Core Glossary
Core Glossary: Philemon
This glossary covers every load-bearing theological term identified in 07_semantic_analysis.md, drawn from every verse of Philemon’s single chapter (core passage 1:8-21 and the remainder of the chapter, 1:1-7 and 1:22-25).
Reuse rule: Terms already recorded in the baseline Romans translation_memory.json are marked [BASELINE — REUSE EXACTLY] and their established Japanese rendering is not altered. New terms specific to Philemon are proposed with a risk tier following the same Critical/High/Medium/Low framework as doctrine_risk_registry.json, for incorporation into the extended translation memory in a later step.
Section A — Baseline Terms Reused Exactly
| English term | Greek | Japanese (reuse exactly) | Risk (per baseline) | Doctrine link (Philemon) | Verses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| grace | χάρις | 恵み (megumi) | Critical | Grace-Motivated Obedience; Forgiveness and Reconciliation | 1:3, 1:22, 1:25 |
| peace | εἰρήνη | 平安 (heian) | Medium | (framing) | 1:3 |
| faith | πίστις | 信仰 (shinkou) | High | Christian Brotherhood | 1:5 |
| saints | ἅγιοι | 聖徒 (seito) | High | Christian Brotherhood | 1:5, 1:7 |
| fellowship | κοινωνία | 交わり (majiwari) | Low | Christian Brotherhood | 1:6 |
| thanksgiving | εὐχαριστῶ | 感謝 (kansha) | Low | (framing) | 1:4 |
| church | ἐκκλησία | 教会 (kyoukai) | Medium | Christian Brotherhood | 1:2 |
| lord | κύριος | 主 (shu) | Critical | Christian Brotherhood; Grace-Motivated Obedience | 1:3, 1:5, 1:16, 1:20, 1:25 |
| father | πατήρ | 父 (chichi) | Medium | (framing) | 1:3 |
| jesus | Ἰησοῦς | イエス (Iesu) | Critical | (framing) | throughout |
| messiah/christ | Χριστός | キリスト (Kirisuto) | Critical | (framing) | throughout |
| god | θεός | 神 (Kami) | Critical | (framing) | 1:3, 1:4 |
| exhort (verb root of “appeal”) | παρακαλέω | 勧める (susumeru) | Low (baseline); flag High in this context — see Section B “appeal” | Intercession and Appeal | 1:9, 1:10 |
| gospel | εὐαγγέλιον | 福音 (fukuin) | Medium | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | 1:13 |
Section B — New Terms Specific to Philemon
| English term | Greek | Transliteration | Japanese rendering (proposed) | Risk | Doctrine link | Verses | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| prisoner (of Christ) | δέσμιος | desmios | 囚人 (shūjin), qualified as キリスト・イエスの囚人 | High | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power; Intercession | 1:1, 1:9 | 囚人 alone risks social-shame association (前科者-style stigma); must always carry the “of Christ Jesus” qualifier to read as honor, not disgrace. |
| boldness / confidence | παρρησία | parrēsia | 確信 (kakushin) | Medium | Grace-Motivated Obedience | 1:8 | Must not collapse into secular social forcefulness (押しの強さ); grounded specifically “in Christ.” |
| to command | ἐπιτάσσειν | epitassein | 命じる (meijiru) | Medium | Grace-Motivated Obedience | 1:8 | Must retain clear command-force to preserve contrast with the appeal that follows. |
| what is fitting | τὸ ἀνῆκον | to anēkon | ふさわしいこと (fusawashii koto) | Medium-High | Grace-Motivated Obedience | 1:8 | Risk of collapse into Japan’s social-harmony “expected behavior” (空気を読む) sense rather than moral duty. |
| appeal / entreat | παρακαλῶ | parakalō | 懇願する (kongan suru, “to earnestly appeal/beg”) — used alongside baseline 勧める where register requires stronger force | High | Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another | 1:9, 1:10 | Same Greek root as baseline’s exhort (→ 勧める); here the pleading register is stronger and should be flagged so the two occurrences of the same Greek term across curricula are not mistaken for contradictory renderings. |
| ambassador / old man (textual variant) | πρεσβύτης / πρεσβευτής | presbytēs / presbeutēs | 老人 (rōjin) [primary]; 使者 (shisha) [variant, flag only] | Medium | Intercession and Appeal | 1:9 | Genuine manuscript variant with interpretive stakes for how Paul’s authority is portrayed; flag both in translator notes. |
| child (spiritual) | τέκνον | teknon | わが子 (waga ko) | Medium | Christian Brotherhood; Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | 1:10 | Distinguish from baseline’s forensic “adoption” (子とされること) — this is a begetting metaphor for conversion, not the adoption doctrine. |
| to father / beget (spiritually) | γεννάω | egennēsa | もうけた (mōketa) | Medium-High | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | 1:10 | Keep terminologically distinct from baseline adoption term. |
| Onesimus (proper name) | Ὀνήσιμος | Onēsimos | オネシモ (Oneshimo) | Low (name) / High (doctrinal wordplay) | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | 1:10, 1:11, 1:20 | Name means “useful.” The pun (vv.11, 20) is invisible in Japanese transliteration; MUST be surfaced via translator’s note wherever the wordplay occurs. |
| useless | ἄχρηστος | achrēstos | 無益な者 (muyaku na mono) | Medium | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | 1:11 | Wordplay-dependent term; see Onesimus note above. |
| useful | εὔχρηστος | euchrēstos | 有益な者 (yūeki na mono) | Medium | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | 1:11 | Wordplay-dependent term; see Onesimus note above. |
| my very heart / inward parts | σπλάγχνα | splagchna | 心 (kokoro) | High | Intercession and Appeal; Forgiveness and Reconciliation | 1:7, 1:12, 1:20 | No Japanese bodily-viscera idiom equivalent; standard rendering loses physical intensity — supply translator’s note on the literal “bowels/inward parts” imagery. Maintain identical rendering across all three occurrences to preserve the inclusio. |
