Semantic Analysis
Semantic Analysis — 2 Corinthians (English → Japanese)
Methodology
This analysis follows the baseline Romans Language Package (japanese) as controlling authority. Any term already recorded in translation_memory.json / bible_term_registry.json is reused exactly as established there (translation, transliteration, risk tier, doctrinal notes); this document does not re-litigate those entries but cites them where they recur in 2 Corinthians and notes any additional nuance the new context introduces. All newly identified load-bearing terms are analyzed fresh, in the same field structure, and assigned a risk tier using the baseline’s four-tier framework (Critical / High / Medium / Low).
Field structure for every term:
- Greek (original word, transliteration)
- Literal meaning
- Semantic range
- English variants (as they appear across common English translations)
- Contextual theological meaning (in this verse/chapter)
- Japanese rendering & destination-language risk
PART 1 — Core Passage: 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 (Verse-by-Verse)
v.11 — “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.”
fear of the Lord — Gk. φόβος τοῦ κυρίου (phobos tou kyriou). Literal: “fear/dread of the Lord.” Semantic range: reverential awe, terror, respect for authority. English variants: “fear,” “reverence,” “awe.” Theological meaning: the reverent accountability before Christ (cf. v.10’s βῆμα, judgment seat) that motivates sincere ministry, not servile terror. Japanese: 主を恐れること (Shu o osoreru koto), pairing established 主 (baseline: Lord) with 恐れ (osore, reverential fear). Risk: Medium. Japanese 恐れ/恐怖 (kyōfu) defaults toward ordinary dread; must be taught as covenantal reverence before the Lord of v.10’s judgment seat, not generic fright.
persuade — Gk. πείθω (peithō), here πείθομεν. Literal: “we persuade/win over.” Semantic range: to convince, urge, seek to win favorable judgment. English variants: “persuade,” “try to persuade,” “commend.” Theological meaning: Paul’s transparent apostolic appeal, contrasted with manipulative rhetoric (cf. 2:17, 4:2). Japanese: 説得する (settoku suru) / 説き勧める. Risk: Low.
conscience — Gk. συνείδησις (syneidēsis). Literal: “co-knowledge, self-awareness.” Semantic range: moral self-awareness, inner witness of right/wrong. English variants: “conscience.” Theological meaning: Paul appeals to an inward moral tribunal shared by his readers, evidence of his sincerity. Japanese: 良心 (ryōshin). Risk: Medium. Given the baseline’s flag that Japan’s culture is frequently shame- rather than guilt-oriented (see baseline “sin” note), 良心 risks being processed as social face-consciousness (人の目を気にする, being conscious of others’ eyes) rather than an inner moral witness before God independent of social observation. Must be anchored explicitly to accountability before God (v.11a), not peer opinion.
v.12 — “We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart.”
commending [ourselves] — Gk. συνιστάνω/συνίστημι (synistanō). Literal: “to place together, to establish, to recommend.” Semantic range: self-recommendation, credentialing. English variants: “commend,” “recommend.” Theological meaning: contrasted with letters of recommendation culture (cf. 3:1) — Paul refuses self-promotion as the basis of his authority. Japanese: 自分を推薦する / 自分を売り込む. Risk: Medium. Ties to the Sincerity/Apostolic Authority doctrine below.
boast / ground for boasting — Gk. καύχημα (kauchēma). Literal: “matter for boasting.” Semantic range: boast, pride, ground of confidence. English variants: “boast,” “pride,” “cause to boast.” Theological meaning: Paul gives the Corinthians legitimate ground to defend him — not self-glorying but confidence rooted in his transparent character. Japanese: 誇り (hokori) / 誇るべきこと. Risk: High. See Chapter 10-11 analysis below; Japanese social ethics prize 謙遜 (kenson, modesty) and discourage self-promotion (出る釘は打たれる, “the nail that sticks up gets hammered down”). Paul’s boasting-paradox (boasting only in what commends Christ, never in self) must be carefully distinguished from culturally suspect self-promotion.
outward appearance / heart — Gk. πρόσωπον (prosōpon, “face, outward appearance”) vs. καρδία (kardia, “heart”). Literal: “face” vs. “heart.” Semantic range: πρόσωπον = external presentation, reputation; καρδία = inner disposition, true self. English variants: “outward appearance”/“face” vs. “heart.” Theological meaning: God-ward sincerity contrasted with surface-level credentialing. Japanese: 外見 (gaiken) / 心 (kokoro). Risk: High. This maps with unusual precision onto Japan’s well-documented 建前 (tatemae, public facade/presented position) versus 本音 (honne, true inner feeling) social dynamic. Teaching materials should name this parallel directly: apostolic sincerity requires honne and tatemae to be one and the same before God, not skillful management of outward appearance.
v.13 — “For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.”
beside ourselves — Gk. ἐξίστημι (existēmi). Literal: “to stand outside oneself.” Semantic range: ecstasy, madness, being overwhelmed. English variants: “beside ourselves,” “out of our mind,” “crazy.” Theological meaning: possibly answering an accusation of religious excess; Paul’s God-ward zeal may look extreme to outsiders. Japanese: 気が変になっている(かのように見える). Risk: Low.
in our right mind — Gk. σωφρονέω (sōphroneō). Literal: “to be of sound mind.” Semantic range: sober-mindedness, self-control, sanity. English variants: “in our right mind,” “sober,” “self-controlled.” Theological meaning: measured, other-directed ministry conduct. Japanese: 正気である / 慎み深い. Risk: Low.
v.14 — “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;”
love [of Christ] — Gk. ἀγάπη (agapē). Literal: “love.” Semantic range: self-giving, covenantal, sacrificial love — distinct from ἔρος (romantic desire) or φιλία (friendship affection). English variants: “love.” Theological meaning: Christ’s self-sacrificing love as the constraining motive of all apostolic ministry. Japanese: 愛 (ai). Risk: High. Not present as a separate entry in the baseline Romans TM despite its centrality; must be newly flagged. Modern Japanese 愛 is saturated with pop-song romantic and generic-humanistic usage (恋愛 ren’ai, romantic love; heavily used in advertising, entertainment). Teaching must clearly anchor ἀγάπη τοῦ Χριστοῦ to Christ’s substitutionary death (immediately following in this verse), not sentimental affection.
