Core Glossary
Core Glossary: Philemon
Legend
- Risk tiers follow the baseline
doctrine_risk_registry.jsondefinitions: Critical (theologian review, every occurrence), High (theologian review), Medium (native speaker review), Low (automated review). - Status:
BASELINE REUSE= term and rendering already fixed by Romans translation memory, reused exactly;NEW= new term proposed for this curriculum, pending addition to translation memory.
Glossary Table
| English Term | Koine Greek | Transliteration | Kannada Rendering | Kannada Transliteration | Risk | Status | Doctrine Link | Notes / Rejected Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gospel | εὐαγγέλιον | euangelion | ಸುವಾರ್ತೆ | suvārte | High | BASELINE REUSE | Gospel | Reused exactly from Romans TM. Philemon 1:13 (“bonds of the gospel”). |
| grace | χάρις | charis | ಕೃಪೆ | kṛpe | High | BASELINE REUSE | Grace-Motivated Obedience | Reused exactly. Also underlies wordplay in v.22 χαρισθήσομαι. |
| peace | εἰρήνη | eirēnē | ಶಾಂತಿ | śānti | Medium | BASELINE REUSE | Peace with God | Reused exactly, v.3 greeting. |
| God | θεός | theos | ದೇವರು | Dēvaru | Critical | BASELINE REUSE | Deity of Christ | Reused exactly. |
| Lord | κύριος | kyrios | ಕರ್ತ | karta | Critical | BASELINE REUSE | Lordship of Christ | Reused exactly. Governs “in the Lord” (ἐν κυρίῳ) relational phrase, vv.16, 20. |
| Father | πατήρ | patēr | ತಂದೆ | Tande | Critical | BASELINE REUSE | Adoption into God’s Family | Reused exactly, v.3. |
| faith | πίστις | pistis | ನಂಬಿಕೆ | nambike | High | BASELINE REUSE | Faith | Reused exactly, v.5; object is “toward the Lord Jesus.” |
| saints | ἅγιοι | hagioi | ಪವಿತ್ರ ಜನರು | pavitra janaru | High | BASELINE REUSE | Sainthood | Reused exactly, vv.5, 7. Never ಶರಣರು. |
| church | ἐκκλησία | ekklēsia | ಸಭೆ | sabhe | Medium | BASELINE REUSE | Church as God’s People | Reused exactly, v.2 (“the church in your house”). |
| fellowship / shared participation | κοινωνία | koinōnia | ಅನ್ಯೋನ್ಯತೆ | anyōnyate | Low | BASELINE REUSE | Christian Fellowship | Reused exactly, v.6. Distinct from κοινωνός (below). |
| thanksgiving | εὐχαριστία / εὐχαριστῶ | eucharistia / eucharistō | ಕೃತಜ್ಞತಾಸ್ತುತಿ | kṛtajñatāstuti | Low | BASELINE REUSE | Thanksgiving | Reused exactly, v.4. |
| prisoner (of Christ) | δέσμιος | desmios | ಸೆರೆಯವನು | sereyavanu | Medium | NEW | — | Must be bound to “of Christ Jesus” to avoid reading as ordinary criminal imprisonment. vv.1, 9, 10, 13. |
| brother | ἀδελφός | adelphos | ಸಹೋದರ | sahōdara | Medium | NEW | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | Must convey spiritual kinship crossing social/economic status, not mere honorific address. vv.1, 7, 16, 20. |
| beloved | ἀγαπητός | agapētos | ಪ್ರಿಯ | priya | Low | NEW | — | vv.1, 16. |
| fellow-worker | συνεργός | synergos | ಸಹಕಾರ್ಯಕರ್ತ | sahakāryakarta | Low | NEW | Christ-Centered Ministry | vv.1, 24. |
| fellow soldier | συστρατιώτης | systratiōtēs | ಸಹಸೈನಿಕ | sahasainika | Low | NEW | — | v.2. Metaphor for shared spiritual struggle. |
| love | ἀγάπη | agapē | ಪ್ರೀತಿ | prīti | Medium | NEW | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | vv.5, 7, 9. Keep anchored to self-giving covenant love, not devotional-romantic ಪ್ರೇಮ/ಭಕ್ತಿ overtones. |
| prayer | προσευχή | proseuchē | ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥನೆ | prārthane | Low | NEW | Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another | vv.4, 22. Companion to baseline intercession (ಮಧ್ಯಸ್ಥಿಕೆ). |
| full knowledge / recognition | ἐπίγνωσις | epignōsis | ಪೂರ್ಣ ಅರಿವು | pūrṇa arivu | High | NEW | — | v.6. AVOID plain ಜ್ಞಾನ — collides with jñāna-mārga (path-of-knowledge) soteriology in Hindu philosophical usage. |
| effective / active | ἐνεργής | energēs | ಪರಿಣಾಮಕಾರಿ | pariṇāmakāri | Low | NEW | — | v.6. |
| good (thing/deed) | ἀγαθόν | agathon | ಒಳ್ಳೆಯದು / ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಕಾರ್ಯ | oḷḷeyadu / oḷḷeya kārya | Low | NEW | Grace-Motivated Obedience | vv.6, 14. |
| joy | χαρά | chara | ಸಂತೋಷ | santōṣa | Medium | NEW | — | v.7. AVOID ಆನಂದ as primary term — carries Vedantic sat-chit-ānanda cosmic-bliss connotation. |