| to hold back / retain | κατέχω | katechein | 引き止める (hikitomeru) | Low-Medium | Intercession and Appeal | 1:13 | Straightforward. |
| to serve / minister | διακονέω | diakonē | 仕える (tsukaeru) | Medium | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | 1:13 | Do not flatten into generic servile duty; dignifies Onesimus’s service as gospel-connected. |
| chains of the gospel | δεσμοὶ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου | desmoi tou euangeliou | 福音のための鎖 (fukuin no tame no kusari) | Medium | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | 1:13 | Reuses baseline 福音 exactly within the compound. |
| consent / will | γνώμη | gnōmē | 同意 (dōi) | Medium | Grace-Motivated Obedience | 1:14 | Must convey free, considered consent, not formal permission-seeking. |
| compulsion | ἀνάγκη | anankē | 強制 (kyōsei) | Medium-High | Grace-Motivated Obedience | 1:14 | Named as the explicitly rejected motivational category; preserve sharp contrast with next term. |
| voluntary | ἑκούσιον | hekousion | 自発的な (jihatsuteki na) | High | Grace-Motivated Obedience | 1:14 | Doctrinal center of this doctrine category; must be shielded from Japan’s hierarchical-obedience culture (senpai-kōhai, corporate seniority, Bushido loyalty ethics) — flag for theologian review. |
| was separated / parted | χωρίζω | echōristhē | 離れることになった (hanareru koto ni natta) | Medium-High | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | 1:15 | Deliberately euphemistic in the Greek (softens Onesimus’s likely flight); preserve the softened register rather than a blunt “ran away.” |
| slave / bondservant | δοῦλος | doulos | 奴隷 (dorei) | High | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | 1:16 | Standard, accurate term; primary risk is anachronistic collapse into modern chattel-slavery associations rather than the first-century Greco-Roman household institution — requires historical-context teaching, not a word substitution. |
| beloved brother | ἀδελφὸς ἀγαπητός | adelphos agapētos | 愛する兄弟 (aisuru kyōdai) | Medium | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | 1:16 | Must read as status-leveling against Japan’s hierarchical relational defaults, not merely a warmer version of an unequal relationship. |
| flesh | σάρξ | sarx | 肉 (niku) | Low-Medium | Christian Brotherhood | 1:16 | Standard NT dualistic usage. |
| partner | κοινωνός | koinōnos | 仲間 (nakama) | High | Christian Brotherhood; Intercession and Appeal | 1:17 | Shares root with baseline fellowship term (κοινωνία → 交わり); flag the etymological link in translator notes without conflating the two renderings. |
| receive / welcome | προσλαμβάνω | proslambanō | 受け入れる (ukeireru) | Medium | Christian Brotherhood | 1:17 | Must carry full hospitality/household-reception weight, not minimal tolerance. |
| wronged | ἀδικέω | ēdikēsen | 害を与えた (gai wo ataeta) | High | Forgiveness and Reconciliation; Intercession and Appeal | 1:18 | Etymologically related to the δίκαιος/δικαιοσύνη family underlying baseline’s Critical 義 (righteousness) term; must NOT import that soteriological framework into this everyday legal-wrong context — flag any drift for theologian review. |
| owes | ὀφείλω | opheilei | 借りがある (kari ga aru) | Medium-High | Intercession and Appeal | 1:18, 1:19 | Commercial/financial register is intentional; do not soften. |
| charge to my account | ἐλλογάω | elloga | 私の借りとしてください (watashi no kari to shite kudasai) | High | Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another | 1:18 | Clearest substitutionary-intercession image in the letter; typologically resonant with the atonement though the letter itself uses no atonement vocabulary — flag for theologian review. |
| I will repay | ἀποτίνω | apotisō | 支払います (shiharaimasu) | Medium-High | Intercession and Appeal | 1:19 | Formal, binding personal pledge register (Paul’s own handwriting); not a casual offer. |
| you owe besides | προσοφείλω | prosopheileis | さらに借りがある (sarani kari ga aru) | High | Grace-Motivated Obedience; Forgiveness and Reconciliation | 1:19 | Risk of reintroducing on-giri repayment logic into salvation itself if mishandled; the point is rhetorical leverage in a personal appeal, not a claim that salvation creates a repayable human debt — flag for theologian review. |
| may I have joy/benefit of you | ὀνίναμαι | onaimēn | 私に益を与えてください (watashi ni eki wo ataete kudasai) | High | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | 1:20 | Third and final wordplay on the name Onesimus; wholly invisible in Japanese without explicit translator’s note. |
| give rest / refresh | ἀναπαύω | anapauson / anapepautai | 安らがせる (yasuragaseru) | Medium | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | 1:7, 1:20 | Maintain identical rendering across both occurrences to preserve the letter’s inclusio structure. |
| confidence / trust | πείθω | pepoithōs | 確信して (kakushin shite) | Medium | Intercession and Appeal | 1:21 | Relational confidence in character, not coercive certainty. |
| obedience | ὑπακοή | hypakoē | 従順 (juujun) | High | Grace-Motivated Obedience | 1:21 | Distinct standalone rendering from baseline’s compound 信仰の従順 (obedience of faith); same doctrinal family, narrower scope (a personal response to a specific appeal). Primary risk: Japan’s hierarchical-obedience culture (senpai-kōhai, corporate seniority, Bushido loyalty ethics) could read this as deference to Paul’s rank rather than grace-produced free response — must be taught in direct connection to 1:14’s ἑκούσιον (voluntary). |
