “santo.” Reviewers should be aware the Hebrew/Greek nuance (covenant-faithful one) is flattened in translation.	santo/il tuo Santo. Risk: Medium. Same surface form as santo [BASELINE: holy], but note the distinct underlying word; no separate Italian lexical item exists to preserve the nuance — flag for footnote-level explanation only, not a different rendering.

Acts 2:29

Original	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
πατριάρχης (patriarchēs)	patriarch, family/tribal father-founder	ancestral founding father of a people	patriarch	Honors David as Israel’s revered ancestor while about to argue that David’s own prophecy points beyond David to the Messiah — a key move in the Fulfillment of Prophecy / Messianic Promise doctrines.	patriarca. Risk: Low-Medium. Minor secondary association with the Eastern Orthodox/Catholic Eastern-rite ecclesiastical title “Patriarca” (e.g., Patriarch of Venice historically); context (David) fully disambiguates.
τάφος (taphos, “tomb”)	tomb, grave, burial place	physical grave site	tomb	Peter’s argument is deliberately evidential: David’s tomb is a known, visitable location (unlike the empty tomb of Jesus) — grounding resurrection in verifiable history.	tomba. Risk: Low.

Acts 2:30

Original	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
ὅρκος (horkos, “oath”)	oath, sworn promise	binding divine promise	oath, sworn promise	Grounds the Davidic Covenant [BASELINE doctrine]: God’s promise to David is a sworn, unbreakable covenant commitment, now fulfilled in Jesus.	giuramento. Risk: Low.
καρπὸς τῆς ὀσφύος (karpos tēs osphyos, “fruit of his loins”)	fruit of the body/loins	physical descendant	descendant, offspring	Restates the seed of David [BASELINE: seed_of_david] promise in its OT source-language idiom.	discendente/frutto delle sue viscere — reuses discendente di Davide [BASELINE]. Risk: Medium per baseline.

Acts 2:31

Original	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
προϊδὼν (proidōn, “foreseeing”)	seeing beforehand, foreseeing	prophetic foresight	foreseeing	David, as prophet, spoke of Messiah’s resurrection in advance — reinforces Fulfillment of Prophecy doctrine.	avendo previsto. Risk: Low.

Acts 2:32

Original	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
μάρτυρες (martyres, “witnesses”)	witnesses, those who testify (legal/experiential sense)	eyewitness testifiers; later Christian usage narrows this word toward “martyrs” (those who die for their testimony)	witnesses	The apostles’ authority rests on eyewitness testimony to the resurrection — foundational to Apostolic Authority doctrine and to the entire book’s structure (cf. Acts 1:8, “you will be my witnesses”).	testimoni. Risk: Medium. Watch the semantic drift across the book: by Acts 22:20 (Stephen) the same word-family begins to shade toward “one who dies for the testimony,” the seed of the later Italian “martire” (martyr). Keep “testimone” (witness) as the primary rendering throughout Acts; do not substitute “martire” except where death-for-testimony is explicitly in view.

Acts 2:33

Original	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
ὑψωθεὶς (hypsōtheis, “exalted”)	lifted up, exalted, raised on high	enthronement, elevation to supreme honor/authority	exalted, raised up	The resurrection culminates in Christ’s heavenly exaltation to God’s right hand — grounding Lordship of Christ [BASELINE doctrine].	innalzato/esaltato. Risk: Medium.
ἐπαγγελία τοῦ πνεύματος (epangelia tou pneumatos, “the promise of the Spirit”)	promise	a binding divine pledge, not a mere possibility	the promised Holy Spirit	Connects Pentecost directly to the OT promises (Joel, and implicitly the New Covenant promises of Jeremiah 31/Ezekiel 36) — ties Holy Spirit and Pentecost doctrine to Covenant doctrine [BASELINE].	la promessa dello Spirito. Risk: Medium.

Acts 2:34-35 (Psalm 110 citation)

Original	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου (kathou ek dexiōn mou, “sit at my right hand”)	sit at my right hand	position of supreme honor, co-regency	sit at my right hand	David’s own psalm distinguishes “the Lord” (YHWH) from “my Lord” (the enthroned Messiah) — Peter’s proof-text that David himself testified to a divine Messiah greater than David, reinforcing Deity of Christ [BASELINE, Critical].	siedi alla mia destra. Risk: Low (citation format), but doctrinally load-bearing for the Critical-risk Deity/Lordship of Christ doctrines above.

Acts 2:36

Original	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
κύριον καὶ Χριστόν (kyrion kai Christon, “Lord and Christ/Messiah”)	Lord and Anointed One	supreme sovereign authority + the fulfillment of Messianic promise, combined in one title-pair	Lord and Christ	The climactic double confession of the sermon: the crucified Jesus of Nazareth is both the sovereign LORD of Joel’s prophecy (v.21) and the promised Messiah of David’s line — the theological center of gravity for the whole passage.	Signore e Cristo — reuses Signore [BASELINE: lord] and Messia/Cristo [BASELINE: messiah]. Risk: Critical. This is the rhetorical hinge of the entire sermon; any softening (“un signore,” “un cristo”) would collapse the argument’s climax. Must render with full definite, exclusive force: “questo Gesù… Dio lo ha fatto Signore e Cristo.”

Acts 2:37

Original	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
κατενύγησαν τὴν καρδίαν (katenygēsan tēn kardian, “were pierced/cut to the heart”)	were stabbed, pricked, pierced (in the heart)	intense conviction, deep emotional and conscience-level impact	were cut to the heart, were pierced in their hearts	Genuine, Spirit-produced conviction of sin preceding repentance — models the pattern for evangelistic response throughout Acts.	furono trafitti/colpiti nel cuore. Risk: Low-Medium.

Acts 2:38 — the doctrinal hinge verse

Original	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
μετανοήσατε (metanoēsate, “repent”)	change your mind, turn around, reorient one’s whole direction	moral-spiritual reorientation, turning from sin toward God (not mere regret/emotion)	repent, turn, change your heart	The first response demanded of the convicted crowd: a Spirit-enabled reorientation of the whole person toward God, the foundation of the Repentance and Baptism doctrine.	convertitevi (primary; noun form conversione). Risk: Critical. Alternatives considered/rejected: bare pentimento/pentitevi — while a closer cognate, it invites strong association with the Catholic sacrament of Penance/Confession (“il sacramento della Penitenza,” “andare a confessarsi”), risking the reading that forgiveness in Acts 2:38 requires priestly absolution rather than direct, immediate turning to God through faith in Christ. ravvedetevi (Riveduta/Protestant-tradition choice) is an acceptable secondary register, preserving the same “change of mind/direction” sense with lower sacramental collision; may be used in Protestant-oriented materials with a cross-reference note. Reviewer must confirm which register the specific curriculum audience needs.
βαπτισθήτω (baptisthētō, “let… be baptized”)	be immersed, be dipped, be baptized	ritual washing signifying identification/cleansing; in NT, believer’s baptism marking public identification with Christ’s death/resurrection and entrance into the believing community	be baptized	Baptism here follows repentance and precedes/accompanies forgiveness and Spirit-reception — an ordered but unified complex of conversion, central to Repentance and Baptism doctrine.	essere battezzato / battesimo. Risk: Critical. Direct collision with sacramental theology: Catholic tradition normally administers baptism to infants as the means of regeneration/original-sin cleansing prior to any personal repentance or faith; Acts 2:38 presents baptism following personal repentance by those old enough to respond to preaching. Waldensian/evangelical tradition typically holds believer’s (credo-)baptism consistent with this text; some Reformed/Waldensian paedobaptist streams reconcile the tension via covenant-household theology (cf. Acts 16:31-33 below). This verse requires explicit theologian review flagging the infant-vs-believer baptism question without resolving it dogmatically beyond what the text itself states.
ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ (epi tō onomati Iēsou Christou, “in/on the name of Jesus Christ”)	upon/in the name	invoking, identifying with, under the authority of	in the name of Jesus Christ	Baptism’s meaning and authority are anchored in Jesus Christ specifically — not a generic religious washing.	nel nome di Gesù Cristo. Risk: Medium.
ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν (aphesin tōn hamartiōn, “forgiveness of sins”)	release, dismissal, sending away (of sins)	full remission/cancellation of moral debt/guilt	forgiveness of sins, remission of sins	Sins are fully released/cancelled — not merely covered or reduced — grounding assurance rather than perpetual guilt-management.	perdono dei peccati (primary); alternative remissione dei peccati (more liturgical/CEI-adjacent register, closely tied to the wording of the Catholic sacramental absolution formula — “ti assolvo… per la remissione dei peccati” — which could unintentionally suggest priestly mediation is required). Risk: High. Reuses peccato [BASELINE: sin, High risk] as its root; must retain the “che peccato!” colloquial-drift caution already flagged in baseline.
δωρεὰν τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος (dōrean tou hagiou pneumatos, “the gift of the Holy Spirit”)	gift, free gift	freely given, unearned endowment	the gift of the Holy Spirit	The Spirit himself, not merely his benefits, is given freely to every believer as part of conversion — not a separate, later “second blessing” reserved for the spiritually advanced.	il dono dello Spirito Santo. Risk: High. Collision risk with the distinct Catholic catechetical category of the “sette doni dello Spirito Santo” (the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, fear of the Lord), traditionally associated with the sacrament of Confirmation received later in life, not with initial conversion/baptism. Must clarify Acts 2:38 refers to the Spirit’s own personal indwelling given at conversion, not the separate catechetical “seven gifts” list.