controls [us] — Gk. συνέχω (synechō), here συνέχει. Literal: “to hold together, to constrain, to hem in.” Semantic range: to compel, to press from both sides, to constrain. English variants: “controls,” “compels,” “constrains,” “urges on.” Theological meaning: Christ’s love is the singular, all-encompassing motivator of Paul’s ministry, not duty or profit. Japanese: 支配する / 動かす. Risk: Medium. Avoid rendering with vocabulary implying external social compulsion (cf. “obedience of faith” risk in baseline) — this is internal, love-generated constraint, not hierarchical compliance.
died for all — Gk. ὑπέρ (hyper, “on behalf of, for the sake of”) + ἀποθνήσκω (apothnēskō, “to die”). Literal: “died on behalf of all.” Semantic range: substitutionary/representative death. English variants: “died for,” “died on behalf of.” Theological meaning: Christ’s substitutionary death representing and including all in his death. Japanese: すべての人のために死んだ. Risk: High. The substitutionary ὑπέρ preposition must be preserved as “on behalf of/in the place of,” not softened to a merely exemplary or sympathetic death, echoing the baseline’s imputed_righteousness caution against earned/example-only frameworks.
v.15 — “and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”
raised — Gk. ἐγείρω (egeirō), here ἐγερθέντι. Literal: “to raise up, to awaken.” Semantic range: resurrection, awakening from sleep/death. English variants: “raised,” “was raised.” Theological meaning: same doctrinal referent as baseline’s resurrection entry (復活, fukkatsu). Japanese: 復活 (fukkatsu) — reuse baseline term exactly. Risk: High (per baseline notes on pop-culture “comeback” dilution of 復活).
live [for themselves / for him] — Gk. ζάω (zaō), ζῶσιν. Literal: “to live.” Semantic range: physical life, existential orientation of one’s life. English variants: “live.” Theological meaning: transferred life-orientation — no longer self-directed but Christ-directed, grounding the doctrine of new creation in v.17. Japanese: 生きる. Risk: Low.
v.16 — “From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.”
according to the flesh — Gk. κατὰ σάρκα (kata sarka); σάρξ (sarx). Literal: “flesh, meat.” Semantic range: physical body; sinful human nature; merely human/external standards of judgment (as here). English variants: “according to the flesh,” “from a worldly point of view,” “by human standards.” Theological meaning: rejecting merely external, unregenerate categories of evaluation, replaced by a Spirit-given “new creation” perspective (v.17). Japanese: 肉によって (niku ni yotte). Risk: High. 肉 (niku) is the ordinary Japanese word for edible meat and dominates daily vocabulary through food culture (焼肉 yakiniku, grilled meat restaurants are a beloved national cuisine). This concrete culinary meaning risks crowding out the abstract theological sense of “fallen human viewpoint.” Every occurrence in doctrinally weighty contexts requires contextual anchoring (e.g., pairing with 人間的な basis, “merely human,” on first use) so readers do not process it as a stray reference to physical bodies or food.
regard — Gk. οἶδα / γινώσκω-family (here εἰδέναι, “to know/regard”). Literal: “to know.” Semantic range: to perceive, evaluate, assess. English variants: “regard,” “know,” “view.” Theological meaning: a transformed mode of evaluating people and even Christ himself. Japanese: 見る / 知る. Risk: Low.
v.17 — “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
in Christ — Gk. ἐν Χριστῷ (en Christō). Literal: “in Christ.” Semantic range: union with Christ, incorporation into his death/resurrection/body. English variants: “in Christ,” “united with Christ.” Theological meaning: the locus of the doctrine “Christian Identity in Christ” carried over from the baseline Romans package. Japanese: キリストにある. Risk: High (reuse baseline note under “christian_identity_in_christ” — identity located in union with Christ, not group-belonging/和 harmony status).
new creation — Gk. καινὴ κτίσις (kainē ktisis). Literal: “new creation/creature.” Semantic range: a newly created being; a renewed cosmic order; the inaugurated new-creation age. English variants: “new creation,” “new creature,” “a new person.” Theological meaning: not moral improvement but an ontological, Spirit-wrought re-creation, inaugurating the doctrine “New Creation in Christ.” Japanese: 新しい創造 (atarashii sōzō); note that Shinkaiyaku renders the verse periphrastically as 新しく創造された者です (“is one newly created”). Risk: High. Japan’s large and normalized self-improvement culture (自己啓発, jiko keihatsu — a major publishing/seminar industry) and pop-psychology “new me” reinvention rhetoric (already primed by New Year’s resolution culture, 心を入れ替える “changing one’s heart/attitude”) risk flattening this into a motivational self-help slogan. Teaching must clarify this is God’s unilateral creative act (parallel to Genesis creation, not self-generated reinvention), producing an actually new spiritual existence, not a resolved-upon personality change.
passed away / has come — Gk. παρέρχομαι (parerchomai, “to pass by/away”) and γίνομαι (ginomai, here γέγονεν, “has become/come to be”). Literal: “has passed away” / “has come to be.” Semantic range: termination of the old order; inauguration of the new. English variants: “passed away”/“gone,” “has come”/“is here.” Theological meaning: eschatological, decisive, once-for-all transition, not a gradual improvement. Japanese: 過ぎ去った / 新しく生じた. Risk: Medium. Care must be taken not to render this as a gradual process verb, which would blur the decisive nature of new-creation status.
v.18 — “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;”
reconciled — Gk. καταλλάσσω (katallassō). Literal: “to exchange, to change thoroughly, to restore to favor.” Semantic range: to restore a broken relationship; to remove enmity; to bring former enemies into peace. English variants: “reconciled,” “restored to favor,” “made peace.” Theological meaning: God’s unilateral, gracious initiative to end hostility between himself and sinful humanity — the anchor term for the doctrine “Reconciliation with God.” Japanese: 和解させる (wakai saseru); noun 和解 (wakai) — the established Japanese Bible term. Risk: Critical. In everyday Japanese, 和解 is the standard word for a legal or interpersonal settlement — most commonly an out-of-court settlement (示談, jidan) or a negotiated truce between parties assumed to bear some mutual fault, each moving toward the other. Biblical reconciliation, by contrast, is entirely God-initiated while humanity was in a position of hostility and guilt (cf. Romans 5:10, “while we were enemies”), with no contribution from the human side. Teaching materials must explicitly clarify that 和解 here describes a one-directional divine initiative accomplished through Christ’s death, not a mutual settlement or a meeting-halfway compromise. This is the single highest-stakes term in this curriculum.