| comfort / encouragement | παράκλησις | paraklēsis | ಪ್ರೋತ್ಸಾಹ | prōtsāha | Low | NEW (reuses baseline exhort convention) | Mutual Edification | v.7. Per baseline: ಪ್ರೋತ್ಸಾಹ for encouragement sense, ವಿನಂತಿ for entreaty sense. |
| heart / inmost affection | σπλάγχνα | splanchna | ಹೃದಯ | hṛdaya | Medium | NEW | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | vv.7, 12, 20. Literal “bowels/inward parts” — strongest available image of personal attachment; render consistently across all 3 occurrences. |
| boldness / confidence (of speech) | παρρησία | parrēsia | ಧೈರ್ಯ | dhairya | Medium | NEW | Grace-Motivated Obedience | v.8. Must convey Christ-given standing, not mere personal courage. |
| command | ἐπιτάσσω | epitassō | ಆಜ್ಞಾಪಿಸು | ājñāpisu | Low | NEW | Grace-Motivated Obedience | v.8. Foil against which Paul’s chosen “appeal” mode is contrasted. |
| appeal / entreat | παρακαλέω | parakaleō | ವಿನಂತಿ ಮಾಡು | vinanti māḍu | High | NEW (reuses baseline exhort convention) | Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another | vv.9, 10. THE central verb of the letter; must read as personal relational plea, never legal petition or command. |
| old man / ambassador (textual variant) | πρεσβύτης / πρεσβευτής | presbytēs / presbeutēs | ವೃದ್ಧ / ದೂತ | vṛddha / dūta | Medium | NEW | — | v.9. Flag textual variant for reviewers; either reading reinforces Paul choosing not to exploit his status. |
| child (spiritual) | τέκνον | teknon | ಮಗು | magu | Medium | NEW | — | v.10. Figurative spiritual son through conversion; distinct from baseline adoption doctrine (God’s fatherhood of believers). |
| have begotten (spiritually) | γεννάω | gennaō (egennēsa) | ಹೆತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ | hettiddēne | Medium | NEW | — | v.10. Figurative-birth language for leading someone to faith. |
| Onesimus (proper name) | Ὀνήσιμος | Onēsimos | ಒನೇಸಿಮ | Onēsima | Low | NEW | — | v.10. Name means “useful/profitable” — essential for wordplay in vv.11, 20; note in teaching materials since it cannot be reproduced in transliteration alone. |
| useless | ἄχρηστος | achrēstos | ನಿಷ್ಪ್ರಯೋಜಕ | niṣprayōjaka | Low | NEW | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | v.11. |
| useful | εὔχρηστος | euchrēstos | ಪ್ರಯೋಜನಕಾರಿ | prayōjanakāri | Low | NEW | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | v.11. |
| serve / minister | διακονέω | diakoneō | ಸೇವೆ ಮಾಡು | sēve māḍu | Low | NEW | Christ-Centered Ministry | v.13. |
| consent / agreement | γνώμη | gnōmē | ಸಮ್ಮತಿ | sammati | Medium | NEW | Grace-Motivated Obedience | v.14. Must convey honoring free moral agency, not mere weak “opinion.” |
| compulsion | ἀνάγκη | anagkē | ಒತ್ತಾಯ | ottāya | Medium | NEW | Grace-Motivated Obedience | v.14. Direct antithesis of ಸ್ವಇಚ್ಛೆಯಿಂದ (below); pairing must remain sharp and consistent. |
| voluntary / of one’s own will | ἑκούσιον | hekousion | ಸ್ವಇಚ್ಛೆಯಿಂದ | svecchèyinda | Medium | NEW | Grace-Motivated Obedience | v.14. Linguistic core of the letter’s obedience theology. |
| eternal / permanent | αἰώνιος | aiōnios | ಶಾಶ್ವತವಾಗಿ | śāśvatavāgi | Medium | NEW | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | v.15. Must convey settled, linear permanence, not cyclical “eternal return” cosmology. |
| slave / bondservant | δοῦλος | doulos | ದಾಸ | dāsa | Critical | NEW | Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power | v.16. SEVERE COLLISION: root of “Haridasa” (ಹರಿದಾಸ) Krishna-bhakti devotional self-identity (Purandara Dasa, Kanaka Dasa) — a voluntarily embraced devotional status, opposite the letter’s involuntary legal-social bondage. Retained as ದಾಸ for continuity with established whole-NT Kannada Bible convention (rejecting ಗುಲಾಮ, which would break that continuity), but REQUIRES an explicit clarifying teaching note at every occurrence distinguishing socio-legal slavery from bhakti “dasa” identity. |
| flesh / human terms | σάρξ | sarx | ಶರೀರ | śarīra | Medium | NEW | — | v.16. Neutral relational sense here (“in the flesh,” i.e., in ordinary human/social terms), not the negative “sinful flesh” sense used elsewhere in Paul. |
| partner / sharer | κοινωνός | koinōnos | ಪಾಲುಗಾರ | pālugāra | High | NEW | Christian Brotherhood across Social Status | v.17. The letter’s most radical social claim (Onesimus = Paul’s full equal in standing); must not be softened to vague “friend.” Distinct from κοινωνία (ಅನ್ಯೋನ್ಯತೆ) above. |