| fellow soldier | συστρατιώτης | systratiōtēs | 戦友 (senyū) | Medium | Intercession and Appeal (relational metaphor) | 1:2 | Distinguish from 囚人 (δέσμιος) and 同労者 (συνεργός) — three distinct social/military metaphors. |
| effective / active | ἐνεργής | energēs | 働きに満ちた (hataraki ni michita) | Medium | Christian Brotherhood | 1:6 | Anticipates the practical test of vv.8-21. |
| full knowledge | ἐπίγνωσις | epignōsis | 深い知識 (fukai chishiki) | Medium | Christian Brotherhood | 1:6 | Distinguish from generic 知識 alone; intensified, precise knowledge. |
| comfort / encouragement | παράκλησις | paraklēsis | 慰め (nagusame) | Medium | Intercession and Appeal | 1:7 | Shares root with παρακαλέω/勧める; flag the connection so the letter’s mutuality structure (Philemon has comforted; now Paul appeals) is visible. |
| guest room / hospitality | ξενία | xenia | 宿泊の場所 (shukuhaku no basho) | Low-Medium | Christian Brotherhood (practical outworking) | 1:22 | Ordinary hospitality term; low doctrinal risk. |
| I will be granted (by grace) | χαρίζομαι | charisthēsomai | 恵みによって与えられる (megumi ni yotte ataerareru) | High | Grace-Motivated Obedience | 1:22 | Shares the χάρις root with baseline’s Critical grace term; render to make the connection explicit, not a flat “given” alone — flag for theologian review. |
| fellow prisoner (distinct term) | συναιχμάλωτος | synaichmalōtos | 共に捕らわれている者 (tomo ni torawareteiru mono) | Medium | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power (framing) | 1:23 | Distinct Greek word from δέσμιος; keep visibly distinct in Japanese from 囚人. |
| fellow workers | συνεργοί | synergoi | 同労者 (dōrōsha) | Low-Medium | Christian Brotherhood | 1:24 | Established Japanese Christian term; low risk. |
| your spirit (human, not Holy Spirit) | πνεῦμα | pneuma | 霊 (rei) — bare, deliberately without 聖 qualifier | High (false-collision risk) | (framing) | 1:25 | The one context in this curriculum where bare 霊 is correct: refers to the human spirit of the house church, not the Holy Spirit. Must NOT be rendered 聖霊. Flag explicitly in any automated validation checking for “聖霊 required” so this verse is not incorrectly auto-flagged. |
Section C — Proper Names (Low Risk, Established Transliteration Forms)
| English | Greek | Japanese | Transliteration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philemon | Φιλήμων | ピレモン | Piremon | Letter/addressee name; book title ピレモンへの手紙. |
| Apphia | Ἀπφία | アピア | Apia | |
| Archippus | Ἄρχιππος | アルキポ | Arukipo | |
| Onesimus | Ὀνήσιμος | オネシモ | Oneshimo | See Section B — doctrinally load-bearing due to name-meaning wordplay. |
| Epaphras | Ἐπαφρᾶς | エパフラス | Epafurasu | |
| Mark | Μᾶρκος | マルコ | Maruko | |
| Aristarchus | Ἀρίσταρχος | アリスタルコ | Arisutaruko | |
| Demas | Δημᾶς | デマス | Demasu | |
| Luke | Λουκᾶς | ルカ | Ruka | |
| Paul | Παῦλος | パウロ | Pauro | Reuse baseline Romans form exactly. |
| Timothy | Τιμόθεος | テモテ | Temote |
Section D — Summary of Doctrine-to-Term Mapping
| Doctrine | Key terms (this book) |
|---|---|
| Forgiveness and Reconciliation | ἀδικέω (wronged), ἐχωρίσθη (was separated), ἀναπαύω (refresh), προσοφείλω (owe besides) |
| Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | δοῦλος (slave), ἀδελφὸς ἀγαπητός (beloved brother), κοινωνός (partner), προσλαμβάνω (receive), ἐκκλησία (church, baseline) |
| Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | δοῦλος (slave), ἄχρηστος/εὔχρηστος (useless/useful), Ὀνήσιμος (Onesimus, name wordplay), διακονέω (serve), γεννάω (beget spiritually) |
| Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another | παρακαλῶ (appeal), ἐλλογάω (charge to account), ὀφείλω (owes), ἀποτίνω (repay), κοινωνός (partner), σπλάγχνα (heart) |
| Grace-Motivated Obedience | ἑκούσιον (voluntary), ἀνάγκη (compulsion), γνώμη (consent), ὑπακοή (obedience), χαρίζομαι (granted by grace), χάρις (grace, baseline) |
Full-book coverage confirmation: All load-bearing terms from Philemon 1:1-25 are represented above — the core passage (1:8-21) in full verse-by-verse detail per 07_semantic_analysis.md Part 1, and the remainder of the single chapter (1:1-7, 1:22-25) per Part 2. No verse or term category has been silently omitted.
Critical Risk Terms
Grace
Approved rendering: 恵み
Transliteration: megumi
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Rejected alternatives: 恩返しが要る恵み, 功徳
Original: χάρις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Occurs at Philemon 1:3, 1:22 (χαρισθήσομαι, verb form, see ‘granted_by_grace’ below), and 1:25. CRITICAL IN THIS BOOK ESPECIALLY: Philemon’s own rhetoric places debt/repayment vocabulary (借り, 1:18-19) within three verses of grace vocabulary (1:22), the tightest on-giri collision zone in the whole curriculum. Must always be taught as non-transactional even when the surrounding text uses commercial-debt imagery for a different, human-level point.
Lord
Approved rendering: 主
Transliteration: shu
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status; Grace-Motivated Obedience
Rejected alternatives: 主君, ご主人様
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Occurs at Philemon 1:3, 1:5, 1:16, 1:20, 1:25. At 1:16 (‘in the flesh and in the Lord’), 主 marks the ultimate ground of the master-slave relationship’s transformation — Lordship of Christ secures the new brotherhood, not human sentiment alone.
Jesus
Approved rendering: イエス
Transliteration: Iesu
Doctrine: (framing, throughout)
Rejected alternatives: ゼズス
Original: Ἰησοῦς
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Reuse exactly throughout Philemon.