ministry of reconciliation — Gk. διακονία τῆς καταλλαγῆς (diakonia tēs katallagēs). Literal: “service/ministry of the reconciliation.” Semantic range: the delegated task/office of proclaiming and mediating this reconciled relationship. English variants: “ministry of reconciliation,” “service of reconciliation.” Theological meaning: believers, having been reconciled, are given the derivative task of announcing this reconciliation to others. Japanese: 和解の務め (wakai no tsutome). Risk: High. 務め/奉仕 language for “ministry” risks being heard as generic volunteer civic service (社会奉仕, shakai hōshi) unless anchored to gospel proclamation specifically (cf. baseline’s “christ_centered_ministry” note).
v.19 — “that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”
not counting [trespasses] — Gk. λογίζομαι (logizomai, “to reckon, count, credit”), negated (μὴ λογιζόμενος). Literal: “not reckoning/crediting.” Semantic range: an accounting/ledger term — to charge to someone’s account, or, negated, to decline to charge. English variants: “not counting,” “not holding against,” “not imputing.” Theological meaning: the same forensic-accounting verb family underlying baseline’s “imputed_righteousness” (義と認められること) — here used negatively: sins not charged to the sinner’s account because charged instead to Christ (v.21). Japanese: 責めを負わせない / 罪を数えない. Risk: High. Must be recognized by reviewers as the conceptual mirror-image of imputed righteousness — this is imputation-language operating in reverse (non-imputation of sin) and should be flagged for the same theologian-review tier.
trespasses — Gk. παράπτωμα (paraptōma). Literal: “a falling beside, a misstep.” Semantic range: sin, transgression, wrongdoing. English variants: “trespasses,” “sins,” “transgressions.” Theological meaning: near-synonym of 罪 (sin) but with an emphasis on discrete acts of failure. Japanese: 罪 (tsumi) — reuse baseline “sin” term, or 過ち (ayamachi, “mistake/fault”) where distinct nuance is needed. Risk: High (inherits baseline “sin” risk notes on shame- vs. guilt-orientation).
entrusting — Gk. τίθημι (tithēmi, here θέμενος, “having placed/entrusted”). Literal: “to place, to set, to entrust.” Semantic range: deposit, commission, delegate. English variants: “entrusting,” “committing,” “has given.” Theological meaning: God delegates the proclamation of reconciliation to the reconciled. Japanese: 委ねる (yudaneru). Risk: Low.
message of reconciliation — Gk. ὁ λόγος τῆς καταλλαγῆς (ho logos tēs katallagēs). Literal: “the word of the reconciliation.” Japanese: 和解の言葉 (wakai no kotoba). Risk: Critical (inherits reconciliation’s core risk above).
v.20 — “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
ambassadors — Gk. πρεσβεύω (presbeuō), here πρεσβεύομεν (“we act as ambassadors/envoys”). Literal: “to be an elder/envoy; to represent officially.” Semantic range: authorized diplomatic representative, one who speaks with delegated authority on behalf of another. English variants: “ambassadors,” “envoys,” “representatives.” Theological meaning: apostolic authority is entirely derivative and representative — Paul’s appeal carries Christ’s own authority. Japanese: 使者 (shisha) — Shinkaiyaku’s established rendering (“I am Christ’s envoy/representative”), rather than the modern diplomatic-office term 大使 (taishi). Risk: Medium. Must be clarified as carrying Christ’s own delegated authority and voice (“God making his appeal through us”), not merely an ordinary courier or spokesperson without backing authority.
implore [we beg] — Gk. παρακαλέω (parakaleō). Literal: “to call alongside, to urge, to comfort.” Semantic range: to exhort, entreat, beg, comfort — the same root as baseline’s “exhort” (勧める) and this book’s central “comfort” term (see Ch.1 below). English variants: “implore,” “beg,” “appeal,” “entreat.” Theological meaning: here in its urgent-entreaty sense — Paul pleads with real urgency on Christ’s behalf. Japanese: 懇願する (kongan suru) / 切に勧める. Risk: Medium. Distinguish from baseline’s more measured “exhort” (勧める) — this occurrence carries greater urgency and must not be flattened to routine encouragement.
be reconciled — Gk. καταλλάγητε (katallagēte), aorist passive imperative. Literal: “be reconciled!” (passive — the action is received, not self-generated). Japanese: 神と和解しなさい. Risk: Critical. The passive voice is doctrinally load-bearing: the hearer is called to receive a reconciliation God has already accomplished (v.18-19), not to perform a reconciling action of their own initiative. Japanese passive constructions (〜されなさい is awkward) may tempt a translator toward an active “make peace with God” phrasing that reverses agency; must be resisted.
v.21 — “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
made [him] to be sin — Gk. ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν (hamartian epoiēsen). Literal: “made [him] sin.” Semantic range: a startling, concentrated substitutionary formula — Christ was made to be sin (not merely to bear its penalty in the abstract) in the sinner’s place. English variants: “made him to be sin,” “made him sin,” “he made the sinless one to be sin.” Theological meaning: the theological hinge of the whole passage — Christ’s identification with sin’s guilt so that believers might be identified with God’s righteousness. Japanese: 罪となさいました (tsumi to nasaimashita). Risk: Critical. Must be preserved as a strong substitutionary statement, not softened into “was treated as a sinner” or “bore the consequences of sin” — the force of Paul’s shocking exchange language (sin for righteousness) must not be diluted for the sake of smoother-sounding Japanese.
knew no sin — Gk. μὴ γνόντα ἁμαρτίαν (mē gnonta hamartian). Literal: “not having known sin.” Semantic range: sinlessness, moral perfection. Japanese: 罪を知らない方 (tsumi o shiranai kata). Risk: High. Directly undergirds Christ’s sinless humanity — must not be blurred with a merely relative or comparative sinlessness.
righteousness of God — Gk. δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ (dikaiosynē theou). Literal: “righteousness of God.” Semantic range: God’s own righteous character; a righteous status conferred by God; God’s saving, covenant-faithful action. English variants: “righteousness of God,” “God’s righteousness.” Theological meaning: believers are credited with a righteousness that is not their own but God’s own, received through union with Christ — directly reusing the baseline’s Critical “righteousness” (義) and “imputed_righteousness” (義と認められること) entries. Japanese: 神の義 (Kami no gi) — reuse baseline term 義 exactly. Risk: Critical (inherits baseline’s Bushido-virtue collision risk in full: 義 as samurai-honor moral courage vs. forensic righteousness credited by God, per baseline “righteousness” notes — flag explicitly here given this is the passage’s climactic doctrinal statement).
