Core Glossary
Core Glossary — Acts 1–28 (English → Kurdish)
This glossary consolidates every load-bearing term identified in 07_semantic_analysis.md, covering the whole book of Acts, chapter by chapter. Terms already established in the baseline Romans translation_memory.json are marked [Baseline — reuse exactly] and their recorded Kurdish rendering is repeated unchanged, per the hard rule that established renderings must never be altered. Terms newly identified for Acts are marked [New — Acts] and are proposed here for addition to the translation memory in the next phase, with full risk justification. Risk tiers follow the baseline’s Critical/High/Medium/Low definitions.
Section 1: The Holy Spirit and Pentecost
| Term | Greek / Translit. | Kurdish Rendering | Risk | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holy Spirit | πνεῦμα ἅγιον / pneuma hagion | Ruhê Pîroz | Critical | [Baseline — reuse exactly] | Never render as impersonal force; distinguish from mainstream tafsir’s identification with the angel Jibril. |
| filled with the Spirit | πλησθέντες πνεύματος ἁγίου / plēsthentes pneumatos hagiou | bi Ruhê Pîroz tije bûn | Medium | [New — Acts] | Recurring empowerment formula (2:4; 4:8,31; 13:9); “filled” must not imply partial/impersonal possession. |
| Pentecost | Πεντηκοστή / Pentēkostē | Pentîkost | Medium | [New — Acts] | Distinguish from generic “cejn” (festival, incl. Newroz/Eid); teach as unrepeatable redemptive-historical event. |
| tongues (languages) | γλῶσσαι / glōssai | ziman / zimanên din | High | [New — Acts] | Real known languages in Acts 2 specifically; strong positive resonance with Kurdish mother-tongue suppression experience — asset, but avoid over-politicizing. |
| own language/dialect | διάλεκτος / dialektos | zaravayê xwe yê zikmakî | High | [New — Acts] | Distinct Greek word from glōssai; be aware of internal Kurdish dialect-politics sensitivity (Kurmanji/Sorani/Kelhurî/Zazakî). |
| gift of the Holy Spirit | δωρεὰ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος / dōrea tou hagiou pneumatos | diyariya Ruhê Pîroz | Critical | [New — Acts] | Track grace-vs-merit caution (kerem, High, baseline): a gift, never an earned reward for repentance. |
| baptism in/with the Spirit | βάπτισμα ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ | vaftîzma bi Ruhê Pîroz | Critical | [New — Acts] | Must be distinguished from John’s water baptism (Acts 1:5; 19:1-7). |
| pour out (the Spirit) | ἐκχέω / ekcheō | birêsandin | High | [New — Acts] | Pair explicitly with Ruhê Pîroz to avoid assimilation into Sufi “unity of being” or Yazidi manifestation frameworks. |
Section 2: The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles
| Term | Greek / Translit. | Kurdish Rendering | Risk | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gospel | εὐαγγέλιον / euangelion | Mizgînî | Medium | [Baseline — reuse exactly] | Qualify as specific NT proclamation where Încîl/tahrif association is likely. |
| Gentiles | ἔθνη / ethnē | Ne-cihû | Medium | [Baseline — reuse exactly] | Avoid Umet (loaded pan-Islamic community sense). |
| God-fearer | φοβούμενος τὸν θεόν / phoboumenos ton theon | Xwedêparêz | Medium | [New — Acts] | Specific 1st-c. category (Cornelius, ch.10); explain historically, not as generic piety. |
| unclean/common | κοινός / koinos | neptik / gemar | High | [New — Acts] | Structurally parallels but is not the same system as halal/haram; teach as fulfillment/setting-aside of Mosaic ceremonial law in Christ. |
| God shows no partiality | προσωπολήμπτης / prosōpolēmptēs | Xwedê alîgir nîne | Medium | [New — Acts] | Foundational Jew-Gentile equality text; secondary application to tribal favoritism possible but not primary. |
| Israel | Ἰσραήλ / Israēl | Îsraîl | Medium | [Baseline — reuse exactly] | Kurdish sentiment (esp. Iraqi Kurdistan) often more favorable than regional norm; still requires care. |
| this salvation… sent to the Gentiles | τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἀπεστάλη τὸ σωτήριον / 28:28 | ev rizgariya Xwedê ji miletan re hat şandin | Critical | [New — Acts, combination] | Capstone verse of the book’s Jew-to-Gentile arc; reuse Rizgarî + Ne-cihû exactly. |
Section 3: Repentance and Baptism
| Term | Greek / Translit. | Kurdish Rendering | Risk | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| repentance | μετάνοια / metanoia | Tobe | Critical | [New — Acts] | Sharply distinguish from Islamic tawba (human-initiated, formula-based, restores standing via own remorse); biblical repentance is Spirit-granted (11:18) and tied exclusively to trust in Christ. |
| baptism / to baptize | βάπτισμα, βαπτίζω / baptisma, baptizō | Vaftîzm / vaftîz kirin | Critical | [New — Acts] | Distinguish from Islamic wudu/ghusl (repeatable ritual purification); one-time act of identification with Christ’s death/resurrection. |
| forgiveness of sins | ἄφεσις ἁμαρτιῶν / aphesis hamartiōn | lêbûrîna guneha | High | [New — Acts] | Distinguish from Islamic maghfira (uncertain until final judgment); secured decisively at conversion, grounding present assurance. |
| John’s baptism (contrast) | βάπτισμα Ἰωάννου / baptisma Iōannou | vaftîzma Yûhenna | High | [New — Acts] | Preparatory, repentance-only; contrast explicitly with Christian baptism “in the name of the Lord Jesus” (19:1-7). |
| turn/convert | ἐπιστρέφω / epistrephō | vegerandin | Medium-High | [New — Acts] | Full conversion summary at 26:18; teach as specific power-transfer (Satan’s dominion → God), not generic enlightenment. |
Section 4: The Church as Community
| Term | Greek / Translit. | Kurdish Rendering | Risk | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| church | ἐκκλησία / ekklēsia | Dêr / Civata Mesîhî | High | [Baseline — reuse exactly] | Dêr = building; Civata Mesîhî = gathered people. Religious-freedom variation across 4 states applies. |
| fellowship | κοινωνία / koinōnia | Hevaltî | Low | [Baseline — reuse exactly] | Retains secular leftist “comrade” echo in modern usage; context disambiguates. |
| breaking of bread | κλάσις τοῦ ἄρτου / klasis tou artou | Şikandina Nanî | Medium | [New — Acts] | Distinguish from ordinary Kurdish hospitality-meal customs absent worship context. |
| all things in common | ἅπαντα κοινά / hapanta koina | hemû tişt wek milkê hevpar | High | [New — Acts] | Real risk of assimilation to Kurdish socialist/communist political memory; teach as voluntary, temporary, love-motivated, not a normative economic system. |
| elders | πρεσβύτεροι / presbyteroi | Rihspî | High | [New — Acts] | Distinguish sharply from aşîret (tribal) lineage/age-based elder authority; church eldership is Spirit-appointed, qualification-based. |
| overseer | ἐπίσκοπος / episkopos | Çavdêr | Medium | [New — Acts] | Same office as “elder” in Acts 20; native, transparent, low-collision term. |
| shepherd/flock | ποιμήν, ποίμνιον / poimēn, poimnion | Şivan / Kerî | Medium | [New — Acts] | Positive resonance with pastoral heritage; distinguish from Sufi murshid-disciple hierarchy. |
| service (diaconal) | διακονία / diakonia | Xizmet | Medium | [New — Acts] | Distinguish from feudal/tribal patron-client “xizmet”; dignified, Spirit-gifted ministry among equals. |
Section 5: Apostolic Authority and Miracles
| Term | Greek / Translit. | Kurdish Rendering | Risk | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| apostle | ἀπόστολος / apostolos | Şandî | Medium | [Baseline — reuse exactly] | Avoids collision with Muhammad’s Rasul Allah title. |
| signs and wonders | σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα / sēmeia kai terata | nîşan û ecêb | High | [New — Acts] | Deliberately avoid cognate “keramet” (Sufi saint-miracle vocabulary, already flagged in baseline under grace); authenticate Christ’s claim, not apostles’ spiritual rank. |
| power of God | δύναμις θεοῦ / dynamis theou | Hêza Xwedê | Medium | [Baseline — reuse exactly] | — |
| name (invocational, healing) | ὄνομα / onoma | Nav (bi Navê Îsa) | High | [New — Acts] | Distinguish from folk-religious invocation of a pîr’s/saint’s name or divine names as an independent power source; rests entirely on Christ’s person. |
| laying on of hands | ἐπίθεσις τῶν χειρῶν / epithesis tōn cheirōn | destlêdanîn | Medium | [New — Acts] | Distinguish from folk-healing touch attributed to a pîr; visible sign accompanying, not causing, the Spirit’s sovereign gift (cf. Simon Magus, ch.8). |