Acts 2:39

Original	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
μακράν (makran, “far off”)	far away, at a distance	geographic and/or ethnic distance	those far off, those far away	Anticipates the Gentile mission (echoing Ephesians 2:13,17’s “far off” language) — an early textual seed of The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles doctrine.	lontani/coloro che sono lontani. Risk: Medium. Ties to Universal Scope of the Gospel [BASELINE doctrine, High risk].

Acts 2:40

Original	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
παρεκάλει (parekalei, “he exhorted”)	urged, encouraged, entreated	context-sensitive: earnest appeal or comforting encouragement	exhorted, urged, pleaded	Peter’s continued pastoral urgency beyond the formal sermon — models ongoing exhortation, not a single altar-call moment only.	Reuses esortare [BASELINE: exhort]. Risk: Low.
γενεᾶς σκολιᾶς (geneas skolias, “crooked generation”)	twisted, bent, crooked generation	morally corrupt, deviant generation (echoing Deuteronomy 32:5)	crooked generation, perverse generation	Frames the appeal within the OT prophetic tradition of calling God’s people out of covenant unfaithfulness.	generazione perversa/malvagia. Risk: Low-Medium.

Acts 2:41

Original	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
ἀποδεξάμενοι τὸν λόγον (apodexamenoi ton logon, “having received the word”)	having welcomed, accepted, received	genuine reception/acceptance of the message	received his word, welcomed his message	Marks genuine faith-response, not mere intellectual assent — the “word” here is the gospel proclamation just delivered.	accolsero la parola. Risk: Low.
ἐβαπτίσθησαν (ebaptisthēsan, “were baptized”)	were baptized	see v.38	were baptized	Immediate, public, corporate obedience to the command of v.38 — baptism as the normal, expected response to genuine repentance/faith, not a delayed or optional step.	Reuses battesimo [Critical, as above].
προσετέθησαν (prosetethēsan, “were added”)	were added, joined	incorporation into an existing, defined community	were added, joined	Salvation is inseparable from incorporation into the visible church community — grounds The Church as Community doctrine from the very first convert wave.	furono aggiunti/si unirono. Risk: Low-Medium.
ψυχαί (psychai, “souls”)	souls, persons, lives	whole-person reference (Hebraic totality, not disembodied “soul” in the Greek dualistic sense)	souls, people, persons	The number given (about 3,000) grounds the account in verifiable, countable history — whole persons converted, not abstract “spiritual experiences.”	persone (primary; anime an acceptable literary/liturgical-register alternative, e.g. echoing “cura delle anime,” pastoral care language). Risk: Low-Medium. Caution: “anime” alone in modern colloquial Italian can suggest a disembodied-soul reading foreign to the Hebraic whole-person sense; “persone” is clearer for general audiences.

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PART 2 — Chapter-by-Chapter Study of the Whole Book

Acts 1 — Ascension, the Promise, and the Apostolic Band Restored

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
kingdom of God βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ (basileia tou theou) God’s reign/sovereignty	God’s sovereign rule, not a territorial or political kingdom kingdom of God	The risen Christ’s forty-day teaching topic (1:3); disciples still misread it politically/nationally (1:6, “restore the kingdom to Israel”) — sets up the entire book’s correction of a nationalistic kingdom expectation toward a Spirit-empowered global mission.	Reuses Regno di Dio [BASELINE]. Risk: Medium per baseline; heightened relevance here since Acts 1:6 explicitly stages the misunderstanding the doctrine must correct.
power (empowerment for witness) δύναμις (dynamis) power, capability, might	inherent capability, here Spirit-given empowerment power	”You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you” (1:8) — the explicit statement that mission and witness are Spirit-enabled, not humanly generated.	Reuses potenza di Dio [BASELINE: power_of_god]. Risk: Medium.
witnesses μάρτυρες (martyres) witnesses, testifiers	see Acts 2:32 note above witnesses	Acts 1:8 is the book’s programmatic thesis verse: “you will be my witnesses… to the ends of the earth” — structures the entire narrative geography of Acts and directly serves The Great Commission Fulfilled doctrine.	testimoni. Risk: Medium, as above.
to the ends of the earth ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς (heōs eschatou tēs gēs) unto the extremity/farthest point of the earth	total geographic universality to the uttermost parts of the earth, to the ends of the earth	The Great Commission’s geographic scope-clause, fulfilled narratively by the book’s own structure (Jerusalem → Judea/Samaria → Rome, the known world’s capital).	fino agli estremi confini della terra. Risk: Medium. Key thematic phrase for Great Commission Fulfilled doctrine; ensure identical rendering wherever echoed (cf. 13:47 citing Isaiah 49:6).
apostle ἀπόστολος (apostolos) one sent	delegated, authoritative sent-ones; here also the replacement-selection process (Judas’s successor) apostle	Establishes the qualifying criterion (eyewitness to the risen Christ, 1:21-22) for apostolic authority underlying the whole Apostolic Authority and Miracles doctrine.	Reuses apostolo [BASELINE]. Risk: Low.
lot (κλῆρος, klēros, “casting lots”) κλῆρος lot, portion, that which is allotted by casting	random-selection device understood as revealing divine choice cast lots	Distinguishes ancient sortition-as-divine-guidance (pre-Pentecost) from the Spirit-guided decision-making that characterizes the church after Pentecost (contrast with, e.g., Acts 13:2’s direct Spirit-speech) — a subtle transitional marker.	sorte/tirare a sorte. Risk: Low, historical-cultural note only.