PART 2 — Chapter-by-Chapter Study of the Whole Book
Chapter 1
comfort — Gk. παράκλησις (paraklēsis, noun) / παρακαλέω (parakaleō, verb). Literal: “a calling alongside.” Semantic range: comfort, consolation, encouragement, appeal — used 10 times in this chapter alone. English variants: “comfort,” “consolation,” “encouragement.” Theological meaning: God’s comfort in suffering, given so that the comforted may comfort others — the anchor term for the doctrine “Suffering and Comfort in Ministry.” Japanese: 慰め (nagusame, noun) / 慰める (nagusameru, verb) — a distinct sense-family from baseline’s “exhort” (勧める, also from παρακαλέω but the encouragement/urging sense; see Romans baseline). Risk: Medium. Must be distinguished from the generic wellness/self-care sense of 癒し (iyashi, “healing/soothing,” per baseline “peace” note on Japan’s large relaxation-and-wellness marketing culture) — this is God’s personal comfort amid gospel-ministry affliction, not a spa-like emotional soothing.
affliction — Gk. θλῖψις (thlipsis). Literal: “pressure, crushing.” Semantic range: tribulation, hardship, distress. English variants: “affliction,” “suffering,” “trouble,” “tribulation.” Theological meaning: suffering endured specifically in and for gospel ministry, paired inseparably with comfort. Japanese: 苦難 (kunan). Risk: Medium. Must retain ministry-specific, purposeful framing rather than collapsing into generic life hardship.
Father of mercies — Gk. ὁ πατὴρ τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν (ho patēr tōn oiktirmōn). Literal: “the Father of the mercies/compassions.” Japanese: 慈しみ深い父 (itsukushimi-bukai chichi). Risk: Medium (reuse baseline “father” note on Japan’s culturally distant father-figure association — actively build relational warmth here as instructed for Romans 8/12 passages).
seal / guarantee (down payment) — Gk. σφραγίζω (sphragizō, “to seal”) and ἀρραβών (arrabōn, “down payment, deposit, pledge”). Literal: “to mark with a seal” / “a first installment guaranteeing the rest.” Semantic range: legal/commercial authentication (seal) and a partial payment securing a future full payment (ἀρραβών — the same root survives in Modern Greek as “engagement ring”). English variants: “sealed,” “guarantee,” “deposit,” “down payment,” “pledge.” Theological meaning: the Holy Spirit given to believers now as God’s own guarantee that the full inheritance will follow (recurs in 5:5). Japanese: 証印を押す (shōin o osu) / 保証 (hoshō, “guarantee”). Risk: High. 保証 risks being over-literalized into a real-estate/commercial deposit transaction (手付金, tetsukekin) stripped of relational meaning; conversely, this commercial resonance can — if actively taught, similar to the baseline’s adoption/yōshi engumi bridge — actually help convey the legally binding, future-certain nature of the Spirit’s guarantee. Must be taught as a relational pledge from a personal God, not a mere financial instrument.
sincerity — Gk. ἁπλότης (haplotēs, “simplicity, singleness”) and εἰλικρίνεια (eilikrineia, “purity, sincerity,” lit. “judged in sunlight,” 1:12). Literal: “singleness [of motive]” / “sun-tested purity.” Semantic range: transparency, integrity, freedom from hidden agendas or duplicity. English variants: “sincerity,” “simplicity,” “godly sincerity,” “holiness.” Theological meaning: the foundational claim of Paul’s entire self-defense in this letter — his conduct toward the Corinthians has been transparent and non-manipulative, anchoring the doctrine “Sincerity and Apostolic Authority.” Japanese: 純真さ (junshin-sa) / 誠実さ (seijitsu-sa). Risk: High. 誠実 is already a highly prized Japanese social and business virtue (sincerity in customer service, hospitality culture/omotenashi), but risks being read as skillful social performance rather than actual transparency before God. This doctrine directly intersects Japan’s well-documented 建前/本音 (tatemae/honne, public facade vs. true feeling) social structure; teaching must clarify apostolic sincerity as the collapse of that distinction before God — no gap between presented motive and true motive — not merely polished social conduct.
Chapter 2
forgive — Gk. χαρίζομαι (charizomai, “to grant graciously, to forgive”), same root as χάρις (grace). Literal: “to give graciously.” Semantic range: to forgive, to grant as a favor. English variants: “forgive,” “graciously grant.” Theological meaning: forgiveness of the offending church member is itself an act of grace, not a wage-like transaction. Japanese: 赦す (yurusu). Risk: High. Directly inherits the baseline “grace” critical risk: forgiveness-as-grace must be taught as non-transactional, resisting the on-giri (恩・義理) reciprocal-obligation framework that could recast forgiveness as incurring a debt on the forgiven party.
Satan — Gk. Σατανᾶς (Satanas). Established loanword. Japanese: サタン (Satan). Risk: Low. Distinguish where relevant from generic folk-spirit/yōkai categories (per baseline “holy_spirit” note on Japan’s vivid animistic spirit-world) — Satan is a specific personal adversary, not one more folk-spirit entity.
triumphal procession — Gk. θριαμβεύω (thriambeuō). Literal: “to lead in a triumphal procession” (the Roman victory parade displaying a conquered general and his soldiers). Semantic range: to lead as a captive display of one’s victory; also, positively, to be caused to participate in Christ’s victory march. English variants: “leads us in triumphal procession,” “makes a show of us.” Theological meaning: God displays Paul (and by extension believers) as trophies of Christ’s victory. Japanese: 凱旋行列に加える (gaisen kōretsu ni kuwaeru). Risk: Medium. Requires historical explanation (Roman military triumph is unfamiliar to Japanese readers) — a biblical-illiteracy risk rather than a doctrinal collision.
aroma / fragrance [of Christ] — Gk. εὐωδία (euōdia, “sweet fragrance”) and ὀσμή (osmē, “odor, scent,” used both positively and negatively in 2:15-16). Japanese: キリストの良い香り (Kirisuto no yoi kaori). Risk: Medium. 香 (kō, incense/fragrance) carries some association with Buddhist temple incense-offering ritual (お線香); this can function as either a helpful sensory bridge or an unwanted ritual-association risk depending on framing — flag for native-speaker review.
peddlers [of God’s word] — Gk. καπηλεύω (kapēleuō), “to be a huckster/retailer,” here negated (2:17). Literal: “to peddle for profit, to adulterate goods for sale.” Semantic range: to exploit for commercial gain, to dilute a product to sell more of it. English variants: “peddlers,” “hucksters,” “those who sell God’s word for profit.” Theological meaning: contrasts Paul’s sincere ministry with mercenary religious teachers. Japanese: 神の言葉を売り物にする者 (Kami no kotoba o urimono ni suru mono). Risk: Medium. Resonates usefully (as a warning, not an endorsement) with contemporary Japanese wariness of profit-driven new religious movements post-Aum Shinrikyo (cf. baseline “apostle” note on 教祖) — frame carefully as a warning against false teachers, feeding directly into the “Genuine versus False Apostleship” doctrine developed further in chs. 10-11.