| receive / accept fully | προσλαμβάνω | proslambanō | ಅಂಗೀಕರಿಸು | aṅgīkarisu | Medium | NEW | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | v.17. Full dignified acceptance into household/fellowship, not mere tolerant permission. |
| wrong / do injustice | ἀδικέω | adikeō | ಅನ್ಯಾಯ ಮಾಡು | anyāya māḍu | Medium | NEW | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | v.18. Real wrongdoing acknowledged, not minimized, even as forgiveness is extended. |
| owe / be indebted | ὀφείλω | opheilō | ಸಾಲ (ಇರುವುದು) | sāla (iruvudu) | High | NEW | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | v.18. AVOID ಋಣ — collides with karmic-debt connotations (deva-ṛṇa, pitṛ-ṛṇa, ṛṣi-ṛṇa) in popular Hindu usage; use concrete, personal, forgivable ಸಾಲ instead. |
| charge to one’s account / impute | ἐλλογάω | ellogaō | ಆರೋಪಿಸು | āropisu | High | NEW | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | v.18. Reuses root of baseline imputed_righteousness (ಆರೋಪಿತ ನೀತಿ) — rich teaching parallel: Paul models substitutionary imputation of debt to himself, mirroring Christ’s imputed righteousness to believers. Must preserve commercial/legal precision, not soften to vague “forgive.” |
| repay | ἀποτίνω | apotinō | ಮರುಪಾವತಿ ಮಾಡುವೆನು | marupāvati māḍuvenu | Low | NEW | — | v.19. |
| owe besides | προσοφείλω | prosopheilō | ಇನ್ನೂ ಹೆಚ್ಚಿಗೆ ಸಾಲ ಇರುವೆ | innū heccige sāla iruve | Low | NEW | — | v.19. Consistent with ಋಣ-avoidance above. |
| may I benefit / have joy of | ὀνίνημι (ὀναίμην) | oninēmi (onaimēn) | ಪ್ರಯೋಜನ ಪಡೆಯಲಿ | prayōjana paḍeyali | Low | NEW | — | v.20. Wordplay with Onesimus’s name; cannot be reproduced in Kannada script, must be explained in teaching notes. |
| refresh / give rest | ἀναπαύω | anapauō | ಸಂತೈಸು | santaisu | Low | NEW | Forgiveness and Reconciliation | vv.7, 20. Paired with σπλάγχνα to bookend the letter’s central appeal. |
| confidence / trust | πείθω (πεποιθώς) | peithō (pepoithōs) | ಭರವಸೆಯಿಂದ | bharavaseyinda | Medium | NEW | Grace-Motivated Obedience | v.21. Echoes baseline assurance_of_salvation (ರಕ್ಷಣೆಯ ಭರವಸೆ) vocabulary family — trust grounded in another’s grace-shaped character. |
| obedience | ὑπακοή | hypakoē | ವಿಧೇಯತೆ | vidhēyate | High | NEW | Grace-Motivated Obedience | v.21. Must never suggest ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕ ಕರ್ತವ್ಯ-style duty-compliance or kayaka-style labor-based standing; obedience must read as flowing freely from grace. |
| hospitality / lodging | ξενία | xenia | ಅತಿಥ್ಯ | atithya | Low | NEW | — | v.22. |
| graciously granted | χαρίζομαι | charizomai (charisthēsomai) | ಕೃಪೆಯಿಂದ ದೊರೆಯುವೆನು | kṛpeyinda doreyuvenu | Medium | NEW | Grace-Motivated Obedience | v.22. Shares root with χάρις (ಕೃಪೆ); flag root-connection in teaching notes though pun cannot be reproduced. |
| fellow prisoner (war-captive image) | συναιχμάλωτος | synaichmalōtos | ಸಹ ಸೆರೆಯವನು | saha sereyavanu | Low-Medium | NEW | — | v.23. More intense image than δέσμιος (captured in battle); distinguish in notes even though rendered with same ಸೆರೆ-root for readability. |
| spirit (human, not Holy Spirit) | πνεῦμα | pneuma | ಆತ್ಮ | ātma | High | NEW | — | v.25. Distinct from baseline holy_spirit (ಪವಿತ್ರಾತ್ಮ). Risk: Vedantic readers may import ātman-Brahman monistic identity doctrine onto “your spirit.” Note must clarify this is the individual human spirit in continuing, distinct relationship with God, not a spirit destined for dissolution into an impersonal ultimate reality. |
Cross-Reference to Baseline Terms Reused Without Modification
The following terms recur in Philemon exactly as fixed by the Romans baseline translation_memory.json and bible_term_registry.json, with no new risk considerations beyond those already documented there: gospel (ಸುವಾರ್ತೆ), grace (ಕೃಪೆ), peace (ಶಾಂತಿ), God (ದೇವರು), Lord (ಕರ್ತ), Father (ತಂದೆ), faith (ನಂಬಿಕೆ), saints (ಪವಿತ್ರ ಜನರು), church (ಸಭೆ), fellowship (ಅನ್ಯೋನ್ಯತೆ), thanksgiving (ಕೃತಜ್ಞತಾಸ್ತುತಿ).
New Terms Requiring Theologian Sign-Off Before Phase 2 (Critical/High Risk)
- δοῦλος → ದಾಸ (Critical) — Haridasa-bhakti collision; mandatory clarifying note at every occurrence.