| sorcery/magic | μαγεία / mageia | sêrbazî | High | [New — Acts] | Relevant to widespread regional jinn/evil-eye/amulet belief; teach as rejection of a transactional, magical view of spiritual power altogether. |
| divination spirit | πνεῦμα πύθωνα / pneuma pythōna | ruhê fala | High | [New — Acts] | Relevant to fal (fortune-telling) practice; models Christ’s authority, not a general exorcism framework. |
Section 6: Persecution and Bold Witness
| Term | Greek / Translit. | Kurdish Rendering | Risk | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| witness (testimonial) | μάρτυς / martys | Şahid | Critical | [New — Acts] | Root shared with “şehîd” (martyr); keep the two senses distinct in teaching. |
| martyr (witness sealed by death) | μάρτυς / martys (death-sense, from ch.7 onward) | Şehîd | Critical | [New — Acts] | Emotionally loaded with Kurdish national-political martyrdom (Peshmerga etc.); must never be conflated with, or read as endorsing, political martyrdom. |
| boldness | παρρησία / parrēsia | Wêrekî | High | [New — Acts] | Distinguish Spirit-given gospel boldness from political/activist courage as a general civic virtue. |
| persecute | διώκειν / diōkein | çewisandin / tacîz kirin | Medium | [New — Acts] | Christ identifies with his persecuted people (9:4) — union-with-Christ teaching point. |
| tribulation/affliction | θλῖψις / thlipsis | tengasî / zulm | High | [New — Acts] | Tied to “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (14:22) — kingdom entered through suffering, not political achievement. |
Section 7: Conversion of Paul
| Term | Greek / Translit. | Kurdish Rendering | Risk | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| the Way | ἡ ὁδός / hē hodos | Rê (Riya Xwedê) | High | [New — Acts] | Distinguish from Islamic “the straight path” (sirat al-mustaqim); denotes the concrete community following the risen Jesus, not a general ethical path. |
| chosen instrument/vessel | σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς / skeuos eklogēs | amrazê hilbijartî | Medium | [New — Acts] | Reuses baseline Hilbijartin (High); sovereign selection for mission, not democratic appointment. |
| light from heaven / voice | φῶς ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ / phōs ek tou ouranou | ronahiya ji ezmên | Low | [New — Acts] | Direct divine encounter narrative marker; low ambiguity. |
| ascension | ἀνελήμφθη / anelēmphthē | hilkişî (bi ezmên ve hilkişîn) | High | [New — Acts] | Note inverted risk: Quran affirms Jesus was raised to heaven while denying death/crucifixion; teach ascension as confirming, not replacing, prior death and resurrection. |
Section 8: Justification Apart from the Law
| Term | Greek / Translit. | Kurdish Rendering | Risk | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| justification | δικαίωσις / dikaiōsis | Wek adil hatin hesibandin | Critical | [Baseline — reuse exactly] | Forensic declaration, never “made righteous” or “earned.” |
| law (of Moses) | νόμος / nomos | Şerîeta Mûsa | Critical | [Baseline — reuse exactly] | Never bare “Şerîet”; never “Namûs” (narrowed to family/female honor). |
| circumcision | περιτομή / peritomē | Sinet | Critical | [New — Acts] | Major Islamic/cultural rite of passage independent of this text; frame ch.15’s ruling strictly as a salvation-basis question (grace through faith, not law-keeping), never as commentary on the contemporary practice of sinet itself. |
| grace | χάρις / charis | Kerem | High | [Baseline — reuse exactly] | Not an elite Sufi-keramet-style favor; freely given to all believers (15:11). |
| freed/justified (same event) | δικαιωθῆναι, δικαιοῦται / dikaiōthēnai, dikaioutai | hatin hesibandin wek adil / hatin azad kirin ji sûcê | Critical | [New — Acts] | Acts 13:38-39: render as the same forensic event as “justified,” not two separate benefits; the law of Moses is not deficient/evil, only unable to justify. |
| uncircumcised in heart | ἀπερίτμητοι καρδίαις / aperitmētoi kardiais | dilê wan nesinetkirî | High | [New — Acts] | Metaphorical extension (7:51); do not read literally against the physical practice of sinet. |
Section 9: The Great Commission Fulfilled
| Term | Greek / Translit. | Kurdish Rendering | Risk | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| kingdom of God | βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ / basileia tou theou | Padîşahiya Xwedê | Critical | [Baseline — reuse exactly] | Never framed as endorsing Kurdish statehood aspiration; Acts 1:6-8 is the key anchoring text. |
| witnesses (programmatic) | μάρτυρες / martyres | Şahid (see Section 6) | Critical | [New — Acts] | Acts 1:8 structures the whole book (Jerusalem → Judea/Samaria → ends of the earth). |
| mission/sending | ἀποστολή, πέμπω | Peywira Mizgîniyê | High | [Baseline — reuse exactly] | Safety implications differ by host state (Turkey/Iraq/Iran/Syria). |
| appeal to Caesar | Καίσαρα ἐπικαλοῦμαι | gazî li Qeyser dikim | Low | [New — Acts] | Legal-procedural; illustrates lawful advance of witness to imperial authority, foreshadowing Rome as the book’s terminus. |
| unhindered proclamation (closing verse) | μετὰ πάσης παρρησίας ἀκωλύτως / 28:31 | bi hemû wêrekiyê, bêastengî | Critical | [New — Acts, combination] | Book’s final verse; reuse Padîşahiya Xwedê + Xudan/Mesîh + Wêrekî exactly, consistent with all other occurrences. |
Section 10: Christological and Core Salvation Terms (reused throughout Acts)
| Term | Greek / Translit. | Kurdish Rendering | Risk | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lord | κύριος / kyrios | Xudan | Critical | [Baseline — reuse exactly] | Double-referent in Acts 2:34-35 (Ps 110) requires teaching notes; never softened. |
| Son of God | υἱὸς θεοῦ | Kurê Xwedê | Critical | [Baseline — reuse exactly] | — |
| Messiah/Christ | Χριστός / Christos | Mesîh | Critical | [Baseline — reuse exactly] | Climactic pairing with Xudan at Acts 2:36. |
| resurrection | ἀνάστασις / anastasis | Rabûn | Critical | [Baseline — reuse exactly] | Recurs at 2:24, 2:31, 4:2, 17:18, 17:32, 23:6, 24:15 — distinguish from crucifixion-denial and from Yazidi kiras guhertin at every occurrence. |
| salvation | σωτηρία / sōtēria | Rizgarî | Critical | [Baseline — reuse exactly] | Always anchor personally/spiritually; core formula verses: 2:21, 2:38-40, 4:12, 16:30-31, 28:28. |
| faith/believe | πίστις, πιστεύω / pistis, pisteuō | Îman / bawer kirin | High | [Baseline — reuse exactly] | Personal trust in the risen Lord Jesus specifically (16:31), not creedal assent. |
| Jesus | Ἰησοῦς / Iēsous | Îsa | Critical | [Baseline — reuse exactly] | — |
| God | θεός / theos | Xwedê | Critical | [Baseline — reuse exactly] | — |
| prophet | προφήτης / prophētēs | Pêxember | High | [Baseline — reuse exactly] | “Prophet like Moses” (3:22-23) is a live Muslim-apologetic collision point (claimed for Muhammad); flag every occurrence for theologian review. |
| Hades/realm of the dead | ᾅδης / hadēs | cîhana miriyan (Hades) | Medium | [New — Acts] | Distinguish from Islamic barzakh and from Gehenna/hell. |
| exalted / right hand of God | ὑψωθείς, δεξιᾷ τοῦ θεοῦ | hilbûrî, li milê rastê yê Xwedê | Critical | [New — Acts] | Asserts Christ’s authority to send the divine Spirit himself (2:33); implicit deity claim, never softened. |
| idol | εἴδωλον / eidōlon | but | Medium | [New — Acts] | Broadly shared anti-idolatry vocabulary with regional Islam; nuance needed at Areopagus (ch.17) and Lystra (ch.14) episodes. |
| Christians (self-designation) | Χριστιανοί / Christianoi | Mesîhî | Low-Medium | [New — Acts] | First occurs 11:26; transparent derivation from established Mesîh. |
Summary of New Terms Requiring Translation Memory Addition
The following [New — Acts] terms are proposed for formal addition to an Acts-extension of translation_memory.json and bible_term_registry.json, ranked by risk tier, before Phase 2 segment translation begins:
Critical (11): Tobe (repentance), Vaftîzm (baptism), Şahid/Şehîd (witness/martyr), Sinet (circumcision), gift of the Holy Spirit, baptism in the Spirit, exalted/right hand of God, freed/justified (13:38-39 combination), this-salvation-to-Gentiles (28:28 combination), unhindered proclamation (28:31 combination), witnesses-programmatic (1:8).