Messiah
Approved rendering: キリスト
Transliteration: Kirisuto
Doctrine: (framing, throughout)
Rejected alternatives: 救世主
Inherited from Romans package. Reuse exactly throughout Philemon, including in the self-designation ‘prisoner of Christ Jesus’ (see ‘prisoner_of_christ’ below).
God
Approved rendering: 神
Transliteration: Kami
Doctrine: (framing)
Rejected alternatives: 八百万の神の一柱としての神, 神様
Original: θεός
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Occurs at Philemon 1:3, 1:4. Apply the 唯一のまことの神 qualifier convention at doctrinally weighty statements per baseline.
High Risk Terms
Faith
Approved rendering: 信仰
Transliteration: shinkou
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Rejected alternatives: 信心, 宗教心
Original: πίστις
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Occurs at Philemon 1:5, describing Philemon’s own faith toward the Lord Jesus and love for all the saints — the character trait Paul appeals to before making his request.
Saints
Approved rendering: 聖徒
Transliteration: seito
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Rejected alternatives: 聖者, 菩薩
Original: ἅγιοι
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Occurs at Philemon 1:5, 1:7 — the corporate body whose hearts Philemon has refreshed. NEVER 菩薩 or 聖者 per baseline caution.
Obedience Of Faith
Approved rendering: 信仰の従順
Transliteration: shinkou no juujun
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Rejected alternatives: 空気を読んだ従順, 上下関係への服従
Inherited from Romans package. Cross-reference only — this exact compound does not occur in Philemon’s Greek text. Philemon 1:21 uses the simple noun ὑπακοή (obedience) in a personal, situational sense; see the new term ‘obedience’ below for the book-specific standalone rendering (従順), which is doctrinally related but grammatically and contextually distinct from this Romans compound. Both share the same Japan-specific risk: hierarchical-obedience culture (senpai-kōhai, corporate seniority, Bushido loyalty-to-lord ethics) collapsing grace-produced obedience into rank-based compliance.
Prisoner Of Christ
Approved rendering: 囚人（キリスト・イエスの囚人）
Transliteration: shūjin (Kirisuto Iesu no shūjin)
Doctrine: Reframing of Imprisonment as Gospel Service
Rejected alternatives: 罪人としての囚人（qualifier無し）, 受刑者
Original: δέσμιος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ
Category: Christian Identity and Suffering
NEW TERM. Original: δέσμιος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ (Philemon 1:1, 1:9). 囚人 alone carries strong Japanese social-shame stigma comparable to 前科者 (‘ex-convict’); the qualifier キリスト・イエスの囚人 must NEVER be dropped, so the status reads as honor in Christ, not disgrace. Keep visibly distinct from ‘fellow_prisoner_distinct’ (συναιχμάλωτος, 1:23), a different Greek word for a different captivity-image.
What Is Fitting
Approved rendering: ふさわしいこと
Transliteration: fusawashii koto
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Rejected alternatives: 空気を読んだ判断, 当然のこと
Original: τὸ ἀνῆκον
Category: Rhetoric and Appeal
NEW TERM. Original: τὸ ἀνῆκον (Philemon 1:8). Elevated to High risk for this curriculum: must not be reduced to Japan’s social-harmony ‘expected behavior’ sense (空気を読む) — this is Paul’s rightful moral/relational claim, a duty independent of social consensus, which he then chooses to waive rather than invoke. Part of the same doctrinal cluster as ‘voluntary’ and ‘compulsion’ below; requires theologian review when it co-occurs with those terms.
Onesimus Wordplay
Approved rendering: オネシモ（「有益」の意）／無益な者／有益な者／私に益を与えてください
Transliteration: Oneshimo (“yūeki” no i) / muyaku na mono / yūeki na mono / watashi ni eki wo ataete kudasai
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Rejected alternatives: transliteration alone with no gloss (pun silently lost)
Original: Ὀνήσιμος / ἄχρηστος / εὔχρηστος / ὀνίναμαι
Category: Slavery and Social Status
NEW TERM. Original: Ὀνήσιμος / ἄχρηστος / εὔχρηστος / ὀνίναμαι (Philemon 1:10, 1:11, 1:20). The name-pun (‘useful’) is entirely invisible in Japanese transliteration (オネシモ) and MUST be surfaced via an explicit bracketed gloss at first occurrence and referenced at every subsequent pun occurrence — this is a mandatory structural requirement of the delivered curriculum text, not merely a translator’s note for internal review.
Heart Inward Parts
Approved rendering: 心
Transliteration: kokoro
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another; Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Rejected alternatives: 腹（誤った含意：率直さ、腹が据わる等）, 内臓（不自然で文脈にそぐわない）
Original: σπλάγχνα
Category: Intercession
NEW TERM. Original: σπλάγχνα (Philemon 1:7, 1:12, 1:20 — an inclusio). No Japanese bodily-viscera idiom equivalent exists; 心 is doctrinally sound but loses the visceral physical intensity of the Greek. Maintain IDENTICAL rendering across all three occurrences to preserve the inclusio, and supply a translator’s note on the literal ‘inward parts’ imagery at first occurrence (1:7).
Compulsion
Approved rendering: 強制
Transliteration: kyousei
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Rejected alternatives: 義務（弱すぎる、文脈上の対比を失う）
Original: ἀνάγκη
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
NEW TERM. Original: ἀνάγκη (Philemon 1:14). Explicitly named and REJECTED motivational category — the verse’s rhetorical force depends on this being clearly the wrong option. Preserve the sharp ἀλλά (‘but’) contrast with ‘voluntary’ below.