Acts 2 (continued: 2:42-47) — The Church’s First Pattern of Life

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
fellowship κοινωνία (koinōnia) shared participation	in NT: shared participation in Christ and with fellow believers fellowship	Names the second of four practices (teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, prayers) constituting the church’s normal communal life — the founding pattern for The Church as Community doctrine.	Reuses comunione fraterna [BASELINE]. Risk: High per baseline.
breaking of bread κλάσις τοῦ ἄρτου (klasis tou artou) the breaking of bread	shared common meals; in Acts, likely both ordinary table fellowship and (at least sometimes) a form of the Lord’s Supper, without later liturgical elaboration breaking of bread	Central, regular communal practice signifying shared life and (at least in nuce) commemoration of Christ, prior to any developed sacramental theology of the Eucharist.	frazione del pane. Risk: High. “La frazione del pane” is itself the technical liturgical phrase used within the Catholic Mass (echoing the institution narrative), carrying strong sacramental/transubstantiation associations. Must clarify Acts 2:42/2:46 describes the early church’s simple shared-meal practice, not (yet) a developed sacramental Eucharistic theology — while not denying continuity with the Lord’s Supper instituted at the Last Supper.
everything in common ἅπαντα κοινά (hapanta koina) all things common/shared	voluntary economic sharing among believers had all things in common	Radical voluntary economic solidarity flowing from Spirit-created unity — grounds The Church as Community doctrine’s practical, material dimension.	tutto in comune. Risk: Medium. Distinguish carefully from the different sense of κοινός at Acts 10:14 (“common”/unclean food) — same Greek root, unrelated meaning; do not let the Italian “comune” create false semantic bleed between the two contexts (flag for reviewers).
favor/goodwill χάρις (charis, “favor with all the people,” 2:47) grace, favor, goodwill	here: social favor/goodwill, though same word used elsewhere for saving grace favor, goodwill	Distinguish this everyday social-goodwill sense from the saving/theological sense of χάρις elsewhere in Acts (e.g., 4:33; 15:11) — same Italian word, context must disambiguate register.	Reuses grazia [BASELINE: grace] with a lower-doctrinal-weight sense here. Risk: Medium (register-disambiguation flag, not doctrinal collision).

Acts 3 — Healing at the Temple and Peter’s Second Sermon

Term	Original (translit.)	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
name (of Jesus)	ὄνομα (onoma)	name	invoked authority/identity	in the name, through the name	Healing power flows from Jesus’s name/authority specifically invoked in faith (3:6, 3:16), not from Peter’s own spiritual capital — grounds Apostolic Authority and Miracles doctrine.	nome (di Gesù). Risk: Medium.
the Holy and Righteous One	τὸν ἅγιον καὶ δίκαιον (ton hagion kai dikaion)	the Holy and Just/Righteous One	a Messianic title	the Holy and Righteous One	A Christological title combining santo [BASELINE: holy] and giusto/giustizia [BASELINE: righteousness] roots, applied to Jesus in contrast with the crowd’s rejection of him — reinforces Deity/Sonship of Christ doctrines.	il Santo e il Giusto. Risk: High. Reuses two Critical/High-risk baseline term-roots (santo, giustizia) in combination; ensure the combined title is not flattened into a generic moral-praise phrase but retained as a formal Messianic title.
Author/Prince of life	τὸν ἀρχηγὸν τῆς ζωῆς (ton archēgon tēs zōēs)	the originator, pioneer, founder (of life)	leader, founder, pioneer, champion	A unique title for Christ as the source and pioneer of resurrection life (echoed again at Hebrews 2:10, 12:2, not in Acts but same word-family) — Christological, tied to Resurrection of Christ doctrine.	autore/principe della vita. Risk: Medium. New term for this curriculum; no exact single-word Italian equivalent — “autore” (author/originator) is preferred over “principe” (prince), which risks a merely honorary/royal reading rather than the “source/originator” sense.
times of refreshing	καιροὶ ἀναψύξεως (kairoi anapsyxeōs)	times/seasons of refreshing, cooling, relief	eschatological relief/restoration following repentance	times of refreshing	Repentance is tied to future eschatological blessing — connects Repentance and Baptism doctrine forward to the book’s broader eschatological hope.	tempi di ristoro/sollievo. Risk: Low-Medium.
restoration of all things	ἀποκατάστασις πάντων (apokatastasis pantōn)	restoration of all things	final eschatological restoration	restoration of all things	Peter locates Jesus’s still-future return within the larger sweep of OT promise concerning cosmic restoration — do not confuse with the heterodox “universal restoration/apokatastasis” doctrine debated in later church history (which claims universal salvation of all beings); the Acts 3 sense is restoration of covenant promises fulfilled in Christ’s return, not universalism.	restaurazione/ripristino di tutte le cose. Risk: Medium-High. Flag explicitly to avoid conflation with the historical theological debate over universalist “apocatastasis” (associated with Origen) — a live point of doctrinal confusion given the identical Greek root.
prophet like Moses	προφήτην (prophētēn), citing Deuteronomy 18:15	prophet	the specific OT promise of a coming prophet like Moses	the prophet	Direct Fulfillment of Prophecy / Messianic Promise application: Jesus fulfills Moses’s own prophecy of a future prophet — key OT-to-NT bridge for the doctrine.	Reuses profeta [BASELINE]. Risk: Low, but doctrinally load-bearing; ensure the Deuteronomy 18 cross-reference is preserved/glossed given generally low OT literacy noted in baseline.

Acts 4 — Boldness Before the Sanhedrin

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
boldness παρρησία (parrēsia) freedom/frankness of speech, openness	fearless, unashamed, public speech, without concealment boldness, confidence, freedom of speech	Central term for the Persecution and Bold Witness doctrine: Spirit-given courage to proclaim the gospel publicly despite threat, occurring repeatedly across Acts (4:13, 29, 31; 28:31).	franchezza (primary); acceptable alternatives audacia/coraggio where “franchezza” reads too narrowly as “frankness/directness” rather than “boldness under threat.” Risk: Medium. New standing term for this curriculum; must be applied consistently at every occurrence (4:13, 29, 31; 9:27-28; 13:46; 14:3; 18:26; 19:8; 26:26; 28:31).
no other name οὐδὲ…ἄλλο ὄνομα (oude…allo onoma) there is no other name	exclusive salvific efficacy no other name	Explicit exclusivity claim: salvation is available only through Jesus’s name — foundational to both Justification apart from the Law and the exclusivity dimension of Gospel to Jews and Gentiles doctrines; a claim in tension with religious-pluralist instincts of a secularizing culture.	nessun altro nome. Risk: High. Preserve unqualified exclusivity; do not soften to “un nome importante” or similar.
one heart and soul καρδία μία καὶ ψυχὴ μία (kardia mia kai psychē mia) one heart and one soul	deep, Spirit-produced unity of the believing community of one heart and soul, one in heart and mind	Grounds The Church as Community doctrine’s internal unity dimension, correlating with the shared-possessions practice (4:32-35, paralleling 2:44-45).	un cuore e un’anima sola. Risk: Low-Medium.
great grace χάρις μεγάλη (charis megalē, 4:33) great favor/grace	abundant divine favor resting visibly on the community great grace	God’s grace as a publicly visible, communal reality resting on the whole church, not only an individual, inward experience.	Reuses grazia [BASELINE: grace]. Risk: High per baseline.

Acts 5 — Ananias and Sapphira; Continued Apostolic Signs

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
to lie to/test the Holy Spirit ψεύσασθαι…τὸ πνεῦμα (5:3-4, 9, “tempt/test the Spirit”) to lie to, to put to the test	treating the Holy Spirit as a deceivable, testable person rather than the omniscient, personal God lied to the Holy Spirit, tested the Spirit of the Lord	Direct affirmation of the Holy Spirit’s full personhood and deity — sin against the Spirit is sin against God himself (5:4, “you have not lied to man but to God”), reinforcing Holy Spirit and Pentecost doctrine’s Trinitarian ground.	mentire allo Spirito Santo / metterlo alla prova. Risk: High. Reinforces Spirito Santo [BASELINE: holy_spirit, Critical — must remain personal, not an impersonal force].
great fear φόβος μέγας (phobos megas) great fear	reverential awe/dread produced by encountering divine holiness and judgment great fear came upon	The community’s proper response to God’s holiness manifest in judgment — distinguishes healthy reverence for a holy God from either flippancy or superstitious terror.	grande timore. Risk: Low.
signs and wonders σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα (5:12) see 2:19,22 note	see above signs and wonders	Continued apostolic attestation, now explicitly associated with growth and fear/reverence in the community — reinforces Apostolic Authority and Miracles doctrine.	Reuses segni e prodigi. Risk: Medium.