- ὀφείλω → ಸಾಲ (High) — karmic-debt (ಋಣ) avoidance.
- ἐλλογάω → ಆರೋಪಿಸು (High) — imputation-doctrine parallel; commercial/legal precision required.
- ἐπίγνωσις → ಪೂರ್ಣ ಅರಿವು (High) — jñāna-mārga avoidance.
- παρακαλέω (appeal sense) → ವಿನಂತಿ ಮಾಡು (High) — must read as personal plea, not command/petition.
- κοινωνός → ಪಾಲುಗಾರ (High) — full-equal-standing claim must not be softened.
- ὑπακοή → ವಿಧೇಯತೆ (High) — grace-motivated, not duty/kayaka-motivated.
- πνεῦμα (human spirit, v.25) → ಆತ್ಮ (High) — Vedantic ātman-Brahman monism avoidance.
Critical Risk Terms
God
Approved rendering: ದೇವರು
Transliteration: Dēvaru
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: ಭಗವಂತ, ಪರಶಿವ
Original: θεός
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Philemon 1:3-4.
Lord
Approved rendering: ಕರ್ತ
Transliteration: karta
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Rejected alternatives: ಸ್ವಾಮಿ
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. Governs ‘in the Lord’ (ಕರ್ತನಲ್ಲಿ) at Philemon 1:16, 1:20 — the spiritual dimension of the Philemon-Onesimus brotherhood, alongside ‘in the flesh.’ Must never be assimilated to Veerashaiva Aikya-style merger; both men remain distinct persons under Christ’s exclusive lordship.
Father
Approved rendering: ತಂದೆ
Transliteration: Tande
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Rejected alternatives: ಸೃಷ್ಟಿಕರ್ತ
Original: πατήρ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Philemon 1:3.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: ಪವಿತ್ರಾತ್ಮ
Transliteration: Pavitrātma
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: ಪರಮಾತ್ಮ
Inherited from Romans package. Does not occur by name in Philemon, but is the mandatory contrast term for πνεῦμα at 1:25 (‘your spirit’) — ಆತ್ಮ there names the human inner person of the recipients, never ಪವಿತ್ರಾತ್ಮ. Retained here so Phase 2 reviewers can verify the two are never confused in the closing benediction.
Imputed Righteousness
Approved rendering: ಆರೋಪಿತ ನೀತಿ
Transliteration: āropita nīti
Doctrine: Justification by Faith
Rejected alternatives: ಸ್ವಂತ ಸಾಧನೆಯ ನೀತಿ
Inherited from Romans package. Does not occur directly in Philemon, but is the essential doctrinal cross-reference for ἐλλογάω/ಆರೋಪಿಸು at 1:18: Paul offering to have Onesimus’s debt charged to his own account is a commercial-legal enactment of the same imputation logic, in reverse direction (a debt imputed to Paul, rather than righteousness imputed to a believer). Retained here for teaching-note continuity.
Slave Bondservant
Approved rendering: ದಾಸ
Transliteration: dāsa
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Rejected alternatives: ಗುಲಾಮ
Original: δοῦλος
Category: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
CRITICAL. Occurs Philemon 1:16 (and implicitly 1:11 context). ದಾಸ is the established whole-Kannada-NT rendering of δοῦλος (e.g. Paul’s own self-designation, Romans 1:1) and is retained for corpus-wide continuity; ಗುಲಾಮ (Perso-Arabic loan, more socially neutral) is rejected because it would break that continuity. SEVERE NEW COLLISION beyond the Romans baseline: ದಾಸ is the root of ‘Haridasa’ (ಹರಿದಾಸ), Karnataka’s revered Krishna-bhakti devotional self-identity (Purandara Dasa, Kanaka Dasa) — a VOLUNTARILY, joyfully embraced status, the opposite social reality of Onesimus’s involuntary, legally-imposed bondage. MANDATORY: an explicit clarifying translator/teaching note at every occurrence, distinguishing socio-legal slavery from bhakti ‘dasa’ devotional identity, while also noting that Paul’s own positive use of ‘doulos of Christ’ elsewhere is structurally closer to the bhakti sense — making consistent glossing essential, not avoidance of the shared term.
High Risk Terms
Gospel
Approved rendering: ಸುವಾರ್ತೆ
Transliteration: suvārte
Doctrine: Gospel
Rejected alternatives: ಸುದ್ದಿ
Original: εὐαγγέλιον
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. In Philemon 1:13, ‘the bonds/chains of the gospel’ — Paul’s imprisonment reframed as gospel service, tying Philemon’s personal decision to the larger gospel mission.
Grace
Approved rendering: ಕೃಪೆ
Transliteration: kṛpe
Doctrine: Grace
Rejected alternatives: ಕರ್ಮಫಲ, ಪುಣ್ಯ
Original: χάρις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. In Philemon occurs at 1:3 (greeting), 1:7 (backdrop), and shares its root with χαρίζομαι (1:22, ಕೃಪೆಯಿಂದ ದೊರೆಯುವೆನು) — even Paul’s hoped-for release is framed within the letter’s economy of unearned favor, never karma-merit or kayaka-dasoha exchange.