Voluntary
Approved rendering: 自発的な
Transliteration: jihatsuteki na
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Rejected alternatives: 従順に（服従の含意が強すぎる）, 喜んで（動機の核心である「強制されない」ことを示せない）
Original: ἑκούσιον
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
NEW TERM. Original: ἑκούσιον (Philemon 1:14). THE DOCTRINAL CENTER of Grace-Motivated Obedience in this book. Must be shielded from Japan’s hierarchical-obedience culture (senpai-kōhai seniority, corporate hierarchy, historic Bushido loyalty-to-lord ethics) — same risk flagged for baseline’s obedience_of_faith entry. Every occurrence of ‘obedience’ (1:21, see below) must be cross-referenced back to this verse. MANDATORY theologian review.
Slave Bondservant
Approved rendering: 奴隷
Transliteration: dorei
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Rejected alternatives: 召使い（実態を薄める）, 労働者（法的従属の実態を消す）
Original: δοῦλος
Category: Slavery and Social Status
NEW TERM. Original: δοῦλος (Philemon 1:16). Standard, accurate term with no direct religious-syncretism collision, but HIGH risk of anachronistic collapse into modern chattel-slavery/transatlantic-slave-trade associations (via Japanese World History education and post-war media) rather than the first-century Greco-Roman household institution. Requires a mandatory historical-context sidebar at first occurrence, not a word substitution.
Partner
Approved rendering: 仲間
Transliteration: nakama
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status; Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Rejected alternatives: 同志（政治的含意が強すぎる）
Original: κοινωνός
Category: Christian Brotherhood
NEW TERM. Original: κοινωνός (Philemon 1:17). Shares the same Greek root as baseline’s fellowship term (κοινωνία → 交わり, see ‘fellowship’ above). Render 仲間 to keep the personal relational sense distinct from the abstract 交わり, but flag the etymological connection so the two are recognized as thematically linked, not accidentally different concepts. Risk: ordinary secular 仲間 usage (仲間意識, peer-group camaraderie) is doctrinally thinner than κοινωνία’s participatory-in-Christ weight.
Wronged
Approved rendering: 害を与えた
Transliteration: gai wo ataeta
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation; Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Rejected alternatives: 不義を行った（baseline義/righteousnessファミリーを不当に輸入する）
Original: ἀδικέω
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
NEW TERM. Original: ἀδικέω (Philemon 1:18). Etymologically related to the δίκαιος/δικαιοσύνη family underlying baseline’s Critical 義 (righteousness) term. Must NOT import that soteriological framework into this everyday legal-wrong context. Any drift toward baseline’s 義/救い vocabulary here must be flagged for theologian review.
Charge To My Account
Approved rendering: 私の借りとしてください
Transliteration: watashi no kari to shite kudasai
Doctrine: Substitutionary Debt and Intercession
Rejected alternatives: 計上する（官僚的で人格的appeal の温かみを失う）
Original: ἐλλογάω
Category: Intercession
NEW TERM. Original: ἐλλόγα/ἐλλογάω (Philemon 1:18), a rare accounting-ledger metaphor. The letter’s clearest picture of substitutionary intercession, typologically resonant with the atonement though Philemon itself uses no atonement/propitiation vocabulary. MANDATORY theologian review; must not drift toward baseline’s soteriological vocabulary (義, 救い) nor toward 恩返し (on-giri repayment) framing.
You Owe Besides
Approved rendering: さらに借りがある
Transliteration: sarani kari ga aru
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience; Substitutionary Debt and Intercession
Rejected alternatives: 恩返しをすべきだ（決して使用しない）
Original: προσοφείλω
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
NEW TERM. Original: προσοφείλεις (Philemon 1:19) — Philemon’s own greater debt to Paul, implying Paul evangelized him. HIGH risk of reintroducing an on-giri repayment framework into salvation itself (cf. baseline’s Critical grace/on-giri caution). The point is Paul’s rhetorical leverage in a personal appeal, NOT a claim that salvation creates a repayable human debt. MANDATORY theologian review wherever this co-occurs with 恵み-family vocabulary (1:22).
Obedience
Approved rendering: 従順
Transliteration: juujun
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Rejected alternatives: 服従（上下関係への一方的な服従の含意が強すぎる）
Original: ὑπακοή
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
NEW TERM. Original: ὑπακοή (Philemon 1:21). Standalone rendering, distinct from baseline’s compound 信仰の従順 (obedience of faith) — same doctrinal family, narrower personal/situational scope (a believer’s response to a specific appeal, not gospel-obedience at missiological scale). MANDATORY cross-reference to ‘voluntary’ (1:14) in all teaching contexts, given Japan’s hierarchical-obedience culture risk of reading this as deference to Paul’s apostolic rank.
Appeal Intercede
Approved rendering: 懇願する
Transliteration: kongan suru
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Rejected alternatives: 勧める単独使用（懇願の強さを十分に伝えない）, 頼む（appeal の重みを欠く）
NEW TERM. Original: παρακαλῶ (Philemon 1:9, 1:10), the stronger ‘plead/entreat’ register of the same root recorded in the baseline as ‘exhort’ (勧める, Low risk). Use this intensified rendering at 1:9-1:10 where Paul is pleading for a slave’s life, not merely encouraging. Flag explicitly wherever both renderings of the same Greek root appear across Romans and Philemon curricula so they are not mistaken for contradictory choices.
Granted By Grace
Approved rendering: 恵みによって与えられる
Transliteration: megumi ni yotte ataerareru
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Rejected alternatives: 与えられる（χάρις語根との結びつきを失う平板な訳）
Original: χαρίζομαι (χαρισθήσομαι)
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
NEW TERM. Original: χαρισθήσομαι/χαρίζομαι (Philemon 1:22). Shares the χάρις root with baseline’s Critical grace term (恵み). Paul’s anticipated release framed as a grace-gift to the church, mirroring the letter’s larger argument that Onesimus too is received as a grace-transformed gift. Render to make the χάρις connection explicit rather than a flat 与えられる alone. MANDATORY theologian review.