Chapter 3
new covenant — Gk. καινὴ διαθήκη (kainē diathēkē). Japanese: 新しい契約 (atarashii keiyaku) — extends baseline’s 契約 (covenant) term. Risk: High (inherits baseline covenant dilution risk — 契約 defaults to an ordinary secular contract in modern Japanese — now sharpened by direct contrast with the old covenant in this chapter, requiring active teaching of the relational, Spirit-enabled nature of the new covenant against the letter of a written code).
letter / Spirit — Gk. γράμμα (gramma, “letter, written character”) vs. πνεῦμα (pneuma, “Spirit,” here the Holy Spirit’s covenant-enabling ministry). Literal: “letter” (written text) vs. “spirit/breath.” Semantic range: γράμμα = the written law taken as external code; πνεῦμα here = the life-giving ministry of the Holy Spirit (contextually the same divine Person as baseline’s 聖霊). Theological meaning: the old covenant’s written code condemns; the Spirit’s new-covenant ministry gives life (3:6). Japanese: 文字 (moji, “letter/written character”) / 聖霊 (Seirei) — reuse baseline Holy Spirit term, never 霊 alone. Risk: Critical. IMPORTANT NOTE: some historic Japanese Bible translation traditions render “the Spirit” in this chapter’s climactic statement (3:17, “the Lord is the Spirit”) with the reverential variant 御霊 (mitama) rather than 聖霊. This package explicitly REQUIRES 聖霊 here despite that historic variant, because 御霊 is also the standing Japanese term for enshrined ancestral or war-dead spirits venerated in Shinto practice (cf. 御霊信仰, goryō shinkō, the historic tradition of appeasing vengeful spirits; 英霊, eirei, the honorific term for enshrined war dead at sites such as Yasukuni Shrine). Using 御霊 in this passage — precisely the passage identifying “the Lord” with “the Spirit” — carries an unacceptable risk of assimilation to Japan’s animistic enshrined-spirit theology. 聖霊 must be used without exception, consistent with the baseline’s forbidden-substitution rule.
veil — Gk. κάλυμμα (kalymma). Literal: “a covering.” Japanese: 覆い (ōi). Risk: Medium. Requires explanation of the Exodus 34 background (Moses’ veiled face) for a biblically illiterate readership; no direct doctrinal collision.
transformed — Gk. μεταμορφόω (metamorphoō), here μεταμορφούμεθα (3:18). Literal: “changed in form.” Semantic range: progressive transformation into a new form/likeness. English variants: “transformed,” “changed,” “being conformed.” Theological meaning: the Spirit’s ongoing sanctifying work, conforming believers to Christ’s glory-image (feeding directly into baseline’s “sanctification” doctrine, 聖化). Japanese: 姿を変えられて (sugata o kaerarete) — an intentionally periphrastic rendering. Risk: High. NEVER render with 変身 (henshin, “transformation”), which in contemporary Japanese is inseparably associated with tokusatsu/anime superhero transformation sequences (仮面ライダー, Kamen Rider; Super Sentai/Power Rangers-style “henshin” catchphrases). Using 変身 would trivialize progressive Spirit-wrought sanctification into a costume-change trope.
image — Gk. εἰκών (eikōn). Literal: “image, likeness.” Semantic range: a visual representation, a reflection, an exact copy. English variants: “image,” “likeness.” Theological meaning: believers are progressively conformed to Christ’s own image/glory. Japanese: 似姿 (nisugata, “resembling form”) rather than 像 (zō, “statue, idol-image”). Risk: High. 像 risks direct collision with Buddhist statuary (仏像, butsuzō) and Shinto deity images (神像); 似姿 avoids this while retaining the “likeness” sense.
freedom — Gk. ἐλευθερία (eleutheria). Japanese: 自由 (jiyū). Risk: Low. Standard modern vocabulary; ensure it is anchored to freedom from the old covenant’s condemning letter (3:6-11), not generic personal autonomy.
Chapter 4
the god of this age — Gk. ὁ θεὸς τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου (ho theos tou aiōnos toutou), referring to Satan (4:4). Literal: “the god of this age.” Japanese: この世の神(サタン) — with a mandatory bracketed clarification (Satan). Risk: Critical. This is the one occurrence in the entire curriculum where 神 (baseline’s Critical, exclusively-reserved term for the one true God) is applied to a false pretender. Because the baseline mandates that 神 always carry qualifying “one true God” language in doctrinally weighty passages, this verse requires the opposite handling: an explicit disqualifying clarification — that this is Satan’s usurped, blasphemous self-designation, describing his current influence over unbelieving minds, never an acknowledgment of actual deity. Every occurrence must be flagged for theologian review.
treasure in jars of clay — Gk. θησαυρὸς ἐν ὀστρακίνοις σκεύεσιν (thēsauros en ostrakinois skeuesin). Literal: “treasure in earthenware vessels.” Semantic range: a valuable content held in a fragile, humble, disposable container. Theological meaning: the gospel’s surpassing worth carried by weak, mortal human ministers, so that the power is recognized as God’s, not the messenger’s — a key term for “Power in Weakness.” Japanese: 土の器に納められた宝 (tsuchi no utsuwa ni osamerareta takara). Risk: Low-Medium. Note a positive cultural bridge possibility: Japan’s wabi-sabi aesthetic and kintsugi tradition (repairing broken pottery with gold, prizing the beauty of imperfection/fragility) resonate well with this image and may be usable as a teaching bridge, provided it is not allowed to soften the point that the vessel’s value is entirely in its contents (Christ), not in the vessel’s own aesthetic worth.
inner / outer man — Gk. ὁ ἔξω ἄνθρωπος / ὁ ἔσω ἄνθρωπος (ho exō anthrōpos / ho esō anthrōpos). Japanese: 外なる人 (soto naru hito) / 内なる人 (uchi naru hito). Risk: Low.
eternal weight of glory — Gk. βάρος δόξης αἰώνιον (baros doxēs aiōnion). Reuses baseline’s 栄光 (glory). Japanese: 永遠の重みのある栄光 (eien no omomi no aru eikō). Risk: Medium (inherits baseline “glory” note against collapsing into 名誉, secular honor).