Acts 6 — The Seven and the Word’s Advance

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
ministry of the word / of tables διακονία τοῦ λόγου / τῶν τραπεζῶν (diakonia tou logou / tōn trapezōn) service/ministry (of the word / of the tables)	διακονία = service, ministry, practical care; here distinguishing preaching-teaching ministry from practical/charitable service ministry of the word; serving tables	Establishes a functional (not necessarily rigidly hierarchical) distinction of ministries within the one body — the historical root of the later office of deacon, though Acts 6 itself does not use the noun “deacon” (διάκονος) as a title.	servizio della Parola / servizio delle mense. Risk: Medium. Caution against over-reading the later, fully developed ecclesiastical office of “diacono” back into this text; Acts 6 describes a practical functional need being met, the historical seed of, but not identical to, later diaconal office theology.
full of the Spirit and wisdom πλήρης πνεύματος καὶ σοφίας (plērēs pneumatos kai sophias) full of Spirit and wisdom	qualification criterion for the Seven full of the Spirit and of wisdom	Spirit-fullness (cf. 2:4 note) plus practical wisdom as the joint qualification for recognized ministry — links Holy Spirit doctrine to Apostolic Authority/church-office doctrine.	pieno di Spirito e di sapienza. Risk: Medium, reuses Spirito Santo [BASELINE].
Hellenists / Hebrews Ἑλληνισταί / Ἑβραῖοι (Hellēnistai / Hebraioi) Greek-speakers / Hebrew(Aramaic)-speakers	intra-Jewish linguistic/cultural subgroups (not Gentiles) within the early Jerusalem church Hellenists, Grecian Jews / Hebrews	The first recorded internal tension within the church is along linguistic-cultural, not doctrinal, lines — an early instance of The Church as Community doctrine’s challenge of maintaining unity across cultural difference, distinct from (though related to) the later Jew-Gentile tension.	ellenisti / ebrei (with gloss: “giudei di lingua greca” for Hellenisti). Risk: Low-Medium; requires explanatory gloss for readers with low second-temple Judaism literacy.

Acts 7 — Stephen’s Speech and Martyrdom

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
Son of Man ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου (ho Huios tou anthrōpou) the Son of Man	a Christological self-designation drawn from Daniel 7:13-14, denoting divine authority within human/heavenly figure the Son of Man	Stephen’s dying vision (7:56) is the only occurrence of this title outside the Gospels in the NT spoken by someone other than Jesus — a climactic Christological affirmation immediately before martyrdom, reinforcing both Deity of Christ and Persecution/Bold Witness doctrines.	il Figlio dell’uomo. Risk: Medium-High. Distinct title from Figlio di Dio [BASELINE: son_of_god, Critical] — must not be collapsed into it or treated as a synonym; both matter, but “Figlio dell’uomo” specifically evokes the Daniel 7 heavenly-authority-figure background, requiring its own brief gloss for OT-illiterate readers.
uncircumcised in heart ἀπερίτμητοι καρδίαις (aperitmētoi kardiais) uncircumcised in hearts	stubborn, resistant to God despite outward covenant marker (circumcision) stiff-necked, uncircumcised in heart and ears	Stephen’s climactic prophetic indictment (7:51): outward covenant membership (circumcision) without inward responsiveness to the Spirit is worthless — anticipates the Jerusalem Council’s later separation of circumcision from true covenant membership (Acts 15), and the Justification apart from the Law doctrine.	duri di cuore/incirconcisi di cuore. Risk: Medium. Ties forward to circoncisione discussion (Acts 15) and the Law doctrine [BASELINE: law, High risk].
resisting the Holy Spirit ἀντιπίπτετε τῷ πνεύματι (antipiptete tō pneumati) you resist/oppose the Spirit	active, willful opposition to the Spirit’s work throughout Israel’s history you always resist the Holy Spirit	Frames the entire pattern of prophetic rejection (culminating in Christ’s crucifixion and now Stephen’s persecution) as resistance to the same Holy Spirit active throughout redemptive history — reinforces continuity between OT and NT Spirit-doctrine.	resistere allo Spirito Santo. Risk: Medium, reuses Spirito Santo [BASELINE].

Acts 8 — Philip, Simon Magus, and the Ethiopian

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
sorcery/magic μαγεία / μαγεύων (mageia / mageuōn, of Simon) sorcery, magic arts	occult practice for personal gain or status, contrasted with genuine Spirit-given power sorcery, magic	Simon’s attempt to purchase apostolic Spirit-power for personal gain (“Simony,” the term later derived from his name) is a direct counterfeit of, and threat to, the genuine gift of the Holy Spirit — a warning built into Apostolic Authority and Miracles doctrine against commodifying spiritual power.	stregoneria/arte magica. Risk: Medium.
laying on of hands ἐπίθεσις τῶν χειρῶν (epithesis tōn cheirōn) the laying on/placing of hands	a physical act accompanying prayer for impartation of the Spirit, healing, commissioning, or blessing, with somewhat variable specific effect across different Acts passages (8:17-18; 9:17; 13:3; 19:6; 28:8) laying on of hands	Here (8:17-18) specifically associated with the Samaritans’ reception of the Holy Spirit subsequent to their baptism — an important textual data-point for the Holy Spirit and Pentecost doctrine’s discussion of the relationship between baptism and Spirit-reception (compare Acts 2:38’s tighter sequence and Acts 10:44-48’s reversed order).	imposizione delle mani. Risk: High. Direct terminological overlap with the Catholic sacramental rite of Confirmation and of Holy Orders (ordination), both called “imposizione delle mani” in Italian liturgical usage. Must clarify the functional, Spirit-empowering/commissioning sense operative in each specific Acts context without importing a developed sacramental theology of a distinct “sacrament of Confirmation” not present in the text itself. Reviewer flag required at every occurrence.
the gospel / Scripture interpreted γραφή (graphē, of Isaiah, 8:32-35) writing, Scripture	the OT text as authoritative, Christ-centered revelation the Scripture, the passage of Scripture	Philip’s interpretation of Isaiah 53 as fulfilled in Jesus models Fulfillment of Prophecy doctrine’s christocentric hermeneutic for OT-illiterate readers.	Reuses vangelo/general “Scrittura” vocabulary. Risk: Low.

Acts 9 — The Conversion of Saul

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
the Way ἡ ὁδός (hē hodos) the road, the path, the Way	a self-designation for the early Christian movement, before “Christian” (11:26) became current the Way, this Way, the sect (pejoratively, by outsiders)	The earliest name for the Christian movement, emphasizing a lived path/manner of life rather than a set of abstract propositions — appears repeatedly (9:2; 19:9,23; 22:4; 24:14,22) and is directly relevant to Conversion of Paul and Persecution doctrines (Saul initially persecutes “the Way,” 9:2).	la Via. Risk: Medium. Requires gloss for readers unfamiliar with this as a technical self-designation, since bare “la via” in ordinary Italian usage reads as generic “the road/way,” not a proper-noun movement-name; capitalize consistently (“la Via”) once introduced.
chosen instrument σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς (skeuos eklogēs) vessel of choosing/election	a chosen tool/vessel set apart for a specific divine purpose chosen instrument, chosen vessel	God’s sovereign, gracious choice of Saul — the church’s chief former persecutor — as the primary instrument of Gentile mission, directly grounding both Conversion of Paul and Election doctrines [BASELINE: election, High risk].	strumento scelto. Risk: High. Reuses elezione [BASELINE: election, High] as its conceptual root; ensure it is not read as democratic “selection” but sovereign divine choice, per baseline caution.
scales fell from his eyes ἀπέπεσαν…ὡς λεπίδες (apepesan…hōs lepides) fell off like scales	idiom for sudden restoration of sight/spiritual perception scales fell from his eyes	Physical healing symbolizing Saul’s spiritual transformation from blindness (to Christ) to sight — a vivid narrative sign accompanying the Conversion of Paul doctrine.	le squame gli cadano dagli occhi. Risk: Low, idiom requiring natural (not literal-only) Italian phrasing.