Your Spirit Human
Approved rendering: 霊（あなたがたの霊）
Transliteration: rei (anatagata no rei)
Doctrine: (closing benediction)
Rejected alternatives: 聖霊（絶対に使用しない — 人間の霊を指すため）
Original: πνεῦμα (τὸ πνεῦμα ὑμῶν)
Category: God
NEW TERM. Original: τὸ πνεῦμα ὑμῶν (Philemon 1:25) — the ordinary human spirit of the whole house church (plural ‘you’), NOT the Holy Spirit. This is the ONE context in this curriculum where bare 霊 (without 聖 qualifier) is the CORRECT and REQUIRED rendering, precisely because 聖霊 must never be used for a human referent. Any automated validation pass checking for a ‘聖霊 required’ default MUST exclude this verse from that check.
Medium Risk Terms
Gospel
Approved rendering: 福音
Transliteration: fukuin
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Rejected alternatives: いい知らせ, グッドニュース
Original: εὐαγγέλιον
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Reused exactly at Philemon 1:13 within the compound 福音のための鎖 (chains of the gospel) — Paul’s imprisonment reframed as belonging to the gospel’s advance, not mere Roman legal custody.
Peace
Approved rendering: 平安
Transliteration: heian
Doctrine: (salutation framing)
Rejected alternatives: 安心, 癒し
Original: εἰρήνη
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Occurs at Philemon 1:3 paired with grace in the salutation; no new risk in this book.
Church
Approved rendering: 教会
Transliteration: kyoukai
Doctrine: House Church as Public Community
Rejected alternatives: 寺, 神社
Original: ἐκκλησία
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Occurs at Philemon 1:2 within the compound 家の教会 (kat’ oikon ekklēsia, ‘house church’) — the letter’s implicit wider, congregational audience. NEVER 寺 or 神社.
Father
Approved rendering: 父
Transliteration: chichi
Doctrine: (salutation framing)
Rejected alternatives: 家長
Original: πατήρ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Occurs at Philemon 1:3.
Intercession
Approved rendering: とりなし
Transliteration: torinashi
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Inherited from Romans package. Cross-reference only — the noun とりなし does not itself occur in Philemon’s Greek text, but the doctrine it names (prayer/appeal on behalf of another) is the letter’s structural theme, enacted concretely through παρακαλῶ (1:9-10) and ἐλλογάω (1:18).
Boldness Confidence
Approved rendering: 確信
Transliteration: kakushin
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Rejected alternatives: 押しの強さ, 自信満々
Original: παρρησία
Category: Rhetoric and Appeal
NEW TERM. Original: παρρησία (Philemon 1:8). Must not collapse into secular social forcefulness (押しの強さ); the boldness Paul possesses and declines to use is specifically Christ-grounded, not personal assertiveness.
To Command
Approved rendering: 命じる
Transliteration: meijiru
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Rejected alternatives: 指示する（弱すぎる）
Original: ἐπιτάσσειν
Category: Rhetoric and Appeal
NEW TERM. Original: ἐπιτάσσειν (Philemon 1:8). Must retain clear command-force so the deliberate contrast with the appeal that follows (1:9) remains legible; softening this word flattens Paul’s entire rhetorical strategy.
Presbyter Or Ambassador Variant
Approved rendering: 老人（異読：使者）
Transliteration: rōjin (idoku: shisha)
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Rejected alternatives: 長老（別の語との混同を招く）
Original: πρεσβύτης / πρεσβευτής
Category: Rhetoric and Appeal
NEW TERM. Textual variant πρεσβύτης (‘old man’, majority reading) vs. πρεσβευτής (‘ambassador’, minority reading) at Philemon 1:9. Render 老人 in main text; carry 使者 as a labeled footnote explaining the manuscript basis and its bearing on how Paul frames his own authority.
Spiritual Child
Approved rendering: わが子
Transliteration: waga ko
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Rejected alternatives: 息子（生物学的含意が強すぎる）
Original: τέκνον
Category: Kinship and Family
NEW TERM. Original: τέκνον (Philemon 1:10). Paul’s designation of Onesimus as his spiritual child. Distinguish from a literal biological claim.
Beget Spiritually
Approved rendering: もうけた
Transliteration: mōketa
Doctrine: Spiritual Fatherhood and New Birth
Rejected alternatives: 子とされること（baseline adoption term — do not reuse here）
Original: γεννάω (ἐγέννησα)
Category: Kinship and Family
NEW TERM. Original: γεννάω/ἐγέννησα (Philemon 1:10). Natural Japanese for spiritual-fathering/conversion language. Must be kept terminologically distinct from baseline’s forensic adoption doctrine (子とされること, huiothesia) — a related but different biblical picture (new birth vs. legal adoption into inheritance).
Serve Minister
Approved rendering: 仕える
Transliteration: tsukaeru
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Rejected alternatives: 労働する（尊厳を欠く）
Original: διακονέω
Category: Slavery and Social Status
NEW TERM. Original: διακονέω (Philemon 1:13). Must not be flattened into generic servile duty; dignifies Onesimus’s service as gospel-connected ministry, sharing a root with later ecclesial ‘deacon’ vocabulary.
Chains Of The Gospel
Approved rendering: 福音のための鎖
Transliteration: fukuin no tame no kusari
Doctrine: Reframing of Imprisonment as Gospel Service
Original: δεσμοὶ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου
Category: Christian Identity and Suffering
NEW TERM. Original: δεσμοὶ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου (Philemon 1:13). Reuses baseline 福音 exactly within the compound; imprisonment reframed as belonging to and serving the gospel, not mere Roman legal custody.
Consent Will
Approved rendering: 同意
Transliteration: dōi
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Rejected alternatives: 許可（形式的な許可の意に偏る）
Original: γνώμη
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
NEW TERM. Original: γνώμη (Philemon 1:14). Must convey Philemon’s own free, considered consent, not mere formal permission-seeking.