High (17): ziman/zimanên din (tongues), zaravayê xwe (own dialect), pour out (the Spirit), forgiveness of sins, John’s baptism (contrast), all things in common, elders (Rihspî), nîşan û ecêb (signs and wonders), name-invocational, sêrbazî (sorcery), ruhê fala (divination spirit), wêrekî (boldness), tengasî/zulm (tribulation), Rê (the Way), ascension, uncircumcised in heart, unclean/common (koinos).
Medium (12): Pentîkost, diyariya Ruhê Pîroz-adjacent phrasing, Xwedêparêz (God-fearer), God-shows-no-partiality, Şikandina Nanî (breaking of bread), Çavdêr (overseer), Şivan/Kerî (shepherd/flock), Xizmet (diaconal service), destlêdanîn (laying on of hands), çewisandin (persecute), amrazê hilbijartî (chosen instrument), vegerandin (turn/convert), cîhana miriyan/Hades, but (idol), Mesîhî (Christianoi), krima/judgment.
Low (3): gazî li Qeyser dikim (appeal to Caesar), ronahiya ji ezmên (light from heaven), light/voice narrative markers.
Cross-check before Phase 2: every Critical- and High-risk new term above requires human theologian review routing per the baseline doctrine_risk_registry.json review-routing convention; Medium-risk terms route to native speaker review; Low-risk terms to automated review only, consistent with the baseline’s established risk_definitions.
Critical Risk Terms
Justification
Approved rendering: Wek adil hatin hesibandin
Transliteration: wek adil hatin hesibandin
Doctrine: Salvation
Original: δικαίωσις / δικαιόω
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. CRITICAL: compound phrase required to convey forensic declaration, not moral process. Acts 13:38-39 is the key Acts text and must render the two Greek verbs (aphesis/forgiveness, dikaioutai/justified) as the same forensic event, not two separate benefits.
Salvation
Approved rendering: Rizgarî
Transliteration: rizgarî
Doctrine: Salvation
Original: σωτηρία / σῴζω
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. CRITICAL: rizgarî is the defining vocabulary of Kurdish political nationalism. Core Acts formula verses requiring identical rendering: 2:21, 2:38-40, 4:12, 16:30-31, 28:28. Every occurrence must anchor personal, spiritual deliverance through Christ, distinct from national liberation.
Adoption
Approved rendering: Kurxwendin
Transliteration: kurxwendin
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Inherited from Romans package. CRITICAL: shares the Quranic restriction on adoption (33:4-5) and Kurdish tribal (aşîret) lineage emphasis. Not directly thematized in Acts but retained for curriculum cross-reference consistency with Romans.
Resurrection
Approved rendering: Rabûn
Transliteration: rabûn
Doctrine: Resurrection of Christ
Original: ἀνάστασις / ἀνίστημι / ἐγείρω
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. CRITICAL: shares the Quran’s crucifixion-denial and the distinctly Kurdish Yazidi kiras guhertin (reincarnation) conflation risk. Recurs throughout Acts (1:3, 1:22, 2:24-32, 3:15, 4:2, 4:33, 10:40-41, 13:30-37, 17:3, 17:18, 17:31-32, 23:6, 24:15, 26:23) — the most resurrection-saturated book in the NT; must be taught as bodily, historical, once-for-all at every occurrence.
Lord
Approved rendering: Xudan
Transliteration: Xudan
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. CRITICAL: exclusive, supreme Lordship applied to Jesus. Acts 2:34-36 quotes Psalm 110’s double-Lord structure (YHWH and Messiah both called ‘Lord’) as Peter’s proof text for Jesus’ deity at 2:36; must retain full exclusive force at every occurrence (2:33-36, 7:59-60, 9:5, 10:36, 16:31, 25:26).
Son Of God
Approved rendering: Kurê Xwedê
Transliteration: Kurê Xwedê
Doctrine: Sonship of Christ
Original: υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. CRITICAL: same Quranic denial applies; Sufi wahdat al-wujud and Yazidi divine-manifestation belief create an inverted over-assimilation risk. Occurs at Acts 9:20 and 13:33 (citing Psalm 2:7).
Incarnation
Approved rendering: Tecessud
Transliteration: tecessud
Doctrine: Incarnation
Inherited from Romans package. CRITICAL: shares the tawhid objection; Yazidi successive-manifestation theology risks assimilating this as one more recurring instance. Retained for cross-document consistency though not independently thematized as a standalone term in Acts.
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: Padîşahiya Xwedê
Transliteration: padîşahiya Xwedê
Doctrine: Kingdom Mission
Original: βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Kingdom and Mission
Inherited from Romans package. CRITICAL: risks being heard as validating Kurdish statehood aspiration. Acts 1:6-8 is the single most direct textual parallel to this exact anxiety (disciples ask about restoring a national kingdom; Jesus redirects to spiritual mission) and must be the primary anchor text across the whole Acts curriculum, bracketed by the closing occurrence at 28:31.
Law
Approved rendering: Şerîeta Mûsa
Transliteration: Şerîeta Mûsa
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Prophecy
Rejected alternatives: Namûs
Inherited from Romans package. CRITICAL: never bare ‘Şerîet’; never ‘Namûs’ (narrowed to family/female honor, honor-killing contexts). Acts 13:38-39, 15:1-11, 21:20-25. The law is not deficient/evil in itself, only unable to justify — a nuance requiring non-supersessionist framing.
Messiah
Approved rendering: Mesîh
Transliteration: Mesîh
Doctrine: Messianic Promise
Original: Χριστός / Μεσσίας
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. CRITICAL: carries the same pre-loaded Quranic content as Arabic’s al-Masih. Climactic pairing with Xudan at Acts 2:36 (‘God has made him both Lord and Christ’). Alevi/Yarsani beliefs add a further layer of divinely-guided-figure comparison.