Acts 10 — Cornelius and the Gentile Pentecost

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
God-fearer φοβούμενος τὸν θεόν (phoboumenos ton theon) one who fears/reveres God	a technical designation for Gentile sympathizers/adherents to Jewish monotheism and ethics without full conversion (circumcision/proselyte status) God-fearing, one who feared God	Cornelius represents a recognized category of righteous Gentiles standing at the threshold of full covenant inclusion — the Holy Spirit’s falling on his household (10:44-48) becomes the programmatic “Gentile Pentecost,” central to The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles doctrine.	temente Dio / che temeva Dio. Risk: Medium. Distinct category from εὐλαβής (devout, of Jews, Acts 2:5) — do not conflate; this term specifically marks a Gentile in relationship with the God of Israel prior to full inclusion.
common/unclean κοινός / ἀκάθαρτος (koinos / akathartos) common, ordinary / unclean, impure	ceremonial-purity categories under Torah dietary law; κοινός here in the specific sense “common, therefore unfit,” parallel to but distinct from the sense at 2:44/4:32 (“common” = shared) common, unclean	Peter’s vision (10:14-15, “what God has made clean, do not call common”) directly overturns ceremonial food-purity distinctions as barriers to table-fellowship and gospel inclusion of Gentiles — one of the most theologically load-bearing moments in the whole book for The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles doctrine.	impuro / comune — must be glossed carefully as ceremonial uncleanness, not moral impurity. Risk: High. In contemporary colloquial Italian, “impuro” carries a strong default association with sexual impurity/immorality, risking readers misapplying Acts 10’s dietary-ceremonial-law abrogation to unrelated ethical categories. Must explicitly clarify the referent is ritual food law, and the theological point is Gentile inclusion, not moral relativism.
God shows no partiality οὐκ…προσωπολήμπτης (ouk…prosōpolēmptēs) not a receiver/respecter of faces (i.e., not partial/prejudiced)	impartiality regarding ethnic, social, or status distinctions God shows no partiality, God is no respecter of persons	Peter’s explicit doctrinal conclusion (10:34-35) from the Cornelius episode — the direct thesis statement for The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles and Unity of Jews and Gentiles [BASELINE] doctrines.	Dio non fa preferenze di persone / Dio non usa parzialità. Risk: High. Key thesis-statement phrase; render identically at every echo (cf. 15:9; Romans 2:11 [BASELINE curriculum], Galatians 2:6).

Acts 11 — Antioch and the Name “Christian”

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
Christians Χριστιανοί (Christianoi) followers/partisans of Christ	a name apparently coined by outsiders in Antioch to label the Christ-movement, later adopted positively Christians	First occurrence of the name that will become the movement’s permanent self-designation, marking the church’s growing distinctness from both Judaism and paganism as it takes root in a major Gentile city — significant for Gospel to Jews and Gentiles doctrine.	cristiani. Risk: Medium. In Italy, “cristiano” functions today as a broad, often nominal, cultural/national identity marker (associated with default baptized-Catholic identity) rather than the decisive, minority, costly identity marker it was at Antioch; flag the flattening risk for teaching contexts emphasizing personal conversion.
repentance that leads to life μετάνοιαν εἰς ζωήν (metanoian eis zōēn, 11:18) repentance unto/leading to life	repentance as the God-given means to (eternal) life, extended explicitly to Gentiles repentance unto life, repentance leading to life	The Jerusalem church’s explicit theological conclusion drawn from the Cornelius episode: God grants the very same saving repentance to Gentiles as to Jews — direct textual grounding for Gospel to Jews and Gentiles doctrine.	Reuses conversione [as at 2:38] + “vita” (reuse). Risk: High per the 2:38 note above.

Acts 12 — Persecution under Herod

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
angel of the Lord ἄγγελος κυρίου (angelos kyriou) messenger of the Lord	a divine agent of deliverance/judgment an angel of the Lord	Peter’s miraculous deliverance from prison (contrasted with James’s martyrdom in the same chapter) shows God’s sovereign, sometimes mysterious, care amid persecution — reinforces Persecution and Bold Witness and Providence [BASELINE] doctrines together, without promising deliverance is guaranteed in every case.	un angelo del Signore. Risk: Low, though note Italian popular Catholic angelology (patron/guardian angels) is a rich cultural backdrop; the text’s sense (a specific historical divine agent of deliverance) is fully compatible and requires no special caution beyond avoiding folk-superstition flattening.
the word of God increased ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ ηὔξανεν (ho logos tou theou ēuxanen) the word of God grew/increased	the gospel’s advance despite (and partly through) persecution the word of God continued to spread/grow	A recurring narrative refrain (cf. 6:7; 19:20) marking the gospel’s unstoppable advance as the true, underlying “plot” of Acts even through opposition — key to both Persecution and Bold Witness and The Great Commission Fulfilled doctrines.	la parola di Dio cresceva/si diffondeva. Risk: Low-Medium; ensure consistent rendering at each refrain occurrence for readers to notice the pattern.

Acts 13 — Paul’s First Missionary Sermon; Justification Preached

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
justified δικαιοῦται (dikaioutai, 13:39) is declared righteous, is justified	forensic acquittal, not moral improvement is justified, is freed, is set right	Paul’s first recorded missionary sermon explicitly states that justification is available “from everything the Law of Moses could not justify you from” (13:38-39) — the earliest explicit statement in Acts of the Justification apart from the Law doctrine that Romans (the companion curriculum) will develop fully.	Reuses giustificazione/giustificato [BASELINE: justification, Critical]. Risk: Critical. Ensure absolute consistency with the baseline Romans rendering, since this curriculum explicitly names “Justification apart from the Law” as a shared doctrine with Romans.
appointed to eternal life τεταγμένοι εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον (tetagmenoi eis zōēn aiōnion, 13:48) having been appointed/ordered unto eternal life	divine sovereign appointment preceding the human response of faith as many as were appointed/ordained to eternal life believed	A strong election/predestination statement directly paralleling the Effectual Calling doctrine already flagged High-risk in the baseline Romans package (8:28-30; 9:11-12) — the same Catholic/Reformed interpretive tension (Thomistic synergism vs. Reformed monergism) applies here.	destinati alla vita eterna. Risk: High. Reuses conceptual ground of elezione [BASELINE: election, High]; requires the same theologian-review routing as baseline election passages.
turn to the Gentiles ἐπιστρέφομεν εἰς τὰ ἔθνη (13:46) we turn to the Gentiles	a strategic/programmatic missionary pivot following Jewish rejection in a given locale, not an abandonment of the Jewish mission generally (Paul continues to preach in synagogues throughout Acts) we turn to the Gentiles	Establishes the recurring narrative pattern (repeated at 18:6; 28:28) whereby local synagogue rejection becomes the occasion, not the cause, of intensified Gentile outreach — must not be read as Paul rejecting the Jewish people as a whole, consistent with Romans 9-11’s later, fuller treatment.	ci volgiamo ai pagani. Reuses pagani [BASELINE: gentiles, Medium]. Risk: High in this specific narrative context — flag to avoid a supersessionist misreading (the church replacing/rejecting Israel) not intended by the text.
light for the Gentiles φῶς ἐθνῶν (13:47, citing Isaiah 49:6) a light for/to the nations	the Messianic servant’s mission to bring salvation-illumination to the Gentile nations a light for the Gentiles	Direct Fulfillment of Prophecy application, grounding the Gentile mission in Isaiah’s Servant Songs rather than presenting it as a later improvisation.	luce delle nazioni/dei pagani. Risk: Medium, ties to profezia [BASELINE] and Great Commission Fulfilled doctrine.