Faith
Approved rendering: ನಂಬಿಕೆ
Transliteration: nambike
Doctrine: Faith
Rejected alternatives: ಭಕ್ತಿ
Original: πίστις
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Philemon 1:5, 1:6, explicitly ‘toward the Lord Jesus’ as object — matches baseline requirement that faith’s object be recoverable from context; must not drift toward the devotional surrender (ಭಕ್ತಿ) a Haridasa devotee directs toward Krishna.
Saints
Approved rendering: ಪವಿತ್ರ ಜನರು
Transliteration: pavitra janaru
Doctrine: Sainthood
Rejected alternatives: ಶರಣರು, ಸಂತರು
Original: ἅγιοι
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Philemon 1:5, 1:7. Never ಶರಣರು (the Veerashaiva Sharana poet-saint title).
Full Knowledge
Approved rendering: ಪೂರ್ಣ ಅರಿವು
Transliteration: pūrṇa arivu
Doctrine: Faith
Rejected alternatives: ಜ್ಞಾನ
Original: ἐπίγνωσις
Category: Faith
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:6, of growing shared recognition of every good thing believers have in Christ. AVOID plain ಜ್ಞಾನ: in mainstream Hindu philosophical usage ಜ್ಞಾನ is the technical term for jñāna-mārga, the ‘path of knowledge,’ a self-attained route to liberation, which would misrepresent this as enlightenment-knowledge rather than relational recognition of grace already given. Flag for reviewers not to ‘correct’ this coined compound back to ಜ್ಞಾನ.
Appeal Entreat
Approved rendering: ವಿನಂತಿ ಮಾಡು
Transliteration: vinanti māḍu
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Rejected alternatives: ಆಜ್ಞಾಪಿಸು, ಕೋರಿಕೆ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸು
Original: παρακαλέω
Category: Intercession
NEW. THE central verb of the letter, occurring at Philemon 1:9, 1:10. Must always read as a personal, relational, love-grounded plea, never as formal legal/bureaucratic petition — ವಿನಂತಿ is common in secular Kannada for a formal application to an office, so anchor contextually to ಪ್ರೀತಿ (1:9) and the ಆಜ್ಞಾಪಿಸು foil (1:8) at every occurrence. Distinct in this sense from the baseline exhort entry’s generic encouragement rendering.
Partner Sharer
Approved rendering: ಪಾಲುಗಾರ
Transliteration: pālugāra
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Rejected alternatives: ಸ್ನೇಹಿತ, ಸಂಗಾತಿ
Original: κοινωνός
Category: Christian Brotherhood
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:17, the letter’s most radical social claim: receive Onesimus as one would receive Paul himself, full equal standing across the slave-owner/slave divide. Must never be softened to a vaguer ‘friend’ (ಸ್ನೇಹಿತ) or ‘companion’ (ಸಂಗಾತಿ). Distinct from κοινωνία/ಅನ್ಯೋನ್ಯತೆ (fellowship, above) — the two related but distinct Greek forms must not be collapsed into one Kannada word.
Owe Be Indebted
Approved rendering: ಸಾಲ
Transliteration: sāla
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Rejected alternatives: ಋಣ
Original: ὀφείλω
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:18. AVOID ಋಣ absolutely: in popular Hindu usage ಋಣ carries strong karmic-debt connotations (the traditional ‘three debts’ — deva-ṛṇa, pitṛ-ṛṇa, ṛṣi-ṛṇa — owed impersonally across lifetimes), which would reframe Onesimus’s debt as part of an impersonal cosmic ledger rather than the concrete, personal, forgivable debt Paul discusses. ಸಾಲ (ordinary financial/personal debt) is required.
Charge To Account Impute
Approved rendering: ಆರೋಪಿಸು
Transliteration: āropisu
Doctrine: Substitutionary Imputation of Debt
Rejected alternatives: ಕ್ಷಮಿಸು
Original: ἐλλογάω
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:18, Paul offering to personally absorb Onesimus’s debt. Deliberately reuses the root of baseline imputed_righteousness (ಆರೋಪಿತ ನೀತಿ) — a rich teaching parallel in reverse direction: Paul models substitutionary imputation of debt to himself, mirroring Christ’s imputed righteousness to believers. Must preserve commercial/legal precision (‘put to an account’), never soften to vague ಕ್ಷಮಿಸು (‘forgive/excuse’).
Obedience
Approved rendering: ವಿಧೇಯತೆ
Transliteration: vidhēyate
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Rejected alternatives: ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕ ಕರ್ತವ್ಯ
Original: ὑπακοή
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:21, THE key term for Grace-Motivated Obedience. As with baseline obedience_of_faith, must never suggest ಧಾರ್ಮಿಕ ಕರ್ತವ್ಯ-style duty-compliance or Lingayat kayaka-style sacred-labor-based standing; must read as obedience flowing freely from grace already at work (1:8-9, 1:14). Never render in isolation from the ಒತ್ತಾಯ/ಸ್ವಇಚ್ಛೆಯಿಂದ antithesis established at 1:14.
Human Spirit
Approved rendering: ಆತ್ಮ
Transliteration: ātma
Doctrine: The Human Spirit Distinguished from the Holy Spirit
Rejected alternatives: ಪವಿತ್ರಾತ್ಮ
Original: πνεῦμα
Category: God
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:25, the closing benediction (‘your spirit’), referring to the recipients’ collective human inner person, NOT the Holy Spirit. Distinct from ಪವಿತ್ರಾತ್ಮ (reserved exclusively for the third Person of the Trinity). Risk: Vedantic-formed readers may import ātman-Brahman monistic identity doctrine onto ಆತ್ಮ. Mandatory translator’s note: this names the individual human spirit graciously indwelt and sustained by God, remaining a distinct person in ongoing relationship with him, not a spirit destined for dissolution into an undifferentiated ultimate reality.