Jesus
Approved rendering: Îsa
Transliteration: Îsa
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Original: Ἰησοῦς
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package. CRITICAL: ‘Îsa’ is used without naming controversy but still carries the Quranic prophet-only, non-crucified, non-divine narrative that must be actively corrected throughout Acts.
God
Approved rendering: Xwedê
Transliteration: Xwedê
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: Allah
Original: θεός
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. CRITICAL: native word from the same Old Iranian root as Persian’s Khoda. Strict tawhid theology must be distinguished from the Trinitarian conception denoted by the same word throughout Acts.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: Ruhê Pîroz
Transliteration: Ruhê Pîroz
Doctrine: Sanctification
Original: πνεῦμα ἅγιον
Category: Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Inherited from Romans package. CRITICAL: shares the Quranic phrase and mainstream tafsir identification with the angel Jibril (Gabriel). Occurs at very high density throughout Acts (1:5, 1:8, 2:4, 2:33, 4:8, 4:31, 5:3-4, 8:15-19, 9:17, 10:44-46, 13:9, 13:52, 19:1-6, 20:28) — the created-being-versus-divine-Person distinction must be made explicit at every occurrence, not merely once per curriculum.
Father
Approved rendering: Bav
Transliteration: Bav
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Original: πατήρ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. CRITICAL: shares the region’s tawhid-anthropomorphism objection to Father-language for God. Acts 1:4, 1:7, 2:33 (the promised Spirit is ‘from the Father’).
Imputed Righteousness
Approved rendering: Adaleta ku tê hesibandin
Transliteration: adaleta ku tê hesibandin
Doctrine: Justification by Faith
Rejected alternatives: Adaleta ku tê bidestxistin
Inherited from Romans package. CRITICAL: ‘earned righteousness’ is explicitly rejected. Compound must retain ‘credited/reckoned,’ never ‘earned’ — the same principle governing Acts 13:38-39’s freed/justified combination.
Gift Of The Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: Diyariya Ruhê Pîroz
Transliteration: diyariya Ruhê Pîroz
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Original: δωρεὰ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος
Category: Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Acts 2:38. Must track the Kerem (grace, High) grace-versus-merit caution precisely — a gift given in response to repentance and baptism, never a reward earned by them.
Baptism In The Spirit
Approved rendering: Vaftîzma bi Ruhê Pîroz
Transliteration: vaftîzma bi Ruhê Pîroz
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Original: βάπτισμα ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ
Category: Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Acts 1:5, 11:16, 19:1-7. Must be distinguished from John’s water baptism at every occurrence, a distinction Acts itself revisits at 19:1-7. Never interchange with ‘bi Ruhê Pîroz tije bûn’ (repeatable filling) — these denote different events.
Repentance
Approved rendering: Tobe
Transliteration: tobe
Doctrine: Repentance
Original: μετάνοια / μετανοέω
Category: Repentance and Baptism
Acts 2:38, 3:19, 11:18, 17:30, 20:21, 26:20. Tobe is cognate with Islamic tawba, a structurally central concept of ritualized, human-initiated remorse restoring standing before God through one’s own effort, repeatable and uncertain of acceptance. Biblical metanoia in Acts must be taught as Spirit-granted (11:18, ‘God has granted repentance’) and tied exclusively to trust in the crucified-and-risen Jesus. No viable alternative exists; mandatory doctrinal framing required at every occurrence, not a lexical substitution.
Baptism
Approved rendering: Vaftîzm / vaftîz kirin
Transliteration: vaftîzm / vaftîz kirin
Doctrine: Baptism
Original: βάπτισμα / βαπτίζω
Category: Repentance and Baptism
Acts 2:38, 2:41, 8:12-13, 8:36-38, 9:18, 10:47-48, 16:15, 16:33, 19:1-7, 22:16. Transliteration deliberately avoids collision with Islamic wudu (minor ablution) and ghusl (full ritual purification), which are repeatable, self-administered purity rites unconnected to Christ’s death and resurrection. One-time, Spirit-and-church-mediated act of identification with a specific historical Person.
Salvation Sent To Gentiles
Approved rendering: Ev rizgariya Xwedê ji miletan re hat şandin
Transliteration: ev rizgariya Xwedê ji miletan re hat şandin
Doctrine: The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles
Original: τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἀπεστάλη τοῦτο τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Gospel to Jews and Gentiles
Acts 28:28, the capstone of the whole book’s Jew-to-Gentile trajectory begun in seed form at 2:39. ‘Milet’ is also standard modern political vocabulary for nation/people; combined with Rizgarî’s own nationalist resonance, this closing verse requires the personal/spiritual anchoring clause used throughout the curriculum for Rizgarî in the same or immediately adjacent sentence.
No Other Name Exclusivity
Approved rendering: Ne navekî din e ku em pê rizgar dibin
Transliteration: ne navekî din e ku em pê rizgar dibin
Doctrine: Exclusivity of Salvation in Christ
Original: οὐδὲ γὰρ ὄνομά ἐστιν ἕτερον… ἐν ᾧ δεῖ σωθῆναι ἡμᾶς
Category: Salvation
Acts 4:12. The sharpest exclusivity claim in Acts; must be preserved in full force without softening into religious pluralism, despite the pastoral sensitivity of proclaiming this to a multi-religious Kurdish audience spanning Sunni, Sufi, Yazidi, Alevi, and Yarsani traditions.
Witness Testimonial
Approved rendering: Şahid
Transliteration: şahid
Doctrine: Persecution and Bold Witness
Original: μάρτυς
Category: Persecution and Bold Witness
The programmatic term of the whole book (1:8, 1:22, 2:32, 3:15, 5:32, 10:39-41, 13:31, 22:15, 26:16). Şahid must be kept distinct in teaching from the death-sealed sense (Şehîd) that crystallizes from Stephen’s death onward and, critically, from Kurdish national-political martyrdom vocabulary. Also the term for Acts 1:8’s programmatic commission structuring the book’s Jerusalem-to-ends-of-the-earth geography.
Martyr Witness Unto Death
Approved rendering: Şehîd
Transliteration: şehîd
Doctrine: Persecution and Bold Witness
Original: μάρτυς (death-sealed sense)
Category: Persecution and Bold Witness
Emerges from Stephen’s death (Acts 7:59-60) and recurs at James’s death (12:2). The single highest-risk ambiguity in the entire curriculum: Şehîd is among the most emotionally weighted words in contemporary Kurdish life, denoting the political and military martyrs of the Kurdish national struggle (Peshmerga, PKK, and related movements). Must never be conflated with, or read as endorsing, national-political martyrdom. Mandatory theologian-reviewed disclaimer footnote required at every occurrence.
Exalted Right Hand Of God
Approved rendering: Hilbûrî, li milê rastê yê Xwedê
Transliteration: hilbûrî, li milê rastê yê Xwedê
Doctrine: Lordship and Deity of Christ
Original: ὑψωθεὶς τῇ δεξιᾷ τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Christology
Acts 2:33. A strong implicit deity claim — Christ’s own authority to dispense the divine Spirit — must not be softened to a merely honorific ‘seated in favor.‘
Circumcision
Approved rendering: Sinet
Transliteration: sinet
Doctrine: Circumcision and the Jerusalem Council
Original: περιτομή
Category: Justification Apart from the Law
Acts 15:1, 15:5, 15:10-11, 15:19-21, 16:3, 21:20-25. ‘Sinet’ is a major, near-universal Islamic cultural rite of passage for Kurdish boys, entirely independent of this text. The Jerusalem Council’s ruling that circumcision is not required for salvation must be taught strictly as a first-century salvation-basis question and never as commentary on, or challenge to, the contemporary cultural/religious practice of sinet — mandatory sensitivity note for any lesson touching Acts 15 or 16:3.