Was Separated
Approved rendering: 離れることになった
Transliteration: hanareru koto ni natta
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Rejected alternatives: 逃げた（非難を強めすぎる）, 行方不明になった（不自然）
Original: χωρίζω (ἐχωρίσθη)
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
NEW TERM. Original: ἐχωρίσθη (Philemon 1:15), a deliberately euphemistic passive softening Onesimus’s likely flight. Preserve the softened register; an overly direct rendering would sharpen the accusation beyond Paul’s careful rhetoric.
Beloved Brother
Approved rendering: 愛する兄弟
Transliteration: aisuru kyoudai
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Rejected alternatives: 親しい部下（上下関係を保持してしまう）
Original: ἀδελφὸς ἀγαπητός
Category: Christian Brotherhood
NEW TERM. Original: ἀδελφὸς ἀγαπητός (Philemon 1:16). Must be taught as CATEGORY REPLACEMENT (no longer slave, but brother), not merely warmer address within an unchanged status hierarchy — Japan’s senpai-kōhai relational default and keigo honorific-register grammar risk smuggling hierarchy back in even when the noun itself is correctly rendered.
Receive Welcome
Approved rendering: 受け入れる
Transliteration: ukeireru
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status; Hospitality and Gospel Partnership
Rejected alternatives: 許容する（最小限の「許す」に留まり弱すぎる）
Original: προσλαμβάνω
Category: Christian Brotherhood
NEW TERM. Original: προσλαμβάνω (Philemon 1:17). Must carry full hospitality/household-reception weight, not a minimal ‘tolerate’ sense.
Owes
Approved rendering: 借りがある
Transliteration: kari ga aru
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Rejected alternatives: 悪いことをした（曖昧すぎる）
Original: ὀφείλω
Category: Intercession
NEW TERM. Original: ὀφείλει (Philemon 1:18), also προσοφείλεις (1:19, see ‘you_owe_besides’). Commercial/financial register is intentional and must not be softened.
I Will Repay
Approved rendering: 支払います
Transliteration: shiharaimasu
Doctrine: Substitutionary Debt and Intercession
Rejected alternatives: 返す（カジュアルすぎる）
Original: ἀποτίνω (ἀποτίσω)
Category: Intercession
NEW TERM. Original: ἀποτίσω (Philemon 1:19), Paul’s personal, handwritten pledge. Must retain the sense of a formal, binding personal pledge, not a casual offer.
Give Rest Refresh
Approved rendering: 安らがせる
Transliteration: yasuragaseru
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Rejected alternatives: 癒す（baseline peace/healingマーケティング語との混同リスク）
Original: ἀναπαύω
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
NEW TERM. Original: ἀναπαύω (ἀναπέπαυται, Philemon 1:7; ἀνάπαυσόν, Philemon 1:20 — an inclusio). Render identically across both occurrences to preserve the letter’s inclusio structure; connects naturally to baseline’s peace-family register (平安).
Confidence Trust
Approved rendering: 確信して
Transliteration: kakushin shite
Doctrine: Prayer and Intercessory Remembrance
Rejected alternatives: 脅すように（威圧的な含意を避ける）
Original: πείθω
Category: Intercession
NEW TERM. Original: πεποιθώς (Philemon 1:21). Relational confidence in Philemon’s character, not coercive certainty grounded in apostolic rank.
Fellow Soldier
Approved rendering: 戦友
Transliteration: senyuu
Doctrine: House Church as Public Community
Rejected alternatives: 同僚（軍事的含意を失う）
Original: συστρατιώτης
Category: Christian Brotherhood
NEW TERM. Original: συστρατιώτης (Philemon 1:2), applied to Archippus. Distinguish clearly from 囚人 (δέσμιος) and 同労者 (συνεργός) — three distinct social/military metaphors that must remain visibly separate.
Effective Active
Approved rendering: 働きに満ちた
Transliteration: hataraki ni michita
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Rejected alternatives: 活発な（許容だが弱い）
Original: ἐνεργής
Category: Christian Brotherhood
NEW TERM. Original: ἐνεργής (Philemon 1:6). The hoped-for outworking of Philemon’s faith-fellowship, anticipating the practical test of 1:8-21.
Full Knowledge
Approved rendering: 深い知識
Transliteration: fukai chishiki
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Rejected alternatives: 知識（強調を失う）
Original: ἐπίγνωσις
Category: Christian Brotherhood
NEW TERM. Original: ἐπίγνωσις (Philemon 1:6). Intensified, precise knowledge Philemon is to grasp concretely; distinguish from generic 知識 alone.
Comfort Encouragement
Approved rendering: 慰め
Transliteration: nagusame
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Original: παράκλησις
Category: Intercession
NEW TERM. Original: παράκλησις (Philemon 1:7). Shares its root with παρακαλέω/勧める (see ‘exhort’ and ‘appeal_intercede’); flag the connection so the letter’s mutuality structure (Philemon has given comfort; now Paul appeals) is visible.
Fellow Prisoner Distinct
Approved rendering: 共に捕らわれている者
Transliteration: tomo ni torawareteiru mono
Doctrine: Reframing of Imprisonment as Gospel Service
Rejected alternatives: 囚人（δέσμιος と混同するため不可）
Original: συναιχμάλωτος
Category: Christian Identity and Suffering
NEW TERM. Original: συναιχμάλωτος (Philemon 1:23), applied to Epaphras — a distinct, more vivid captivity term than δέσμιος (see ‘prisoner_of_christ’). Must be kept visibly distinct in Japanese from 囚人 so readers can see two different Greek captivity-images are in play.
House Church
Approved rendering: 家の教会
Transliteration: ie no kyoukai
Doctrine: House Church as Public Community
Original: κατ᾽ οἶκόν ἐκκλησία
Category: Church
NEW TERM (compound). Original: κατ᾽ οἶκόν ἐκκλησία (Philemon 1:2). Reuses baseline 教会 exactly within the compound. Marks that Paul’s ostensibly private appeal is implicitly read before the whole gathered congregation, raising the social stakes of Philemon’s response; must not be flattened into a purely private personal letter.