Chapter 5 (additional terms outside the core passage, vv.1-10)
tent / earthly house — Gk. σκῆνος (skēnos, “tent-dwelling,” metaphor for the body) and ἐπίγειος οἰκία (epigeios oikia, “earthly house”). Japanese: 地上の仮の住まい (chijō no kari no sumai, “temporary earthly dwelling”) — deliberately avoiding 幕屋 (makuya), the established OT term for the literal Mosaic Tabernacle, to prevent conflation with that specific structure. Risk: Medium.
groan — Gk. στενάζω (stenazō). Japanese: うめく (umeku). Risk: Low.
guarantee [of the Spirit] — Gk. ἀρραβών (arrabōn), recurring from 1:22. Japanese: 保証 (hoshō). Risk: High (see Ch.1 note above).
at home / away from home — Gk. ἐνδημέω / ἐκδημέω (endēmeō / ekdēmeō). Literal: “to be a resident/among one’s people” vs. “to be away from one’s people.” Theological meaning: bodily life is described as being “at home in the body” but correspondingly “away from the Lord” until the resurrection body is received. Japanese: 体を住まいとしている / 主から離れている. Risk: Low-Medium (a translation/idiom challenge more than a doctrinal collision).
judgment seat of Christ — Gk. τὸ βῆμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ (to bēma tou Christou), 5:10. Literal: “the raised platform/tribunal of Christ” (the term for a magistrate’s official judgment platform). Semantic range: a formal tribunal where an authoritative verdict/accounting is rendered. English variants: “judgment seat,” “tribunal,” “bar of judgment.” Theological meaning: every believer will give an account to Christ for how life was lived — grounding the reverent urgency of the “fear of the Lord” in v.11. Japanese: キリストの裁きの座 (Kirisuto no sabaki no za). Risk: High. This concept risks assimilation to the vivid Japanese Buddhist folk-religious figure of Enma (閻魔, Enma-ō), the judge of the dead who weighs a person’s deeds in the afterlife — a figure still widely known through folklore, temple art, and popular culture. Teaching materials must clarify that believers are already reconciled and justified (5:18-21) and stand before Christ specifically, not before an impersonal karmic weighing of deeds determining their fundamental standing; this is an accounting for a life already secured in Christ, not a decisive verdict on salvation itself.
Chapter 6
workers together [with him] — Gk. συνεργέω (synergeō). Japanese: (神と)共に働く者 (Kami to tomo ni hataraku mono). Risk: Low.
temple of the living God — Gk. ναὸς θεοῦ ζῶντος (naos theou zōntos). Literal: “sanctuary/inner shrine of the living God.” Semantic range: the innermost, most sacred dwelling place of a deity — the same term (ναός) used of pagan temple sanctuaries in Greco-Roman usage. English variants: “temple,” “sanctuary.” Theological meaning: the corporate people of God (or, in Paul’s original individual application, each believer) as God’s own dwelling place, in contrast to pagan temple worship. Japanese: 生ける神の神殿 (ikeru Kami no shinden). Risk: High. 神殿 (shinden, “sanctuary/inner shrine”) must be sharply distinguished from 神社 (Shinto shrine) and 寺 (Buddhist temple) — per baseline’s “church” note, NEVER use those two terms — but 神殿 itself still risks evoking an actual religious-building complex in a culture saturated with prominent shrine/temple architecture as the default religious-space referent. The qualifier 生ける神 (“the living God,” itself echoing baseline’s 唯一のまことの神 formula) must always accompany this term to keep the emphasis on God’s personal indwelling presence rather than a physical sacred site.
unequally yoked — Gk. ἑτεροζυγέω (heterozygeō). Literal: “to be yoked with a different/mismatched animal.” Japanese: つり合わない軛を共にする (tsuriawanai kubiki o tomo ni suru). Risk: Medium. Modern urban Japan has little living familiarity with agricultural yoke imagery (a biblical-illiteracy/cultural-distance risk), though the phrase is already established in Japanese Bible tradition (cf. Matthew 11:29’s easy yoke). Requires brief explanatory framing rather than doctrinal caution.
sincere (unhypocritical) love — Gk. ἀγάπη ἀνυπόκριτος (agapē anypokritos, 6:6). Literal: “unmasked/unacted love” (ὑπόκριτος, the same root as English “hypocrite,” from the Greek stage-actor’s mask). Japanese: 偽りのない愛 (itsuwari no nai ai). Risk: High. Directly reinforces the tatemae/honne sincerity risk already flagged under Chapter 1 — love that is not a performed role (a literal “mask,” per the Greek etymology) but genuine before God and others.
Chapter 7
repentance — Gk. μετάνοια (metanoia), verb μετανοέω. Literal: “a change of mind, an afterthought that changes direction.” Semantic range: a Spirit-wrought turning from sin toward God, involving both mind and will. English variants: “repentance,” “turning,” “change of heart.” Theological meaning: godly grief produces a repentance leading to salvation, without regret (7:9-10) — this term is notably absent from the Romans baseline TM and must be freshly established here. Japanese: 悔い改め (kuiarame) — the established Shinkaiyaku term. Risk: High. Must be distinguished from two adjacent Japanese concepts: (1) 反省 (hansei, “self-reflection/self-criticism”), a deeply normalized secular and educational ritual of self-critique for the sake of social harmony (common in Japanese apology culture, e.g., corporate apology press conferences) which risks reducing repentance to a performative social-repair gesture rather than a Spirit-produced turning to God; and (2) NEVER 懴悔 (sange), a formal liturgical Buddhist confession/repentance rite. Biblical repentance is God-ward, salvation-oriented turning, not social face-repair or ritual liturgical confession.
godly sorrow / worldly sorrow — Gk. λύπη κατὰ θεόν (lypē kata theon) vs. λύπη τοῦ κόσμου (lypē tou kosmou), 7:10. Japanese: 神のみ心に添った悲しみ (Kami no mikokoro ni sotta kanashimi) / 世の悲しみ (yo no kanashimi). Risk: Medium. The contrast (leading to life vs. leading to death) must be preserved sharply; do not flatten both into a single generic “sadness” term.