Freed Justified Combination
Approved rendering: Hatin hesibandin wek adil / hatin azad kirin ji sûcê
Transliteration: hatin hesibandin wek adil / hatin azad kirin ji sûcê
Doctrine: Justification Apart from the Law
Original: ἀπὸ πάντων ὧν οὐκ ἠδυνήθητε ἐν νόμῳ Μωϋσέως δικαιωθῆναι… πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων δικαιοῦται
Category: Justification Apart from the Law
Acts 13:38-39. Must be rendered as the same forensic event as ‘justified’ (a legal release the law could never actually achieve), not two separate benefits, and must not imply the law of Moses was itself deficient or evil.
Unhindered Proclamation
Approved rendering: Bi hemû wêrekiyê, bêastengî, Padîşahiya Xwedê ragihandin û hînkirina der barê Xudan Îsa Mesîh de
Transliteration: bi hemû wêrekiyê, bêastengî…
Doctrine: Kingdom Mission
Original: κηρύσσων τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ… μετὰ πάσης παρρησίας ἀκωλύτως
Category: Kingdom and Mission
Acts 28:31, the book’s final verse. Combines three separately-fenced terms (Padîşahiya Xwedê, Xudan/Mesîh, Wêrekî); lock verbatim as recorded. Any deviation in any component term is an automatic flag requiring theologian review, per the cross-document consistency rules for thesis/pastoral-anchor verses.
High Risk Terms
Grace
Approved rendering: Kerem
Transliteration: kerem
Doctrine: Grace
Original: χάρις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Kurdistan’s rich Sufi heritage uses the cognate ‘keramet’ for miracles granted specifically to elevated Sufi saints as marks of spiritual rank. Using kerem for grace risks implying an elite, hierarchical favor reserved for spiritually advanced figures. Acts 15:11 (‘we believe we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will’) is the doctrinal payoff verse of the Jerusalem Council and must retain this exact caution.
Faith
Approved rendering: Îman
Transliteration: iman
Doctrine: Faith
Original: πίστις
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Shares the region’s Sunni six-pillars creedal structure. Must be anchored as personal trust in Christ. Acts 16:31 (‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved’) is a core curriculum salvation-formula verse requiring word-for-word consistency with the Romans baseline’s faith entry.
Righteousness
Approved rendering: Adalet
Transliteration: adalet
Doctrine: Salvation
Rejected alternatives: Rastî
Original: δικαιοσύνη
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Rastî is too thin for the forensic sense; Adalet carries the necessary legal-moral weight. In Acts 24:25, used in its ordinary ethical sense (self-controlled righteous living), distinct from the forensic-justification sense at 13:38-39; translators must disambiguate by context.
Called
Approved rendering: Bangkirî
Transliteration: bangkirî
Doctrine: Divine Calling
Original: κλητός / καλέω
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Context-sensitive across senses. Acts 2:39 (‘everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself’) must retain sovereign, effectual summons, not general invitation.
Saints
Approved rendering: Pîrozan
Transliteration: pîrozan
Doctrine: Sainthood
Original: ἅγιοι
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Kurdish Sufi ‘pîr’ culture (hereditary, shrine-venerated spiritual masters) remains socially significant. Acts 9:13, 9:32, 9:41, 26:10 use this designation for ordinary believers; must not imply the hereditary Sufi elite.
Sanctification
Approved rendering: Teqdîs
Transliteration: teqdîs
Doctrine: Sanctification
Rejected alternatives: Pakkirin
Original: ἁγιασμός / ἡγιασμένοι
Category: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package. Pakkirin risks reading as ritual cleanliness; teqdîs keeps the theological sense. Acts 20:32 and 26:18 (‘sanctified by faith in me’) tie holiness directly to trust in Christ, not ritual purification.
Church
Approved rendering: Dêr / Civata Mesîhî
Transliteration: dêr / civata mesîhî
Doctrine: Church as God’s People
Original: ἐκκλησία
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Dêr = building; Civata Mesîhî = gathered people. Enforce Civata Mesîhî without exception for every ekklēsia-as-people occurrence in Acts (2:47, 5:11, 8:1, 9:31, 11:26, 12:5, 13:1, 14:23, 14:27, 15:3-4, 16:5, 20:17, 20:28); reserve Dêr strictly for the physical-building sense. Religious freedom for gathering varies across the four states Kurdish spans.
Sin
Approved rendering: Guneh
Transliteration: guneh
Doctrine: Universal Human Accountability
Original: ἁμαρτία
Category: Sin
Inherited from Romans package. Shares the region’s Islamic fitrah doctrine. Acts 2:38, 3:19, 5:31, 10:43, 13:38, 22:16, 26:18: forgiveness presupposes genuine guilt requiring pardon, not mere correction.
Obedience Of Faith
Approved rendering: Guhdarîkirina Baweriyê
Transliteration: guhdarîkirina baweriyê
Doctrine: Obedience of Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Shares the region’s Islamic submission-as-core-category risk; must be taught as faith’s fruit, never its ground. Retained for cross-document consistency with Romans though not independently thematized in Acts.
Prophet
Approved rendering: Pêxember
Transliteration: pêxember
Doctrine: Inspiration of Scripture
Original: προφήτης
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Same finality-of-prophethood risk as Arabic’s nabi. Acts 3:22-23 applies Deuteronomy 18:15’s ‘prophet like Moses’ exclusively to Jesus — a live, frequently-encountered regional Muslim-apologetic argument identifying this prophecy with Muhammad instead; flag every occurrence for theologian review.
Covenant
Approved rendering: Peyman
Transliteration: peyman
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Original: διαθήκη
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Resonant with Kurdish tribal (aşîret) alliance-making, but such peymans are revocable and between equals, unlike the unilateral biblical covenant. Acts 3:25, 7:8.
Election
Approved rendering: Hilbijartin
Transliteration: hilbijartin
Doctrine: Effectual Calling
Original: ἐκλογή / τεταγμένοι
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Also the standard modern Kurdish word for democratic elections (KRG/Rojava electoral politics). Acts 1:24-26 (lots cast), 9:15 (chosen instrument), 13:48 (ordained to eternal life) must never be read as a vote or human-driven appointment.
Intercession
Approved rendering: Navbeynkarî
Transliteration: navbeynkarî
Doctrine: Prayer and Intercession
Original: δέησις / προσεύχομαι ὑπέρ
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Shares the region’s general shafa’at-adjacent theological complexity. Acts 12:5, the church’s prayer for Peter’s release.
Mission
Approved rendering: Peywira Mizgîniyê
Transliteration: peywira Mizgîniyê
Doctrine: Mission to the Nations
Original: ἀποστολή / πέμπω / ἀποστέλλω
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Safety implications differ significantly by which of the four host states (Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria) the audience is in. Acts 1:8, 13:2-4, 22:21.
Abba
Approved rendering: Aba
Transliteration: Aba
Doctrine: Adoption into God’s Family
Inherited from Romans package. Aramaic intimacy-term preserved as in Romans 8:15; not independently used in Acts but retained for curriculum cross-reference consistency.
Seed Of David
Approved rendering: Dûndana Dawid
Transliteration: dûndana Dawid
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Conveys physical lineage and OT covenant fulfillment; retained for cross-document consistency, relevant background to Acts 2:30 and 13:22-23’s Davidic argument.