Medium Risk Terms
Peace
Approved rendering: ಶಾಂತಿ
Transliteration: śānti
Doctrine: Peace with God
Rejected alternatives: ಮನಶ್ಶಾಂತಿ
Original: εἰρήνη
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Philemon 1:3, standard Pauline greeting formula; must match the Romans 1:7 rendering exactly for cross-curriculum consistency.
Church
Approved rendering: ಸಭೆ
Transliteration: sabhe
Doctrine: Church as God’s People
Rejected alternatives: ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನ, ಗುಡಿ
Original: ἐκκλησία
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Philemon 1:2, ‘the church in your house’ — the concrete house-church congregation before whom the letter’s social drama plays out.
Prisoner Of Christ
Approved rendering: ಸೆರೆಯವನು
Transliteration: sereyavanu
Doctrine: Christ-Centered Ministry
Original: δέσμιος
Category: Ministry
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:1, 1:9, 1:10, 1:13. Must always be explicitly paired with ‘ಕ್ರಿಸ್ತ ಯೇಸುವಿನ’ (of Christ Jesus) so readers do not read this as ordinary criminal imprisonment. Never drop the qualifier for smoother style, even on repetition. Ironically echoes Onesimus’s own bound social status.
Brother
Approved rendering: ಸಹೋದರ
Transliteration: sahōdara
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Original: ἀδελφός
Category: Christian Brotherhood
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:1, 1:7, 1:16, 1:20. Must convey spiritual kinship overriding social/legal hierarchy, not merely polite honorific address (ordinary Kannada usage allows ಸಹೋದರ between any two speakers regardless of actual relationship). Must be paired with ಪಾಲುಗಾರ at the letter’s climax (1:17) so the social force of the kinship claim is not lost.
Love
Approved rendering: ಪ್ರೀತಿ
Transliteration: prīti
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Rejected alternatives: ಪ್ರೇಮ, ಭಕ್ತಿ
Original: ἀγάπη
Category: Christian Brotherhood
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:5, 1:7, 1:9 — the motive Paul explicitly chooses over apostolic authority. Keep anchored to self-giving covenant love between brothers in Christ; ಪ್ರೇಮ/ಭಕ್ತಿ carry devotional-romantic overtones from Haridasa-bhakti kirtane literature (divine-devotee romance) that must not bleed into this sense.
Joy
Approved rendering: ಸಂತೋಷ
Transliteration: santōṣa
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Rejected alternatives: ಆನಂದ
Original: χαρά
Category: Christian Brotherhood
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:7. AVOID ಆನಂದ as primary term: in Vedantic usage ಆನಂದ names a component of ultimate reality’s nature (sat-chit-ānanda), an impersonal cosmic-bliss concept distinct from Paul’s relational, circumstantial joy over Philemon’s specific love.
Heart Affection
Approved rendering: ಹೃದಯ
Transliteration: hṛdaya
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Original: σπλάγχνα
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
NEW. Occurs three times, structurally bracketing the letter’s central appeal: Philemon 1:7, 1:12 (Onesimus IS Paul’s σπλάγχνα), 1:20. Literal ‘inward parts/bowels’ — the strongest available image of personal attachment; ಹೃದಯ loses the visceral physicality but is the natural Kannada equivalent. Must be rendered identically at all three occurrences; a translator’s note should explain Paul is describing Onesimus as, emotionally, a part of his own body.
Boldness Confidence
Approved rendering: ಧೈರ್ಯ
Transliteration: dhairya
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Rejected alternatives: ಪ್ರಾಂಜಲತೆ
Original: παρρησία
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:8. Must convey Christ-given positional standing (apostolic/spiritual-fatherly authority) that Paul deliberately sets aside, not mere personal courage/bravado — the foil for the whole letter’s mode of appeal over command.
Old Man Ambassador
Approved rendering: ವೃದ್ಧ / ದೂತ
Transliteration: vṛddha / dūta
Doctrine: Christ-Centered Ministry
Original: πρεσβύτης / πρεσβευτής
Category: Ministry
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:9. Textual variant (πρεσβύτης ‘old man’ vs. πρεσβευτής ‘ambassador/envoy’); a textual-critical flag rather than a doctrinal-substitution flag. Either reading must be footnoted for reviewers since both reinforce Paul choosing not to exploit his status.
Spiritual Child
Approved rendering: ಮಗು
Transliteration: magu
Doctrine: Spiritual Fatherhood and New Birth through Gospel Ministry
Original: τέκνον
Category: Ministry
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:10, of Onesimus. Figurative spiritual son through conversion; must be kept doctrinally distinct in teaching notes from God’s fatherhood of believers (baseline adoption doctrine, ದತ್ತು ಪುತ್ರತ್ವ), even though both use family imagery.