Chapter 8
grace [as generosity] — Gk. χάρις (charis), used here specifically of the Macedonian churches’ giving (8:1, “the grace of God given to them”) and of the collection itself (8:6-7, τὴν χάριν ταύτην, “this gracious work”). Japanese: 恵み (megumi) — reuse baseline critical grace term exactly. Risk: Critical. This chapter applies the baseline’s on-giri (恩・義理 reciprocal-obligation) caution directly to financial giving: generosity must be taught as flowing from grace already received, never as repayment of a spiritual debt or as generating a new obligation on the recipient. This anchors the doctrine “Generosity and Grace in Giving.”
fellowship [of the ministry / the collection] — Gk. κοινωνία τῆς διακονίας (koinōnia tēs diakonias), 8:4. Japanese: 奉仕の交わり — reuse baseline 交わり (fellowship). Risk: Low (per baseline, though ensure gospel content, not generic in-group solidarity, remains explicit).
equality — Gk. ἰσότης (isotēs), 8:13-14. Literal: “equality, fairness.” Japanese: 公平 (kōhei) / 平等 (byōdō). Risk: Low. Note this is a fairness-in-sharing-of-resources concept, not an assertion of identical individual giving amounts.
Chapter 9
cheerful [giver] — Gk. ἱλαρός (hilaros, root of the English “hilarious”). Literal: “joyous, cheerful, glad.” Semantic range: glad-hearted, willing, free from reluctance or compulsion. English variants: “cheerful,” “joyful,” “glad.” Theological meaning: giving that flows freely from a grace-transformed heart, not compelled or reluctant giving (9:7, “not reluctantly or under compulsion”). Japanese: 喜んで(与える) (yorokonde [ataeru]) — following Shinkaiyaku’s established rendering of 9:7. Risk: High. This directly engages Japan’s strong and highly formalized gift-reciprocity culture — お返し (okaeshi), the deeply normalized cultural expectation of returning a gift of comparable value (seen in wedding/funeral gift customs, White Day’s reciprocation of Valentine’s gifts, and mid-year/year-end o-chūgen and o-seibo gift exchanges). Christian cheerful giving must be clearly taught as a grace-motivated, non-reciprocal act — not one more instance of the okaeshi social-obligation cycle, and not generating an implicit debt God or others must now repay. This is a direct extension of the baseline’s on-giri “grace” caution into the specific domain of financial gift-giving.
sow / reap — Gk. σπείρω / θερίζω (speirō / therizō). Japanese: 種を蒲く / 収穫する. Risk: Low (agrarian metaphor increasingly unfamiliar to urban Japanese readers — a biblical-illiteracy note rather than a doctrinal risk).
righteousness [endures forever] — Gk. δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē), 9:9-10 (citing Psalm 112:9). Japanese: 義 (gi) — reuse baseline critical righteousness term. Risk: Critical (inherits full baseline Bushido-virtue collision caution; here applied to the fruit of generous giving rather than justification — clarify this is God’s righteous character sustaining and rewarding grace-motivated generosity, not a merit accrued through giving).
Chapter 10
weapons of warfare — Gk. ὅπλα τῆς στρατείας (hopla tēs strateias, 10:4). Literal: “weapons/arms of the campaign.” Japanese: 戦いの武器 (tatakai no buki). Risk: Medium. Militaristic metaphor requires care given Japan’s strong postwar pacifist constitutional identity (Article 9) and cultural sensitivity to war-language given WWII history; must be clearly framed as spiritual/metaphorical from the outset, not literal or nationalistic.
stronghold — Gk. ὀχύρωμα (ochyrōma, 10:4). Literal: “a fortified place.” Japanese: 要塞 (yōsai). Risk: Low-Medium. Note a potential positive bridge to Japan’s rich castle/fortress cultural imagery (similar in kind to baseline’s 主君 lord bridge for feudal loyalty), usable if care is taken to keep the referent purely spiritual (idolatrous strongholds of thought, 10:5) rather than literal military architecture.
taking [thoughts] captive — Gk. αἰχμαλωτίζω (aichmalōtizō, 10:5). Japanese: 思いを捕らえて服従させる (omoi o toraete fukujū saseru). Risk: Low.
boast / boasting — Gk. καυχάομαι (kauchaomai), recurring heavily through chs. 10-12. Japanese: 誇る (hokoru). Risk: High (see Ch.1 note above on 謙遜/modesty-culture tension; central to the “Genuine versus False Apostleship” doctrine as Paul’s ironic “boasting” contrasts with the self-promoting rival teachers).
measure/rule — Gk. κανών (kanōn, 10:13), the assigned “measure” or sphere of ministry. Japanese: 範囲 (han’i) / 基準 (kijun). Risk: Low.
Chapter 11
false apostles — Gk. ψευδαπόστολοι (pseudapostoloi, 11:13). Literal: “false apostles” (compound of ψευδο-, “false,” + ἀπόστολος, “apostle”). Japanese: 偽使徒 (gi-shito) — compound of baseline’s established 使徒 (apostle) with 偽 (false). Risk: High. This doctrine (“Genuine versus False Apostleship”) lands with particular cultural urgency in Japan given the still-vivid public memory of Aum Shinrikyo and other new-religious-movement scandals (cf. baseline’s caution against 教祖 for “apostle”). Teaching must frame discernment of false teachers soberly and non-sensationally, distinguishing biblical apostolic authority (derivative, Christ-commissioned, doctrinally sound) from both cult-leader authoritarianism and secular skepticism toward all religious authority claims.
angel of light — Gk. ἄγγελος φωτός (angelos phōtos, 11:14). Japanese: 光の御使い (hikari no otsukai). Risk: Medium. Reuses the established “angel” term (御使い); the deceptive counterfeit-light imagery must be clarified against generic positive associations of “light” (enlightenment imagery, cf. baseline’s caution on 悟り, satori, under “sanctification”).
godly jealousy — Gk. ζῆλος θεοῦ (zēlos theou, 11:2). Literal: “zeal/jealousy of God.” Semantic range: covenantal jealousy — protective zeal for an exclusive relationship, distinct from petty envy. English variants: “godly jealousy,” “divine jealousy.” Theological meaning: Paul’s protective zeal for the Corinthians’ undivided devotion to Christ, likened to a father’s care for his daughter’s betrothal purity (11:2). Japanese: 神の熱心 (Kami no nesshin) — deliberately avoiding ねたみ (netami, “envy”), which carries an entirely negative connotation in Japanese. Risk: Medium.
betrothed [as a pure virgin] — Gk. παρθένος ἁγνή (parthenos hagnē, 11:2). Japanese: 純潔な処女として (junketsu na shojo to shite). Risk: Medium. Marriage/betrothal covenant metaphor requires cultural explanatory framing given differing modern marriage customs; not a doctrinal collision risk per se.