Acts 14 — Lystra, Iconium, and Elders Appointed

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
the living God τὸν θεὸν τὸν ζῶντα (ton theon ton zōnta, 14:15) the living God	contrast with lifeless idols (Zeus/Hermes, whom the Lystrans mistake Paul and Barnabas for) the living God	Direct polemic against pagan idolatry, foundational apologetic move repeated at Athens (ch.17) — reinforces Gospel to Jews and Gentiles doctrine’s confrontation with Greco-Roman religion specifically (distinct from its confrontation with Judaism).	il Dio vivente. Reuses Dio [BASELINE]. Risk: Medium.
appointing elders χειροτονήσαντες…πρεσβυτέρους (cheirotonēsantes…presbyterous, 14:23) having appointed by stretching out the hand / having designated elders	formal designation of local congregational leadership appointed elders	Establishes ongoing, structured local leadership (with prayer and fasting) as normal practice for the churches Paul plants — foundational to both The Church as Community and (later, ch.20) Apostolic Authority doctrines.	avendo designato degli anziani. Risk: Medium, connects forward to Acts 20’s fuller elders/overseers discussion below.
through many tribulations διὰ πολλῶν θλίψεων (dia pollōn thlipseōn, 14:22) through many afflictions/tribulations	suffering as the normal, expected path into the kingdom, not an anomaly through many tribulations	Explicit teaching that suffering/persecution is the normal pattern of kingdom entry, not a sign of divine disfavor — central to Persecution and Bold Witness doctrine.	attraverso molte tribolazioni. Risk: Low-Medium.

Acts 15 — The Jerusalem Council

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
saved through grace σωζόμεθα διὰ τῆς χάριτος (sōzometha dia tēs charitos, 15:11) we are saved through grace	salvation as a gift received, not achieved through law-observance we are saved through grace	Peter’s climactic argument at the Council: Jewish and Gentile believers alike are saved on the identical basis of grace, not circumcision/law-observance — the Council’s decisive resolution of the Justification apart from the Law and Gospel to Jews and Gentiles doctrines together.	Reuses grazia/salvezza [BASELINE: grace (High), salvation (Medium)]. Risk: High, and doctrinally the single most important verse in Acts 15 for this curriculum’s stated doctrines.
yoke ζυγός (zygos, 15:10) yoke (of an ox/beast of burden)	a burden imposed on someone; here the burden of full Torah-observance/circumcision imposed on Gentile converts yoke	Peter explicitly names imposing circumcision/full Torah-observance on Gentile converts as an unbearable “yoke” neither Jewish ancestors nor the apostles themselves could bear — a vivid image reinforcing Justification apart from the Law doctrine.	giogo. Risk: Medium, reuses legge [BASELINE: law, High] as conceptual background.
it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us ἔδοξεν τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ καὶ ἡμῖν (15:28) it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us	a formula asserting the Spirit’s active guidance of a collective apostolic/elder decision-making process it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us	Models a pattern of Spirit-guided, collective (not solitary-authoritarian) church decision-making — relevant to both Holy Spirit doctrine and Apostolic Authority doctrine, and a notable precedent cited across both Catholic conciliar and Protestant congregational church-governance traditions.	parve bene allo Spirito Santo e a noi. Risk: Medium, reuses Spirito Santo [BASELINE].
abstain from… (idols, blood, sexual immorality, strangled things) ἀπέχεσθαι…εἰδωλοθύτων…αἵματος…πορνείας…πνικτοῦ (15:29) to abstain from idol-food, blood, sexual immorality, strangled things	the Council’s minimal moral/table-fellowship boundary requirements for Gentile believers, distinct from full Torah-observance abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, from blood, from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled	Clarifies that freedom from the ceremonial Law does not mean freedom from basic moral/table-fellowship boundaries — an important nuance for the Justification apart from the Law doctrine, distinguishing “apart from the Law” from “without any moral expectation.”	astenersi dagli idoli, dal sangue, dalla fornicazione, dagli animali soffocati. Risk: Medium.

Acts 16 — Lydia, the Jailer, and Household Salvation

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
the Lord opened her heart ὁ κύριος διήνοιξεν τὴν καρδίαν (16:14) the Lord opened her heart	divine, prior enabling of a heart to receive/respond to the gospel message the Lord opened her heart to respond	Lydia’s conversion is explicitly attributed to God’s prior enabling action, not merely her own initiative — reinforces the Effectual Calling/Election theological pattern already flagged High-risk in baseline.	il Signore le aprì il cuore. Risk: Medium-High, reuses Signore [BASELINE: lord, High].
believe and be saved… you and your household πίστευσον…καὶ σωθήσῃ σὺ καὶ ὁ οἶκός σου (16:31) believe…and you will be saved, you and your household	a promise of salvation conditioned on personal faith, extended in its scope-language to the whole household present believe… and you will be saved, you and your household	A key salvation-summary verse; “household” language (also at 16:33’s household baptism, and 10:44-48’s Cornelius household, 18:8’s Crispus’s household) is a live point of denominational difference within Italy’s own Christian traditions: Waldensian/Reformed paedobaptist reading (households, including infants, appropriately baptized on the strength of the household head’s professed faith, per covenant-household theology) versus Baptist/Pentecostal-evangelical credo-baptist reading (only those old enough to personally believe are in view, “household” describing everyone in the house coming to individual faith, cf. 16:34’s “he…rejoiced, he and his entire household, having believed”).	credi…e sarai salvato, tu e la tua famiglia/casa. Risk: High. Must be flagged for theologian review as a live intra-Italian-Christian denominational question (Waldensian/Reformed paedobaptist vs. Pentecostal/Baptist-evangelical credobaptist reading), without resolving it beyond what the text states; reuses salvezza [BASELINE, Medium] and battesimo [Critical, as at 2:38].

Acts 17 — Athens and the Areopagus

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
unknown god ἀγνώστῳ θεῷ (agnōstō theō) to an unknown god	an altar inscription Paul uses as an apologetic bridge into proclaiming the true God an unknown god, an unknown deity	Paul’s contextualized apologetic method — using the pagan audience’s own religious language as a bridge, not an endorsement of religious pluralism — models culturally sensitive evangelism relevant to Persecution and Bold Witness and Gospel to Jews and Gentiles doctrines in a religiously plural, increasingly secular Italian context.	dio ignoto. Risk: Medium.
Areopagus Ἄρειος Πάγος (Areios Pagos) Hill/Council of Ares (Mars)	the Athenian judicial/philosophical council and the hill where it met Areopagus, Mars Hill	The setting for Paul’s most explicitly philosophical apologetic address in Acts, engaging Greek philosophy (Epicureans, Stoics) on its own terms while still proclaiming resurrection and judgment.	Areopago. Risk: Low, proper noun/place name.
repent…because he has fixed a day of judgment μετανοεῖν…ἡμέραν ἐν ᾗ κρίνειν (17:30-31) repent…a day in which he will judge	universal, future, certain divine judgment grounded in Christ’s resurrection repent… he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world	Universalizes the repentance call (cf. 2:38) to all humanity, including the philosophically sophisticated pagan audience, and grounds coming judgment specifically in the historical resurrection — direct link between Repentance/Baptism doctrine and Resurrection of Christ doctrine [BASELINE].	Reuses conversione/convertirsi [as at 2:38, Critical] plus risurrezione [BASELINE, Medium]. Risk: High here given the philosophically hostile audience context (resurrection “mocked,” 17:32) — a useful teaching parallel for a secularizing Italian audience.

Acts 18 — Corinth; Aquila, Priscilla, and Gallio

Chapter 18 introduces no major new theological vocabulary beyond terms already treated; it reuses synagogue (συναγωγή, a low-risk historical-institutional term, rendered sinagoga), Christ/Messiah [BASELINE], and continues the “turn to the Gentiles” pattern from ch.13. Gallio’s ruling that the dispute is an internal Jewish religious matter, not a Roman civil crime (18:14-15), is narratively significant for Persecution and Bold Witness doctrine (the state’s initial ambivalence toward the gospel) but does not introduce new load-bearing terminology requiring separate glossary entries.