Spiritually Begotten
Approved rendering: ಹೆತ್ತಿದ್ದೇನೆ
Transliteration: hettiddēne
Doctrine: Spiritual Fatherhood and New Birth through Gospel Ministry
Original: γεννάω (ἐγέννησα)
Category: Ministry
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:10. Figurative-birth language for leading someone to faith; must not be flattened into generic ‘helped/taught’ — retain the personal, paternal intimacy of the verb.
Consent Agreement
Approved rendering: ಸಮ್ಮತಿ
Transliteration: sammati
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Rejected alternatives: ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯ, ಅನುಮತಿ
Original: γνώμη
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:14. Must not be rendered as mere weak ‘opinion’ (ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯ) or permission granted downward to a subordinate (ಅನುಮತಿ); it is Paul honoring Philemon’s free moral agency — the linchpin of Grace-Motivated Obedience.
Compulsion
Approved rendering: ಒತ್ತಾಯ
Transliteration: ottāya
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Original: ἀνάγκη
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:14, in direct antithesis with ಸ್ವಇಚ್ಛೆಯಿಂದ. Must remain a sharp, consistent contrast pair with ಸ್ವಇಚ್ಛೆಯಿಂದ; this antithesis must also be tracked forward into ವಿಧೇಯತೆ (1:21) as a discourse-level unit, not scored segment-by-segment.
Voluntary
Approved rendering: ಸ್ವಇಚ್ಛೆಯಿಂದ
Transliteration: svecchèyinda
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Original: ἑκούσιον
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:14. Together with ಒತ್ತಾಯ, forms the linguistic core of the letter’s obedience theology; must form a sharp, unambiguous antithesis at every occurrence and govern the reading of ವಿಧೇಯತೆ at 1:21.
Eternal Permanent
Approved rendering: ಶಾಶ್ವತವಾಗಿ
Transliteration: śāśvatavāgi
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Original: αἰώνιος
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:15, contrasting temporary separation with permanent restored relationship. Must convey settled, linear permanence, not cyclical ‘eternal return’ cosmology (endless yugas/rebirths) — parallel to the baseline’s caution around resurrection/reincarnation vocabulary.
Flesh Human Terms
Approved rendering: ಶರೀರ
Transliteration: śarīra
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Original: σάρξ
Category: Christian Brotherhood
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:16 (‘both in the flesh and in the Lord’). Neutral relational sense here (‘in ordinary human/social terms’), not the negative ‘sinful flesh’ sense used elsewhere in Paul; must not import a negative moral judgment onto the natural human relationship being affirmed alongside the spiritual one.
Receive Accept Fully
Approved rendering: ಅಂಗೀಕರಿಸು
Transliteration: aṅgīkarisu
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Original: προσλαμβάνω
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:17. Must convey full, dignified acceptance into household/fellowship, not merely tolerant permission to remain.
Wrong Do Injustice
Approved rendering: ಅನ್ಯಾಯ ಮಾಡು
Transliteration: anyāya māḍu
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Original: ἀδικέω
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:18. Real wrongdoing is named and not minimized even as forgiveness is extended, consistent with baseline Universal Human Accountability doctrine.
Confidence Trust
Approved rendering: ಭರವಸೆಯಿಂದ
Transliteration: bharavaseyinda
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Original: πείθω (πεποιθώς)
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:21. Paul’s confidence rests in Philemon’s grace-shaped character, not his own apostolic authority. Echoes, without duplicating, the baseline assurance_of_salvation (ರಕ್ಷಣೆಯ ಭರವಸೆ) vocabulary family.
Graciously Granted
Approved rendering: ಕೃಪೆಯಿಂದ ದೊರೆಯುವೆನು
Transliteration: kṛpeyinda doreyuvenu
Doctrine: Grace
Original: χαρίζομαι (χαρισθήσομαι)
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:22. Shares its root directly with χάρις/ಕೃಪೆ; a translator’s note should flag this root-connection for teaching purposes even though the literal pun cannot be reproduced in Kannada.
Fellow Prisoner
Approved rendering: ಸಹ ಸೆರೆಯವನು
Transliteration: saha sereyavanu
Doctrine: Christ-Centered Ministry
Original: συναιχμάλωτος
Category: Ministry
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:23 (of Epaphras). A more vivid, martial image (war-captive) than δέσμιος/ಸೆರೆಯವನು; distinguish in teaching notes even though rendered with the same ಸೆರೆ-root for readability.
Low Risk Terms
Fellowship
Approved rendering: ಅನ್ಯೋನ್ಯತೆ
Transliteration: anyōnyate
Doctrine: Christian Fellowship
Rejected alternatives: ಸ್ನೇಹ
Original: κοινωνία
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Philemon 1:6 (‘the fellowship/sharing of your faith’). Distinct from κοινωνός/ಪಾಲುಗಾರ (see partner_sharer below) — the abstract noun and the personal noun must never be collapsed into one Kannada word.
Thanksgiving
Approved rendering: ಕೃತಜ್ಞತಾಸ್ತುತಿ
Transliteration: kṛtajñatāstuti
Doctrine: Thanksgiving
Original: εὐχαριστία / εὐχαριστῶ
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Philemon 1:4, standard Pauline thanksgiving opening.
Beloved
Approved rendering: ಪ್ರಿಯ
Transliteration: priya
Doctrine: Christian Brotherhood across Social Status
Original: ἀγαπητός
Category: Christian Brotherhood
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:1, 1:16.