Chapter 12
paradise — Gk. παράδεισος (paradeisos, 12:4). Literal: “an enclosed park/garden” (a Persian loanword into Greek). Semantic range: the immediate presence of God after death; in Jewish/Christian usage, the heavenly dwelling place of the redeemed. English variants: “paradise,” “heaven.” Theological meaning: Paul’s report of being caught up into God’s immediate presence, illustrating both extraordinary revelation and the humility with which he handles it. Japanese: 楽園 (rakuen) / パラダイス (paradaisu). Risk: High. Two distinct collision risks: (1) NEVER conflate with 極楽 (gokuraku, the Pure Land Buddhist paradise reached through Amida Buddha’s grace — cf. baseline’s “salvation” caution on this term, which applies with equal force here); and (2) the loanword パラダイス is heavily used in secular Japanese tourism/resort marketing (“tropical paradise” vacation branding), risking trivialization into a leisure-destination image rather than God’s own dwelling place.
third heaven — Gk. τρίτος οὐρανός (tritos ouranos, 12:2). Japanese: 第三の天 (dai-san no ten). Risk: Medium. Requires explanation of ancient Jewish tiered-heaven cosmology (biblical-illiteracy risk, not a doctrinal collision).
thorn in the flesh — Gk. σκόλοψ τῇ σαρκί (skolops tē sarki, 12:7). Japanese: 肉体のとげ (nikutai no toge). Risk: Medium. Clarify as a persistent, ongoing affliction (chronic, not a single momentary event); no significant cultural collision beyond ensuring the metaphor is not read overly literally.
messenger of Satan — Gk. ἄγγελος Σατανᾶ (angelos Satana, 12:7). Japanese: サタンの使い (Satan no tsukai). Risk: Medium.
power [made perfect] in weakness — Gk. ἡ δύναμις ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ [τελειοῦται] (hē dynamis en astheneia [teleioutai], 12:9). Literal: “power [is perfected/completed] in weakness.” Reuses baseline’s 神の力 (power of God) alongside a new term: ἀσθένεια (astheneia, “weakness, frailty, illness”) — Japanese 弱さ (yowasa). Theological meaning: God’s power is deliberately, purposefully displayed through human insufficiency rather than despite it — the anchor term for the doctrine “Power in Weakness.” Japanese: 弱さのうちに完全に現れる力 (yowasa no uchi ni kanzen ni arawareru chikara). Risk: High. This teaching runs directly against two strong currents in Japanese culture: the historic Bushido strength/honor ethic and the pervasive modern 頑張る (ganbaru, “to persevere/push through”) achievement ethic, which frames hardship as something to be overcome by effort toward eventual strength or success. There is a real risk that “power in weakness” is heard as a motivational self-help trope (“grow stronger through adversity,” a common ganbare-culture framing) rather than God’s specific, sovereign choice to display his own power precisely through — not despite, and not eventually overcoming — ongoing human insufficiency and grace-dependence. Requires active theological framing to prevent collapse into secular perseverance rhetoric.
grace is sufficient — Gk. ἀρκεῖ ἡ χάρις (arkei hē charis, 12:9). Reuses baseline’s 恵み (grace). Japanese: 恵みで十分です (megumi de jūbun desu). Risk: Critical (full baseline grace risk applies; also directly ties power-in-weakness to the non-transactional nature of grace).
signs [of a true apostle] — Gk. σημεῖα (sēmeia, 12:12). Japanese: しるし (shirushi). Risk: Low-Medium. Standard biblical “sign” vocabulary; low collision risk though distinct from folk-superstition omens (前兆, zenchō).
Chapter 13
examine yourselves — Gk. δοκιμάζω / πειράζω (dokimazō / peirazō, 13:5). Literal: “to test, to put to the proof.” Semantic range: to test the genuineness of something, often by a refining/assaying process (δοκιμάζω was used of testing metals). English variants: “examine,” “test,” “prove.” Theological meaning: self-examination for genuine faith-union with Christ, not merit-based self-improvement assessment. Japanese: 自分自身を確かめなさい (jibun jishin o tashikamenasai). Risk: Medium. Risks collision with East Asian introspective self-cultivation traditions (Confucian 内省, naishō, self-reflection toward moral refinement; Buddhist mindfulness self-examination practices) — must be clarified as testing the presence of Christ-uniting faith specifically (13:5, “Christ is in you”), not generic moral self-improvement.
disqualified — Gk. ἀδόκιμος (adokimos, 13:5-7), the negative of δόκιμος (“approved, tested genuine”). Japanese: 失格 (shikkaku). Risk: Medium. 失格 is heavily used in competitive sports/examination contexts in Japan (disqualification from a race, failing an exam) — echoing baseline’s caution under “election” against merit-based competitive-selection framing. Must be clarified as failing the test of genuine faith-union with Christ, not failing a performance-based evaluation that could in principle be passed through greater effort.
holy kiss — Gk. φίλημα ἅγιον (philēma hagion, 13:12). Japanese: 聖なる口づけ (seinaru kuchizuke). Risk: Low-Medium. A practical cultural-adaptation note rather than a doctrinal risk: physical kissing as an ordinary greeting is foreign to Japanese social custom (which favors bowing, minimal physical contact in greeting); teaching materials should note this reflects the cultural custom of the original setting (a warm, familial greeting among believers) rather than mandating a literal contemporary practice.
grace, love, fellowship [benediction] — Gk. ἡ χάρις τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ ἡ κοινωνία τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος (13:14). Reuses baseline’s 恵み (grace), 交わり (fellowship), and 聖霊 (Holy Spirit) exactly, plus the newly established 愛 (love, see 5:14 above). Japanese: 主イエス・キリストの恵み、神の愛、聖霊の交わり. Risk: High (composite risk — this Trinitarian benediction is a load-bearing doxological summary and should be rendered identically wherever it recurs across curriculum materials, per the baseline’s cross-document consistency principle).
End of semantic analysis. All chapters 1-13 of 2 Corinthians reviewed; no chapter lacked load-bearing theological vocabulary requiring analysis. See analysis/08_core_glossary.md for the consolidated glossary table.