Acts 19 — Ephesus: Apollos, Tongues, and Diana

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
John’s baptism τὸ βάπτισμα Ἰωάννου (to baptisma Iōannou, 19:3-4) the baptism of John	a preparatory baptism of repentance pointing forward to the Messiah, distinct from Christian baptism “in the name of the Lord Jesus” John’s baptism	Paul’s disciples at Ephesus had only received John’s preparatory baptism; upon hearing the full gospel they are (re)baptized in Jesus’s name and receive the Spirit with accompanying tongues/prophecy (19:5-6) — an important textual nuance for the Repentance and Baptism doctrine distinguishing preparatory OT-era repentance-baptism from full Christian baptism.	il battesimo di Giovanni. Risk: High. Reuses battesimo [Critical, as at 2:38]; requires careful handling to avoid implying two entirely separate “types” of baptism are normally expected today (John’s baptism was a unique, time-bound preparatory rite, not an ongoing parallel option).
tongues and prophesying γλώσσαις…καὶ ἐπροφήτευον (19:6) tongues…and they prophesied	accompanying signs of Spirit-reception, paralleling Pentecost (2:4) and the Gentile Pentecost (10:46) spoke in tongues and prophesied	A third explicit instance (after 2:4 and 10:46) of tongues accompanying Spirit-reception — relevant data for the Holy Spirit and Pentecost doctrine’s discussion of whether tongues are a universally expected sign; reviewers should note Acts records this phenomenon at several, but not all, narrated instances of Spirit-reception (contrast, e.g., 8:17’s Samaritans, where tongues are not mentioned).	Reuses lingue [Critical, as at 2:4] and profezia [BASELINE, Low]. Risk: Critical per 2:4’s note; same Pentecostal/Charismatic-vs-cessationist-adjacent denominational sensitivity applies.
Artemis/Diana of the Ephesians Ἄρτεμις (Artemis, the Ephesian cult goddess; “Diana” in some translation traditions) the Ephesian mother-goddess cult	a major regional pagan deity cult with significant economic/civic investment Artemis, Diana	The riot over “great is Artemis of the Ephesians” (19:23-41) illustrates gospel proclamation directly threatening entrenched economic and civic-religious interests — relevant to Persecution and Bold Witness doctrine’s socio-economic dimension, distinct from purely religious/doctrinal opposition.	Artemide (degli Efesini). Risk: Low, proper noun; historical-cultural gloss recommended for readers unfamiliar with the Ephesian cult.
burning of the magic books τὰς βίβλους κατέκαιον (19:19) they burned the books	a decisive, costly public renunciation of former occult practice they burned the books, they burned their scrolls	Models the seriousness and cost of genuine repentance/conversion in a context (magic/occult practice) directly relevant to Repentance and Baptism doctrine’s call for decisive life-reorientation, not merely intellectual assent.	bruciarono i libri (di magia). Risk: Low.

Acts 20 — Miletus: Elders, Overseers, and the Flock

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
elders / overseers πρεσβύτεροι / ἐπίσκοποι (presbyteroi / episkopoi, 20:17, 28) elders (older ones) / overseers (those who watch over)	in Acts 20, the SAME group of local church leaders is called both “elders” (v.17) and “overseers/bishops” (v.28) — the two terms are used interchangeably for one office at this stage, prior to any later, developed distinction between “priest/elder” and “bishop” elders, overseers, bishops	Direct textual evidence that “elder” and “overseer/bishop” name the same office in the earliest church, a fact of considerable ecumenical significance given later Catholic (episcopal, threefold order: bishop-priest-deacon) versus Waldensian/evangelical (typically presbyterian/congregational, elder-based) church governance traditions both claiming continuity with this text.	anziani (πρεσβύτεροι) / sorveglianti or vescovi (ἐπίσκοποι). Risk: Critical. This is a live ecclesiological flashpoint: rendering ἐπίσκοπος as “vescovo” (bishop) — the standard Italian rendering in CEI and even some Protestant translations — risks importing the fully developed, hierarchically distinct modern Catholic episcopal office (with apostolic succession, diocesan authority, etc.) back into a text that here equates the “overseer” directly with the local “elder.” Recommend “sorvegliante” or a glossed “vescovo (cioè: anziano/sorvegliante locale)” with an explicit theologian’s note explaining the term’s identical referent to “elder” in this specific passage. Requires human theologian review at every occurrence.
shepherd the flock ποιμαίνειν τὸ ποίμνιον (poimainein to poimnion, 20:28) to shepherd/tend the flock	pastoral care/oversight, protection and feeding of the congregation shepherd the flock, tend the flock	Elders/overseers are charged with Christ-like shepherding care, including protection from false teachers (“wolves,” 20:29) — foundational pastoral-care image for church leadership.	pascere il gregge. Risk: Medium. Note the positive resonance with the Waldensian/evangelical Italian usage of “pastore” as the standard title for a Protestant minister — an area where Italian evangelical vocabulary may actually track this text’s imagery more directly than Catholic clerical titles (“parroco,” “prete”) do; useful teaching point, not primarily a risk.
the whole counsel of God πᾶσαν τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θεοῦ (20:27) the whole will/counsel of God	the entirety of God’s revealed purpose/message, without selective omission the whole counsel of God, the whole will of God	Paul’s claim to have proclaimed the entire message without editing out difficult truths — a model of faithful, comprehensive proclamation relevant to Persecution and Bold Witness and Apostolic Authority doctrines.	tutto il consiglio/la volontà di Dio. Risk: Low-Medium.

Acts 21 — Jerusalem: Vows and Arrest

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
Nazirite vow / purification εὔχην…ἁγνισθῆναι (21:23-26) vow…to be purified	a Torah-prescribed vow and purification rite Paul undergoes to demonstrate continued respect for Jewish practice vow, purify themselves	Paul’s willingness to observe Jewish ceremonial practice himself (while insisting Gentiles are not bound by it) nuances the Justification apart from the Law doctrine: freedom from the Law’s necessity for salvation does not require active hostility toward, or abandonment of, one’s own cultural-religious practice where charity requires it — a delicate balance relevant to Unity of Jews and Gentiles [BASELINE] doctrine.	voto (nazireo) / purificazione. Risk: Medium, reuses legge [BASELINE] conceptual background.

Chapter 21 introduces no other new load-bearing theological vocabulary beyond terms already treated (temple, riot, Roman authorities — narrative-historical, not doctrinal, terms).

Acts 22 — Paul’s Defense Before the Crowd

Chapter 22 largely retells the conversion narrative of Acts 9 (see above: la Via, strumento scelto) and introduces the title the Righteous One (τὸν δίκαιον, 22:14), reusing giustizia [BASELINE: righteousness, Critical] as a Christological title parallel to Acts 3:14’s “the Holy and Righteous One.” No genuinely new theological term beyond this reuse; Roman citizenship (22:25-29) is a legal-historical, not theological, term.

Acts 23 — Before the Sanhedrin

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
Pharisees / Sadducees Φαρισαῖοι / Σαδδουκαῖοι (Pharisaioi / Saddoukaioi) proper names of two Jewish parties	the Pharisees affirmed resurrection/angels; the Sadducees denied both Pharisees, Sadducees	Paul strategically appeals to the resurrection-affirming Pharisee position against the Sadducees, showing that belief in bodily resurrection was itself a live, disputed question within Judaism — useful background for the Resurrection of Christ doctrine’s Jewish context.	Farisei / Sadducei. Risk: Low, proper/historical party names, gloss recommended for OT/second-temple-illiterate readers.
hope of the resurrection of the dead ἐλπὶς ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν (23:6, cf. 24:15, 26:6-8) hope of resurrection of the dead	the specific Jewish and Christian hope in bodily resurrection, at issue across Paul’s several defense speeches the hope of the resurrection of the dead	Paul repeatedly frames the entire Christian gospel as, at its root, a dispute about whether God raises the dead — directly reinforcing Resurrection of Christ doctrine as the fulcrum of Paul’s whole defense across chapters 23-26.	Reuses risurrezione [BASELINE, Medium]. Risk: Medium.