Tongues Languages
Approved rendering: Ziman / Zimanên din
Transliteration: ziman / zimanên din
Doctrine: Tongues as Real Languages
Original: γλῶσσαι / ἑτέραις γλώσσαις
Category: Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Acts 2:4-11, 10:46, 19:6. Real known languages in Acts 2 specifically; must not pre-resolve the cessationist/continuationist debate. Strong positive resonance with Kurdish mother-tongue suppression history — a genuine pastoral asset requiring care not to over-politicize the miracle as validation of Kurdish linguistic-rights struggles specifically. Same Kurdish word ‘ziman’ also serves the flame-shape sense at 2:3; disambiguate explicitly.
Own Dialect
Approved rendering: Zaravayê xwe yê zikmakî
Transliteration: zaravayê xwe yê zikmakî
Doctrine: Tongues as Real Languages
Original: διάλεκτος
Category: Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Acts 2:6, 2:8. Distinct Greek word (dialektos) from glōssai. Kurdish itself has several distinct dialects/varieties (Kurmanji, Sorani, Kelhurî, Zazakî) whose relationship is a point of internal ethnolinguistic and political sensitivity; use with awareness.
Pour Out The Spirit
Approved rendering: Birêsandin
Transliteration: birêsandin
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Original: ἐκχεῶ
Category: Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Acts 2:17-18, 2:33 (citing Joel 2:28-32). Never use without the explicit object ‘Ruhê Pîroz’ and a personal-agency verb (Xwedê… birêsand) in the same clause, to avoid assimilation into Sufi wahdat al-wujud ‘overflow’ or Yazidi divine-manifestation categories.
Johns Baptism
Approved rendering: Vaftîzma Yûhenna
Transliteration: vaftîzma Yûhenna
Doctrine: Baptism
Original: βάπτισμα Ἰωάννου
Category: Repentance and Baptism
Acts 19:1-7. Preparatory, repentance-only rite, distinct from Christian baptism ‘in the name of the Lord Jesus,’ which incorporates the gift of the Spirit; frame as a distinct, preparatory, superseded rite, not an earlier ‘lesser’ Christian baptism needing supplementation.
Forgiveness Of Sins
Approved rendering: Lêbûrîna guneha
Transliteration: lêbûrîna guneha
Doctrine: Forgiveness of Sins
Original: ἄφεσις ἁμαρτιῶν
Category: Salvation
Acts 2:38, 5:31, 10:43, 13:38, 26:18. Must be distinguished from the Islamic maghfira framework, in which forgiveness is granted case-by-case and remains uncertain until final judgment; pair with present-tense assurance language (‘naha, di vê gavê de’) to mark forgiveness in Acts as decisively secured at conversion.
Turn Convert
Approved rendering: Vegerandin
Transliteration: vegerandin
Doctrine: Conversion of Paul
Original: ἐπιστρέφω
Category: Conversion of Paul
Acts 26:18, the fullest single-verse conversion summary in Acts. A semantically thin, generic verb (‘to turn/return’) used in many non-religious contexts; never use unqualified — always pair with the light/darkness and ‘power of Satan to God’ contrast so the specific power-transfer content is not lost.
Unclean Common
Approved rendering: Neptik / gemar
Transliteration: neptik / gemar
Doctrine: The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles
Rejected alternatives: Herem (cognate of Islamic haram)
Original: κοινός
Category: Gospel to Jews and Gentiles
Acts 10:14-15, 10:28, 11:8-9. Islamic halal/haram dietary categories are structurally similar in form; teaching must make clear this announces the fulfillment and setting-aside of the OT ceremonial food law specifically in Christ, not a general argument against religious dietary law or commentary on Islamic practice.
All Things In Common
Approved rendering: Hemû tişt wek milkê hevpar
Transliteration: hemû tişt wek milkê hevpar
Doctrine: The Church as Community
Original: ἅπαντα κοινά / πάντα κοινά
Category: Church
Acts 2:44-45, 4:32-35. Genuine risk of assimilation to 20th-century Kurdish socialist/communist political programs (collective property, ‘heval’ as comrade). Must be taught as voluntary, Spirit-motivated, temporary, Jerusalem-specific generosity, never a normative economic system or political-ideological endorsement; never isolate from the full four-part Acts 2:42-45 description.
Elders
Approved rendering: Rihspî
Transliteration: rihspî
Doctrine: Church Leadership (Elders and Overseers)
Original: πρεσβύτεροι
Category: Church
Acts 14:23, 15:2-6, 20:17. ‘Rihspî’ (‘white-beard’) reflects Kurdish aşîret tribal elder authority granted substantially by age and lineage; church eldership must be taught as Spirit-appointed and qualification-based, open to any qualified believer regardless of tribal lineage or age alone.
Signs And Wonders
Approved rendering: Nîşan û ecêb
Transliteration: nîşan û ecêb
Doctrine: Miracles, Signs and Wonders
Rejected alternatives: Keramet (Sufi saint-miracle vocabulary)
Original: σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα / δύναμις
Category: Apostolic Authority and Miracles
Acts 2:22, 2:43, 3:1-10, 4:30, 5:12, 6:8, 8:6-7, 14:3, 15:12, 19:11-12, 28:3-6. Deliberately avoid the cognate ‘keramet’ (already flagged Critical/High in the baseline under grace, reserved for an elevated spiritual elite); locked collocation, forbidden substitution with any keramet-family term under any circumstance.
Name Of Jesus Invocation
Approved rendering: Bi navê Îsa Mesîh
Transliteration: bi navê Îsa Mesîh
Doctrine: Authority in the Name of Jesus
Original: ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ
Category: Apostolic Authority and Miracles
Acts 3:6, 3:16, 4:7-12, 4:30, 9:15-16, 16:18, 19:13-17. Regional folk-religious practice (Sufi, folk-Islamic, some Yazidi contexts) invokes divine names, a pîr’s, or a saint’s name as an independently efficacious formula. Must rest entirely on Christ’s own person, authority, and finished work; the seven sons of Sceva episode (19:13-16) is the text’s own built-in corrective against a transactional reading.
Sorcery
Approved rendering: Sêrbazî
Transliteration: sêrbazî
Doctrine: Sorcery and Spiritual Power
Original: μαγεία / μάγος / περίεργα
Category: Apostolic Authority and Miracles
Acts 8:9-24 (Simon Magus), 13:6-11 (Elymas), 19:19 (burning of magic books). Relevant to widespread regional belief in jinn, the evil eye, and protective/harmful magical practice; teach as rejection of a transactional, magical view of spiritual power altogether, not merely a rule against paying for it.
Divination Spirit
Approved rendering: Ruhê fala
Transliteration: ruhê fala
Doctrine: Sorcery and Spiritual Power
Original: πνεῦμα πύθωνα
Category: Apostolic Authority and Miracles
Acts 16:16-18. Directly relevant to regionally widespread belief in jinn possession and fortune-telling (fal); models Christ’s authority over such spirits without becoming a general folk-exorcism framework endorsement.
Boldness
Approved rendering: Wêrekî
Transliteration: wêrekî
Doctrine: Boldness in Proclamation
Original: παρρησία
Category: Persecution and Bold Witness
Acts 4:13, 4:29, 4:31, 9:27-29, 13:46, 14:3, 18:26, 19:8, 26:26, 28:31. Originally a civic-political free-speech term; must be distinguished from mere political defiance or activist courage, a strongly positive value in Kurdish resistance-movement culture — biblical boldness here is Spirit-produced testimony to Christ specifically.
Tribulation
Approved rendering: Tengasî / zulm
Transliteration: tengasî / zulm
Doctrine: Kingdom Mission
Original: θλῖψις
Category: Persecution and Bold Witness
Acts 14:22, ‘through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.’ ‘Zulm’ carries strong overtones of state persecution familiar from Kurdish political history; anchor explicitly to kingdom-entry theology each time so the text’s point is not flattened into a generic anti-oppression political statement.