Fellow Worker
Approved rendering: ಸಹಕಾರ್ಯಕರ್ತ
Transliteration: sahakāryakarta
Doctrine: Christ-Centered Ministry
Original: συνεργός
Category: Ministry
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:1 (Philemon), 1:24 (Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke).
Fellow Soldier
Approved rendering: ಸಹಸೈನಿಕ
Transliteration: sahasainika
Doctrine: Christ-Centered Ministry
Original: συστρατιώτης
Category: Ministry
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:2 (of Archippus). Military metaphor for shared spiritual struggle/costly gospel labor.
Prayer
Approved rendering: ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥನೆ
Transliteration: prārthane
Doctrine: Intercession and Appeal on Behalf of Another
Original: προσευχή
Category: Intercession
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:4, 1:22. General companion term to baseline intercession (ಮಧ್ಯಸ್ಥಿಕೆ, prayer specifically on behalf of others).
Effective
Approved rendering: ಪರಿಣಾಮಕಾರಿ
Transliteration: pariṇāmakāri
Doctrine: Faith
Original: ἐνεργής
Category: Faith
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:6, describing the fellowship of Philemon’s faith becoming effective.
Good Deed
Approved rendering: ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಕಾರ್ಯ
Transliteration: oḷḷeya kārya
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Original: ἀγαθόν
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:6, 1:14 — Philemon’s ‘good deed’ toward Onesimus, which Paul insists must not be by compulsion but voluntary.
Comfort Encouragement
Approved rendering: ಪ್ರೋತ್ಸಾಹ
Transliteration: prōtsāha
Doctrine: Mutual Edification
Original: παράκλησις
Category: Mutual Edification
NEW (reuses baseline exhort convention). Occurs Philemon 1:7. Per baseline: ಪ್ರೋತ್ಸಾಹ for encouragement sense, ವಿನಂತಿ for entreaty sense — the two senses of παρακαλέω-family words must remain distinct.
Command
Approved rendering: ಆಜ್ಞಾಪಿಸು
Transliteration: ājñāpisu
Doctrine: Grace-Motivated Obedience
Original: ἐπιτάσσω
Category: Grace-Motivated Obedience
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:8, the authoritative mode of speech Paul explicitly declines, sharply distinguished from ವಿನಂತಿ ಮಾಡು (appeal).
Onesimus
Approved rendering: ಒನೇಸಿಮ
Transliteration: Onēsima
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Original: Ὀνήσιμος
Category: Proper Name
NEW. Proper name meaning ‘useful, profitable.’ Simply transliterated per established convention, but the name’s meaning is essential to the wordplay in 1:11 (ἄχρηστος/εὔχρηστος) and 1:20 (ὀναίμην) and must be preserved via a mandatory translator’s note, since the pun cannot survive transliteration into Kannada script.
Useless
Approved rendering: ನಿಷ್ಪ್ರಯೋಜಕ
Transliteration: niṣprayōjaka
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Original: ἄχρηστος
Category: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:11, describing Onesimus’s former condition; forms deliberate wordplay with his name and with ಪ್ರಯೋಜನಕಾರಿ.
Useful
Approved rendering: ಪ್ರಯೋಜನಕಾರಿ
Transliteration: prayōjanakāri
Doctrine: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
Original: εὔχρηστος
Category: Slavery and the Gospel’s Transforming Power
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:11, describing Onesimus’s transformed condition through the gospel.
Serve Minister
Approved rendering: ಸೇವೆ ಮಾಡು
Transliteration: sēve māḍu
Doctrine: Christ-Centered Ministry
Original: διακονέω
Category: Ministry
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:13, Onesimus’s practical assistance to Paul on Philemon’s behalf.
Repay
Approved rendering: ಮರುಪಾವತಿ ಮಾಡುವೆನು
Transliteration: marupāvati māḍuvenu
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Original: ἀποτίνω
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:19, Paul’s personal written pledge to repay Onesimus’s debt.
Owe Besides
Approved rendering: ಇನ್ನೂ ಹೆಚ್ಚಿಗೆ ಸಾಲ ಇರುವೆ
Transliteration: innū heccige sāla iruve
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Rejected alternatives: ಋಣ ಇರುವೆ
Original: προσοφείλω
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:19: Philemon owes Paul his very self, a debt exceeding any financial sum. Consistent with the ಋಣ-avoidance decision above.
Benefit Wordplay
Approved rendering: ಪ್ರಯೋಜನ ಪಡೆಯಲಿ
Transliteration: prayōjana paḍeyali
Doctrine: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Original: ὀνίνημι (ὀναίμην)
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:20, a final deliberate wordplay on Onesimus’s name-meaning. Must be explained in teaching notes since the pun cannot be reproduced in Kannada script.
Refresh Give Rest
Approved rendering: ಸಂತೈಸು
Transliteration: santaisu
Doctrine: Mutual Edification
Original: ἀναπαύω
Category: Forgiveness and Reconciliation
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:7, 1:20, paired with ಹೃದಯ to bookend the letter’s central appeal. Must be rendered identically at both occurrences.
Hospitality Lodging
Approved rendering: ಅತಿಥ್ಯ
Transliteration: atithya
Doctrine: Christian Fellowship
Original: ξενία
Category: Christian Fellowship
NEW. Occurs Philemon 1:22, Paul’s confident request for lodging, expressing hope of release.
Referenced passages