Acts 24 — Before Felix

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment δικαιοσύνης καὶ ἐγκρατείας καὶ τοῦ κρίματος τοῦ μέλλοντος (24:25) righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment	the substance of Paul’s direct moral-theological confrontation of Felix, a Roman governor in an adulterous relationship righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come	Paul applies gospel ethics directly and personally to a powerful, morally compromised ruler — a bold-witness model distinct from purely defensive apologetics, relevant to Persecution and Bold Witness doctrine.	Reuses giustizia [BASELINE, Critical]; new term autocontrollo/temperanza (ἐγκράτεια) and giudizio (κρίμα, judgment). Risk: Medium-High for ἐγκράτεια/autocontrollo (new term, low collision, but doctrinally significant pairing with “giustizia”); giudizio Risk: Low-Medium, standard term.
faith in Christ Jesus τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν πίστεως (24:24) the faith in/toward Christ Jesus	personal trust directed specifically at Christ, echoing the baseline definition of πίστις faith in Christ Jesus	Reinforces the baseline definition of fede [BASELINE: faith] — the object of faith (Christ specifically) must remain recoverable from context, exactly as the baseline registry requires.	Reuses fede [BASELINE, Medium]. Risk: Medium.

Acts 25 — Before Festus

Chapter 25 introduces no new theological vocabulary; it is dominated by Roman legal-procedural terms (appeal to Caesar, governor’s jurisdiction) that are historical-legal, not doctrinal, in character. Reviewed and confirmed: no new load-bearing term; reuses “the Way” (ch.9), “resurrection” (ch.23-24) vocabulary already treated.

Acts 26 — Before Agrippa

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
heavenly vision τῇ οὐρανίῳ ὀπτασίᾳ (26:19) the heavenly vision	Paul’s Damascus-road encounter with the risen Christ, referenced back to Acts 9 the heavenly vision	Paul’s testimony summarizing his own conversion as an act of obedient response to a real, objective divine revelation — reinforces Conversion of Paul doctrine’s historical, not merely psychological, character.	la visione celeste. Risk: Low, reuses conversion narrative material from ch.9.
from the power of Satan to God ἀπὸ τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ Σατανᾶ ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν (26:18) from the authority of Satan to God	a cosmic-conflict framing of conversion as transfer of allegiance/dominion, not merely intellectual enlightenment from the power of Satan to God	Frames both Paul’s own conversion and his apostolic mission (“to open their eyes… turn them from darkness to light”) in explicitly cosmic-spiritual-warfare terms — enriches the Conversion of Paul and Gospel to Jews and Gentiles doctrines with a dimension not always foregrounded elsewhere in Acts.	dal potere di Satana a Dio. Risk: Medium, reuses potenza di Dio [BASELINE] contrastively; new term “potere di Satana” is Low-risk (no significant Italian cultural collision, though should not be trivialized as folk-superstition).
sanctified by faith in me ἡγιασμένοις πίστει τῇ εἰς ἐμέ (26:18) sanctified/made holy by faith directed toward me	ongoing holiness/set-apartness grounded in faith in Christ specifically, not ritual or ascetic practice sanctified by faith in me	Directly reuses and reinforces santificazione [BASELINE: sanctification, Medium] and fede [BASELINE: faith, Medium] together, tightly binding sanctification to faith in Christ rather than any independent ascetic achievement.	Reuses both baseline terms. Risk: Medium, combined per baseline notes.

Acts 27 — The Voyage and Shipwreck

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
not a hair from the head of any of you will perish οὐδεμία ψυχὴ ἀπολεῖται ἐξ ὑμῶν… θρὶξ…οὐ ἀπολεῖται (27:22, 27:34) not one soul will perish…not a hair will be lost	God’s sovereign preservation of life amid genuine, life-threatening natural danger, communicated through an angelic message (27:23-24) not a hair on your heads will perish, no one’s life will be lost	Reinforces Providence [BASELINE, Medium] doctrine in a dramatic, sustained narrative test-case: divine sovereignty operating through, not around, ordinary means (seamanship, human decisions) and genuine danger.	Reuses provvidenza [BASELINE, Medium] conceptually; the specific idiom renders as non perirà un solo capello dal capo di nessuno di voi. Risk: Low-Medium.
breaking of bread (again) κλάσας ἄρτον (27:35) having broken bread	Paul’s act of giving thanks and breaking bread before all on the storm-battered ship — likely an act of ordinary sustenance/thanksgiving with possible eucharistic resonance, though in a wholly non-liturgical, mixed (believing and unbelieving) shipboard context he broke bread	A secondary echo of the technical Acts 2:42, 46 phrase in a clearly non-liturgical setting — useful for reviewers to see the same phrase’s range, reinforcing the Acts 2:42 caution against over-sacralizing every occurrence of “breaking bread” language into a formal Eucharistic event.	Reuses frazione del pane [High, as at 2:42]. Risk: Medium here specifically (lower than 2:42 given the clearly non-liturgical, mixed-audience context, but still flagged for consistency).

Acts 28 — Rome, and the Gospel Unhindered

Terms	Variants	Theological meaning	Italian rendering & risk
barbarians βάρβαροι (barbaroi, 28:2, 4) non-Greek-speaking foreigners (a technical ethnographic term in Koine Greek, without inherent pejorative moral content)	in Greek usage, simply “those who don’t speak Greek”; the Maltese islanders are so described neutrally by Luke, who then praises their kindness barbarians, natives, foreigners	Luke’s narrative deliberately subverts any negative expectation attached to the term by immediately praising the “barbarians’” unusual kindness (28:2) — a subtle but real challenge to ethnic/cultural prejudice, relevant to Gospel to Jews and Gentiles doctrine’s wider theme of God’s concern for all peoples regardless of perceived civilizational status.	barbari (with explanatory gloss). Risk: Medium-High. Modern Italian “barbari” carries a strong pejorative, uncivilized/savage connotation (reinforced by centuries of “invasioni barbariche” historical framing in Italian education) absent from the Koine Greek technical/ethnographic sense; without a clarifying gloss, readers risk missing Luke’s ironic, positive point entirely.
unhindered ἀκωλύτως (akōlytōs, 28:31) without hindrance, unobstructed	freely, without legal or physical obstruction without hindrance, unhindered, quite openly	The book’s deliberately open-ended, triumphant final word: the gospel reaches Rome, the capital of the known world, and continues to be preached freely even under (mild) house arrest — the narrative and theological climax of The Great Commission Fulfilled doctrine, echoing back to Acts 1:8’s “ends of the earth” thesis.	senza impedimento / liberamente. Risk: Low-Medium, but doctrinally the capstone term of the entire book; ensure it is rendered with due rhetorical weight as the book’s climactic final word, paired with franchezza [Medium, as at Acts 4] in “μετὰ πάσης παρρησίας ἀκωλύτως” — “con piena franchezza e senza impedimento.”
kingdom of God (final mention) τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ (28:31) see Acts 1 note	see Acts 1 note the kingdom of God	The book closes exactly where it opened thematically (1:3) — Paul in Rome still “proclaiming the kingdom of God,” now understood correctly (unlike the disciples’ misunderstanding in 1:6) as a Spirit-empowered, global, non-political-territorial reality already advancing through gospel proclamation.	Reuses Regno di Dio [BASELINE, Medium]. Risk: Medium, but note the deliberate narrative bookending with Acts 1 for teaching purposes.

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Summary of Full-Book Coverage

Every chapter of Acts (1–28) has been reviewed. Chapters 18 and 25 introduced no new load-bearing theological vocabulary beyond terms already treated elsewhere in the book and are noted explicitly above as reviewed. All other chapters contributed new terms, new senses of baseline terms, or theologically significant reuses requiring cross-reference to the baseline Romans package, as documented above.