The Way
Approved rendering: Rê (Riya Xwedê)
Transliteration: rê (riya Xwedê)
Doctrine: “The Way” as Christian Identity
Rejected alternatives: Riya rast (calque of sirat al-mustaqim)
Original: ἡ ὁδός
Category: Conversion of Paul
Acts 9:2, 18:25-26, 19:9, 19:23, 22:4, 24:14, 24:22. Resonates with, but must be sharply distinguished from, the Islamic ‘straight path’ (sirat al-mustaqim, recited in every performance of the Quran’s opening chapter). Denotes a specific, concrete historical community following the crucified-and-risen Jesus, not a general ethical/devotional path.
Ascension
Approved rendering: Hilkişî (bi ezmên ve hilkişîn)
Transliteration: hilkişî (bi ezmên ve hilkişîn)
Doctrine: Ascension of Christ
Original: ἀνελήμφθη / ἐπήρθη
Category: Christology
Acts 1:9-11. Inverted risk: mainstream Sunni Islam already affirms Jesus was bodily raised to heaven without dying (Quran 4:157-158). A Kurdish reader may too readily accept ascension language while continuing to deny the prior crucifixion and resurrection it presupposes. Never present in isolation from the resurrection appearances (1:3) that precede it.
Uncircumcised In Heart
Approved rendering: Dilê wan nesinetkirî ye
Transliteration: dilê wan nesinetkirî ye
Doctrine: Circumcision and the Jerusalem Council
Original: ἀπερίτμητοι καρδίαις
Category: Justification Apart from the Law
Acts 7:51. Metaphorical extension; must not be read literally against, or disparage, the physical practice of sinet — denotes an internal, spiritual category (persistent unbelief/resistance to the Spirit) only.
Medium Risk Terms
Gospel
Approved rendering: Mizgînî
Transliteration: mizgînî
Doctrine: Gospel
Original: εὐαγγέλιον
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. A native Kurdish word for ‘good news,’ not an Arabic loanword like Injil - a genuine linguistic asset. Some readers will also know Încîl via shared Islamic vocabulary, carrying the same tahrif (corruption) assumption found regionally; qualify as the specific NT record when that association is likely. In Acts, recurs as the content of apostolic preaching (8:25, 14:7, 20:24).
Apostle
Approved rendering: Şandî
Transliteration: şandî
Doctrine: Apostleship
Rejected alternatives: Resûl
Original: ἀπόστολος
Category: Apostolic Authority and Miracles
Inherited from Romans package. Avoids collision with Muhammad’s Rasul Allah title. In Acts, the scope and non-repeatable finality of the apostolic office (1:2, 1:21-26) relative to later elders/overseers (ch.14, 20) must be clarified for an audience shaped by a single final-prophetic-authority framework.
Calling
Approved rendering: Vexwendin
Transliteration: vexwendin
Doctrine: Divine Calling
Original: κλῆσις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package. Native compound for invitation; direction of address (God calling a person) must be made explicit.
Holy
Approved rendering: Pîroz
Transliteration: pîroz
Doctrine: Sanctification
Original: ἅγιος
Category: Sanctification
Inherited from Romans package. Standard native word for holy/sacred; also used of Yazidi sacred sites and figures, a generic shared-vocabulary overlap rather than a specific competing doctrine. Required qualifier in Ruhê Pîroz.
Peace
Approved rendering: Aştî
Transliteration: aştî
Doctrine: Peace with God
Original: εἰρήνη
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Resonant with Kurdish political peace-process vocabulary, a genuine asset. Acts 9:31 (‘the church… had peace’) ties the term to the specific spiritual peace and growth of the church under God’s protection.
Spiritual Gifts
Approved rendering: Diyariyên Giyanî
Transliteration: diyariyên giyanî
Doctrine: Spiritual Gifts
Original: χαρίσματα (implied, cf. διαιρέσεις χαρισμάτων pattern)
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. Always retain ‘giyanî’ so the phrase is not read as ordinary talent. Relates to the gift of tongues/prophecy given at Pentecost and beyond.
Fellowship
Approved rendering: Hevaltî
Transliteration: hevaltî
Doctrine: Christian Fellowship
Original: κοινωνία
Category: Church
Inherited from Romans package. ‘Heval’ is also the standard address-term within Kurdish leftist and nationalist political movements (‘comrade’). Acts 2:42 must never be isolated from the full four-part description (teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, prayer) to avoid maximizing political-misreading risk when paired with ‘all things in common’.
Gentiles
Approved rendering: Ne-cihû
Transliteration: ne-cihû
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
Rejected alternatives: Umet
Original: ἔθνη
Category: Gospel to Jews and Gentiles
Inherited from Romans package. Umet carries the loaded pan-Islamic community sense; the descriptive ‘ne-cihû’ avoids that association. Central to Acts 10-15’s narrative arc and the closing statement at 28:28.
Glory
Approved rendering: Rûmet
Transliteration: rûmet
Doctrine: Deity of Christ
Original: δόξα
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Kurdish classical Sufi poetry lends devotional weight but must be anchored to God’s specific, historical self-revelation. Acts 7:2, 7:55, 12:23.
Power Of God
Approved rendering: Hêza Xwedê
Transliteration: hêza Xwedê
Doctrine: Power of God for Salvation
Original: δύναμις θεοῦ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Broadly compatible concept. Acts 1:8, 3:12, 4:33, 10:38.
Providence
Approved rendering: Rêveberiya Xwedê
Transliteration: rêveberiya Xwedê
Doctrine: Providence
Original: πρόνοια (implied, cf. Acts 17:26-28, 27:23-25)
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package. Keep distinct from folk qadar fatalism. Acts 17:26-28, 18:9-10, 23:11, 27:23-25 — especially resonant given the audience’s lived experience of state power across four jurisdictions.
David
Approved rendering: Dawid
Transliteration: Dawid
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Original: Δαυίδ
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Shared, positively-regarded Quranic prophet-king figure without the covenant-king typology pointing to Messiah; must be taught, not assumed. Acts 2:25-31, 2:34, 4:25, 13:22, 13:34-36, 15:16.
Israel
Approved rendering: Îsraîl
Transliteration: Îsraîl
Doctrine: Unity of Jews and Gentiles
Original: Ἰσραήλ
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Kurdish popular sentiment (especially Iraqi Kurdistan) often more favorable toward Israel than the regional norm; still requires care. Acts 1:6, 2:36, 3:12, 5:31, 13:23-24, 28:20.
Pentecost
Approved rendering: Pentîkost
Transliteration: Pentîkost
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Rejected alternatives: Cejna Pêncî (generic festival calque)
Original: Πεντηκοστή
Category: Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Acts 2:1. Kurdish ‘cejn’ (festival) is the operative word for major cultural-religious festivals, including Newroz and Islamic Eid. Transliterate rather than translate; teach as a specific, unrepeatable redemptive-historical event, not a generic seasonal cejn or an annual liturgical holiday.
Filled With The Spirit
Approved rendering: Bi Ruhê Pîroz tije bûn
Transliteration: bi Ruhê Pîroz tije bûn
Doctrine: Repeated Filling for Empowerment
Original: πλησθέντες πνεύματος ἁγίου
Category: Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Recurring empowerment formula (2:4; 4:8, 4:31; 6:3, 6:5; 7:55; 9:17; 13:9, 13:52) distinct from the once-for-all Spirit-baptism (1:5; 11:16). Require agentive phrasing (‘Ruhê Pîroz ew tije kir’) rather than a passive stative reading alone, so ‘filled’ is not read as partial/impersonal possession.
God Fearer
Approved rendering: Xwedêparêz
Transliteration: Xwedêparêz
Doctrine: The Gospel to Jews and Gentiles
Original: φοβούμενος / σεβόμενος τὸν θεόν
Category: Gospel to Jews and Gentiles
Acts 10:2, 10:22, 13:16, 13:26, 17:4, 17:17. No native Kurdish social category corresponds to this specific first-century technical status (a Gentile worshiping Israel’s God without full proselyte conversion). Treat as a paraphrase requiring a mandatory one-line historical gloss at first occurrence per lesson, not a self-sufficient technical term.