Low Risk Terms
Fellowship
Approved rendering: 交わり
Transliteration: majiwari
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Rejected alternatives: 仲間意識
Original: κοινωνία
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Occurs at Philemon 1:6 (κοινωνία, noun form). Shares its Greek root with the new term κοινωνός (‘partner’, see ‘partner’ below, Philemon 1:17); the two must be recognized as thematically linked while keeping their distinct Japanese renderings (交わり vs. 仲間) unconflated.
Thanksgiving
Approved rendering: 感謝
Transliteration: kansha
Doctrine: (framing)
Original: εὐχαριστῶ
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Occurs at Philemon 1:4 (Εὐχαριστῶ, ‘I give thanks’).
Exhort
Approved rendering: 勧める
Transliteration: susumeru
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Inherited from Romans package (baseline root risk Low). ELEVATED CONTEXT NOTE FOR THIS BOOK: at Philemon 1:9-1:10 the same Greek root (παρακαλέω) is used in its stronger ‘plead/entreat’ register, not mere encouragement. Retain 勧める where translation-memory consistency with Romans is required, but see the new term ‘appeal_intercede’ below for the intensified rendering required at 1:9-1:10. Do NOT treat the two renderings as contradictory — flag the shared root explicitly in any teaching material.
Hold Back Retain
Approved rendering: 引き止める
Transliteration: hikitomeru
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Original: κατέχω
Category: Intercession
NEW TERM. Original: κατέχειν (Philemon 1:13). Paul’s personal wish to keep Onesimus, deliberately overridden. Straightforward; low risk.
Flesh
Approved rendering: 肉
Transliteration: niku
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Original: σάρξ
Category: Anthropology
NEW TERM. Original: σάρξ (Philemon 1:16). Standard NT dualistic usage; low risk once glossed as ‘in ordinary social/earthly terms’.
Guest Room Hospitality
Approved rendering: 宿泊の場所
Transliteration: shukuhaku no basho
Doctrine: Hospitality and Gospel Partnership
Original: ξενία
Category: Hospitality and Partnership
NEW TERM. Original: ξενία (Philemon 1:22). Ordinary hospitality term; low doctrinal risk.
Fellow Workers
Approved rendering: 同労者
Transliteration: dourousha
Doctrine: Hospitality and Gospel Partnership
Original: συνεργοί
Category: Hospitality and Partnership
NEW TERM. Original: συνεργοί (Philemon 1:24). Established Japanese Christian term; low risk.
Brother General
Approved rendering: 兄弟
Transliteration: kyoudai
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Original: ἀδελφός
Category: Kinship and Family
NEW TERM. Original: ἀδελφός (Philemon 1:1, applied to Timothy; 1:7, 1:20, vocative address to Philemon). Reuse consistently across occurrences; establishes the family/brotherhood register that governs the whole letter and prepares the reader for 1:16’s social reversal.
Sister
Approved rendering: 姉妹
Transliteration: shimai
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Original: ἀδελφή
Category: Kinship and Family
NEW TERM. Original: ἀδελφή (Philemon 1:2), applied to Apphia.
Philemon Name
Approved rendering: ピレモン
Transliteration: Piremon
Doctrine: Proper Names
Original: Φιλήμων
Category: Proper Names
NEW TERM. Letter addressee; book title ピレモンへの手紙, short form ピレモン.
Apphia Name
Approved rendering: アピア
Transliteration: Apia
Doctrine: Proper Names
Original: Ἀπφία
Category: Proper Names
NEW TERM. Named co-addressee, likely Philemon’s wife (Philemon 1:2).
Archippus Name
Approved rendering: アルキポ
Transliteration: Arukipo
Doctrine: Proper Names
Original: Ἄρχιππος
Category: Proper Names
NEW TERM. Named co-addressee, called ‘fellow soldier’ (Philemon 1:2).
Onesimus Name
Approved rendering: オネシモ
Transliteration: Oneshimo
Doctrine: Proper Names
Original: Ὀνήσιμος
Category: Proper Names
NEW TERM. The runaway slave at the center of the letter. Transliterate consistently throughout; the name’s meaning (‘useful’) is doctrinally load-bearing — see ‘onesimus_wordplay’ above.
Epaphras Name
Approved rendering: エパフラス
Transliteration: Epafurasu
Doctrine: Proper Names
Original: Ἐπαφρᾶς
Category: Proper Names
NEW TERM. Paul’s fellow prisoner sending greetings (Philemon 1:23).
Mark Name
Approved rendering: マルコ
Transliteration: Maruko
Doctrine: Proper Names
Original: Μᾶρκος
Category: Proper Names
NEW TERM. Fellow worker sending greetings (Philemon 1:24).
Aristarchus Name
Approved rendering: アリスタルコ
Transliteration: Arisutaruko
Doctrine: Proper Names
Original: Ἀρίσταρχος
Category: Proper Names
NEW TERM. Fellow worker sending greetings (Philemon 1:24).
Demas Name
Approved rendering: デマス
Transliteration: Demasu
Doctrine: Proper Names
Original: Δημᾶς
Category: Proper Names
NEW TERM. Fellow worker sending greetings (Philemon 1:24).
Luke Name
Approved rendering: ルカ
Transliteration: Ruka
Doctrine: Proper Names
Original: Λουκᾶς
Category: Proper Names
NEW TERM. Fellow worker sending greetings (Philemon 1:24).
Timothy Name
Approved rendering: テモテ
Transliteration: Temote
Doctrine: Proper Names
Original: Τιμόθεος
Category: Proper Names
NEW TERM. Co-sender of the letter (Philemon 1:1).
Referenced passages