Gods Impartiality
Approved rendering: Xwedê alîgir nîne
Transliteration: Xwedê alîgir nîne
Doctrine: God’s Impartiality
Original: οὐκ ἔστιν προσωπολήμπτης ὁ θεός
Category: Gospel to Jews and Gentiles
Acts 10:34-35. Foundational Jew-Gentile equality text. Secondary application against Kurdish aşîret (tribal) favoritism is possible but must remain secondary to, and never displace, the primary Jew-Gentile theological point.
Breaking Of Bread
Approved rendering: Şikandina Nanî
Transliteration: şikandina nanî
Doctrine: The Church as Community
Original: κλάσις τοῦ ἄρτου
Category: Church
Acts 2:42, 2:46, 20:7, 20:11. A technical term for the shared apostolic meal; must not be confused with ordinary Kurdish hospitality-meal customs without the specific worship context made clear.
Overseer
Approved rendering: Çavdêr
Transliteration: çavdêr
Doctrine: Church Leadership (Elders and Overseers)
Original: ἐπίσκοπος
Category: Church
Acts 20:28. A transparent, native, low-collision compound (‘eye-watcher’); must be taught as the same office as elder (interchangeable in Acts 20), not a higher rank.
Shepherd Flock
Approved rendering: Şivan / Kerî
Transliteration: şivan / kerî
Doctrine: Church Leadership (Elders and Overseers)
Original: ποιμαίνω / ποίμνιον
Category: Church
Acts 20:28-29. Positive resonance with Kurdish pastoral-nomadic heritage; distinguish from the Sufi murshid-disciple hierarchy, which implies a more rigid, quasi-hereditary spiritual authority than the biblical shepherd model.
Diaconal Service
Approved rendering: Xizmet
Transliteration: xizmet
Doctrine: The Church as Community
Original: διακονία / διακονεῖν τραπέζαις
Category: Church
Acts 6:1-4. Carries residual feudal/tribal connotation (serving an axa/lord in a hierarchical patron-client relationship); church diaconal service must be taught as dignified, Spirit-gifted ministry among equals.
Laying On Of Hands
Approved rendering: Destlêdanîn
Transliteration: destlêdanîn
Doctrine: Miracles, Signs and Wonders
Original: ἐπίθεσις τῶν χειρῶν / ἐπιτίθημι τὰς χεῖρας
Category: Apostolic Authority and Miracles
Acts 6:6, 8:17-19, 9:17, 13:3, 19:6. Distinguish from folk-healing touch practices attributed to a pîr; a visible sign accompanying, never causing, the Spirit’s sovereign gift (cf. Simon Magus’s error, 8:18-19).
Persecute
Approved rendering: Çewisandin / tacîz kirin
Transliteration: çewisandin / tacîz kirin
Doctrine: Persecution and Bold Witness
Original: διώκω
Category: Persecution and Bold Witness
Acts 9:4-5 (‘why do you persecute me?’). Christ identifies himself with his persecuted people, a union-with-Christ teaching point rather than a translation-mechanics difficulty.
Chosen Instrument
Approved rendering: Amrazê hilbijartî
Transliteration: amrazê hilbijartî
Doctrine: Sovereign Election and Calling
Original: σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς
Category: Salvation
Acts 9:15. Reuses Hilbijartin (baseline, High); anchor explicitly as sovereign, unilateral divine selection for mission, with no democratic or human-appointment process involved.
Idol
Approved rendering: But
Transliteration: but
Doctrine: Idolatry and the Living God
Original: εἴδωλον
Category: God
Acts 14:11-18 (Zeus and Hermes at Lystra), 17:16, 17:22-31 (Areopagus), 19:23-41 (Artemis). Broadly shared anti-idolatry vocabulary with regional Islam; nuance needed with Yazidi, Yarsani, and folk-religious frameworks involving multiple divine or spiritual figures.
Unknown God
Approved rendering: Xwedayê nenas
Transliteration: Xwedayê nenas
Doctrine: Idolatry and the Living God
Original: ἄγνωστος θεός
Category: God
Acts 17:23. A valuable apologetic bridge from existing but incomplete religious devotion to the specific proclamation of Christ; must be completed with Christ’s specific, exclusive resurrection and judgment claims, not left as an affirmation of shared religious sentiment.
Hades
Approved rendering: Cîhana miriyan (Hades)
Transliteration: cîhana miriyan (Hades)
Doctrine: Resurrection of Christ
Original: ᾅδης
Category: Eschatology
Acts 2:27, 2:31 (quoting Psalm 16). Must be kept distinct from the Islamic barzakh (intermediate waiting-state) and from Cehennem (hell/Gehenna), preserving this verse’s specific claim that God did not abandon the Messiah to ordinary death.
Judgment To Come
Approved rendering: Dîwana/darazandina Xwedê ya bê
Transliteration: dîwana/darazandina Xwedê ya bê
Doctrine: Judgment to Come
Original: κρίμα / κρίσις
Category: Eschatology
Acts 17:31, 24:15, 24:25. Shared broadly with Islamic eschatology as a bridge point; Christ’s already-accomplished resurrection as the specific ground of judgment must not be lost within the more general, shared future-judgment expectation.
Angel Of The Lord
Approved rendering: Milyaketê Xudan
Transliteration: milyaketê Xudan
Doctrine: Providence
Original: ἄγγελος κυρίου
Category: God
Acts 5:19, 12:7-11, 12:23. Standard shared vocabulary across regional religious traditions; emphasize this is an act of God’s personal deliverance, not an independent angelic agent to be venerated, especially relevant given the audience’s lived experience of state power.
Low Risk Terms
Thanksgiving
Approved rendering: Spasî
Transliteration: spasî
Doctrine: Thanksgiving
Original: εὐχαριστέω
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Standard term with broad positive overlap; low risk. Acts 27:35, Paul gives thanks before the shipwrecked company eats.
Prophecy
Approved rendering: Pêxemberî
Transliteration: pêxemberî
Doctrine: Fulfillment of Prophecy
Original: προφητεία / προφητεύω
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package. Low independent risk. Acts 2:17-18 (Joel citation): the democratizing scope (‘sons and daughters… young and old… male and female slaves’) must not be narrowed in translation.
Exhort
Approved rendering: Handan kirin
Transliteration: handan kirin
Doctrine: Mutual Edification
Original: παρακαλέω
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package. Context-sensitive between entreaty and encouragement. Acts 2:40, 11:23, 14:22, 15:32, 16:40, 20:1-2.
Light From Heaven
Approved rendering: Ronahiya ji ezmên
Transliteration: ronahiya ji ezmên
Doctrine: Conversion of Paul
Original: φῶς ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ
Category: Conversion of Paul
Acts 9:3, 22:6, 26:13. Narrative marker of direct divine encounter; low ambiguity.
Appeal To Caesar
Approved rendering: Gazî li Qeyser dikim
Transliteration: gazî li Qeyser dikim
Doctrine: The Great Commission Fulfilled
Original: Καίσαρα ἐπικαλοῦμαι
Category: Kingdom and Mission
Acts 25:11. Legal-procedural term; illustrates Paul’s lawful use of Roman legal process to advance gospel witness to the highest levels of imperial authority, culminating in Rome itself.
Christians Self Designation
Approved rendering: Mesîhî
Transliteration: Mesîhî
Doctrine: Christian Self-Designation
Original: Χριστιανοί
Category: Church
Acts 11:26, 26:28. Transparent, low-collision derivation from the already-established Mesîh; establishes the standard Kurdish Christian self-designation used for the remainder of the curriculum.
Referenced passages